Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
OtherRealms Issue 23 Part 09
Electronic OtherRealms #23
Winter, 1989
Part 9
Copyright 1989 by Chuq Von Rospach
All Rights Reserved.
OtherRealms may not be reproduced without written
permission from Chuq Von Rospach. The electronic
edition may be distributed only if the return address,
copyrights and author credits remain intact.
No article may be reprinted or re-used in any way
without the permission of the author.
All rights to material published in OtherRealms
hereby revert to the original author.
Words of Wizdom
Chuq Von Rospach
Copyright 1989 by Chuq Von Rospach
It's strange how things work sometimes. While I was working on
Reviewing the Reviewers (elsewhere this issue), a couple of people
dropped me mail on the networks complaining that I've been giving too
high a rating to books that were merely entertainment. Merely is their
word, and the one word both messages had in common, by the way. And at
Worldcon, I was on a panel with David Hartwell. On the panel, he said
something that still has me dumbfounded.
He claimed, with all seriousness, that publishing shouldn't be putting
out all these new books every month. He proposed, instead, that
publishers should put "the classics" back in print and only publish
those few books each year that would join the ranks of the classics and
have appropriate literary merit. He also opined, much to my amusement,
that OtherRealms was wrong for emphasizing reviewing instead of
literary criticism like the New York Review of Science Fiction (which
he is involved in).
I spent most of that panel somewhere between dumbfounded and amused--
primarily trying to not giggle out loud at him. The problems his
viewpoint brings up are so immense I can't see how someone as well
respected in the industry can miss them.
He's built a Ghetto. He has declared that literary science fiction is
the only important science fiction, and therefore the only fiction
worth publishing. This argument sounds suspiciously like the arguments
the mainstream literati toss at all of science fiction, if you think
about it. Ghettoes within ghettos.
The problems with his approach are numerous. One obvious problem is
that classic works are rarely declared by foresight. Shakespeare, to
name just one writer, was a popular writer of his times and disliked by
the literati of his day. The same with Dickens. Under Hartwell's plan,
we'd have neither today. Who would we have? The writers the literati
at that time, for the most part, have melted into the dust.
Great writing is not promoted, it survives the times and proves its
worth. Trying to pre-define the term 'classic' and only publishing
what fits your view of that term is nothing more than literary
censorship. It's an attempt to coerce the readers into reading what you
want them to, nothing more.
Another problem with his beliefs comes from publishing only those works
"of literary worth." It makes an implicit assumption that great written
works spring forth from the brow of great writers, or some such, and
that these writers either don't need time to develop their skills or
shouldn't get paid for it. Until you actually do write that classic,
you're on your own. How many writers are going to practice for ten or
twenty years hoping that someday they'll sell that one, classic book?
Finally, to what I think is the crux of the matter. Entertainment.
Hartwell wants all of us to read important books about important
things. Unfortunately (for him) these important writers (the Lem's, the
Ballard's, the Wolfe's, et al) don't sell nearly as well as the 'trash'
writers like Asimov and Anthony. The thinking of the literati is clear
here--get rid of the trash, and those readers will read the writer's we
think ought to be read.
In reality, get rid of the 'trash' writers, and lots of people will
stop reading. The literati do not wish to admit that there are many of
us--and I place myself firmly in this category--who read because we
enjoy it, because we like being entertained, because it's fun.
The literati would like us to read what they want us to read. Me, I'd
rather read what I want to read, and help people find what they'll
enjoy reading. Literary criticism? I'll leave it to someone else. I'm
too busy enjoying myself to worry about whether my tie is crooked.
So let's let our hair down and look at some Good Stuff. Literati need
not apply. It may be mind candy, but it won't cause cavities.
Spirits of Cavern and Hearth [***]
M. Coleman Easton
St. Martin's Press, 288pp, $16.95
Spirits of Cavern and Hearth (featured this month with a Behind the
Scenes article) is Easton's first hardcover. It's an interesting
Fantasy about two cultures in conflict. More than that, though, it's a
look at the people in the middle of the conflict.
People are Easton's strength, and he creates a number of fascinating
ones here--Yarkol Dolmi, kicked out of his tribe after an illness that
leaves him soul- stricken; the Kag, leader of the other tribe, also
soul-stricken, but in his culture, this is seen as a sign from the Gods
that this person is to lead; Takijaly, the Kag's shaman, who tries to
moderate the Kag's zealous lack of caution while guiding him to the
clan's future.
The land they populate, however, is not as vivid. After finishing the
book, I realized that while the characters were distinct and
interesting, I couldn't remember much about the world itself--as though
the the carefully-crafted characters were placed down upon a world
painted in weak watercolors. The plot of the book is fairly
standard--Yarkol, alone and cast out by his clan, single- handedly
tries to create peace between his clan and the Kag while coming to
grips with his illness. The Kag, God-touched, is leading his people to
their destiny, while ignoring the hazards on the path he's chosen; the
Shaman trying to keep everything from blowing up in their faces,
willing to do anything or use anyone to protect his people.
The characterization keeps this from falling into stereotypes, but the
plot is predictable and readers of Fantasy won't find much in the way
of unusual concepts or unexpected twists. It's a good, enjoyable,
entertaining Fantasy.
Angry Candy [****]
Harlan Ellison
Houghton Mifflin, 324pp, $18.95, 0-395-48307-7
Angry Candy is Harlan Ellison's first new collection in years. It
includes a wide range of pieces from sources and diverse as Galaxy and
Omni to Gallery and Shayol. The works collected were published between
1980 and 1986, except for "The Region Between," which originally came
out in 1969.
Ellison is one of those authors you either love or hate. This volume
won't change your mind--people who read Ellison will find a volume of
well written, emotionally powerful stories that will keep you up late
into the night; people who don't like Ellison will find another
collection of stories that reinforce why they don't like him.
Ellison challenges the reader, forcing them to join him in the story
and making them react along with the characters. He's a master of the
English language, and Angry Candy shows what you can do with words when
you're completely in control of them. This is another strong collection
of fiction, and if you're looking for good fiction, Angry Candy is
highly recommended.
Pulphouse: The Hardback Magazine, Issue 1 [***+]
Pulphouse Publishing, 267pp, $17.95, no ISBN
Pulphouse is a new twist on an old concept--the
magazine-published-as-book. In this case, the people from Pulphouse
Press (Dean Wesley Smith and Kristine Kathryn Rush) are putting
together a limited edition (1,000 copy) hardcover magazine. The first
issue is a horror issue and includes stories by many of the big names
of the field: Ed Bryant, Kate Wilhelm, Ron Goulart, Harlan Ellison,
Jack Williamson, Michael Bishop and many others.
Taken as an original anthology series, which is what it really is, it's
a strong, successful debut. Pulphouse is full of well written,
innovative and occasionally experimental fiction. The fiction is housed
in a beautifully designed and produced hardcover book--nice enough to
use as a gift for someone special, or to keep in a prominent place in
your shelves. Pulphouse has no ISBN, and is a specialty item, so you're
going to have to find it through a specialty story or directly from the
Publisher (Pulphouse Publishing is at Box 1227, Eugene, OR 97440). It's
more than worth the hassle, and if future editions hold out the promise
this volume shows (the list of authors that have sold to Pulphouse
makes me think it will) you're going to want to put this series on your
buy list as long as they decide to publish it.
The Dragon Never Sleeps [****]
Glen Cook
Questar, 422pp, $3.95, 0-445-20349-8.
One of the things I do to keep from falling into reading ruts is to make
every fifth book I pick up something by someone I've never read before.
Sometimes I run into pure schlock. Occasionally, however, you run into
something really good, which makes all the bad books more than worth it.
The Dragon Never Sleeps, by Glen Cook, is one of those books. It's
Space Opera on a grand scale. While it isn't Cook's first novel, it's
the first time I've run into him, and after reading it I'm sorry I
didn't try him sooner.
Canon space is the part of the galaxy populated by humans. It is
maintained and controlled by the Guardships--huge interstellar ships
that travel from system to system, cleaning up trouble and protecting
Canon space both from outsiders and from itself. The Guardships, even
though they're the protectors of Canon space, are completely separate
from the culture and are generally feared (with reason).
What Cook does here is take about half a dozen major plotlines and many
different points of view and weave a complex tapestry that will almost
make you want to take notes to keep it all straight. Cook does keep it
straight, and without a stumble, ties it all together into a single,
massive crisis and the following society- changing climax.
Reading The Dragon Never Sleeps was a real joy. I could only think that
it was the kind of story Doc Smith would be writing if he were around
today. It is very much cut from the classic Space Opera cloth, but is a
modern, well-written story that will please any reader of Science
Fiction. Highly recommended.
Alternities [***+]
Michael P. Kube-McDowell
Ace, 383pp, October, 1988, $3.95,0-441-01774-6
Another new author for me is Michael P. Kube-McDowell. His new book,
Alternities, takes the standard SF theme of alternate universes and
puts a new twist on it. If you take a number of discrete, unique
alternities and set up a controlled access path between them, the
alternity that discovers and controls the path has a strong advantage
over both its enemies and the other Alternities.
The prime alternity is a United States turned isolationist after the
fatal plane crash of Dwight Eisenhower. As a result, The Soviet Union
controls most of the world. The current President has had enough of
this, and plans to use alternity- based technology to beat the
Communists back.
Taking out the SF elements, this book is a suspense novel, as the
President and the Russians go nose to nose waiting for one or the other
to blink. There are a number of sub-plots on the various alternities.
The primary belongs to Rayne Wallace, a runner between alternities. His
home-life not working, he gets involved with a woman on another
alternity that he left behind before, looking to go back and undo his
past mistakes in another reality. The after-affects of his actions come
back to bring the home alternity down around the ears of the President
at the climax of the book.
Alternities is a really strong, powerful, well-written book, and
definitely worth reading. Highly recommended.
Cities of the Dead [***+]
Michael Paine
Charter Horror, October, 1988, 246pp, $3.50, 1-55773-009-1
My third new writer this issue is Michael Paine. His first novel,
Cities of the Dead, is a horror novel set in early 1900's Egypt. It's
reminiscent of Song of Kali, in that the horror is not supernatural but
built up from the situation and society. Howard Carter is an
antiquities expert from England, formerly of the Antiquities department
and now 'freelancing' as a guide and middleman.
A market has turned up in mummies. Nobody can figure out where they're
coming from, but Carter starts looking for the source. What he finds,
and the vividness that Carter displays the time period in, create a
book that generates no sudden chills or horrors, but builds to a
strong, satisfying climax.
Deep Quarry [***]
John E. Stith
Ace, February, 1989, 140pp, $3.50, 0-441-14276-1
My final 'discovery' this time is John E. Stith. His latest is Deep
Quarry, a mystery set in a science fiction domain. Ben Takent is a
private investigator on the planet Tankur, which is about as close to
Hell as any person might want to come. During the day, it's broiling.
Since the sun never sets, night's not an issue. He's hired by Kate
Dunlet, who's heading up an archaeological dig of some alien relics in
the area. Someone seems to be spiriting away the relics from the dig
and selling them on the antiquities market (shades of 1900's Egypt).
Takent's job is to find out who is doing it and how they're getting the
material through the security system.
So far, this sounds like pretty standard mystery fare, and it is. But
Takent is more than just a detective, he's a problem solver, and when
some things at the dig don't add up, he starts worrying them like a dog
on a bone. So when the problem of the relic is solved, things start
getting really interesting. By the time he's done, Stith has woven in
a number of complex mysteries including an alien culture so embarrassed
by its past that it has hidden it completely to the rest of the
universe, a massive locked box that needs to be opened (from the
inside), a number of skeleton's in the closet, and 10 million murders
(give or take a few) to tie up.
This was an enjoyable book to read. There aren't a lot of original
concepts or exceptionally inspired writing, but it's a strong,
interesting, satisfying mix of comfortable themes from two genre's that
rarely seem to mix this happily. This book should meet the approval of
both mystery and SF readers, and be a good choice to help introduce
readers of one genre to the other.
House of Shards [***+]
Williams, Walter Jon
Tor, 309pp, December, 1988, $3.95, 0-812-55783-2
Even more enjoyable is Walter Jon Williams' House of Shards. This is
the second adventure of Drake Majistral, Allowed Burglar, and in this
episode everyone who is anyone in the Diadem is at Silverside Station,
a new upper-upper crust resort for the coming-out party of the new heir
to the throne. Coming along with them looking for interesting things to
borrow are Majistral and heavy rival, Geoff fu George.
Having two Allowed Burglars on board is enough to send the station
staff into apoplexy. An Allowed Burglar is a licensed thief--rated on
both what they steal and how they steal it. A heavily regulated
industry, if they still possess it after the second midnight, they get
to keep it. If they get caught, they go to jail. Good Allowed Burglars,
obviously, don't get caught. The Burglars steal everything on
tape--not only to qualify for the style points and prove their
ownership, but because Burglaries are highly-watched sports on the
media and sell for high prices.
The goal at Silverside is pretty simple--to steal the Shard, the
primary Jewel of the Throne, to make sure the other Burglar doesn't
steal it first and to hold onto it long enough to legally own it and
not end up in jail for the rest of their lives. All while being in a
classic locked room environment while everybody, including a highly
paranoid security chief and his sophisticated alarm systems, is
watching you. And remember, once you do steal it, they know you have
it, so you have to keep them from finding any proof that you have it
until after the deadline.
Williams does a wonderful job of setting this all up. At the same time,
the book is a spoof of high society (among other things, the members of
the Diadem literally give each other fingers and delicately sniff each
other's earlobes in greeting). His tongue is stuck so far into his
cheek that one stumble would cause him to bite it off, but that never
happens. You find yourself simultaneously giggling over the almost
surrealistic situations he puts together and admiring the skill that he
uses in building the Burglaries--while the book is a lot of fun, he
doesn't use that as an excuse to get sloppy in his detail-work, and
this is what makes the book really work for me. Throughout the book I
kept envisioning Roger Moore doing a remake of the movie The Pink Panther.
The only weak spot is Mr. Sun, the head of security. He is so
officiously snotty and stupid that he rapidly turns into a poorly
defined stereotype of everything we hate about people in power.
Williams overdid this character to the point where attempting to play
off of him falls flat--he's cardboard, nothing but a strawman
conveniently places to look stupid, and the places where he's being
used in the book are by far the least successful. If Williams had put a
little more life and complexity into Sun the book could have been even
better. As it is, the Burglars defeat Sun trivially, and there's never
even a question as to whether the character's in the game or not.
Overall, however, a great romp and a good escapist read with a lot of staying
power. Majistral's definitely turning into one of my favorite characters.
Liavek: Spells of Binding [***+]
Will Shetterly & Emma Bull
Ace, 245pp November, 1988, $3.50, 0-441-48191-4
What can I say about Liavek: Spells of Binding? Not much, except that
it continues what I think is the best Shared World Anthology series
being published. If you like the Shared World environment, the Liavek
series is definitely the one to read. This installment has some very
strong stories, including Kara Dalkey's "Portrait of Vengeance," John
M. Ford's "Riding the Hammer" and Patricia Wrede's "Mad God" (my
personal favorite). There really isn't a clinker in the bunch, and this
is a series that I hope goes on for a long time.
Invitation to Camelot [***]
Parke Godwin,ed.
Ace, 258pp, March, 1988, $3.50, 0-441-37200-7.
Arthurian Fantasy is one of the stalwarts of the fantasy genre. Every
author, it seems, writes about the ageless king at one time or another
in their career, and the readers of the variations of the myth are
legion. One of the top Arthurian authors is Parke Godwin--who better,
then, to edit an anthology of Arthurian fiction?
Who indeed. Godwin does a fine job with Invitation to Camelot,
including stories by Jane Yolen, Morgan Llywelyn, Tanith Lee, Susan
Shwartz, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro and Godwin himself. The variations on the
myth seem infinite, and one of the attractions of this book is the
enjoyment of the different interpretations of Arthur and his people. If
you enjoy Arthur, this is a must read. If you're just starting to
explore this area of our literary heritage, this is a wonderful first
stop, because it will let you sample many of the best authors in the
sub-genre and help you decide where to travel next.
King Arthur [****+]
Norma Lorre Goodrich
Lawrence Watts, 386pp, 1986, $21.95, 0-531-09701-3
Merlin [****+]
Norma Lorre Goodrich
Lawrence Watts, 386pp, 1987, $24.95, 0-531-15060-7
Norma Lorre Goodrich is generally considered the premiere Arthurian
historian in the United States, with good reason. Her book King Arthur
takes a close look at the historical and archaeological evidence behind
the Mythic figure to see what lays beyond. The journey is fascinating.
Her careful re-examination and re-translation of the works in question
brings a new light to the old myths. One of the suppositions made in
this book later bore fruit when archaeological digs on the Isle of Man
turned up artifacts from the Arthurian age.
In Merlin, she turns her attention to the mystical figure of the
enchanter who stood beside the King in fact and fantasy. This book is
important in a number of ways: the historical research into the various
myths that went into the person that is now called Merlin; the
archaeological research into the locations that these characters, and
most especially a new translation of a long ignored historical poem,
The Prophecy of Merlin.
These are serious academic works and not easy reading. For someone
serious about Arthurian times or considering using them in their
writing, they're critical, fascinating resources.
Short Takes
A few quickies before we go. I want to mention New Destinies Vol. 6
(Baen Paperback). It's a special Heinlein memorial issue, and all
R.A.H. fans should grab a copy. And I want to second Laurie's
recommendations on Melanie Rawn's The Dragon Prince (DAW) and on
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's Crusader's Torch. I'm as enthusiastic about
these books as she is. Rawn is a new talent that's going to really set
the Fantasy world on fire, and Yarbro comes through again with another
wonderful historical horror.
I almost completely agree with her on The Dragonbone Chair by Tad
Williams (DAW). It's a wonderful first book in a series that looks like
it's going to be an epic the size and complexity of Lord of tthe Rings.
My only complaints are that it starts off rather slow due to the sheer
volume of material he needs to introduce, and it stops at a convenient
stopping point rather than an ending point. Definitely the first book
of a multi-book story (as is LotR) rather than the first book of a
series. I give it [****] and can't wait for the next one.
A major disappointment for me was Gene Wolfe's There Are Doors (Tor Hardcover).
I really love Wolfe's work, but I tried twice and neither time got past
about page 50. Nothing made sense, and nothing pulled me into the work.
I can't rate it as a bad book as much as a book that made me want to
not read it. It reminded me a lot of Free, Live Free, which fought me
every step of the way, which I wasn't sure if I really liked, but which
haunted me long after I put it down- -except that in this case I really
didn't like it and it didn't make me finish it like FLF did.
Arthur Saha's The Year's Best Fantasy #14 (DAW, $3.50, 0-88677-307-5)
is like all the "year's best" collections--something to argue over with
friends and use to collect the good fiction from the magazines. I
wasn't overly impressed with the stories this time--but I think it was
a weak year for short fantasy anyway. The only story I actively
disliked was Bruce Sterling's "The Little Magic Shop" which was a
pedestrian, mean-spirited story that covers all too familiar ground all
too familiarly. Give it a [***-] and see for yourself if there's enough
in it to be worth grabbing.
Finally, Carroll&Graf have supplemented their wonderful Science
Fiction: The 100 Best Books with sister volumes about Fantasy and
Horror. Fantasy: the 100 Best Books by James Cawthorn (with Michael
Moorcock's name on the cover because he thought of it) ($15.95,
0-88184-335-0) carries on the tradition of defining the best of the
field and giving everyone a good place for their arguments to start. If
you define the quality of the book by the percentage of books you agree
with, Fantasy succeeds. The normal kibbitzes occur: is Frankenstein SF,
Fantasy or Horror? Including The Trial, the Castle and Moby Dick are
sure to give the literati heartburn ("it's not Fantasy! It's
Literchure!"). All in all, a good reference piece. Give it a [****].
Horror: the 100 Best Books ($15.95, 0-88184-417-9), edited by Stephen
Jones and Kim Newman is another story. Rather than follow the format
laid out by the other two books, they polled a number of top horror
(and other) writers and asked them all to write essays about their
favorite works. When the inevitable logjams occurred, some writers were
asked to write essays about other works, just so they ended up with 100
authors doing 100 essays. If this sounds chaotic, it is-- and the book
shows it. There's a sense of the "too many cooks" syndrome here, rather
than a single informed voice. Horror: the 100 Best Books didn't impress
me like the others did, and I find it hard to recommend it. Rating: [**]
Until next time!
