The incredible novels of John M Ford

[nomadman]

Thought it might be worthwhile to get a discussion going on this somewhat under-read but brilliant author.

Ford, who passed away in 2006, is probably best known for his fantasy cum alternate history extravaganza The Dragon Waiting, which was recently published under the Fantasy Masterworks banner and is currently, I believe, one of the few Ford novels still in print, if not the only. He also wrote a Star Trek novel, The Final Reflection, which is still to this day considered by ST fans one of the most mature and realistic depictions of Klingon society ever set down, and a book which helped lay the groundwork for much of the subsequent development of Klingon culture in both the books and the TV series.

Ford was not an easy writer to read. His novels tended to be highly complex affairs, with multiple plot strands that only came together upon careful rereading. Like Wolfe, he didn't believe in laying things out for the reader. His works were never deliberately obscure, however; rather, much of the 'confusion' came from unfamiliarity with one's surroundings. Ford had no compunctions about dropping you deep into an invented world and letting you sink or swim, and such was the complexity of both the world and the characters who inhabited it that it could often be difficult to stay afloat. There was something deliciously challenging in attempting to do so, though, a little like I'd image a man from a hundred years ago feeling if he was to try to fathom out today's society, its assumptions, its everyday vocabulary, its cultural norms, and so on without explicitly asking about such.

A number of Ford's works took the form of the bildungsroman or coming-of-age story, though Ford was a singularly original writer and never settled into a particular groove. That made him a somewhat difficult writer to categorise. You never knew quite what you were going to get with a Ford novel; only that it would be a worthwhile and knotty affair. The Last Hot Time, Ford's last published novel, is a coming-of age tale set in the Borderlands universe, an alternate Jazz-era America where gangsters rub shoulders with elves and other creatures of myth. Growing Up Weightless is one of the most plausible depictions of what life on the Moon might really be like. It's an excellent work, and one of Ford's most accessible pieces, relatively speaking. The Princes of The Air is a more or less conventional space opera about three childhood friends (and inveterate conmen) and their rise to the top of their three very different career professions. This is quintessential Ford, IMO. It's high drama of the best sort, and not only one of Ford's best novels but one of the best novels of its type period.

How Much For Just the Planet? is a light-hearted Star Trek spoof (the second and last Star Trek novel he wrote) and something of a cult favorite in ST circles, though I didn't much care for it. Fugue State is a novella set in an authoritarian New York in which dissenters have their minds wiped. It's vaguely Dickish, and a highly intruiging premise ruined by events that will become clear to those who read it -- or if not ruined, then a bit of a missed opportunity. The tale it eventually turns into is perhaps even more intriguing, though unsatisfying and suited for a longer work.

I'm currently hunting out further Ford novels (one, The Scholars of the Night looks particularly intriguing, merging Cold War espionage with Shakespearean studies), at which point I'll return to this thread with further comments.

 

[Fried Egg]

It is good to hear someone talk about the works of John M Ford.

I've only read "The Dragon Waiting" and I did find it overly complex and hard work. So much so that I never finished it. Judging by what you say it would seem that this is typical of his work in general so I guess I had best avoid him in future...

 

[nomadman]

It is good to hear someone talk about the works of John M Ford.

I've only read "The Dragon Waiting" and I did find it overly complex and hard work. So much so that I never finished it. Judging by what you say it would seem that this is typical of his work in general so I guess I had best avoid him in future...

I wouldn't condemn him so fast as that. Ford's works are never easy, like I said, but they're all varied enough that not liking one doesn't necessarily mean you won't like or even love another. One of the problem with people's first exposure to Ford I think is that his most well known and widely available work is not necessarily his most accessible one. In addition to the usual degree of concentration and persistence required, it also assumes quite a lot of prior historical knowledge on the part of the reader, some of which might be a bit obscure.

If you're a Trekkie, try picking up The Final Reflection. It's both accessible and relatively easy to find online. The Last Hot Time is also recommended.

 

[Fried Egg]

I'm not a trekkie but would certainly consider another of his novels/stories if a suitable recommendation were made. Although I did find "The Dragon Waiting" very hard work, often I feel that it is just a matter of reading such novels at the right time (i.e. when I have enough mental energy to deal with it which, it has to be said, isn't very often).

 

[nomadman]

I'm not a trekkie but would certainly consider another of his novels/stories if a suitable recommendation were made. Although I did find "The Dragon Waiting" very hard work, often I feel that it is just a matter of reading such novels at the right time (i.e. when I have enough mental energy to deal with it which, it has to be said, isn't very often).

I'd definitely recommend The Final Reflection then. It's short, well-paced, complex without being confusing, and the relative familiarity of the universe it's in takes away a little of the mental legwork needed to orient yourself while allowing Ford to refer to things/people/events outside the immediate bounds of the tale for greater richness and depth.

The Princes of the Air is also recommended, though it's quite hard going in places and phenomenally complex in structure. It's also just plain fun to read, and quite moving in parts. Images and events from the novel still move through my head over two months after I finished it, and certain scenes are sufficiently intriguing that they beg to be reread and resolved.

 

[nomadman]

Just finished another Ford "novel" Casting Fortune.

It's a collection of two short stories and a novella set in the shared world of Liavek, a sort of Lankhmarian city state filled with magic, weird cults and the like. I'd previously read a few other stories set in this universe, including a short story by Gene Wolfe, but none of them compare to this. As with other works set in a shared world, Ford takes the setting and makes it entirely his own. Ford was incapable of dialling it in, and there is a huge richness and complexity here above and beyond what you would expect of such a work. That he didn't write further stories in this universe is a huge (though, I suspect, largely unacknowledged) shame.

The first piece, A Cup of Worrynot Tea, is a tricksy little coming of age story involving a pair of childhood friends, an immortal wizard and a conspiracy to topple the Liavekan government. Though short, it's a satisfying and intelligent story, filled with emotion.

Green is the Color is a longer and relatively more straightforward tale, sort of a murder mystery cum fantasy crime thriller. A number of prominent wizards are being bumped off around the city, and it is up to the resident chief of police, Jemuel, to solve the crime and bring the killer to justice. Though the culprit is more or less figured out by the halfway stage, the reason for their killings and the very nature of the killer don't become apparent till relatively late on. Much of the mystery is maintained by the descriptions of the murders themselves, each of which seems to take the form of something intensely personal to the victim themselves, but which always involves the color green.

The Illusionist is the longest work in the book. A prominent playwright is staging a new play, and he's looking for four new actors to play the roles. At the same time, something about the playwright's past has attracted the attention of Jemuel, the chief of police (a recurring character in the stories). Might he have been involved in a grotesque crime? Might he be about to commit another, live on stage?

This is a story which I'll probably go back and re-read at some point. There were a number of elements I didn't entirely understand, and a couple of scenes whose significance to the main plot I didn't grasp, if indeed I was meant to grasp them at all. There's loads to love about it though. The camaraderie between the actors and their tyrannical director as well as the small glimpses we get of their private lives felt passionate and real. The catty, razor-wire tensions of life in the theater are brilliantly evoked; Ford must have had some experience in the theatrical profession, and if not then he's a genius. The play itself, a comedy, literally made me laugh out loud. The ending felt wonderfully warm and complete, despite the somewhat hazy motives of the main culprits. Ford was an individual who felt things deeper and more passionately than most, and that can't help but imprint itself on his work, and by that feed into and enrich your own soul.

A first-rate book.

 

[Randy M.]

John M. Ford novels to be reissued

Excuse me for resurrecting an old thread, but I came across this mentioned on GoodReads and suspected there might be someone here interested.

I've only read a couple of his short stories, have favorable memories of same, and probably should look into reading more by him.


Randy M.

 

[svalbard]

This is really strange. I have just ordered The Dragon Waiting from Amazon after reading a Neil Gaimen article today talking about Ford.

 

[BAYLOR]

I wouldn't condemn him so fast as that. Ford's works are never easy, like I said, but they're all varied enough that not liking one doesn't necessarily mean you won't like or even love another. One of the problem with people's first exposure to Ford I think is that his most well known and widely available work is not necessarily his most accessible one. In addition to the usual degree of concentration and persistence required, it also assumes quite a lot of prior historical knowledge on the part of the reader, some of which might be a bit obscure.

If you're a Trekkie, try picking up The Final Reflection. It's both accessible and relatively easy to find online. The Last Hot Time is also recommended.

I read The Final Reflection many years ago . It was and still is by far , one the best best Star Trek novel ever written.

 

[Vince W]

I've read a lot of Ford's writing either in novels or his gaming supplements. Almost every notion of Klingons I have originate from him.