| January 13 |
Happy Birthday |
CR |
I knew that I
was born
in the same year
as Robert Silverberg AND Elvis Presley, and I knew that I was 5 days older than Elvis Presley, but I hadn't realized that I was only two weeks older than Mr. Silverberg, and that it is his birthday on Sunday. The stars were very propitious in 1935! I celebrated ny birthday on January 3rd, and I would like to wish my favourite writer a very happy birthday for this coming Sunday, and may we all be blessed with many more years of wonderful imaginative writing from his fruitful pen!! |
| January 24 |
Happy Birthday |
RS |
Thank
you. I'm glad SOMEBODY's older than I am, even if only by days. Am starting to feel like Methuselah. |
| April 6 |
Queen of Springtime | CR |
I'd appreciateit if someone could explain
to me
what is "ibooks." I'd
never heard of them until I found a copy of "The Gate of Worlds" in my local bookstore recently. It didn't have any of the problems "rocketship" described. When I checked the "ibooks" web site, I couldn't find a list of their publications, as they seem to specialize in computer equipmeednt. However, as a retired librarian, I am very obsessive-compulsive, and I always expect to find a publishing history and date of first pubication on the verso of the title page. Particularly for SF, the historical context of date of first publication can be important. Howewver, for anyone who didn't know any better, it looked as if "Gate of worlds" had first been publish in 2005, which in my opinion is misleading. |
| April 6 |
New member |
CR |
opinions with other fsns, and as I am also a relatively new member I am delighted when others join. I got hooked on RS nearly 40 years ago, when I rewad what I consider to be one of the best and most innovative short stories in literature: "Absolutely inflexible." Find it, read it and be astounded. Earlier this year, I started on a project to read or re-read everything that RS has ever written (I am a retired librarian, and librarians are known to be obsessive-compulsive. I have not included the Majipoor series in this project, because I have read each of them at least six or seven times over the past few years - which says something about Majipoor as well as about me. I have just finished "The Man in the maze" as a result of a reference that I saw in this grioup, and I am about to embark on a blockbster: ""The Lord of darkness." This book demonstrates RS's versatility, because it is not sf, but an historical novel, about Angola in the 16th century. I am attracted rto the subject, because I am interesteds in African history, as I grew up in South Africa, which is adjcent to Angola. I would like to suggest to Keith that you read the two books in the "Going Forth" series: "The New Springtime" and "At Winter's end." They are as gripping and enjoyabke as the Majipoor series, but don't seem to have developed the same reputation. I have a request to make to Robert Silverberg: Sir, if you are really not planning to give us any more Majipoor books, what about turning "Going Forth" into a trilogy? It cries out for it, and so do your fans. Please! Please! Please! |
| April 6 |
New member |
RS |
Read
or reread everything I've written? My God, I don't think even I've read everything I've written! But good luck and long life to you. As for my doing a third in the WINTER'S END series, if you hunt up the new University of Nebraska edition of THE QUEEN OF SPRINGTIME you'll find the outline of the unwritten third novel in it, along with my explanation of why it's going to stay unwritten. Since that came out, though, I did write a novella called "A Piece of the Great World" which is derived from that outline, and which was published in a Gardner Dozois anthology recently called, I think, ONE MILLION A.D. |
| April 6 |
New member |
RS |
One unusual aspect of this group is
that RS himself checks in from time to time, when he's not busy doing something else, as is the case right now. So Your Comments Do Not Go Unobserved. But the other members have managed to survive my surveillance, and I suspect so will you. |
| April 7 |
Favourite writers |
CR |
In a message posted a day or so
ago, Sparkdog made a point about political views in sf writing. I have never focussed on this as an issue. I am left-leaning politically, and what is euphemistically referred to as a "senior citizen." I have been reading sf since I first encountered H.G. Wells's "The Time Machine" when I was 10 years old. What I look for in any work of fiction. and science fiction in particular, is, above all, that it be well-written, that it address an interesting and imaginative theme in a thoughtful manner, and that the characters live and breathe. You receive all of this with RS, and he gets better and better with each book that he writes. Some prominent writers get into sword and sorcery, like Piers Anthony, because that's what the kids want these days, or they run out of ideas, like (may lightning strike me down) Arthur C. Clarke. Another example is Fred Saberhagen and his "Berserker" series. This started out as a wonderful and imaginative concept, but I have been VERY disappointed in the last two or three novels. I find works by most new sf writers to be totally boring, unreadable and even incomprehensible. Occasionally one discovers a gem in a bookstore or a library, but this is very rare. I shouldn't be so scathing about sword and sorcery, because it was this prejudice that kept me from the Majipoor series for many years. I have always been a hardcore sf fan, and objected to the association with fantasy. However, about ten years ago my daughter browbeat me into reading "Lord Valentine's Castle" and since then both my wife and I have read each of the novels six or seven times. "King of Dreams" is the only book whose publication I have awaited with eager anticipation, and for which I placed an order months before it was scheduled to be published. "King of Dreams" was my "Harry Potter." |
| April 8 |
H.G. Wells |
RS |
I found this a very pleasing
post,
you betcha. One thing that particularly caught me was the bit about getting hooked on s-f through "The Time Machine" when you were 10. As I've said in my ASIMOV column a number of times, I had the same experience. And since you describe yourself as a "senior citizen," it's quite likely that you and I were having the experience at just about the same time.... |
| April 11 |
Autobiography |
RS |
I've been doing an autobiography
one bit at a time with all the introductions I've written for reissues of my stories and books, and the replies I make in here. But I feel real dislike of the idea of writing a formal autobiography. Some biographer is going to have to gather all these fragments together and make one pattern out of them, and he's going to have to do it without my help. |
| April 15 |
Politics and religion |
CR |
This is a somewhat delayed
response to Sparkdog's comments on political views in sf writing. I believe one should be careful not to assume that any views, political or otherwise, expressed in any work of fiction, and sf in particular, necessarily represent the views of the writer. For me, religious views are far more interesting than political views. In many of RS's novels, he of course presents his own cultural and secular Jewish background. However, he has varied a great deal in his views of other aspects of religious dogma, and I have for a long time been trying, without success, to determine whether or not he believes in a higher power in the lives of aliens and humans, or whether he denies the existence of a higher power. You will find both world views represented in his work and in the mouths of his characters. A little while ago, someone posted a list which supposedly represented the religious affiliation of many sf writers, as determined from their work, but in my opinion this was carrying speculation to extreme lengths. |
| April 18 |
Politics and religion |
RS |
I do
have very real and firm political beliefs,
and some real and firm ideas about religion, too. Some of them may be detectable deep down in the foundations of my stories by one who looks carefully enough and has some idea of what to look for. But I see myself as a storyteller, not as a political activist, and I prefer to have my characters speak for themselves rather than turn them into mouthpieces for their author. |
| April 18 |
Majipoor |
RS |
Read CHRONICLES before PONTIFEX. (I
wrote
them in that order.) One of the novellas in CHRONICLES will also help in understanding the second trilogy that begins with SORCERERS OF MAJIPOOR -- or, actually, the second trilogy will illuminate that novella, "Desert of Stolen Dreams," which sums up in 20,000 words the development that took me three huge novels to explain a decade or so later. The two novellas from the LEGENDS anthology are free-floating; one takes place well beyond the events of PONTIFEX, the other one thousands of years before (although Valentine makes an appearance in each of them.) |
| April 20 |
Favourite RS books |
CR |
I am most interested in the
lively
discussion that is going on concerning "The Best of the Best of RS." Of course, some posters have been answering two different questions: "What are the 5 BEST RS books?" and "What are my favourite RS books?" Assuming that the person who posed the question had in mind the first question, I find that I can't answer it, for the following four good reasons. 1. I have not read nearly all of RS's books, (probably only about half)and I don't remember most of his short stories, because I read them so long ago. I am, however, working my may through every title, even though RS himself thinks that I am crazy. He commented in a recent post that even he hasn't read everything that he has written! 2. An answer also depends on what your definition is of sf. Should books such as "Lord of darkness," "Gilgamesh the king" and "Book of skulls" be included? Even though "BoS" is one of his best, it is arguable whether or not it is sf. Is it Fantasy, Horror, Quest or Mainstream? In fact, RS, unlike any other writer I have read, can create an entirely new unclassifiable genre with one of his novels. 3. My choice would depend to a large extent on the theme, and therefore is likely to be biased. My favourite sf theme is time travel paradox, which is why I would include "Absolutely inflexible" as the best short story, and "Hawksbill Station" as one of the best novels. Can someone recommend other time travel novels or short stories by him that I may have missed, or forgotten about? I also like Telepathy, and would certainly include "Dying inside," Then there is First contact/Generation ship interstellar travel, and "Starborne" or "The Man in the maze" but not "Alien years" would be possible candidates. "The Kingdom of the Wall" also falls into the "First contact" category, but for anyone who hasn't read it, you might want to do so in order to find out who the aliens really are. I am not as keen on Alternate history, and although "Roma Eterna" and "The Gate of Worlds" were enjoyable and interesting, I don't think they should be on the "Best" list 4. How would you handle series or cycles? There is no doubt in my mind that if Robert Silverberg is to be remembered 100 years from now, it will be because of Majipoor. However, I would be hard-pressed to pick any one title, and I would put the entire series at the very top of my list. The same applies to that wonderful two volume saga, "At Winter's End/The New Springtime." (It contains one of the most provocative lines in all of sf: "And the humans - the humans -") |
| April 20 |
Favourite RS books |
RS |
I must say that I've been following
this thread with great pleasure. Not that I want to help you pick my five best novels -- that's not for me to do -- but what I like about the discussion is the intelligence being displayed, the thoughtfulness of the criteria, the historical perspective. You aren't just drawing up lists |
| April 24 |
Bibliography |
CR |
As a retired librarian, I am
supposed to be an expert in bibliographic reseach. However, I find that I am being defeated by the publishing oddities of the "Legends" anthology edited by RS and published by TOR. I have in front of me the hardcover edition which contains 11 novellas, including the final Lord Valentine story, "The Seventh Shrine." I am also looking at vol 1 and 2 of the paperback edition, which betweeen them contain 7 of the same novellas. I am assuming that there is a third paperback volume which contains the remaining 4 stories. However, I haven't been able to find it in a bookstore, library or listed on the internet. I have also seen listed a hardback anthology called "Legends II" which contains 11 stories, and also a two volume paperback set individually titled "Shadows, gods and demons" and "Dragon, sword and king" which is appparently, but by no means obviously, the same as "Legends II." Details about the paperback edition do not appear to be listed in Jon Davis's admirable bibliography. Now some people may wonder why I am fussing about this, as it sounds like trying to figure out how many angels can dance on the end of a pin. However, all I am trying to do is track down and acquire the last Majipoor story that RS wrote, and which is one of the very first chronologically, "The Book of changes." I would not have known about it if RS himself had not mentioned it in a recent posting. However, I am not too keen to buy a 650 page hardcover book, with stories by a number of writers who don't interest me, just to satisfy my RS obsession. Therefore, my question is, is "The Book of changes" available in a reasonably-priced paperback? And why is this publication so needlessly complicated? Does it have anything to do with mass marketing strategy, the mechanics of book production, or some editoriae title is being marketed is aimed at the random bookstore browser, rather than the serious collector and bibliophile. And if this is the case, why are the covers so deadly boring, rather than being spiced up by attractive attention-getting cover art? |
| April 26 |
Cover art |
WG |
Why are
the covers so bad? My fellow SF art
collectors and I have
been asking that question for years! I'm afraid it's the general trend nowadays; to move away from using colorful oil/acrylic paintings in favor of digital ones, or none at all in the case of Legends. Besides, the 11 included authors alone will sell the book! Now, the Legends hardcover was released in paperback using three volumes. The Legends II hardcover was released as two paperback volumes. A picture I hastily put together of all the covers is here: http://home.earthlink.net/~ladyoferie/images/Legends.JPG Further covers and different color combinations will be seen, say, on eBay, but that will include the audiobook versions as well as the British copies. To answer your question, THE SEVENTH SHRINE was included in LEGENDS, and in the tan paperback on the top row. THE BOOK OF CHANGES was included in LEGENDS II, and in the purple paperback "Shadows, Gods, and Demons" on the second row. Now, can we expect RS and company to deliver us LEGENDS III? |
| April 26 |
Fantasy/SF series |
CR |
After I read "King of Dreams," I
came to the reluctant conclusion that RS had written "Finis" to this saga. It occurred to me at the time that I hoped to see further "Majipoor" stories, perhaps to augment the tales told in "The Majipoor Chronicles." I have recently been delighted to find, through this discussion site, two more recently-published stories, "The Book of changes" and "The Sorcerer's apprentice." However, they were buried in fairly elusive anthologies, and I wonder if this means that we can no longer expect to see any stories like this in sf magazines, but rather in blockbuster anthologies? For those of us who lead busy lives, and are somewhat out of the loop, it is difficult to keep up with new publications of interest. I have always been a fan of hard core sf, and tended to sneer at fantasy as being nothing but sword and sorcery filled with warrior princesses and dragons. I used to constantly complain to our local bookstore chain manager about the iniquitous practice of devoting a display shelf to "science fiction and fantasy." For me this was like mixing apples and oranges. I have made several honest attempts to read some of this stuff, but I just can't get into it. I still find that some of these other writers, like Orson Scott Card, Raymond E. Feist, Anne McCaffrey, Terry Brooks and even (shoot me!) Steven King, leave me cold. I realize now that part of the problem was that I was getting older, and the reading audience was getting younger. However, when I was railroaded into reading "Lord Valentine's Castle" by my daughter about ten years ago, I became well and truly hooked on the Majipoor saga. I have read each of the titles in the series at least five or six times. I still have no explanation for this, other than that once I pick up ANY RS title, I cannot put it down until I have absorbed it. |
| April 27 |
Majipoor Chronicles |
CR |
For what it's worth, I would
like to place on record that I was the first person to come up with the idea of a sequel to "Majipoor chronicles" way back in 2001, when I read "King of Dreams" and realized that it was unlikely that any more blockbuster novels would be forthcoming. What better way to continue the rich and colourful history of Majipoor than for Mr. Silverberg to write a series of short stories and/or novellas along the lines of those in "Chronicles." In a May 5 posting, he told us: "I'll think on it." All I can say, is "GO FOR IT, MR. SILVERBERG!" I have just finished reading "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" which I am sorry to say disappointed me. Apart from the fact that by any definition (length, unity of time, place, theme, narration, etc.) it is a short story, and not a novella, I thought that it was a tad superficial and somewhat hokey. In "Sorcerers of Majipoor" I almost cane to believe in witchcraft, but this new story is a little bit silly. "The Book of changes" which I have also just finished reading, is an entirely different kettle of fish. I found it to be intriguing and perplexing at the same time, and it is a "must read" for Majipoor fans. I am trying to gather my thoughts together, and to draw conclusions about BoC, and about the process of conceiving and creating a universe such as "Majipoor" while maintaining internal consistency. He addressed some of these issues in the introduction to the recently-published University of Nebraska edition of "The Queen of Springtime" which seem to me to be relevant to both series. Stay tuned! |
| May 12 |
Book of Changes |
CR |
I have just finished reading
"The Book of changes" in "Legends II." The hero/protagonist/narrator of the story is a certain Aithin Furvain, and he apparently lived many centuries before Lord Prestimion. He is kidnapped, and forced to write an epic poem about the history of Majipoor. I first encountered his name in epigraphs to the second and third books of the Lord Prestimion series, which were supposedly quotations from a famous work called "The Book of changes" by Aithin Furvain. This caused me to wonder how and when the character of Aithin Furvain came into existence. Mr. Silverberg, did you have an idea as to where you were going with this, back in 1999, or even before that, and is your most recent Majipoor story the development of an idea that had been conceived in the afore-mentioned epigraphs? Has it been simmering in your subconscious since then, or has it been hidden in the bottom of your trunk, waiting for a suitable opportunity to be hauled out into the light of day? RS drops little hints along the way concerning future plot possibilities, but it is only in retrospect that one understands the significance of these tidbits. For instance. in "The Desert of Stolen Dreams" first published in 1981, he wrote: "These events happened in the young manhood of him who became the Coronel Lord Dekkeret in the Pontificate of Prestimion." Who knew that it would be fifteen years before the first in the Lord Prestimion trilogy would be published? Which is why I find it so intriguing and perplexing that Lord Valentine drifts into "The Book of changes." In a dream, he provides the inspiration that Furvain needs to complete his poem: "It is through the voice of this imaginary Lord Valentine, Furvain told himself, that the shaping spirit of the cosmos is inscribing this poem on my soul." This last quotation reinforces for me why it is so necessary for Mr. Silverberg to connect the dots of the Majipoor saga in a follow-up to "The Majipoor chronicles." "The Seventh shrine and "The Book of changes" are the first two markers along the way. When the definitive critical study on the work Robert Silverberg comes to be written, it will be shown that this all ties in with his emphasis on, and stated interest in, Time. Past, present and future are not linear events, but consist of a pool of activity into which we could dip our toes now and then, if only we knew how. |
| May 24 |
Cover art |
CR |
I have just got back from a few
weeks' vacation out west and I am therefore somewhat out of the loop concerning the very interesting discussion about cover art and welshgriffin's amazing collection, which I haven't yet had time to read in detail. However, although as I have mentioned before, my primary interest is in what lies between the covers rather than the cover itself, I would like to comment on one particular cover. A couple of months ago, as a result of a recommendation in this group, I acquired a copy of "Letters from Atlantis" through "Bookfinder.com." Fortuitously, it turned out to be the first hardcover 1990 Atheneum edition, which has an incredibly beautiful "wrap-around" cover by Robert Gould. Apparently this artist made his name with a number of Michael Moorcock covers, and I don't know why he hasn't done more covers for RS. I find it strange that he is not listed on the "Artists" page of Jon Davis's RS site, nor does his entry for this title show the cover for this edition. I also don't see it on the "photos" page of this site. Welshgriffin drew my attention to several web sites giving information about Gould's work. I have made a copy of this cover, and framed it for hanging on my wall. |
| June 27 |
Covr art |
WG |
An
oversight on my part creitzconrad. I took
the two images of
Letters From Atlantis you sent me and "stiched" them together to produce a complete book jacket cover, and I uploaded it to the PHOTOS section (in part II). Indeed, an interesting cover painting, and last time I checked, Mr Gould said that he still had it, as well as several of the interior illustrations. I did not, however, ask for prices! |
| June 27 |
Cover art |
WG |
If you
want to find employment in the SF art
business today, you MUST
be fluent in the techniques of digital illustration, but even that may not be enough as publishers are now, more and more, opting to use "stock art" (whatever that is!). Even Jim Burns is having more difficulty these days obtaining new commissions, and that is truly sad. We are indeed at the end of the Golden Age of Science Fiction Illustration, as Jane Frank once said. Burns' THE LONGEST WAY HOME is indeed a digital image, and I would gladly pay to own a nice print of it. Burns, however, has not authorized a print run of this image to be produced. He promised to make me one a few years ago but I've yet to see it! Typical Jim! Those Palacios drawings are terrific, but alas I know nothing about him. It would nice to acquire some large print versions of those. |
| June 27 |
Coiver art |
CR |
Even though I belong to a
generation that pre-dates computers, by no means do I consider myself to be a Luddite. In fact, my use of computers is fairly sophisticated. However, I was horrified to discover the trend to disguise digital pictures as the real thing, like in "The Longest Way Home." It is a logical development from synthetic music, digital photography and computer-generated movie special effects. Whatever happened to human creativity? The next thing you know, Robert Silverberg himself will be obsolete, and computers will be writing all the great works of literature. (If no one has yet written a sf story on this theme, it's there for the taking - free of my commmission.) "The Soul-Painter and the Shapeshifter" in "The Majipoor Chronicles" does of course address a variation of this theme - the purity of a creative process that springs from the mind and the soul, without any mechanical intervention. |
| July 23 |
SF movies |
Levy |
I was
very interested in your remark about
Donna Tartt,I think you're
on to something and when I get back from holiday next week I intend to consider it more carefully. Just by coincidence,this evening I re- viewed that David Cronenberg movie 'The Dead Zone' starring Christopher Walken based on a story by Stephen King. It's about a guy who after a car crash experiences premonitions (I think the SF term is 'precog') which although very useful have a negative effect on him.At one point he says the spells (of premonition) are taking it out of him-'It feels as though I'm dying inside.'It struck me as being a pretty clear allusion.Come to think of it,wouldn't 'Dying Inside' or 'The Book of Skulls' be strong candidates for a Cronenberg movie? |
| July 24 |
SF movies |
CR |
NO. NO. NO. NO. Don't even THINK
about it. It would be a dull world if we all liked the same thing, and I believe that David Cronenberg's movies are the perverted product of a sick mind. Exploding heads? Give me a break. I feel embarrassed to call myself a Canadian when people elevate Cronenberg to some kind of mythic figure. He is known as a master of horror, which is O.K., but I don't believe RS has ever written anything that can remotely be construed as horror. Even - and particularly - "Book of skulls" is in a genre all on its own - not sf, not fantasy, not horror. What makes it so great is that it cannot be pigeonholed, unless you called it a kind of "Quest" epic. "Dying inside" is a masterpiece of psychological decay, and the loss of personality. Stephen Levy recently made exactly the same point that I did a couple of months ago, that in the public's mind, fantasy and sf are the same thing. I was denied the pleasures of Majipoor for many years, because I had no interest in dungeons, dragons, sword and sorcery. When I finally took the plunge, I realized what I had been missing, and I have now read each book several times. All I can say is that Majipoor, like everything that comes from his pen, is different, and better than anything else in the field. I haven't found any other fantasy series that isn't boring beyond belief. One has to make a distinction between books (those objects that have words printed on paper)that require a bit of effort and imagination to appreciate, and movies (usually in the form of shiny little plastic disks) that can be soaked up passively. I wonder how many movie-goers really think they are seeing sf when they watch the "Alien" movies. That's not sf, but merely an updated version of "The Creature from the Black Lagoon" and "Godzilla." I would like to see a review comparing "AVP" and "GVM" ("Godzilla vs. Mothra"). Every now and then someone asks when we are going to get a decent movie based on one of RS's works. The only writer who seems to make it to the big screen on a regular basis is Philip K. Dick. I can think of at least five quite good movies based on his short stories, by some top-notch directors. Why PKD and not RS? A good question. |
| July 25 |
SF movies |
No, no, no, Mr. Conrad, or
Creitz (or Kurtz, mebbe?). Oh, yeah---and no. One doesn't have to like big band music to like Sinatra or country to like Willie Nelson, or costume dramas to dig Shakespeare. Art transcends genre, as you yourself confess below about Majipoor. EVERYONE must like Silverberg, that's all there is to it. It's in the Human Being Rule Book, you could look it up. He's an original. That's what it's all about.Best, |
|
| July 26 |
SF movies |
RS |
I suppose I should break the
news that I'm not a Cronenberg fan myself. Saw a couple of his movies long ago, the Wm Burroughs one and something about twins, found them too creepy for my taste, never went back for more. Not that I would object if he wanted to make a movie from one of my books, of course. I might even like it. Getting movies made from my work has proven to be a bumpy road. So far BOOK OF SKULLS, "Needle in a Timestack," "Passengers," and one other that doesn't come immediately to mind have been bought by studios, but they haven't done the films, and MAN IN THE MAZE has been at the edge of filming by really big names at least half a dozen times in the past ten years, but nothing has happened except a lot of option money for me. The Phil Dick phenomenon is a kind of herd movement: BLADE RUNNER became a cult success and everybody jumped in to try to do it again. For a while it looked as though that was going to happen for me also -- all sorts of things got optioned -- but the necessary cult movie never got made and the bandwagon process didn't start. |
| July 27 |
Used books |
CR |
In a recent posting, John Walsh
mentioned getting a complete series on e-bay "when he has the money." I don't want to knock e-bay, or even Amazon.com, as both of them are very helpful in some ways. However, when it comes to getting books, particularly hard-to-find books, there is absolutely nothing to beat Bookfinder.com and Abebooks.com. They duplicate each other to a certain extent, but I find that Bookfinder.com tends to be easier to use and more comprehensive. They both include books available through Amazon, and the advantage over e-bay is that you are dealing directly with professional specialist booksellers, who provide their phone numbers and addresses, and respond readily to questions, and also you don't run the risk of paying more than you want to, or being outbid. You are presented with a wide range of titles, editions and prices, at fixed prices, and so it is much easier to budget how much you want to spend. I have a good example of how it worked phenominally for me recently. In R.S.'s great 2004 collection, "Phases of the Moon", he wrote that "'Sailing to Byzantium' remains one of my favorite stories, out of the millions and millions of words of science-fiction I've published over the past 50 years ... It was published first as an elegant limited-edition book, now very hard to find, by the house of Underwood Miller [in 1985]." On a hunch, I checked Bookfinder.com, and was delighted to discover that a copy was available from a bookseller in California for $35.00. I ordered it immediately, and when I received it yesterday, confirmed that it was no. 23 of a limited edition of 250, signed by Mr. Silverberg, in perfect condition, with dust jacket painted by Ned Dameron, in a beautiful grey cloth slipcase. Trust me - you can't go wrong if you build up the gaps in your RS collection by using |
| July 27 |
Used books |
JW |
Well, I
apologize because I kind
of use "get it on ebay" as shorthand. I've only bought a few things off there--movie soundtracks that were tough to find--but I will say that many ebay sellers are indie booksellers. But I'm glad my lazy writing got you to mention these two, who I have used and have heard nothing but praise for from my friends who can indeed afford to order whole sets. |
| July 27 |
Used books |
WG |
I've
got six hundred odd feedback points on
eBay myself over a nine
year period and I've only ever had trouble a couple of times. Great deals to be had, like the time I snagged the previously mentioned book Sailing To Byzantium in a limited edition, signed Underwood "presentation copy" (has "pc" instead of a number, and even rarer). But ABEXCHANGE is absolutely essential as well for the older, out-of-print stuff, signed stuff, proofs, review copies, and limited editions. I never use Amazon but its great for those who don't have a local bookshop or are just cheap. Thanks for the scans of STB Conrad. I was talking to Ned Dameron last year about this cover painting and he said Joe F bought it from him way back in the eighties. It was 24" by 36" in oils and its a beauty! |
| Aug 1 |
Majipoor |
Dear Mr.
Silverberg: I was wondering how you generally feel about science
fiction writers (usually younger) who set their stories in a world or universe created by another. I know there's obviously economic incentive for the publisher and writer to write these books, but do you think, overall, it's a plus or minus? I know there have been some books written using the Majipoor setting. Do you recommend any of them? To the web group: How do all of you feel about having someone pick a RS book for this group to read (or, most likely, re-read) and discuss -- a web-based book club, so to speak. |
|
| Aug. 2 |
Majipoor |
RS |
Re: Books set in the Majipoor
world. I know of only one book written
by someone else set on Majipoor, longago, during the fad for "interactive" novels. I'm not enthusiasticabout such projects. |
| Aug. 7 |
Wikipedia |
JD |
The whole point about Wikipedia
is that if you don't like something, you can contribute. It's a massive collaborative knowledge base. Their guidelines are sensible, and when they are broken, eventually things should get worked out. It's no surprise that Heinlein gets more coverage. But it's only a matter of Silverberg fans stepping up to the plate and improving the RS article. I'd do it myself, but I've already said my piece on RS on my own site. As long as the link on the Wikipedia page goes there, I'm fine with it. |
| Aug. 7 |
Wikipedia |
RS |
I checked out the entry for me
on Wikipedia and found it pleasingly accurate and comprehensive. If it's not as long as the Heinlein entry, well, I'm not Heinlein, either. But I certainly have no complaints about what's there. |
| Oct. 4 |
The Disappearance |
RS |
So where did everyone go? I went
to Italy, was gone nearly three weeks, and nary a message in my absence! |
| Oct. 4 |
The Disappearance |
CR |
I too was beginning to get concerned that I
had been dropped from the
e-mail list, because I haven't received a posting in almost a month. Glad to see that there is still someone out there. I am about a third of the way through "The Lord of Darkness" which I have never read before, and its 550 pages has completely taken over my life. I have always in the past gravitated towards RS's science fiction, but his talent as a writer of historical novels, particularly of a region (Angola) and a period (the late 16th century) that is so little known to most North American readers, is leaving me gasping with amazement. More about my response to this novel when I have finished it. |
| Oct. 28 |
Lord of Darkness |
CR |
I have finally finished reading
"Lord of Darkness" and I can honestly say that it is one of the most amazing books I have ever read. I should warn you that it is not for the squeamish or the sensitive, as it deals in very raw terms with contentious issues such as racism, slavery, cannibalism, anti-catholicism and graphic eroticism. It focusses on a period and a region that I know next to nothing about (late 16th century Angola). I grew up in South Africa, which is flanked by two former Portuguese colonies (Angola and Mocambique) but at school we were taught nothing about Portuguese colonial history, apart from the exploits of the great explorers Bartholomew Diaz and Vasco da Gama. This book was therefore quite an education for me. I am assuming that the incredibly detailed descriptions of historical events and personalities, and cultural practices, were based on research rather than on RS's ever-fertile imagination. I have been able to find very little written in English about that era and that region. The book also demonstrates RS's mastery of the English language, as the narrative is presented in an Elizabethan cadence and style, using a number of obsolete words, that adds to the realism and believability of the characters and the story. However, it is far more than a tale of adventure, a narrative of personal suffering and betrayal, and an inner journey of self-discovery and metamorphosis. The commentary on colonialism, on religion and ritual, and the devastating effect of an insane dictator-destroyer let loose on the world, are very insightful and perceptive, and more relevant today than they have ever been. In some of RS's other stories, he pokes gentle fun at the Catholic faith, but in "Lord of Darkness" the anti-catholicism is quite rabid, although it represents, of course, the mindset of the narrator, an Elizabethan Protestant seaman, rather than of RS himself. However, it is sometimes difficult to separate the author from the narrator. Unlike many of his other novels, he sticks to a single narrative voice, which heightens the believability and the realism. I couldn't put it down until I had turned the last of the 560 pages. It would probably have been a better novel if it had been pruned by at least one third. I found that it was somewhat repetitive, and tended to peter out at the end. However, RS anticipate this cricism by rejecting the desire of some editors to "abridge the tedious." "Lord of Darkness" cries out for comparison with Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness," as the theme, the subject matter and even the setting are mirror images of each other. They both address the issue of the nature of Man and the thin line between savagery and civilization. I do hope that a literary scholar tackles this task one of these days. In view of the powerful and controversial nature of the novel, I am surprised that it seems to have created so little impact. I have only managed to track down one review - in the U.K. It seems to have been completely ignored by the media and the reading public in the U.S. A great pity. One of the most interesting discussions that could arise from a novel like this is the diffenence between historical fiction, historical fantasy and alternative history. In an afterword, RS mentions that the protagonist, Andrew Battell, is based on a real person, but that his character has been filled out with a world of imagined detail. He also describes the book as "historical fantasy" but it is so well done that you can't help believing that all the battles, characters, kings and events he describes actually existed and took place. I had the same thought when I read Harry Harrison's "The Hammer and the Cross" (about the Viking invasion of Britain)- is it an historical novel, a fantasy or alternate history? I really do belive that "Lord of Darkness" should take its place among the foremost novels of the 20th century. I am not going overboard when I say this, and it's not because I know that RS will probably read my comments, but as a discriminating reader of novels other than science fiction, I really believe this. |
| Oct. 30 |
Lord of Darkness |
SB |
I thought that was a great review by
creitzconrad.
|
| Oct. 30 |
Lord of Darkness |
RS |
The
commercial problem that the publishers
of LORD OF DARKNESS
encountered is that I am known in the US as a science-fiction writer, and publishing here is confined within strict categories. So the book was put into bookstores among the s-f titles (especially the paperback, which was issued by my regular s-f publisher of the era) and of course the s-f readers didn't know what to make of it, and the readers of historical novels never had a chance to find it Sales were ungood and I never ventured into historical fiction again. The book enjoyed considerable commercial success in France and Italy and I am now working toward setting up an Italian edition. Whether it will ever be published in the US again is doubtful. I think it's among my best novels. |
| Oct. 30 |
Lord of Darkness |
RS |
And
then I read this one and saw that you
had already anticipated my explanation of why there have been no more historical novels from me. It's an insurmountable problem, or so close to insurmountable that I have no eagerness to try to surmount it at this late date |
| Oct. 31 |
Lord of Darkness |
After
such an appetizing review of 'Lord of
Darkness',I intend to
obtain and read this book as soon as I've finished 'The Portable Hawthorne'.However I'd just like to ask if the title is a play on the Roger Zelazny title for any reason? |
|
| Nov. 1 |
Lord of Darkness |
RS |
Nope,
no Zelazny connotations intended. It's
a reference to Satan, or
to the Satanic nature of the cannibal chief. |
| Nov. 1 |
Lord of Darkness |
This is
a discussion -- RS's greatest hits
-- that comes around the
bend once every 3 to 4 months. The group's top 5 usually comes from a pool of about 12-15 "essential" books, I'd estimate. But I think this is the first I've heard of LORD OF DARKNESS cracking the list. I've read 40+ RS novels, but LOD has escaped my attention. I'll have to track it down, now that so many have begun to sing its praises. For what it's worth, my top 5 would be: Downward to the Earth Up The Line Time of Changes The Man in the Maze Shadrach in the Furnace |
|
| Nov. 1 |
Lord of Darkness |
JD |
It is very good to see this book getting
some attention here. I was
just looking at my entry for it on the website and see that I need to reread it and provide a better description. My copy is back in Seattle, so I'll have to look for it next time I visit the US. I enjoyed it very much when I read it, and see no reason why that enjoyment shouldn't come back it I read it again. |
| Nov. 8 |
Lord of Darkness |
CR |
I had initially observed, and
then rejected, a connection between "Lord of Darknes" and "Heart of Darkness." However, in reviewing JD's bibliography I note that he mentions that the title of one of RS's stories (although he doesn't indicate what it is about), "The Fascination of the Abomination," (1987) is a line taken from "Heart of Darkness." This story forms part of "Land of the Living" (1990) which I haven't (yet) read, but which, according to JD, has a type of shared-universe theme, and it includes characters from two of his other novels: Andrew Battell (from "Lord of Darkness" - 1983) and Gilgamesh("from "Gilgamesh the King" - 1984). Coincidence? I think not. In "Phases of the Moon" RS explains his views on the subject of shared universe anthologies and (by implication) series (p. 429-430). |
| Nov. 8 |
The Realm of Prester John |
CR |
In one of my messages posted
today, I wrote about the myth of Atlantis, and the great material it provides for science fiction writers. Now that my appetite has been whetted by "Lord of Darkness" for the Portuguese exploration of Africa, I want to get hold of a copy of RS's 1972 non-fiction book, "The Realm of Prester John." Has anyone read it? It discusses a mythical 12th century Christian missionary and king who was supposedly located somewhere in India, Central Asia or Ethiopia (Abyssinia). As explorers had not found him in Asia, the Portuguese decided that he must be located somewhere in Africa, but they never found conclusive evidence of his existence either. John Buchan wrote a 1910 novel called "Prester John" but it has nothing to do with the mythical figure, except in a tenuous symbolic way. However, maybe Prester John was an early ET who couldn't "phone home." It is possible. How about it, RS? |
| Nov. 8 |
Atlantis |
CR |
I have the iBooks ed. of "Gate
of worlds" which I read last January, and which I found interesting. I too saw the similarity with "Lord of Darkness" and it was this similarity that prompted my question about the differences betwee historical fiction, historical fantasy and alternative history. Poul Anderson is supposedly the master of alternative fiction, and I read his "The Dancer from Atlantis" several years ago. I now cannot remember if its primary theme was alternative history or time travel. My notes indicate that I found it to be a bit convoluted and difficult to follow. However, it definitely invites comparison with RS's juvenile book, "Letters from Atlantis" which is a time travel story with overtones of alternative history. What is particularly interesting is that Anderson locates his Atlantis in the Mediterranean, near Greece, whereas RS's Atlantis is in the traditional location, in the Atlantic Ocean, outside the Straits of Gibraltar, near the Canary Islands. Does anyone remember a book dating from (I think) the 1950s by British main stream novelist Dennis Wheatley, called "They Found Atlantis." This was also located in the Atlantic. Atlantis is a great inspiration for speculative fiction writers. I wonder how many people think that Atlantis really did exist? I would like to believe this, and I would like to believe, as RS postulates, that the Atlantans wee aliens from outer space. This is certainly more credible than the media conspiracy frenzy surrounding Roswell. |
| Nov. 8 |
Joseph Conrad |
Levy |
Silverberg did indeed write a tribute to
Conrad's "Heart of Darkness," called
"Downward to the Earth." He even had a character named "Kurtz" (see also "Apocalypse Now"). It's one of his better novels. |
| Dec. 6 |
Used books |
CR |
Thankyou very much for the recommendation
concerning the "King John"
bookstore in Detroit. I live just across the border, in Windsor, On. and I will therefore drop in during my next expedition down south. Unlike you, I don't travel much, and I prefer to look for specific authors and titles on the Internet, rather than browsing through second hand bookstores. I suppose it is fun to browse through a bookstore during your travels, but it is more efficient to zero in on your specific needs by means of an Internet search. It is erroneous to assume that only big cities have good used bookstores. My experience on the Internet has been that there are hundreds of little bookstores tucked away in remote areas that you would never normally visit, from Maine to California and from Florida to B.C. in the U.K. and in several other foreign countries. They sometimes have real gems at reasonable prices. I am a great believer in "Bookfinder.com" and "abebooks.com" which list books from all these bookstores, as well as Internet vendors, including ALibris, TomFolio, Powells and Amazon, I have found exactly what I was looking for in bookstores in Sweden and New Zealand. These two Internet sites are better than e-Bay, as you don't have to bid on anything, and I have never had a problem with any vendors, as they are all reliable and trustworthy, and provide personal, friendly service. Thousands of RS copies are listed, with descriptions of the particular editions, and you can select what you want by edition, price and condition. Check them out! |
| Dec. 30 |
Harlan Ellison |
CR |
He then handed me "We the Underpeople"
by Cordwainer Smith. >That reminds me of "Cordwainer Bird," Harlan Ellison's pseudonym. If I have the story right, he had it written into every contract that if he didn't like the way one of his TV scripts was turning out in production, he had the right to use the pseudonym instead of his name. I was most interested to learn that Harlan Ellison had a blanket contract requirement to use the pseudonym "Cordwainer Bird" if he didn't like the way his script was being adapted for TV. I did know, however, that he did this for the long-forgotten series "The Starlost" for which he wrote the pilot episode, and which only lasted for 16 episodes. It was seen in the early 70s, and I liked it because of the theme and the setting, which was a disabled generation starship consisting of a number of biospheres. I recently managed to find a DVD of all the episodes on e-Bay. Ellison's name keeps on popping up on this forum because he and RS started off together as neighbours and friends a long time ago. Therefore, I feel comfortable in mentioning a bit of TV SF trivia that might be of interest to aspiring SF writers: Ben Bova, who was the "Science consultant" for the series, wrote a satire on Ellison's experiences with TV production companies in a novel called "The Star-Crossed." Read it - it gives one a disturbing glimpse into the hidden underbelly of TVland production. Ellison was the "creative coordinator" or something like that (the person who keeps an eye on internal consistency) for the more recent "Babylon 5" (by far the best SF TV production ever aired, in my opinion, mainly because the writer/producer, JMS, retained total creative control.) Ellison's voice was heard in an episode featuring comedians Penn and Teller, in which he vocalized for the usually silent short sidekick). Speaking of Harlan Ellison, I much preferred his early (late Sixties) stories. Some of the most frightening stories that I have ever read are "The Beast that shouted love at the heart of the world" and "The Whimper of whipped dogs". This latter story reminded me dreadfully of some of the moral and psychological issues related to the World Trade Center terrorist attack. I shudder to think what Ellison could do with a story about 9/11 |
