A. Fare Wells
Well-Known Member
The first book I can remember from my childhood is Miriam Young's "Miss Suzy" which my mother would read to me. The first one I can remember reading is "The Hobbit" which my dad let me read when I was in second grade and Lord of the Rings afterward...and there was a fuss because my second grade teachers didn't think they were appropriate books.
My parents showed me what the imagination could do, and Tolkein got me hooked on what folks here in the deep South called the strange stuff.
After Lord of the Rings, I got heavily into John Christopher's Tripods series, so much so I wrote him a letter. I was shocked when he wrote me back. Think I was in fourth or fifth grade.
I remember my friend and I plowing through Gibson's Neuromancer when it first came out, and going to Waldenbooks to buy a new sci-fi or fantasy novel. The section of the store for those books was small. I doubt younger folks realize how small I'm talking, but I'm sure some of you do. It's amazing how much larger those sections have grown over the past, what 20? 30? years.
Now I'm writing my own stuff, fiction at home, and reports working at a newspaper - which has allowed me to develop my craft along with earning a regular, albeit small, paycheck. But it's better than nothing. Words are miraculous, though I do find the popularity of the genres I have enjoyed has commercialized the market too much — and it seems that there's a fair amount of books on the shelves that need a more thorough editing job.
I've only recently begun to become familiar with the old pulp authors and, though fairly well known, have found some comfort in their relatively lack of popularity (as compared to, well you know). The old Arkham House books are great as well as Fedogan & Bremer's publications and Ash-Tree Press books look and feel marvelous. There's a reason for those press' low print runs. I suppose it makes me somewhat of a snob, but what can I say. Commercialization makes the bucks but the associated greed has the possibility of lessening the actual product.
Oh, and this Chrons site is pretty darn awesome.
My parents showed me what the imagination could do, and Tolkein got me hooked on what folks here in the deep South called the strange stuff.
After Lord of the Rings, I got heavily into John Christopher's Tripods series, so much so I wrote him a letter. I was shocked when he wrote me back. Think I was in fourth or fifth grade.
I remember my friend and I plowing through Gibson's Neuromancer when it first came out, and going to Waldenbooks to buy a new sci-fi or fantasy novel. The section of the store for those books was small. I doubt younger folks realize how small I'm talking, but I'm sure some of you do. It's amazing how much larger those sections have grown over the past, what 20? 30? years.
Now I'm writing my own stuff, fiction at home, and reports working at a newspaper - which has allowed me to develop my craft along with earning a regular, albeit small, paycheck. But it's better than nothing. Words are miraculous, though I do find the popularity of the genres I have enjoyed has commercialized the market too much — and it seems that there's a fair amount of books on the shelves that need a more thorough editing job.
I've only recently begun to become familiar with the old pulp authors and, though fairly well known, have found some comfort in their relatively lack of popularity (as compared to, well you know). The old Arkham House books are great as well as Fedogan & Bremer's publications and Ash-Tree Press books look and feel marvelous. There's a reason for those press' low print runs. I suppose it makes me somewhat of a snob, but what can I say. Commercialization makes the bucks but the associated greed has the possibility of lessening the actual product.
Oh, and this Chrons site is pretty darn awesome.
