2010 Reading X-XXI
X: Isaac Asimov, The Gods Themselves (1972)
Probably the only solo, standalone novel by Asimov, original published in three parts, two parts in one magazine, one part in another, more or less synchronous with part one. This suffers a little from being too clever for its own good: on Earth a new means of power is found in a radiactive exchange with another universe, only it'll end up destroying both. Part two is the story told from the other universe, and part three the solution. After the three sexed aliens, part three is dull, but you then work out who the triplets are in the other parts. Better in memory.
XI: Clifford D. Simak, Out of Their Minds (1970)
Odd Simakian metafiction in which someone returns home to find that fictional characters are taking over the world and the devil is complaining about the cheap narratives drowning out the decent tales; since a number of delinquent Ballard boys are hanging around the main protagonist's old house, there seems to be a dig at the New Wave.
XII: Ray Bradbury, The Halloween Tree
A group of kids get a tour of the rituals of Halloween, whilst one of their number is on the edge of death. Charming, in a little overblown way, and this edition has illustrations unlike the paperback I gave away. I also read about a quarter of Long After Midnight - the 1970s stories, naturally.
XIII: Clifford D. Simak, Destiny Doll (1971)
I remember buying this, along with The Electric Kool Aid Acid Test. Sets up a pattern for weaker novels: a slightly disreputable captain is hired by a mysterious woman to go somewhere for inadequately explored reasons and mildly eccentric sidekicks, plus a resourceful alien and then they face slightly surreal aliens and slip back in time. Here we have alien rocking horses and a tree that fires seeds like bullets. Fun if slight.
XIV: Clifford D. Simak, Cemetery World (1973)
Here the destination is Earth, now the universe's graveyard, and the protagonists want to travel into the few areas not part of the cemetery. Weak.
XV: Clifford D. Simak, Our Children's Children (1974)
Closer to Out of Our Minds, but the people appearing are from the future, escaping alien monsters. They want the present day to build them tunnels back to the prehistoric period so they can restart their society, and threaten that the aliens may follow them through the tunnels. Neat idea, but the multi-foci narrative (a Dickian twist) makes it messier than it needed to be.
XVI: Richard Brautigan, Sombrero Fallout: A Japanese Novel (1976)
I shall be revisiting this for an article. A Comic Novelist, who has split from his Japanese Girlfriend, begins a story about a sombrero which falls on the ground, and throws it away. Whilst he thinks about his love life, the story continues in the wastepaper backet.
XVII: Richard Brautigan, The Hawkline Monster: A Gothic Western (1974)
In 1903, two hitmen are hired to kill a monster who lives in a cave beneath a laboratory in the basement of a mansion. Weird shit happens. Recommended.
XVIII: Clifford D. Simak, Enchanted Pilgrimage (1976)
Duff fantasy - a Christian monk scholar goes in search of something and odd things happen.
XIX: Barry Malzberg, On a Planet Alien (1974)
Folsom captains a mission to Folsom's Planet and severely loses the plot, failing to persuade the aliens to join the federation. Reaction to stress or sophisticated alien defense mechanism? As always in Malzberg, space screws you up.
XX: Clifford D. Simak, Shakespeare's Planet (1977)
A space mission fails with one survivor, trapped on a planet where someone named Shakespeare has died. The protagonist is left talking to Shakespeare friend, Carnivore, and has found a book wherein Shakespeare warns him against Carnivore. Fortunately there's a star-tunnel out of there.
XXI: Clifford D. Simak, Catface (1978)
A bit of a rerun of Our Children's Children, in which the protagonist discovers an alien who can create tunnels back in time. A former girlfriend spies an opportunity to get rich, but they have to keep in control of the technology. The ending is a rabbit pulled out of the hat, but this is late Simak at his most charming.
Probably the only solo, standalone novel by Asimov, original published in three parts, two parts in one magazine, one part in another, more or less synchronous with part one. This suffers a little from being too clever for its own good: on Earth a new means of power is found in a radiactive exchange with another universe, only it'll end up destroying both. Part two is the story told from the other universe, and part three the solution. After the three sexed aliens, part three is dull, but you then work out who the triplets are in the other parts. Better in memory.
XI: Clifford D. Simak, Out of Their Minds (1970)
Odd Simakian metafiction in which someone returns home to find that fictional characters are taking over the world and the devil is complaining about the cheap narratives drowning out the decent tales; since a number of delinquent Ballard boys are hanging around the main protagonist's old house, there seems to be a dig at the New Wave.
XII: Ray Bradbury, The Halloween Tree
A group of kids get a tour of the rituals of Halloween, whilst one of their number is on the edge of death. Charming, in a little overblown way, and this edition has illustrations unlike the paperback I gave away. I also read about a quarter of Long After Midnight - the 1970s stories, naturally.
XIII: Clifford D. Simak, Destiny Doll (1971)
I remember buying this, along with The Electric Kool Aid Acid Test. Sets up a pattern for weaker novels: a slightly disreputable captain is hired by a mysterious woman to go somewhere for inadequately explored reasons and mildly eccentric sidekicks, plus a resourceful alien and then they face slightly surreal aliens and slip back in time. Here we have alien rocking horses and a tree that fires seeds like bullets. Fun if slight.
XIV: Clifford D. Simak, Cemetery World (1973)
Here the destination is Earth, now the universe's graveyard, and the protagonists want to travel into the few areas not part of the cemetery. Weak.
XV: Clifford D. Simak, Our Children's Children (1974)
Closer to Out of Our Minds, but the people appearing are from the future, escaping alien monsters. They want the present day to build them tunnels back to the prehistoric period so they can restart their society, and threaten that the aliens may follow them through the tunnels. Neat idea, but the multi-foci narrative (a Dickian twist) makes it messier than it needed to be.
XVI: Richard Brautigan, Sombrero Fallout: A Japanese Novel (1976)
I shall be revisiting this for an article. A Comic Novelist, who has split from his Japanese Girlfriend, begins a story about a sombrero which falls on the ground, and throws it away. Whilst he thinks about his love life, the story continues in the wastepaper backet.
XVII: Richard Brautigan, The Hawkline Monster: A Gothic Western (1974)
In 1903, two hitmen are hired to kill a monster who lives in a cave beneath a laboratory in the basement of a mansion. Weird shit happens. Recommended.
XVIII: Clifford D. Simak, Enchanted Pilgrimage (1976)
Duff fantasy - a Christian monk scholar goes in search of something and odd things happen.
XIX: Barry Malzberg, On a Planet Alien (1974)
Folsom captains a mission to Folsom's Planet and severely loses the plot, failing to persuade the aliens to join the federation. Reaction to stress or sophisticated alien defense mechanism? As always in Malzberg, space screws you up.
XX: Clifford D. Simak, Shakespeare's Planet (1977)
A space mission fails with one survivor, trapped on a planet where someone named Shakespeare has died. The protagonist is left talking to Shakespeare friend, Carnivore, and has found a book wherein Shakespeare warns him against Carnivore. Fortunately there's a star-tunnel out of there.
XXI: Clifford D. Simak, Catface (1978)
A bit of a rerun of Our Children's Children, in which the protagonist discovers an alien who can create tunnels back in time. A former girlfriend spies an opportunity to get rich, but they have to keep in control of the technology. The ending is a rabbit pulled out of the hat, but this is late Simak at his most charming.