Jack Williamson - Thoughts?

[Fried Egg]

I did a search on this author and didn't find any threads devoted to this guy so I thought I'd start one as he seems like he has been a major contributor to the fields of SF&F.

The only book I've read of his is "Darker than you think" and I liked that a lot. An interesting take on lycantrhopy and vampirism.

I've just picked up a copy of "Brother to Demons, Brother to Gods" on the off chance that it will also be good.

Anyone else have anything to say about this author? Any other recommendations?

 

[Urien]

I too have only read "Darker than you think", I thought it was a good take on the werewolf story, clever and a tad disturbing. I thought the writing style was somewhat clunky. I suspect that's the reason I haven't read more.

I too would like further recommendations; I think this is a job for JD.

 

[j d worthington]

Surprisingly, aside from the story here and there over the years, I've not read as much of Williamson as one might think. A good writer, it's just that -- for whatever reason -- I never quite "got into" him as much as some others. However, I would suggest The Humanoids ("With Folded Hands" has got to be one of the most chilling sf visions ever written -- and one that, on a metaphorical level, seems especially relevant today), as well as his Legion of Space....

 

[Taltos]

I have to agree with J.D. about the "With folded hands" - although I didn't remember it by name, reading a short review recalled the whole story - and it really makes you think. Also it happens to be the only story I read from this author - so maybe some more reading is required.

 

[Urien]

Thanks JD and Taltos, I shall hunt down "with folded hands" and other suggestions.

Always looking for more brain food. BRAAAAINS. Sorry just read a short zombie apocalypse story.

 

[j d worthington]

"With Folded Hands..." is included in The Humanoids, being the final tale of the original set....

 

[J-Sun]

He broke into print in 1928 with "The Metal Man" (collected in The Best of Jack Williamson), was named the second Grand Master in 1976 after Heinlein and won his last Hugo in 2001 (I believe) with "The Ultimate Earth". Kept writing until he died in 2006. He also seemed like a very interesting person. To actually ride out West in a covered wagon and then go writing about rockets to the stars and then to see moon landings and computers and whatnot is quite a journey.

That said, he rarely lit me up in an extreme way. He has my esteem and appreciation more than my fanaticism. For me, I've got The Early Williamson and Golden Blood, which I've yet to read. I have read Darker Than You Think, The Humanoids, the Seetee omnibus (containing Seetee Ship and Seetee Shock), the collection The Legion of Time (containing "The Legion of Time" and "After World's End"), the Three from the Legion omnibus (containing The Legion of Space, The Cometeers, and One Against the Legion), and The Best of Jack Williamson. I recommend them all but LOS, DTYT, and Humanoids are probably the most objectively "classic". Also, of course, TBO, for all that it contains. After that, probably the Seetee books (aka CT aka contra-terrene aka anti-matter) and the Legion of Time.

Unfortunately, Fried Egg, I have read Brother to Demons, Brother to Gods and didn't like that one. (That and Manseed are the only ones I've read, AFAIR, that I didn't like.) I can't remember why, really, but it just didn't impress. But maybe that's just me and you'll enjoy it.

"With Folded Hands..." is included in The Humanoids, being the final tale of the original set....

That's only true of some editions and it was the first tale. "With Folded Hands" was published in the July '47 Astounding and then was followed by the serial "And Searching Mind" in the March/April/May '48 issues. Only this last was revised and published as The Humanoids in 1949. Then some editions did add the original story as well, I think starting in 1980, when he wrote a sequel to both, The Humanoid Touch, which I never bothered to read.

 

[GOLLUM]

I've only read "Darker Than You Think" but have another book by him I forget now. Last year at Worldcon somebody did an entire retrospective on Jack Williamson maybe Larry Niven (??), I think I have notes on that somewhere, time to dig them up.

BTW I'm moving this to the classic SF thread.

 

[j d worthington]

That's only true of some editions and it was the first tale. "With Folded Hands" was published in the July '47 Astounding and then was followed by the serial "And Searching Mind" in the March/April/May '48 issues. Only this last was revised and published as The Humanoids in 1949. Then some editions did add the original story as well, I think starting in 1980, when he wrote a sequel to both, The Humanoid Touch, which I never bothered to read.

I was not aware of this, having only seen such editions (and not having looked into Williamson more than casually). I was aware that the stories were not necessarily originally published in the order presented, but that was not that uncommon.

At any rate, thanks for the information. It puts a somewhat different slant on the set as a whole, doesn't it....?

 

[iansales]

I've read some Williamson, most recently Darker Than You Think and 'The Prince of Space' in The Space Opera Renaissance. He's one of the earliest writers in the genre... and it shows. He was never much of a stylist, and most of his ideas were given better treatments by others. Given the length of his career, you'd expect he'd have made it big - many of his contemporaries did, after all - but I think his writing often lacked the spark needed to really catch on.

 

[Fried Egg]

Unfortunately, Fried Egg, I have read Brother to Demons, Brother to Gods and didn't like that one. (That and Manseed are the only ones I've read, AFAIR, that I didn't like.) I can't remember why, really, but it just didn't impress. But maybe that's just me and you'll enjoy it.

Oh well, I shall give it a try and see.

It would seem that nobody is that wildly impressed by his work.

 

[j d worthington]

I wouldn't go that far, F.E. I think that his work is very solid, but it isn't "flashy". He was only the second (after Heinlein) to be awarded Grand Master of Science Fiction, and I think it was, overall, deserved.

The problem, as indicated above, is that his work, like that of Simak, is less sensationalist in tone (generally speaking); more rooted (in the final analysis) in his experience of life -- not in subject matter or incident, but in tone. E. Hoffmann Price has some wonderful things to say about him in his Book of the Dead.

At any rate, with few exceptions, you can count on a good, entertaining, and often thought-provoking story from Williamson, but in a rather more old-fashioned style, intent more on telling the story in the "clearest" prose, rather than that which draws attention to itself in any way; and at times he can be quite impressive. (This is, of course, based on my limited experience of the man's work, which even so would have me recommend him as well worth reading on these levels.)

 

[Who's Wee Dug]

To add further I have his:
The Reign of Wizardry published by Phantasia press 1979 edition originally published by Unknown in 1940, revised in 1964 for Lancer books, and again for Phantasia in the above first hardcover editon.

 

[Beamer]

While its been a long time since I read them I remember likeing Reign of Wizardry and the Seetee books. I also have The Pandora Effect and Trapped in Space in my collection but honestly don't remember what they were about or if I liked them.

 

[Fried Egg]

Well, I've just finished "Brothers to demons, brothers to gods" and I was pleasantly suprised. It didn't start too well, seeming over simplistic but it developed well into a haunting tale of persecution, attempted genocide and a quest to discover a latent power buried in their genes; their one hope of avoiding anhiliation.

 

[GOLLUM]

Well if anyone is really keen on Williamson Haffner Press have been putting out quite a bit of his stuff including a 6 voulme set of his collected stories in addition to a 75th and 100th anniversary book on the author (he died at age 98 in 2006).

http://www.haffnerpress.com/tcsojw.html

I admit to only ever having read Darker Than You Think..

 

[Contrary Mary]

I read his "Firechild". I found it midly interesting. Not mind shaking but not a waste of time either.

The Legion of Space books are considered classics and I have them on my to-read pile )along with lots of other things!)

 

[Jojo999]

I've only read the Humanoids by him sometime ago. Enjoyed it and think this is the to be a likely future for mankind (i.e unless we wind up with a Terminator future).

 

[dask]

I too have only read his DARKER THAN YOU THINK but a safe recommendation would be Del Rey's THE BEST OF JACK WILLIAMSON.

 

[Jojo999]

As previously mentioned, I had read the Humanoids [several times] in the past and recall enjoying it. It was an amazing story for having been written in the 1940's.

Well. I just finished the Humanoid Touch sequel which I didn't enjoy as much. Perhaps I've "grown" over the years but I found the writing in the sequel to be rather simplistic. I also did not enjoy the ending, which did not resolve the issue of the Humanoids for mankind as a whole. I don't understand what message he wanted to impart with this ending.