Colin Greenland

[AE35Unit]

Anyone a fan? I've not read any of his but i must say Take Back Plenty sounds interesting,didn't know it was part of a trilogy tho! Also Harm's Way sounds good.

 

[Perpetual Man]

Oooh, I read something quite a long time ago now, I think it was Take Back Plenty, it must have been close to it's original publishing which was 1991 - so a loooong time ago. I can't remember too much about it, unfortunately so it probably did not make that much of an impression. Of course I might be wrong, my memory is a bit holey these days!

 

[iansales]

Take Back Plenty is excellent. It's one of my favourite sf novels - see here. I didn't like the sequels as much, although perhaps I should reread them. Harm's Way is also excellent. And if you like literary fantasy, you can do a lot worse than Other Voices, The Hour of the Thin Ox and Daybreak on a Different Mountain.

 

[AE35Unit]

Hey thanks for that Ian. I just read that blog post on it,and it makes me want to read it,now! I like the idea of it being a retro pulp type of sf,i wouldn't imagine there'd be much call for that with the knowledge we now have but why not have lifeforms on mars or venus? I'm a fan of space opera yet i feel i've missed out by not reading his books!

 

[Lucien21]

I remember him being touted as the next big thing when Take Back Plenty was released. (Is it still the only novel to have won all 3 british SF prizes?)

I read the plenty books and really enjoyed them, but he never really took off as an author I think.

 

[AE35Unit]

Well he's still a new author so there's time yet. Either way is reputation is secure and people will be talking about him years from now I reckon.

 

[Perpetual Man]

THis is worrying me. I've just read the sypnopsis Ian linked into and I cannot remember a thing, I'm sure I read this... I'd put money on it in fact... I can see a trip to the attic is coming and a rumage through dust and spider filled boxes - after all the positive things said here I'm going to have to reread it.

 

[AE35Unit]

Go for it Pep! Then when you're done you can lend it to me
Hey there's a thought. We know there's bookmooch but how about a site where you can borrow books to read. An online lending library! How cool would that be! You can rent movies and games online(we use Tesco for that) but how about books?

 

[Ian Whates]

Well he's still a new author so there's time yet.

Not really, AE, in fact, by his own admission, Colin's moved away from the SF scene in recent years and I'd be amazed if you see any further SF from him in the forseeable future.

Two or three years ago he returned to the convention scene but stayed very much in the background and was really there primarily to support his long-term partner Susanna Clarke, who was doing rather well at the time with a novel of her own -- Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell.

 

[AE35Unit]

I wonder if he feels disappointed by his lack of success? If i could write what he's written i would be unable to leave it alone and I imagine he will be back. But even if he's not the Plenty books may well go down in history.

 

[Connavar]

Take Back Plenty is excellent. It's one of my favourite sf novels - see here. I didn't like the sequels as much, although perhaps I should reread them. Harm's Way is also excellent. And if you like literary fantasy, you can do a lot worse than Other Voices, The Hour of the Thin Ox and Daybreak on a Different Mountain.

It does sound very interesting Take Back Plenty from what i read in your link.

Banks kind of Space Opera didn't work for me maybe this kind will work for me.

I must say i wonder how it pages homage and reworks pulp sf tropes.

 

[AE35Unit]

It does sound very interesting Take Back Plenty from what i read in your link.

Banks kind of Space Opera didn't work for me maybe this kind will work for me.

I must say i wonder how it pages homage and reworks pulp sf tropes.

His book Harm's Way looks like The Wooden Spaceships by Bob Shaw.tho I've never read him. Good grief so many authors to discover!

 

[j d worthington]

Actually, I've not read any of Greenland's fiction, but I've read some of his other work. For instance, he did a book on the New Wave, The Entropy Exhibition: Michael Moorcock and the British 'New Wave' in Science Fiction, which managed to be informative, thought-provoking, irritating, amusing, and thoroughly enjoyable, all at once....

 

[AE35Unit]

I'm intrigued now JD,how was it irritating?

 

[j d worthington]

I'm intrigued now JD,how was it irritating?

Just certain expressed opinions which I would say showed strong preferences rather than any attempt at critical objectivity. Therefore, some of his statements are likely to get under the skin of anyone who enjoys classic, Golden Age, hard, or space opera styles of sf. Nonetheless, he does deflect that somewhat by admitting his prejudices (to some degree) and impishly commenting that "Injustice is about to be done all round"....

I also think his quip about Jerry Cornelius is absolutely delightful: "The Global Village breeds the Global Village Idiot"....

 

[AE35Unit]

Ah Jerry Cornelius,isn't that from Moorcock? Another author i've never read.

 

[j d worthington]

Ah Jerry Cornelius,isn't that from Moorcock? Another author i've never read.

Yes, Mr. C is -- following Elric -- perhaps Moorcock's most famous (infamous?) and long-lasting character; in fact, the first Cornelius tales, later incorporated into the first novel, The Final Programme, were a modern version-cum-sendup of some of the early Elric tales ("The Dreaming City" and "While the Gods Laugh", specifically).

Not sure you'd care for the Cornelius stories -- many people don't, while others (myself included) enjoy them immensely; it's a character and mode that tend to divide people with little middle ground....

Speaking of Moorcock, Greenland also worked with him on Death is No Obstacle:

Literature \ Novels \ Non-Fiction

Savoy Books: Death Is No Obstacle

As for Greenland doing more than "simply put[ting] forward a list of questions", I'd wholeheartedly agree. Both the points he raises and the way he organized the book make it a fascinating read not only for those interested in Moorcock, but those interested in writing, as well as those interested in the speculative fiction, science fiction, and fantasy fields....

 

[AE35Unit]

I must try some Moorcock.Is there an omnibus edition of the Elric or Cornelius stories out there one could try? Or should I just start with a particular book,see if i like his style?

 

[Connavar]

There is a Elric collection of the two first volumes of Elric series in Fantasy Masterworks.

I think you should get it a MM fantasy work in second hand or library before buying anyting of him. His fantasy is very different but its still fantasy and it might not work for you.

IMO you should try to read him,Vance etc and see the genre you dislike is much more than Tolkien,Rowling,Pratchett etc

 

[j d worthington]

There are also book-club editions (2 volumes) containing the 6-book Elric set that had been released to that time; these are relatively easy to find and generally inexpensive.

The Cornelius tales... go for The Cornelius Quartet, which is actually a mega-novel made up of four novels... but I warn you that the second and third in that set may not be at all to your taste, given your response to some other things. However, Moorcock is so varied in what he does, that it's difficult to sum him up for anyone who hasn't read a broad range of his work....