Archives
|
Tuesday
Ellison short stories and older space stories
I read Harlan Ellison's "Repent Harlequin!" Said the Ticktock Man (1965) and I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream (1967) last week from the 1992 "Super Hugos" in which voters chose them as two of the best SF short stories of all-time. I really liked the idea behind the anti-authoritarian/anti-meaningless life 'Harlequin', but I did not think it was that interesting or outstanding. There must be a half-dozen Bradbury stories alone that I like better. 'I have no mouth' was a much better story, and ironically a singularity/artificial intelligence story that is right out of the new stories of Stross & Vinge, but I still can't think of it as one of the best I've ever read. I'll check out his other most-revered story Jeffty is Five shortly.
On the other hand, I read Bester's short novel, The Stars My Destination (1956), and Cordwainer Smith's novelette Scanners Live in Vain (1950) and both were tremendous. Both took pre-Mercury concepts of space and the nature of the future and explored them with outstandinging stories.
I've started reading Heinlein's Starship Troopers and will pick up The Moon is a Harsh Mistress as I work my way through some SF I've gotta read if I expect to have some idea what I'm talking about.
|
What I'm Reading:
 
 
Listening To:
 
Recent Favorite:
E-mail the editor:
mikeray at
gmail dot com
|
