March's Metaphorical Meanderings Metamorphosing Into Magical Manuscripts

[Lord Captain Woden]

Still hammering away at Before the Golden Age and thoroughly enjoying it. I'm about 700 pages in or so. I've noted that most of these short stories are actually fairly long. Were they typically serialized chapter by chapter in the magazines or printed complete? (Must have been some long magazines, if so... )

How dated are the stories? I've been thinking of picking that up but the only SF I've read from before the 30's is HG Wells so I really don't know the quality of stuff being released then.

Now reading Ubik by Phillip K Dick. I've all but given up reading the Masterworks in order but I do plan on reading them all eventually.

 

[Southern Geologist]

How dated are the stories? I've been thinking of picking that up but the only SF I've read from before the 30's is HG Wells so I really don't know the quality of stuff being released then.

The science and social views are dated (but you probably take that for granted) but much of the writing holds up pretty well, I think. Some of the early writing feels a bit heavy-handed, but is still enjoyable. I've actually decided to check out the work of several authors featured in the collection. I'd recommend it, especially since it can be had for cheap.

 

[j d worthington]

How dated are the stories? I've been thinking of picking that up but the only SF I've read from before the 30's is HG Wells so I really don't know the quality of stuff being released then.

Actually, they remain quite enjoyable, and a goodly portion would fit quite well with the Golden Age sf as far as the storytelling/writing aspects are concerned.

I would also recommend Damon Knight's Science Fiction of the Thirties, which has some sterling stories, including Harry Bates' "Alas, All Thinking", Lester del Rey's "Day is Done", and work by Stanley G. Weinbaum. It also includes some of the original magazine artwork, if memory serves.

And, save where noted otherwise, the stories in Before the Golden Age were published complete in a single issue. This was not at all unusual for the pulps of the time, which varied in length from issue to issue, and could be as much as 200 to 270 pp. in length, double-column, allowing for a lot of text per page.

 

[Southern Geologist]

I would also recommend Damon Knight's Science Fiction of the Thirties, which has some sterling stories, including Harry Bates' "Alas, All Thinking", Lester del Rey's "Day is Done", and work by Stanley G. Weinbaum. It also includes some of the original magazine artwork, if memory serves.

You somehow managed to mention this a day before I'm making my monthly purchases/orders. I am convinced that you did that on purpose. Given the used prices it goes for I'm sure I can find a way to squeeze it in.

 

[j d worthington]

You somehow managed to mention this a day before I'm making my monthly purchases/orders. I am convinced that you did that on purpose. Given the used prices it goes for I'm sure I can find a way to squeeze it in.

*blinking innocently* Moi? I've no idea what you could possibly be referring to. *quickly stashes away intratemporally-acquired copy of SG's proposed purchases*

As for my own reading... I finished then Conklin anthology, which I enjoyed a great deal. Have now moved on to another of Henry James' shorter pieces, "The Siege of London", mingled with Robert H. Waugh's A Monster of Voices: Speaking for H. P. Lovecraft....

 

[Grunkins]

Finally finished Erikson's Midnight Tides. This one took me a long time to read. It was a bit of a letdown compared to the previous three in the series. The ending was fantastic though. Brys Beddict! Whoah! When he got down to business he didn't fool around. And it was fun to spend some time in Ankh-Morpork - I mean Letheras - and see the lighter side of the Malazan world. Great last line too.

Looking forward to getting back to the main cast in the next book. But first I think I'm going to read a popular science book or two. Or maybe as I stare at my enormous TBR stacks something else will pop out at me.

 

[AE35Unit]

Finally finished Anvil of Stars-3/5

Now onto this, a book I found in a bookshop years ago, one of the few survivors of The Move.
Anyone familiar with those authors?

 

[j d worthington]

Reynolds and Schmitz, yes. Both tend to be quite good, generally speaking. I read some Anvil a very long time ago, but I'm afraid I don't recall much about it, save a vague feeling that it was fairly solid sf. The only William Lee I can recall is one Campbell would have avoided like the plague... the pseudonym of William S. Burroughs....

However, Campbell tended to be a strong editor when it came to sf, so I doubt you'll be disappointed....

 

[AE35Unit]

Reynolds and Schmitz, yes. Both tend to be quite good, generally speaking. I read some Anvil a very long time ago, but I'm afraid I don't recall much about it, save a vague feeling that it was fairly solid sf. The only William Lee I can recall is one Campbell would have avoided like the plague... the pseudonym of William S. Burroughs....

However, Campbell tended to be a strong editor when it came to sf, so I doubt you'll be disappointed....

Thanks JD. I shall report...

 

[Grunkins]

The popular science book was short, read it all last night. So, today I'll be starting Erikson's The Bonehunters. I have exactly 6 days left of my vacation, and it would be nice to finish it before I go back to work. It's a very thick book though, so I don't know if that will be possible.

 

[Lord Captain Woden]

Finished Ubik by Phillip K Dick. Utterly brilliant I think I preferred this to the only other PKD book I've read Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?.

Next I'll be reading Sirens Of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut. Heard a lot of good things about this so I'm looking forward to it.

 

[Lady of Winterfell]

The popular science book was short, read it all last night. So, today I'll be starting Erikson's The Bonehunters. I have exactly 6 days left of my vacation, and it would be nice to finish it before I go back to work. It's a very thick book though, so I don't know if that will be possible.

Would you mind sharing the title/author of said science book?

 

[J-Sun]

Now onto this, a book I found in a bookshop years ago, one of the few survivors of The Move.
Anyone familiar with those authors?

That's a strangely obscure roster but it does seem Analog Two is a sort of "1962 Analog Yearbook" and that wasn't a peak era for it. Can't say Lang, Lee, or Fitzpatrick ring any bells at all. I can only say I've heard of Phillifent and Anvil - I must have read some Anvil but I can't recall anything specific and I've been meaning to get around to reading some to make sure. I've read some Thomas but nothing's made an impression one way or the other and I've read some Reynolds and that's made a little more impression but not much. I've got all of Schmitz, though, and would echo j.d. (except more emphatically) to say he's really good. I don't usually go too much for the "psi powers" story and, if you don't, that could be a barrier, but Schmitz is really good at it and, of course, does other things, too. The bulk of his stuff is pretty much adventure SF and the bulk of that does feature psi powers, though. Also, for his time (and place), he was fairly odd in featuring a lot of female protagonists - some people like that and some people don't. Reynolds I vaguely recall as being one of those social SF guys who seem more like a Galaxy author than an Analog author, to me - not saying this is good or bad, but just trying to convey a flavor. Thomas doesn't register strongly enough to have a type.

 

[AE35Unit]

That's a strangely obscure roster but it does seem Analog Two is a sort of "1962 Analog Yearbook" and that wasn't a peak era for it. Can't say Lang, Lee, or Fitzpatrick ring any bells at all. I can only say I've heard of Phillifent and Anvil - I must have read some Anvil but I can't recall anything specific and I've been meaning to get around to reading some to make sure. I've read some Thomas but nothing's made an impression one way or the other and I've read some Reynolds and that's made a little more impression but not much. I've got all of Schmitz, though, and would echo j.d. (except more emphatically) to say he's really good. I don't usually go too much for the "psi powers" story and, if you don't, that could be a barrier, but Schmitz is really good at it and, of course, does other things, too. The bulk of his stuff is pretty much adventure SF and the bulk of that does feature psi powers, though. Also, for his time (and place), he was fairly odd in featuring a lot of female protagonists - some people like that and some people don't. Reynolds I vaguely recall as being one of those social SF guys who seem more like a Galaxy author than an Analog author, to me - not saying this is good or bad, but just trying to convey a flavor. Thomas doesn't register strongly enough to have a type.

Thanks. For some reason the name Alan Kim Lang rings a bell, which is odd because its all before my time! (born in 66)

 

[Mangara]

Finished Storm of Swords part 1.

Onto:

 

[Grunkins]

Would you mind sharing the title/author of said science book?

A Universe from Nothing by Lawrence Krauss. Popular physics book showing that it is possible within the laws of physics to produce a universe from nothing, and that the universe we live in has the properties of one that could have been produced from nothing. He does not take that last step of saying we DO live in a universe produced from nothing as there is no experimental data to support that claim yet. Good book, well written. It helps to have a reasonable understanding of relativity and quantum physics before going into it, but otherwise it's pretty accessible.

edit: Mangara, interested to hear your thoughts on Dervish House.

 

[Lady of Winterfell]

Great, thanks! I saw that one recently at the bookstore actually. Sounds interesting, and since you liked it, I may try to pick it up.

 

[dask]

Time to get back to the real world:

Like Merle Haggard said, "That's the way it was in '51."

 

[Grunkins]

Great, thanks! I saw that one recently at the bookstore actually. Sounds interesting, and since you liked it, I may try to pick it up.

I definitely recommend it for anyone who feels a little nerd giddiness in themselves for science. Also he has youtube presentations on the same subject.

 

[AE35Unit]

Time to get back to the real world:

Like Merle Haggard said, "That's the way it was in '51."

Kickass!!