Generalizations about reading:
we know of more authors than we have read;
fictional characters are usually fictions to each other, with a few exceptions of which we know.
(James Bond says that he likes Nero Wolfe, high praise indeed. I couldn't remember Wolfe's name so I googled "detective orchid," which sufficed. For an interesting reality/fiction interface within fiction, see here.)
When relaxing during a mission, Wanda Tamberly considers reading Travis McGee but settles for Dick Francis. I have heard of but not read Wolfe, McGee and Francis. (I know that I have got two characters and one author in this list.)
When I was on a Buddhist retreat, I welcomed twenty minutes in my own room when I was able to retreat from the retreat by reading a few pages of a Dominic Flandry novel in a The Technic Civilization Saga volume. That is something that Wanda cannot do. (Or maybe she can - if Poul Anderson exists in the Time Patrol timeline but just doesn't write the Time Patrol series.)
15 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I used to be a big fan of reading mysteries, including many of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe mysteries. They are worth reading, IMO.
While not LIGHT reading, I am rereading Michael A.G. Michaud's CONTACT WITH ALIEN CIVLIZATIONS: OUR HOPES AND FEARS ABOUT ENCOUNTERING EXTRATERRESTRIALS (Copernicus Books: 2010). While a very interesting and useful book, I have one pet peeve about it: Poul Anderson is never mentioned even once, despite many other SF writers like Asimov, Benford, Bova, Clarke, Heinlein, Stapledon, Wells, etc., being mentioned or quoted.
As its title indicates, Michaud's book is a discussion of the likelihood of non-human races and civilizations existing and our chances of making contact with them. He uses works like Karl Gutke's THE LAST FRONTIER (1983), Michael J. Crowe's THE EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE DEBATE (1986), Stephen J. Dick's THE BIOLOGICAL UNIVERSE (1996), and many other similar works, including Asimvov's EXTRATERRESTRIAL CIVILIZATIONS. But Anderson's IS THERE LIFE ON OTHER WORLD? (1963), is never even mentioned, despite this book appearing before all of the others I listed.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
Anderson is under-rated.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Or ignored and dismissed, which angers me!
Ad astra! Sean
In the "Operation Chaos" universe, one of the viewpoint characters relaxes with a humorous mystery novel -- THE CASE OF THE TOXIC SPELL-DUMP, by Harry Turtledove. Which is an extremely clever homage.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
I remember that, both the homage to Turtledove and how I have read the real book called THE CASE OF THE TOXIC SPELL DUMP.
I keep brooding over how often Michaud mentions many SF writers, but never Anderson! Despite him being a pioneer in the field of seriously discussing non human races and extraterrestrial civilizations.
Ad astra! Sean
Kaor, Paul!
Michaud mentions or quotes three more SF writers in his book: Herbert, Hoyle, and Niven. But still not a single mention of Anderson!
Or Jerry Pournelle, for that matter!
Ad astra! Sean
One of Poul's Technic stories (set in the League period) has a scene on Luna where the police are overwhelmed because of the "damned science fiction convention" that's using up all their extraterrestrial-environment holding cells.
I try to have characters reference their popular culture about the way real people do -- in the BLACK CHAMBER series people mention H.G. Wells when things like air attack or tanks echo his predictions.
And Luz is an Edgar Rice Burroughs fan.
Likewise, in ISLAND IN THE SEA OF TIME and its sequels the Ian Arnstein character (a thinly veiled expy of Harry Turtledove) is a Monty Python fan and reads a lot of SF and fantasy and uses concepts from the stories.
Expy?
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
Ha! I remember that bit of amusing local color from SATAN'S WORLD. And it made me wonder what the science fiction of a FTL, interstellar age would be like. I recall how, centuries later in ENSIGN FLANDRY, Persis d'Io grumbled to Flandry two of the few books she found on their boat (during the flight from Merseia) were two pop novels called OUTLAW BLASTMAN and PLANET OF SIN. Persis had read them so often they were becoming parts of her dreams. I'm willing to bet these were low brow SF!
I had not known Ian Arnstein was modeled on Harry Turtledove. Something to keep in mind the next tine I read your NANTUCKET books.
Ad astra! Sean
Kaor, Paul!
I think "expy" was a typo by Stirling for "copy."
Ad astra! Sean
"Expy" is a writer's term of art. It basically means a character who's very closely based on a real person, with only names changed to protect the innocent/guilty. I think it's a recent coinage.
Have you an idea of its derivation?
Kaor, Paul!
I think considering "expy" as somehow related to "copy" still makes sense.
Ad astra! Sean
Michaud mentions another SF writer in CONTACT WITH ALIEN CIVILIZATIONS: Stephen Baxter. And still not a single mention of Poul Anderson. I'm very grumpy about that!
Ad astra! Sean
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