(Probably Found) Sci-fi Short story - pills that make people see reality in style of famous painters.

[JamieScotland]

I read a short story in a sci-fi anthology once, where people took to taking pills to see the world in the styles of famous painters - Van Gogh, or Cezanne. As the story went on, people started taking more extreme versions like Cubism that completely deranged their perception.

At the end of the story the protagonist was looking for a pill that would take him back to normal.

Does anyone know it?

 

[Mad Alice]

The only one I can think of that's even close is "The Coming of Vertumnus", by Ian Watson.

 

[hitmouse]

Perceptiverse, or somethimg like that.

It is a ss in a “ Best SF of the year“ anthology from the 1990 s I think. The book is lost somewhere in my bookcases.

 

[hitmouse]

Found it:
A Short Course in Art Appreciation by Paul di Filippo. F&SF May 1988.

I have it in The Orbit Science Fiction Yearbook 2. Pub1989.

 

[P.J. Greystoke]

I read a short story in a sci-fi anthology once, where people took to taking pills to see the world in the styles of famous painters - Van Gogh, or Cezanne. As the story went on, people started taking more extreme versions like Cubism that completely deranged their perception.

At the end of the story the protagonist was looking for a pill that would take him back to normal.

Does anyone know it?

That sounds like an amazing film.

 

[Don]

Found it:
A Short Course in Art Appreciation by Paul di Filippo. F&SF May 1988.

I have it in The Orbit Science Fiction Yearbook 2. Pub1989.

It's also published in F&SF and other collections.

Title: A Short Course in Art Appreciation

www.isfdb.org

 

[hitmouse]

@mods: can you mark this as Found?

op has not returned but not much doubt we have this one.

 

[The Judge]

It's only been a fortnight, so it's a bit early to write off his reappearance to confirm if it is indeed the right one, and we don't like to add "Found" until we have that confirmation. But I'll mark it "Probably Found" so the compulsive re-readers of "unfound" threads can avoid it and as and when he returns we can make the appropriate adjustment!