A Rediscovery of Clifford D. Simak - A Reading Challenge

[Hugh]

That are great news. Thank you Dave, for this information. Let us hope that the other volumes will appear as print editions. I hold the space free in my bookshelf.

Yes really great news! Many thanks Dave for all your hard work.

On another allied subject.......Are you aware of any plans for a biography?
Is this something that you would consider at some point in the future?
Frank Lyall has written elsewhere (yahoo simak-fan site) that he has written a book about Simak, but I suspect he has many demands on his time.
I am grateful of course for Ewald's "When the fires burn high..." but am always hopeful of more.
My concern is that those who knew him aren't getting any younger and it would be really great to have a record of what they remember. For instance I'd love to read your memories of him.

 

[Bick]

Welcome Hugh! And I second that interest in a biography of CDS. You'd be able to knock one out wouldn't you Dave?

 

[LoZioOscuro]

Yes really great news! Many thanks Dave for all your hard work.

On another allied subject.......Are you aware of any plans for a biography?
Is this something that you would consider at some point in the future?
Frank Lyall has written elsewhere (yahoo simak-fan site) that he has written a book about Simak, but I suspect he has many demands on his time.
I am grateful of course for Ewald's "When the fires burn high..." but am always hopeful of more.
My concern is that those who knew him aren't getting any younger and it would be really great to have a record of what they remember. For instance I'd love to read your memories of him.

Welcome Hugh! And I second that interest in a biography of CDS. You'd be able to knock one out wouldn't you Dave?

100% true, Hugh and Bick. I heartily hope that the people who knew Simak personally will be willing to share their reminiscences and thoughts.
And yes, as of now my trust in Dave rose to the stars, nothing is impossible to him - even getting a biography of CDS.

 

[2DaveWixon]

100% true, Hugh and Bick. I heartily hope that the people who knew Simak personally will be willing to share their reminiscences and thoughts.
And yes, as of now my trust in Dave rose to the stars, nothing is impossible to him - even getting a biography of CDS.

omigawd! Nothing like putting a little pressure on a guy!
(Really kind of you!)

Dave

 

[Ralf 58]

Hello all,

the next 3 volumes of the series "Complete Short Fiction of Clifford D. Simak" are now announced as e-books for July 5:

Volume 7: A Death of House


Volume 8: Good Night Mr. James


Volume 9: Earth for Inspiration

The contents of the three new books I do not know yet, but perhaps Dave Wixon reports so soon again ...


And a month later, on August 2, the volumes 2 and 3 actually appear in print editions:

Volume 2: The Big Front Yard

Volume 3: The Ghost of a Model T

I think that's good news.

Ralf

 

[Hugh]

Great news indeed! Many thanks Ralf for the update. And many thanks to Dave Wixon and Open Road Media.

I have just ordered the paperbacks.

Best

Hugh

 

[2DaveWixon]

As most will know, Simak maintained a job as an editor at the Minneapolis Star newspaper throughout his writing career. This is a pic I found online of Simak at the paper - he is seated next to the chap in army uniform. I don't know the date unfortunately. I'd guess late 1940's. He was there from 1939, and was news editor at the Star from 1949.

As it happens, Bick, I'm responsible for this photo getting on-line a few years ago: I was interviewed by a very small radio station (here in the Twin Cities), and I gave them a couple of old CDS photos (found in Cliff's papers without any identifying information) to put in their on-line content...it didn't really occur to me that people could, and would, take it and run it elsewhere.
No worries, though.
For what it's worth, the desk these people are gathered around is/was the paper's copy desk -- hence, Cliff's position next to the officer who is clearly guest of honor, since Cliff was chief of the copy desk for most of the forties.
As for date: I've asked the newspaper, but they don't seem interested in helping me with anything (probably too much work involved). I'm hoping someone with the technical abilities might be able to zoom in on some of those papers scattered about the desk; a look at a headline, for instance, followed by a library search, might be able to put us within a day or two...

But I will add, I don't think this is late forties; I think this is late WWII -- I believe these people are being regaled with war stories by a military officer (and while he looks Navy to me, there are a couple of things about his uniform that raise questions in my mind...could he be Army (US), as Bick suggests? or even of a foreign service? I'm not enough of an expert on military uniforms to be able to answer...). And since Cliff was on leave from the paper for a period early in the War -- and also since at least a couple of these people seem pleased -- I would guess this is from later in the war, and that the guest is/was either a former newspaper employee back for a visit, or a PR person making a stop on a tour to stoke up coverage of the war effort...

Dave

 

[2DaveWixon]

Of course, Bick, I'll do much willingly.
However, the house - as to my recollection - is not visible, or it's visible only partially; I think only the mail post (and myself...) are visible.
My original intention was to ring the bell and beg the present owners to show me the house, but I must admit that then I didn't dare to, fearing the reaction of those people in front of an emotioned guy blabbering about a certain Simak in an uncertain English... because of course I don't know whether they know who the house belonged to or not, even if for some reasons I guess they do.
You know, is some areas of the USA like that they first shoot, then ask you what you were looking for... )
Roberto

While I agree that it can be dangerous to approach a stranger's house, etc. -- and particularly if you're an obvious foreigner -- I will mention that I DID approach that house, years ago. I found the inhabitants, although bemused by my interest -- had been through similar experiences before; they were tolerant.
That was some time ago -- three decades, perhaps -- so I cannot way whether the same people are still there, Roberto...

Dave

 

[2DaveWixon]

Bick,
that picture is very interesting indeed, as it renders perfectly the atmosphere of a newspaper in the thirties.
It had been uploaded in Simak's forum a few years ago.
Also a rare picture of a young Simak (25, 30 or something), wearing an hat and with a pipe in his mouth, had been upoloaded. With regular features, blue eyes, no spectacles and a certain " Dasheill Hammett " look, it is really unusual - much, much different to the classic picture of a 65 years old or something Simak's picture appearing in most of this books, where he has a " good old grandpa " look.
If you are Simak's fans, I would warmly suggest to you to sign in that forum, even though it has been very quiet lately - thast's why we would warmly welcome new blood...
Roberto

Yes, that's the other photo I gave the radio station...
Like you, Roberto, I was struck with how different that image was from so many later photos of Cliff...

Dave

 

[2DaveWixon]

Actually, it's my intention to go to those places again, earlier or later, so I might have a second chance.
You know, Millville is - at least for the European standards - an extremely unusual village. It's very small, some 150 inhabitants, yet the farms are spreaded over a large area, so there isn't anything like a village center. It doesn't even look like a village.
Let's frankly say that those places are of no interest under any points of view, just the fact that Simak was born and spent his youth there make them fascinating for a Simakian like me.
Another " pilgrimage " (not enchanted...) I'd like to do is to visit his grave in Minneapolis cemetery, but that city has always been out of my routes so far.
Roberto

If you make it back to the Millville area, there's a Simak family plot in a small country cemetery nearby. While Cliff is not buried there, his parents and other relatives are there...

 

[2DaveWixon]

Here's what you'd see:

http://www.death2ur.com/cliff_simak_gravesite.htm

No, that's not exactly what you will see -- the stone (it's vertical wall in front of a crypt) has been altered to reflect the addition of Cliff's son, Richard Scott, to the site...

 

[2DaveWixon]

Thank you Extollager, even though a picture like that had already been posted on Simak forum, as a member had visited the cemetery and shot it... you know, over the years we missed very few things about CDS.
If, in the future, should I happen to be in that area, surely I'd visit his grave. I think it'd be touching.
BTW, during my trip to Millville area back in 2011 I stumbled in a country cemetery, where probably Simak's parents are buried (probably, as I did not enter it - but the description from other members who had visited it matches my recollection).
It's a small country cemetery among the trees, in a desert place at a road intersection; IMHO, and not only in mine, it would be a much more proper burial place for CDS, in his beloved place, rather than in a big anonimous city cemetery like the one where he rests.
Roberto

Any of my friends from this thread should let me know if they intend to make a visit to Cliff's grave.
Dave

 

[2DaveWixon]

In 2012 we purchased a dog.
The one amongst you who'll guess his name will be entitled Simakian Grand Master (even though it's so easy to guess, if you know Simak books...).
Roberto

Since I'm working my way forward in the thread (as I said it would), I have come upon this challenge but have not yet seen whether someone gave you a correct answer, Roberto -- but I'll bet you named your dog Nathaniel.
Dave

 

[2DaveWixon]

In my column "pulp magazines" I still miss a story. "A Pipeline To Destiny" was published in 1963 in the fanzine HKLPLOD # 4 and was never reprinted again.
Only in the year 2012 appeared a Russian translation, in a fan publication with only 20 copies! I am amazed how the Russians got the text. I myself have it not unfortunately.

Scott Henderson noted on his website "The Science Fiction Short Stories of Clifford D. Simak" that the story was written probably 20 years earlier, in the forties. Phil Stephensen-Payne wanted to take the story in the fifth volume of the series "The Collected Stories of Clifford D. Simak", but unfortunately the project was canceled.

For what it's worth, I have not included that story in the collection (of all of Cliff's short fiction) that I've been working on -- primarily because I've never seen it, but also because I'm not sure it would be appropriate to include a non-professional work in the Collection (just as I did not attempt to include any of Cliff's unsold stories...).

Dave

 

[2DaveWixon]

Hitmouse,
it didn't work for me, either. I rated it " good ", but, as I clarified, in my ranking, when taking about Simak, " good " is a rather poor vote.
The other novels I didn't like that much are the old " Empire ", " Mastodonia ", and, on a slightly higher plane, " The Visitors ".
It's interesting to note that Mastodonia was first released as a novelette; the plot is pretty much the same as the final release, with a couple of minor changes; I like the novelette better. Probably the plot isn't consistent enough to work in a longer novel.
Roberto

I presume that, when you say that Mastodonia was "first released as a novelette," you are referring to "Project Mastodon"? (I'm seen comments like that on-line, in various sites).
I must disagree -- I think the only similarity is time travel to a period when mastodons still lived, and a mastodon as a major character -- otherwise, I see virtually no connection between the two stories.
I will expound, if anyone likes...

Dave

 

[2DaveWixon]

Hello Bick,

as you wrote that, in Europe and America (as well as in Wisconsin) we still had 3 August. So your congratulations came not too late!

For all Simak fans still got a nice picture of young Cliff, which until recently was completely unknown to me. Presumably, it dates from the early thirties:

I believe this came from the Open Road website, am I correct?

 

[2DaveWixon]

LoZioOscuro - your dog must be called "Nathaniel"?

Not just a "dog", but the first "Dog".

You may be aware that I've been reading my way through this (very long, thank goodness!) thread, trying to catch up. So earlier today I answered this question...and correctly, I might add.
I had a hunch you'd answer it correctly, also...that is, that you already had answered it, before I ever got around to finding the question -- so I freely admit you got to it before I did! Congratulations!
Dave

 

[2DaveWixon]

When Simak wrote "Desertion," he must have known he'd written what would be an sf classic. It's an elegant tale, economically told and accomplishing what Simak intended, surely.

You are absolutely correct -- I try to avoid definitive ratings -- it's something I'm uncomfortable with, as a personality matter -- but if pressed to pick the single best sf short story, this one might well be my choice!

 

[2DaveWixon]

Oho! Thank you. You may have saved some readers the cost of an unnecessary purchase.

So what is the core collection, in English, of Simak's short stories? The Worlds of Clifford D. Simak and -- ? By "core collection" I mean a set of affordable books that would gather up his best short fiction.

I would say it's the collection called Skirmish.

 

[J-Sun]

But I will add, I don't think this is late forties; I think this is late WWII -- I believe these people are being regaled with war stories by a military officer (and while he looks Navy to me

The officer looks like a naval captain from the shoulder-boards and the paper well to his left looks like it says something about Stalingrad which might put it in late 1942/early 1943, probably 1943. Not sure about any of that, though.

So what is the core collection, in English, of Simak's short stories? The Worlds of Clifford D. Simak and -- ? By "core collection" I mean a set of affordable books that would gather up his best short fiction.

I would say it's the collection called Skirmish.

In the US, in his lifetime, Simak was oddly collected. He put out City, of course, but never collected any 30s stories or any other 40s stories. Then he put out three nice big hardcovers from 1956-62 which covered only stories from 1950-60. Then he put out two smallish paperbacks in 1964 and 1968 that mined the same period (granted, he did write about half his total stories in that decade alone). That was it up to his death in 1988, other than one "Best" in 1967 and the other (Skirmish) in 1977. In the UK, there had been some odds and ends (mostly cut variant titles of US books) and then there were a few collections that came out right before and continued on after his death but I don't know much about them. So for a set, those three-to-five books were

Strangers in the Universe (1956)
The Worlds of Clifford Simak (1960)
All the Traps of Earth and Other Stories (1962)

and

Worlds Without End (1964)
So Bright the Vision (1968)

but beware cut versions of the first three - there's only one complete paperback version of #3 and none of the first two. Flipside, there are no US hardcovers of the last two.

As far as the two "Bests" (Best Science Fiction Stories (1967) and Skirmish (1977)), the first only collects one 1963 story that isn't from the main three, and Skirmish only collects three (from 1970-5) that aren't from those or City. So I agree that Skirmish is probably the single volume to get but, IMO, Strangers/Worlds/Traps would make a better set, allowing for their narrow period. The problem is that there are just too many good stories that the single-volume books miss and they still don't adequately represent the later period (and nothing represents the earlier period).

I don't know if it would hurt sales or help as a sort of sampler to get people to acquire the taste but a new large "Best" that covered his whole career (but still sampled heavily from the Big Three) drawn from the Complete Stories edition would probably be a great side project to produce.

Oh, and disclaimer: I've currently read only two and a half of the Big Three, as I'm in the middle of Worlds now. I don't know what my favorite Simak story of all time is and I've actually forgotten the ending to the one I'm on now but, if it holds up on this re-read (for the first time in a looong time), "The Big Front Yard" is on a short list for my favorite Simak story and really shows that Hugos used to mean something. So I stick with my recommendations, even if they're partly hypothetical at the moment.