rolling fantasy, science fiction, speculative fiction &c. thread

I've been cherry-picking Lafferty stories from some anthologies, will report back later on where they can be found.

As stated upthread, big fan of Kuttner and Kornbluth as well the Silverberg/Malzberg -and Delany for that matter - curation/narration of a Golden Age SF history. Silverberg famously realized something was amiss in 1958 when both Kuttner and Kornbluth "died of writing science fiction."

Kornbluth in fact had worn out his heart hauling heavy artillery around in The Battle of The Bulge and ignored doctor's orders to stop smoking and drinking and watch his diet. The day he died he had an appointment with Robert P. Mills about an editing job, perhaps to succeed Horace Gold, another WWII casualty. There had been a huge snowstorm the night before, so after shoving out his car he drove over to the LIRR station, where he died running for the train.

Shakey's description of Lafferty style very evocative and otm

Lafferty and Kornbluth two peas in the pod of grumpy taciturn loner witty misanthropes although styles are different. Kuttner kind of journeyman craftsman who knows how to turn a phrase and turn genre materials into art. Useful to think of him analogous to a film auteur, like Allan Dwan, or compare his collabo with C L Moore to Hitch and Alma. Also mentor to other authors, such as Ray Bradbury.

From Becoming Ray Bradbury, by Jonathan R. Eller:

Bradbury also learned a valuable lesson about focus from Kuttner, a rather elementary lesson in behavior modification that removed one of the last aspects of immaturity from his writing habits. Thirty years later, Bradbury could still recall Kuttner’s words: “You give away all your steam. No wonder you never finish your stories. You talk them all out. Shut up.”2 He soon locked into the habit of writing a first draft in a single burst of creativity—no more self-conscious discussions with other writers, no more second-guessing himself. His writing habit became a quotidian fever, rising each day without interruption from any other voices.

http://www.tor.com/blogs/2010/07/five-short-stories-with-useless-time-travel

am currently struggling through Ancillary Justice thinking that iain 'm' banks would've done it a million times better (if he hasn't before)

odd writer's tick in it as well, keeps saying 'he paused for 4 seconds' or 6 or whatever. maybe this'll be explained as a character thing later but at the moment it's jarring.

i think i like that one of the races is called the Rrrrrr.

Anthologized Lafferty, all available as ebooks:
"Eurema's Dam" (Hugo Winner, Best Short Story) can be found in Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Century edited by Orson Scott Card
"Thus We Frustrate Charlemagne" can be found in Sense of Wonder: A Century of Science Fiction, edited by Leigh Ronald Grossman
"Rainbird" can be found in The Best Time Travel Stories of the Twentietth Century, edited by Harry Turtledove with Martin H. Greenberg.
"Nine Hundred Grandmothers" can be found in Explorers: SF Adventures to Far Horizons, edited by Gardner Dozois.

Also look here: http://www.philsp.com/homeville/isfac/s146.htm

Also check this out , from Der letzte Tag der Schöpfung, by Wolfgang Jeschke

»Und bisher haben wir noch nicht einmal den Aloysius-Effekt in Erwägung gezogen«, warf Sam Fleissiger ein. »Den was?«, wollte der Admiral wissen. »Den Aloysius-Effekt«, wiederholte Fleissiger und sah Francis mit tadelndem Blick über den Brillenrand hinweg an. »So genannt nach Raphael Aloysius Lafferty, dem Erfinder der phänomenalen Ktistec-Maschine.« »Ein Science-Fiction-Autor der Sechziger- und Siebzigerjahre«, fügte Kafu erläuternd hinzu, als er den irritierten Blick des Admirals bemerkte, den dieser den beiden NASA-Wissenschaftlern zuwarf. »Lafferty hat sich unter anderem eingehend mit dem Phänomen der Zeitreise und den Konsequenzen von Zeitfrakturen befasst.«

two here too: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/25720

Oh yeah, forgot about those two.

The guy was named after an archangel and a Jesuit, which seems to have some significance.

Jesuit saint, I meant to say

perhaps to succeed Horace Gold, another WWII casualty.
Guess not. It was for F&SF, not Galaxy.

One of those from upthread:
I recently came across Lafferty's "Encased In Ancient Rind" in Quark/3, from 1971: A Quarterly of Speculative Fiction, edited by Samuel R. Delany and Marilyn Hacker. Thought I'd read this before, and that it was mostly terribly dated, but don't remember Lafferty at all, so I better check the whole thing, because Lafferty's tale seemed dated for a second, but quickly spun me through something lighthearted but not not lightheaded; too much commitment to deft detail; but not really lighthearted either (except he and his readers don't have to live through what his characters do, so hey!)(not yet anyway, so hey). Kind of an outlier inspiration to some New Wavers like Delany, according to this intriguing profile:
http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/lafferty_r_a

― dow, Friday, 6 September 2013 19:11 (10 months ago) Permalink

I found another Lafferty: "Narrow Valley", in Masterpieces of Fantasy and Wonder, compiled by D.G. Hartwell, with some assistance from Kathryn Cramer. Haven't encountered any Masterpieces yet, but doesn't seem as erratic as other H-K compilations (yet). This one is def more open air than xpost "Encased In Rind", and the topographical capers around weightier matters (incl. munchies for turf, Injuns vs. Homesteaders, but in 1966) seem like they might've influenced/encouraged young Rudy Rucker.Just a whiff of anger, scorn, but also of inventive thrill-seeking. It's sandwiched between a good shadowy no-nonsense buffalo ballet presented by L. Frank Baum (also way out West, not Oz) and Tiptree's "Beyond the Dead Reef", which is eco-gothic in the Tropics (and private parts)--somewhat Conradian structurally, also unmistakably late-period Tiptree. More well-behaved than, say, xpost "The Man Who Wouldn't Do Horrible Things To Rats", but nasty where, when, and how it counts.

― dow, Tuesday, October 1, 2013 5:17 PM (10 months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

(That eventually proved to be a fairly fine anth, btw.)

Just reread three Lafferty stories. Will report later.

I'm enjoying Ancillary Justice. It's different from Banks - obviously not as whizz-bang, more about thinking than doing. Ambling towards its conclusion rather than accelerating in a heart stopping fashion. And I'm ok with that, although I am hoping for (and expecting) a decently dramatic conclusion. The ancillary idea is fine and nicely done, some of the world building is less accomplished - e.g. the gloves thing is a bit lame, so far (two thirds in) there's still only one major species/civilisation on the stage (plus one offstage serving as plot device). Outrageous! How dare anyone write space opera without a robust galactic menagerie!

And yeah some strange stylistic quirks, the characters seems to have an inexhaustible array of expressive gestures - they gesture acknowledgement, indifference, assent, agreement, agreement (perfunctory), approval, "halfway between not my problem and not relevant", helplessness, acquiescence, conciliation, "it is as it is", doubt, "lack of concern or sympathy", uncertainty, ambivalence, apology (slight, deferential), ambiguity, obviousness. (Thanks ereader search function!) I sometimes wonder they bother to speak at all.

The most recent Ancilble talked about the endless eyebrows in Ancillary Justice:

'Strigan held the icon out, raised a steel-gray eyebrow.' 'She raised an eyebrow, tilted her head slightly.' 'Strigan said nothing, only twitched one gray eyebrow.' '... she walked into the main living space, stopped, folded her arms, and cocked an eyebrow.' 'Anaander Mianaai turned to her, eyebrow raised.' 'The eyebrow rose farther.' 'Strigan raised an eyebrow ...' 'Strigan raised one skeptical eyebrow.' '... the siren elicited no more than an upward glance and a raised eyebrow.' 'The Lord of the Radch raised one graying eyebrow.' 'Anaander Mianaai [...] raised one grayed eyebrow.' 'Strigan cocked one gray eyebrow ...' 'She raised one eyebrow, and then another, disbelieving.' 'It was my turn to raise a skeptical eyebrow.' 'Lieutenant Issaaia raised an eyebrow.' 'She raised an eyebrow.' 'Moments later, at the mention of Ime, eyebrows twitched.' 'Her eyebrows twitched just slightly.' 'She lifted an eyebrow.' 'It was guaranteed to lift Radchaai eyebrows ...' 'Inspector Supervisor Skaaiat raised an eyebrow ...' 'I raised an eyebrow.' 'I raised one eyebrow and a shoulder ...' 'At Inspector Supervisor Skaaiat's raised eyebrow Seivarden added ...' 'People had stared and whispered, or just raised their eyebrows.' 'Seivarden lifted an eyebrow briefly.' 'I raised an eyebrow, incredulous.' 'I raised an eyebrow ...' 'Seivarden raised an eyebrow, sardonic.' 'I stopped and turned to look at Seivarden, raised an eyebrow.' 'This security officer did not even twitch an eyebrow.' 'The right-hand Mianaai lifted an eyebrow.' 'Mianaai lifted an eyebrow.' 'Anaander Mianaai raised an eyebrow ...' 'I didn't answer, didn't even raise an eyebrow.' 'I turned my head ... and raised an eyebrow.'

With some of the same appeal as Lafferty: leave us not forget some prev. discussion of Avram Davidson (and that Vandameer I still should check, among others here)
Having avoided Jeff Vandermeer for years (something always gave me the impression of forced whimsical surrealness of the 'I'm so ZANY!' variety), I'm enjoying his new one, Annihilation, about a group of four women exploring a sort of Roadside-Picnic-style zone of weirdness.

― ornamental cabbage (James Morrison), Wednesday, February 12, 2014 7:32 PM (5 months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

His publishing company being called 'Cheeky frawg' didn't help

― ornamental cabbage (James Morrison), Wednesday, February 12, 2014 7:33 PM (5 months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yeah, I kinda had the same impression of Avram Davidson--based on what, I dunno; prob haven't read him since middle school---revived by the opening of "The Woman Who Thought She Could Read." But it's a set-up for pathos, somewhat scarey (irony in there too,one of life's cruel joeks). It's no masterpiece, but what other Davidson should I check?

This is included in the previously mentioned Masterpieces of Fantasy and Wonder (yadda-yadda)

― dow, Thursday, February 13, 2014 11:51 AM (5 months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I've heard good things about, and so bought, The Adventures Of Doctor Eszterhazy by Avram Davidson -- it sounds as though it's meant to be a Hungarian novel, which is my kind of thing anyway. Not yet read, though.

― ornamental cabbage (James Morrison), Thursday, February 13, 2014 5:03 PM (5 months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

TOR did an avram Davidson treasury a few years back, he's a short story/novella man so that ought to be a good rx

― grape is the flavor of my true love's hair (Jon Lewis), Thursday, February 13, 2014 6:25 PM (5 months ago)

Aaaaand I still haven't got around to The Adventures Of Doctor Eszterhazy by Avram Davidson

Also from the xpost August online issue of Ansible: recently expired writers, appealingly mentioned. Anybody read 'em? (I read and saw the worthy and imaginativeLittle Big Man long ago, but none of his with sf themes.)
• Ana María Matute (1925-2014), distinguished Spanish author whose novels often included fantasy/supernatural elements, died on 25 June aged 88. Her many awards include the Cervantes Prize, the Spanish-speaking world's highest literary honour.[JCo]
Thomas Berger (1924-2014), US author best known for the quasi-Western Little Big Man (1964), several of whose novels explored sf themes – from cryonics in Vital Parts (1960) to androids in Adventures of the Artificial Woman (2004) – died on 13 July. He was 89. [AIP]
• Late notice: Isidore Haiblum (1935-2012), US author of The Wilk Are Among Us (1975) and other comic sf infused with Yiddish humour, died on 25 October 2012 aged 77. [WGC]
• Late notice: Louise Lawrence (Elizabeth Holden, 1943-2013), UK author of much tough-minded YA genre fiction including the 'Wyndcliffe' and 'Llandor' fantasy series plus several standalone sf novels with varied settings, died on 6 December 2013; she was 70.

Also from Aug, Ansible:

Man Booker Prize. Titles of genre interest on the 13-book longlist: Karen Joy Fowler,We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves; Howard Jacobson, J; David Mitchell, The Bone Clocks; Richard Powers, Orfeo.
World Fantasy Awards. Novel shortlist: Richard Bowes, Dust Devil on a Quiet Street; Marie Brennan, A Natural History of Dragons; Neil Gaiman, The Ocean at the End of the Lane; Sofia Samatar, A Stranger in Olondria; Helene Wecker, The Golem and the Jinni; Gene Wolfe, The Land Across. More at worldfantasy.org/awards/2014.html.
Would like to check the Fowler first; enjoyed her short stories, though the only novel I've read is Sarah Canary, about somebody who may be an alien or just a space cadet (socially, anyway) in the Wild Pacific Northwest. Remember it as alternating chapters of deft wry Chaplinesque body language with chunks of historical lectures, but it was her debut. Those opening chapters of the Wolfe, excerpted on NPR, were really clunky first-person tourist in Kafkaland, 'til maybe the last few grafs; got kinda good there.

re-reading Ballard's "Hello America" (for lack of anything else available). This is a good 'un, better than I remembered it.

It'll probably be a long time before I read any of this but...

- a bunch of new Dunsany stuff has been found at his castle, mainly plays I think.

- Hanns Heinz Ewers (a Nazi who was controversial among other Nazis and made an outcast because he was openly bisexual and thought Jews were ideal supermen!) is going into a rediscovery period, lots of his work being translated for ebooks. Alraune (several films based on it) and some short stories are quite well known but most of this has never been available in English.

- there's a huge ebook of all Abraham Merritt's fantasy stories.

Can anyone point me to a story which explores the parallels between nostalgia and time travel? Like, has there ever been a story about a machine that lets you take a holiday back to the old house you used to live in in 1995, or a particular holiday you went on once or whatever?

someone must have done this but I am drawing a blank

Alain Resnais's film Je t'aime, je t'aime does this – screenplay's by french sci-fi writer Jacques Sternberg, not sure if it's based on a novel of his or not. Also of course Sans soleil . . .

Just read two bumper time travel anthologies and none that I can recall.

La Jetee is still thee OMG cinematic time trip.

Yo Robert Alan, think you might dig this strange cat:

and all over his face broods a universe of rainbows, dingy and fat, which from the fat vapours of the pitch bringing forth rainbows, not rainbows of heaven, but, so to say, fallen angels, grown gross and sluggish. But, years ere this, I think, I had seen the bulrushes: for, soon after the volcano came, in roaming over to the left shore of the cataract's sea---the whole left shore is flat and widespread, and hath no high walls like the right side---I walked upon a freshet of fresh warm water, and after following it upward, saw all around a marsh's swamp, and the bush of bulrushes. This is where the oysters be so crass, and they be pearl oysters, for all that soil be crass with nacreous matter of some sort, with barrok pearls, mother of pearl, and in most of the oysters which I opened pearls; with a lot of conch shells which have within them pink pearls, and there be also the black pearl, such as they have in Mexico and the West Indies, with the yellow and likewise the white, which last be shaped like the pear, and large, and his pallor hath a blank brightness, very priceless, and so to say, bridal.

― dow, Monday, 14 January 2013 16:34 (1 year ago) Permalink

That's from "The Dark Lot of One Saul," by M.P. Shiel. Had heard of him as a xenophobe, racist, anti-Semite though he was also "of West Indian descent," sez Wiki). Indeed, it seems that he was smitten by the Yellow Peril as much as his Elizabethan castaway *was* the yellow pearl, to say the least. Also wanted to deport the Jews to Palestine, thus "making him a Zionist of sorts"--mots juste, Great Tales of Science Fiction eds. Silverberg & Greenberg! But in less-shit-talking stories like this, he earns the crack in his pot, a la xp David Lindsay. Other goodies in here so far from Twain, Kipling, Wells; compatible though creakier Poe and Verne. Currently reading "R.U.R."; quite a contrast so far with Shiel.

― dow, Monday, 14 January 2013 16:46 (1 year ago) Permalink

This quote is is one of the tamer bits actually; hard to avoid spoilers.

― dow, Monday, 14 January 2013 16:48 (1 year ago) Permalink

That's very nice. I've wanted to read Shiel for a while but I've heard his work is extremely uneven. Penguin classics had a Shiel book, maybe Purple Cloud?
I've heard that House Of Sounds and Shapes In The Fire are among his best.

http://www.ligotti.net/showthread.php?t=7825
A really good discussion and listing of Belgian weird fiction and surrealism.

http://www.hippocampuspress.com/mythos-and-other-authors/poetry/the-book-of-jade-by-david-park-barnitz
Book Of Jade by Barnitz is getting an affordable reprint from Hippocampus.

thanks to everyone for turning me on to james tiptree jr. sheesh.

the stories come wrapped in this standard issue sci-fi tone, people saying "jeez!" a lot, lovers casually mentioning physics periodicals to each other, and then there will be something incredibly disturbing, and i wonder, "was that allowed then, to write things like that?" but before i've finished asking it the paragraphs have exploded into hot vertical shards and the universe has imprisoned the characters into frozen glyphs of unending pain and the story ends. and the next one's similar. it's addictive!

still reading Robert Sheckley, of course.

Two of my favorite posters reading two of my favorite authors :)

With Loncon3, the largest WorldCon in history disappearing into the rear-view mirror, convention guest of honour John Clute joins Gary and Jonathan on the podcast to discuss fantastika, the mission of science fiction, the SF Encyclopedia and much more.
http://jonathanstrahan.podbean.com/e/episode-198-john-clute-science-fiction-and-loncon/

Just heard that one of the new Vandermeer anthologies is a big collection of feminist SF.

thanks to everyone for turning me on to james tiptree jr. sheesh.

the stories come wrapped in this standard issue sci-fi tone, people saying "jeez!" a lot, lovers casually mentioning physics periodicals to each other, and then there will be something incredibly disturbing, and i wonder, "was that allowed then, to write things like that?" but before i've finished asking it the paragraphs have exploded into hot vertical shards and the universe has imprisoned the characters into frozen glyphs of unending pain and the story ends. and the next one's similar. it's addictive!

Very well put. I'm reading the new edition of 'Her Smoke Rose Up Forever' a few stories at a time between other books, as the concentrated misanthropy gets a bit much, but it's frequently amazing. I especially love the one, can't remember the title, of the man running backwards in time towards the detonation of nuclear war.

Found that one yesterday looking for online freebies, it's The Man Who Walked Home:

http://www.baenebooks.com/chapters/9781625791542/9781625791542___2.htm

... two others linked here: http://www.freesfonline.de/authors/James_Tiptree,%20Jr..html

excellent!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMga-1TVZWc

yessssss

Tom Baker bit is lol

Alan Moore doppelganger at 11:46 (I suppose it could really be him?)

lol Dreamsnake

This morning before breakfast (trying to beat the heat, hit the library early), I read Tiptree's "Beam Me Up," killer opener of Hartwell's The Science Fiction Century You'll guess the basic plot from the title, and it's early, even has an old-time tacked-on ending, but the damage is already done: nobody but JTJR, leaving her calling card and a dark buzz for the rest of this glorious suburban summer day, like many in the story.

Sorry! It's actually "Beam Us Up."

http://formerpeople.wordpress.com/2013/10/30/a-literary-history-of-weird-fiction-an-interview-with-s-t-joshi/

Pretty good interview with Joshi about Lovecraft and weird fiction, pulp magazines vs modernism and avant garde movements, comparing approaches and philosophies. Also about regional differences in the respectability of fantasy.

I once saw some people say that numerous pulp authors including Richard Matheson and Fritz Leiber had a "dirty old man phase". I haven't read enough of their work to say.

I would have thought that maybe they always wanted to have lots of sex in their writing but couldn't previously get away with it in the earlier days.