The SF Masterworks Request Thread

[j d worthington]

The 'Maguffin' existed on a narrative level though, a great visual artist he was

Agreed. But the films would have been better without that sort of false manipulation as a whole... as art in toto. That was my point. As far as Hitch's eye (composition, etc.) he was indeed; and even my complaint there is, as you'll note, causing something just less than a perfect score... that's all....

 

[iansales]

Hitch was much more interested in entertaining than in doing so. That's what I meant by that.

One last comment on this subject That's why I rate Hitch so highly - he was the most consistently entertaining director.

But back to Masterworks... does anyone know why Leigh Brackett's Sea-Kings of Mars is a Fantasy Masterwork? Surely it should be a SF Masterwork.

 

[j d worthington]

One last comment on this subject That's why I rate Hitch so highly - he was the most consistently entertaining director.

But back to Masterworks... does anyone know why Leigh Brackett's Sea-Kings of Mars is a Fantasy Masterwork? Surely it should be a SF Masterwork.

That it should. I suppose because it's more in the ERB-sort of thing ... at least, that's the only answer I can give. More leaning toward the fantastic than strict sf... but that would apply to a lot of things in the SF Masterworks, if that were the case, wouldn't it?

 

[iansales]

Brackett's stories are definitely planetary romance, or sword & planet, which is generally considered a branch of sf (albeit from the more fantastical end of the genre). Mind you, Ken Grimwood's Replay is also a Fantasy Masterwork, not SF...

 

[j d worthington]

Brackett's stories are definitely planetary romance, or sword & planet, which is generally considered a branch of sf (albeit from the more fantastical end of the genre). Mind you, Ken Grimwood's Replay is also a Fantasy Masterwork, not SF...

Get the feeling there's some mighty arbitrary division going on here? Yes, I know Brackett's work... it's one of the reasons she did such a great job as co-writer for The Empire Strikes Back; she knew the field -- and especially that branch of it -- very well (as did her husband, Ed Hamilton). Wonderful stories she wrote. High time for a revival....

 

[iansales]

You might argue that inclusion in the Fantasy Masterworks series is a sort of mini-revival... Having said that, sword & planet seems to be coming back into vogue - Chris Roberson's, Paragaea, Karl Schroeder's Sun of Suns, SM Stirling's The Sky People... There's even an article on the sub-genre in this month's IROSF. Not to mention the upcoming A Princess of Mars film. (You'd be surprised how much Hollywood drives tastes in the genre...)

 

[j d worthington]

You might argue that inclusion in the Fantasy Masterworks series is a sort of mini-revival... Having said that, sword & planet seems to be coming back into vogue - Chris Roberson's, Paragaea, Karl Schroeder's Sun of Suns, SM Stirling's The Sky People... There's even an article on the sub-genre in this month's IROSF. Not to mention the upcoming A Princess of Mars film. (You'd be surprised how much Hollywood drives tastes in the genre...)

Thanks for the link. And, no, unfortunately, I wouldn't. After all, that's been the case for a very long time, save with a certain number of writers/readers who continue to explore new realms, or re-invent old ones so that they barely resemble their ancestors. But it is sometimes depressing, when it's the "bubble-gum" sf that is produced as a result. I mean, do we really need the sf verion of the Bay City Rollers here...?

(To be clear: this is not directed at the writers mentioned; but at the general trend of letting Hollywood(!) direct the course of literature of any kind.....)

 

[iansales]

It's not just the so-called "wookie" books. Even respectable sf authors have seen their sales and reputations benefit from Hollywood interference. Dune may be a classic, but would it still be in print 40 years after it had first been published if Lynch hadn't made his film version? Norman Spinrad claims a pair of Hollywood producers spent a lot of money promoting William Gibson and Neuromancer in order to get a green light for a film adaptation. They ended up making The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai across the Eighth Dimension instead...

 

[j d worthington]

On Dune... quite possibly. Look at the number of SF books that had that sort of hardcore following that have remained in print for decades, from I, Robot, to Heinlein's Starship Troopers and Stranger in a Strange Land, to Childhood's End; and Dune certainly caught the temper of the times, with its blending of science, mysticism, and elements of Middle-Eastern culture blended with European feudalism. So I'd say it would almost certainly still be in print. That, plus the fact that the later volumes were all best sellers, which got people to going back to reading the earlier books, especially the original.... And Children of Dune and God-Emperor were before Lynch did his film....

 

[iansales]

I don't think Childhood's End is still in print. The two Heinleins are, although you won't find copies in your typical UK high street chain book shop (Dune, however, you will).

Granted the later Dune books were all best-sellers. But so were the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant - and they haven't been republished since the mid-1990s... despite the recent addition to the series.

 

[j d worthington]

Childhood's End is still in print here, at least; a trade pb through Random House. And my point about the later Dune books was that, by being best-sellers, they got people to go back and look at the original, simply adding to the level of interest in it. So I'd say there's a lot to support the idea it would still be in print even had a film not been made of it; as genre fiction tends to have many things that stay in print for decades, without the least input by Hollywood.

(This is not to deny that films do sometimes help; but for Hollywood to set trends in literature is seldom a good thing, as it often leads to the debasing of literature into, as I said, "bubble-gum", throwaway reading matter, instead of something that is of higher quality -- which also does not imply not entertaining; high-quality writing can be entertaining, but it offers more than just entertainment.)

(Lord, I hate having to add so many qualifiers to my sentences just to get the point across....! )

 

[The Wanderer]

(This is not to deny that films do sometimes help; but for Hollywood to set trends in literature is seldom a good thing, as it often leads to the debasing of literature into, as I said, "bubble-gum", throwaway reading matter, instead of something that is of higher quality -- which also does not imply not entertaining; high-quality writing can be entertaining, but it offers more than just entertainment.)

A Man After My Own Heart - Thumbs Up

 

[j d worthington]

A Man After My Own Heart - Thumbs Up

LOL! (I sometimes think I was given some of the genetic makeup of a bulldog with lockjaw.... )

 

[The Wanderer]

The Empire Strikes Back; she knew the field -- and especially that branch of it -- very well (as did her husband, Ed Hamilton). Wonderful stories she wrote. High time for a revival....

She Brought alot of what I would describe as an eligaic Romance to the story and Kirshner Pulled it out wonderfully, shame the writing in the post 'Empire...' Star Wars films lacked that magic quality

Good JOb it was Kirshner and not lucas directing that film or he wouldn't have brought out the qualities, I really need to get into Brackett though, more...

 

[j d worthington]

She Brought alot of what I would describe as an eligaic Romance to the story and Kirshner Pulled it out wonderfully, shame the writing in the post 'Empire...' Star Wars films lacked that magic quality

I'd say I'd agree with that... Each of the films since has had some very good aspects, but the general structure and storyline (as well as general writing) have just been atrocious... Jedi I can only stand about half of... but that half is scattered throughout the film! The rest makes me want to put my foot through the monitor, and darned near did make me walk out on a first viewing, and things have only got worse since....

 

[iansales]

Childhood's End is still in print here, at least; a trade pb through Random House. And my point about the later Dune books was that, by being best-sellers, they got people to go back and look at the original, simply adding to the level of interest in it. So I'd say there's a lot to support the idea it would still be in print even had a film not been made of it; as genre fiction tends to have many things that stay in print for decades, without the least input by Hollywood.

(This is not to deny that films do sometimes help; but for Hollywood to set trends in literature is seldom a good thing, as it often leads to the debasing of literature into, as I said, "bubble-gum", throwaway reading matter, instead of something that is of higher quality -- which also does not imply not entertaining; high-quality writing can be entertaining, but it offers more than just entertainment.)

(Lord, I hate having to add so many qualifiers to my sentences just to get the point across....! )

I don't know anyone that read one of the sequels to Dune first, then went back to the original But I take your point that their presence ensured that the first book in the series stayed in print. (Having said that, it's no longer necessarily true: a friend of mine has had a fantasy trilogy published - when the third book came out, the first was out of print...)

 

[wrave]

I've been reading your lists and picked up a copy of "Norstrilia" at the library the other day. I had heard of C. Smith but never read him except for maybe a short story that was included in an anthology. Thank you all! It's a great read. And thank you for getting me back into my local library!

I am not sure I'll ever need another posting off of these forums. (OK, I will since I enjoy the discussions so much!) And, I do tend to have favorites, opinions and other comments I just cannot seem to keep to myself, so maybe it'd be best if I didn't clutter up my favorite thread with this kind of stuff.

You have provided a wonderful resource for my reading material now. Thanks to all.

 

[HardScienceFan]

I would like to see in this Series, which will inevitably be littered with Typo's to varying degrees in certain releases a'la Victor Gollancz style, nevertheless, I would like to see

ny other suggestions?

UHHMM
Reefs of Space Pohl and Williamson
Wolfbane Pohl and Kornbluth
the Space Merchants ditto
Timeliner Charles Eric Maine
Thorns Robert Silverberg
To Open the Sky ditto(this one is extremely hard to find,by the way)
perhaps
the Man Who Japed ?

 

[Ian Whates]

UHHMM
the Space Merchants ditto

Already in there -- #57, but good choices in any case.

 

[HardScienceFan]

Wilson Tucker The Lincoln Hunters
Ward Moore Bring the Jubilee
Edgar Pangborn Davy
Arthur Selling Telepath
James Schmitz the Witches of Karres
Jack Vance To live forever
Leigh Brackett the Long TomorrowC L Moore Doomsday Morning
Kenneth Bulmer The Electric Sword Swallowers *just kidding*
Poul Anderson Guardians of time
Phillip K Dick The Penultimate Truth
Simak Time and Again,City
I have all of the above,except ***sigh***The Witches,Awful hard to get,that one