whoah!
― Οὖτις, Thursday, 27 July 2017 15:42 (seven years ago) link
Niven looks like a combo of Eric Bloom and Jeff Lynne
― or at night (Jon not Jon), Thursday, 27 July 2017 16:02 (seven years ago) link
Now if only there existed a picture of Horace Gold's poker group.
― Awaiting On U-Haul: Alfie's Best of Stig O'Hara (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 28 July 2017 02:23 (seven years ago) link
Also want to reiterate that I believe Ballard said he was inspired to become an SF writer when he was sitting around leafing through Galaxy magazine during pilot training downtime in Moose Jaw or Medicine Hat, in which he must have been reading Sheckley.
― Awaiting On U-Haul: Alfie's Best of Stig O'Hara (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 28 July 2017 02:53 (seven years ago) link
kinda want to go back in time and punch harlan
― mookieproof, Friday, 28 July 2017 02:58 (seven years ago) link
Ha, he is the worst.
― Awaiting On U-Haul: Alfie's Best of Stig O'Hara (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 28 July 2017 03:01 (seven years ago) link
By he, I mean HE™
― Awaiting On U-Haul: Alfie's Best of Stig O'Hara (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 28 July 2017 03:02 (seven years ago) link
Lol
― Οὖτις, Friday, 28 July 2017 03:03 (seven years ago) link
He's def not as great or important as he thinks he is
― Οὖτις, Friday, 28 July 2017 03:04 (seven years ago) link
His shtick has gone on for so long am reluctant to go back and reread to see if any of his stuff holds up.
― Awaiting On U-Haul: Alfie's Best of Stig O'Hara (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 28 July 2017 03:23 (seven years ago) link
It does not
― Mince Pramthwart (James Morrison), Friday, 28 July 2017 04:03 (seven years ago) link
That simplifies things
― Awaiting On U-Haul: Alfie's Best of Stig O'Hara (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 28 July 2017 09:49 (seven years ago) link
Only read a handful of Ellison fictions. Some of it good, some forgettable. My brother tells me "The Function Of Dream Sleep" and the Glass Teat books are winners.
I love a lot of the interviews and stage talks. Many of the rants are bad and unconvincing and sometimes he goes really low to shock. His story about an old eccentric friend from SF fandom was so beautifully told. He's one of the few writers whose readings enhance his writing.
One of the rants I agreed with was his insistence that all the really old and important SF writers should just get lifetime achievement awards in one ceremony before going back to one per year.The counterargument of the time was that it would demean an award to give out so many in such a short time. But Ellison thought since they're definitely going to get those awards eventually, you might as well do it when they're alive.
I understand people who don't care for awards but a lifetime achievement award is a lot less likely to be unearned. RL Stine won a horror lifetime achievement award once but that must have been for indoctrinating so many children. I think these awards are good for writers who have gone out of fashion or were never really that popular but have enduring critical acclaim. Lifetime achievement awards might not sell many books but at least it helps secure a legacy and it might be a relief to see that happen when you're alive.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Friday, 28 July 2017 12:42 (seven years ago) link
been awhile since I've re-read the only Ellison collection I own ("I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream") but I recall the title story and a few others as being solid. His self-satisfaction with himself and his concepts really does ooze off the page though, his ego upstages his talents and his ambition outpaced his capacity.
― Οὖτις, Friday, 28 July 2017 16:00 (seven years ago) link
and oddly I've never read the original Dangerous Visions (never even seen a copy, but I have read most of what was included in other anthologies) but he deserves some credit there as an editor. But Moorcock or Gold or Pohl he was not.
― Οὖτις, Friday, 28 July 2017 16:02 (seven years ago) link
i have no mouth and i must scream is deeply unpleasant.
― The XX pants (ledge), Friday, 28 July 2017 17:43 (seven years ago) link
dangerous Visions has some very good stories, but his intros are rubbish and his own contribution is shithouse
― Mince Pramthwart (James Morrison), Saturday, 29 July 2017 08:42 (seven years ago) link
I once seen someone saying his intros were better than the stories, which seemed like an awful thing to say about an anthology.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 29 July 2017 16:01 (seven years ago) link
Really? Can't think of anyone who would say such a thing except him.
― Awaiting On U-Haul: Alfie's Best of Stig O'Hara (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 29 July 2017 16:11 (seven years ago) link
By him, I mean HE™
I've heard that he's still writing all the time but there's not much fiction in the last two decades. I'd like to see Vic And Blood finished.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 29 July 2017 16:35 (seven years ago) link
Read this one, Robert? Anybody? Forsooth!
http://wormwoodiana.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-terrors-of-dr-treviles-peter.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Wormwoodiana+%28Wormwoodiana%29
― dow, Sunday, 30 July 2017 23:08 (seven years ago) link
Harlan Ellison is basically the Stan Lee of SF, a huckster whirlwind of self-aggrandisment who should have shut up decades ago
― Mince Pramthwart (James Morrison), Monday, 31 July 2017 00:01 (seven years ago) link
Haha ouch
― Οὖτις, Monday, 31 July 2017 00:43 (seven years ago) link
Stan's pretty likeable by comparison
― Chuck_Tatum, Monday, 31 July 2017 05:40 (seven years ago) link
Dow- hadn't heard of any of that. But I do have some Redgrove in a monster anthology.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Monday, 31 July 2017 14:37 (seven years ago) link
Aside from the selfaggrandizing I think Lee and Ellison have very different flaws and virtues. They're opposites in many ways.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Monday, 31 July 2017 15:00 (seven years ago) link
Been reading about Redgrove and Shuttle. They were a married couple of poets who written supernatural stories occasionally, solo and collaborating. Shuttle also wrote books about menstruation, feminism and a book about Redgrove after he died.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Monday, 31 July 2017 20:37 (seven years ago) link
From Subterranean Press newsletter---sell thy firstborn:
We're thrilled to announce that we'll be stocking Swords and Deviltry by Fritz Leiber, the first in the Fafhrd and Gray Mouser series being published by Centipede Press. (In fact, you'll be able to order copies of all the volumes through us.)
About the Book:
In the annals of heroic fantasy one epic tale stands head and shoulders above the rest, spanning sixty years in the telling, the saga of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser has captivated fans ever since Fritz Leiber's first tale of the duo appeared in the August, 1939 issue of Unknown. Just in time for the seventy-eighth anniversary of the characters debut, Centipede Press is releasing the first of what will be the definitive eight-volume set comprising not only all of the stories by Fritz Leiber (and his friend Harry Fischer), but also the brilliant epilogue to the series, Swords Against the Shadowland by Robin Wayne Bailey.
These are archival editions, lavishly illustrated and featuring guest introductions from some of the top writers in the field. We plan on releasing both Swords and Deviltry and Swords Against Death this year and customers are encouraged to contact us about reserving the entire set. There are 500 unsigned copies available.
The story of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser is among the most enduring in modern fantasy and we suggest reserving your set sooner rather than later.
Swords and Deviltry features five color interior illustrations, a full-color frontispiece, full color wraparound dustjacket, and custom illustrated endpapers. The introduction is by Michael Moorcock. The book includes all of the stories that make up Swords and Deviltry along with two archival essays by Harry O. Fischer, Fritz Leiber's 1973 introduction, two "Gray Mouser" poems from The Acolyte, and an interview with Fritz Leiber from 1979. Yes, we will be publishing the entire series of novels, each one with a load of extras. This is the ultimate edition of this legendary fantasy series. Edition InformationBound in full black cloth, blind stamping on front board.Color illustrations hand-tipped into the book.Introduction by Michael Moorcock.Gorgeous dustjacket on Mohawk Superfine.Head and tail bands, ribbon marker.The limited edition (300 copies) is signed by the living contributors; the trade edition is unsigned
― dow, Tuesday, 1 August 2017 21:26 (seven years ago) link
anyone read Borne yet? About halfway through. Much more accessible (and I'd even say...fun) than the Southern Reach trilogy. Reminds me of Mieville's New Crobuzon books a bit, although a lot lighter on its feet. Plus you know, it's got a gigantic flying bear monster
― Number None, Monday, 7 August 2017 18:23 (seven years ago) link
http://www.zagava.de
Zagava are reprinting dual language versions of Der Orchideengarten magazine, possibly the first speculative fiction magazine. Oddly they're doing them issue by issue rather than larger compilations (which I would prefer), so if they manage to do all 51 issues this will murder your wallet if you buy them all.
One of the best illustrated magazines I've seen.http://50watts.com/filter/orchideengarten
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Thursday, 10 August 2017 21:01 (seven years ago) link
"but his intros are rubbish"
he's written more introductions to his own fiction than most people will ever write fiction!
i was reading an sf short story collection recently - not by harlan - and the author wrote a long introduction that introduced ANOTHER introduction that he had written for the same story in a previous anthology and the second introduction was even longer than the first one. i was wiped out by the time i got to the actual story.
― scott seward, Thursday, 10 August 2017 21:58 (seven years ago) link
Who was the author, what the book? Obv. beyond embarrassment, so it's okay to say.
― dow, Friday, 11 August 2017 01:11 (seven years ago) link
OK, would LOOOOVE those Orchideengarten reprints, but can't afford them at all :(
― Mince Pramthwart (James Morrison), Friday, 11 August 2017 02:16 (seven years ago) link
I'm a bit on edge as I've paid a lot of money for 26 old issues of Weirdbook and apparently they've been sitting in a French transit office for a few weeks.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 12 August 2017 13:54 (seven years ago) link
reading The Mote In God's Eye and its funny how much it reminds me of the jack mcdevitt book i just read. it could have come out last year. it has that same vibe that a lot of recent bureaucratic/military/empire kinda SF books i've read have. now i know where all the newer writers got it from.
― scott seward, Saturday, 12 August 2017 16:45 (seven years ago) link
NK Jemisin won a Hugo for best novel second year in a row. Women won a huge majority and the Puppies didn't win a single thing.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 12 August 2017 22:14 (seven years ago) link
more about dragon awards: here's what Asimov wrote about the Futurians in his memoir. fascinating how stable this phenomenon is pic.twitter.com/lKNZ6ribkJ— Francis Bass (@FrancisRBass) August 10, 2017
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Saturday, 12 August 2017 22:16 (seven years ago) link
nk jemisin is so bad. her prose is so dorky i feel embarrassed for her while reading it. it's like amanda palmer or something.
recent non dorky doorstop fantasies recommendations welcome
― adam, Tuesday, 15 August 2017 14:17 (seven years ago) link
Good to hear criticism of newer stuff. I thought the premise of the Broken Earth trio sounded pretty cool but it's probably a good few years before I read it.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Tuesday, 15 August 2017 14:22 (seven years ago) link
I'm not that familiar with Palmer's lyrics but it can't be worse than the Joss Whedon influence on modern fantasy.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Tuesday, 15 August 2017 14:32 (seven years ago) link
For a second I thought was going to be about Robert Palmer and Jack Vance.
― Lucas With The Lydian F (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 15 August 2017 14:34 (seven years ago) link
depending on how wide a net you cast i think jemisin could be called whedonesque.
i just want something outside of the tolkien/terry brooks tradition. somewhere in the middle of vance and lieber and wolfe and delany. i mean i could reread any of those but i want something shiny and new.
― adam, Tuesday, 15 August 2017 14:42 (seven years ago) link
here is an awesome list of old stuff i will probably never read:
http://hilobrow.com/radium-age-100/
― scott seward, Tuesday, 15 August 2017 16:46 (seven years ago) link
I'm impressed by this guy's lists, haven't heard of him or this site before. I own a bunch of these books but the only one I've read on the radium list is Hodgson's Night Land, great/awful. I suspect a lot of these are also not easy reads.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Tuesday, 15 August 2017 19:08 (seven years ago) link
Was amused that recently on goodreads Jemisin did her first review for years and it's a one star review with no explanation. Possibly pissed at someone.
― Robert Adam Gilmour, Tuesday, 15 August 2017 21:04 (seven years ago) link
the tolkien/terry brooks tradition
ned to thread
― mookieproof, Tuesday, 15 August 2017 22:56 (seven years ago) link
I don't know what tradition(s?) they might be in, but I enjoyed McKillip'sWinter Rose and Novik's Uprooted, carried on about both upthread.Thanks Scott! Will try to get to more of those, had found several in The Big Book of Science Fiction, incl. one of Dr. F.'s pataphysical excursions, for inst.
― dow, Wednesday, 16 August 2017 17:38 (seven years ago) link
eight (probably massive) Peter F Hamilton books on sale on kindle daily deals today. thought i'd search here, see what people think...
> read peter f. hamilton's night's dawn trilogy over the course of several months> what a ridiculous piece of crap> ― mookieproof, Saturday, January 3, 2015 3:18 AM (two years ago)
oh...
― koogs, Sunday, 20 August 2017 13:28 (seven years ago) link
one of his doorstops that i can't be bothered to google is probably the most ludicrous piece of work i have ever had the pleasure of not finishing. it's billed as hard sf but has al capone coming back from the dead.
― angelo irishagreementi (ledge), Sunday, 20 August 2017 17:15 (seven years ago) link