Monday 3 July 2017

The White College

I thought of a possible reference to Poul Anderson in James Blish's Black Easter. When the white magicians convene, most of their surnames are familiar, at least to sf readers of that period. However, they do not include an Anderson. The names are:

Domenico;
Umberto;
Bonfiglioli;
Uccello;
Monteith;
Boucher;
Vance;
Anson;
Selahny;
Rosenblum;
Atheling.

Not all are relevant and I have not provided google links.

9 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

I certainly recognized the names BOUCHER, VANCE, ANSON, and ATHELING. And I hope most other SF fans would as well. "Umberto" only reminded me of of Umberto Eco, author of books like FOUCAULT'S PENDULUM. And a Crown Prince Umberto of Italy is mentioned, I think, in Anderson's FIRE TIME. And that's about it.

Sean

S.M. Stirling said...

Jack Vance was a friend of Poul's; Anthony Boucher is another SF author; Anson is a reference to Heinlein; Selahny is probably an anagram of Roger Zelazny's last name; Atheling is one of Blish's pen-names.

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Both,
Yes, indeed.
Paul.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Dear Mr. Stirling,

Anthony Boucher was not only an SF/F author in his own right, he was also one of the two founding editors of THE MAGAZINE OF FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION. And also a friend of Poul Anderson.

I had not known "Selahny" was possibly an anagram of Zelazny, however.

Sean

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Googling "Rosenblum science fiction" also turns up a couple of names.

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Also Bonfiglio and Monteith.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

Dang! I should have googled some of the names in your list, not just stick to the ones I was familiar with! They simply did not ring any bells in my memory.

Sean

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Charles Monteith, Blish's British publisher.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

I fear that would have been VERY obscure to me and most others.

Sean