#angelacarter — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #angelacarter, aggregated by home.social.
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What pre-1985 science fiction are you reading? + Update No. XXX
What pre-1985 science fiction adventures have you finished this summer? Any great reads? Disappointing ones? Intriguing discoveries? Here’s the June installment of this column. I know, it’s been a while…
- A selection of read volumes from my shelves
On Bluesky, a Youtube channel that I follow sought to collate a list influential cyberpunk novels for a future video or review series from the first generation of the subgenre’s practitioners. Other than Pat Cadigan’s multiple contributions, the list was entirely male. Knowing me, I suggested a few works by female authors that engaged with similar ideas that might be considered either important predecessors–for example Joan Vinge’s “Fireship” (1978) and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro’s Hyacinths (1983) (I think the proto-internet isn’t that central so it tends to be dismissed)–or works by the second generation right around the original poster’s cutoff date of 1990: Lisa Mason’s Arachne (1990), late 80s short fiction by Candas Jane Dorsey, Melissa Scott’s Trouble and Her Friends (1994), Gwyneth Jones’ Escape Plans (1986) and White Queen (1991), Misha’s Red Spider White Web (1990), and Nisi Shaw’s “I Was a Teenage Genetic Engineer” (1989).
Intrigued about why so many female authors started writing cyberpunk in the 90s, I tracked down Carlen Lavigne’s book Cyberpunk, Feminism, and Science Fiction (2013) which charts feminist interpretations of the genre between 1981 and 2003. She admits that before 1990, other than Pat Cadigan, cyberpunk was primarily white and male. Unfortunately, as cyberpunk lost its steam and cultural cache in the 90s, female authors increasingly offered their unique critiques on the genre and larger contemporary movements. My takeaway, if you read newer SF, is not to ignore the slightly later takes by feminist authors–they tend to be given short shift in the established canon of the subgenre. Other than the few I mentioned above, the following caught my eye: Marge Piercy’s He, She and It (1991), Emma Bull’s Bone Dance (1991), and Raphael Carter’s The Fortunate Fall (1996).
Also, before we get to the photograph above and the curated birthdays, let me know what pre-1985 (or after if it’s cyberpunk by women!) SF you’re currently reading or planning to read.
The Photograph (with links to reviews and brief thoughts)
- Stanislaw Lem’s Solaris (1960, trans. 1970): One of those novels on my shortlist to reread. I remember how transfixed I was by Lem’s heady combination of critique of humanity’s urge to explore outward and the personal of memory and trauma. A look at Wikipedia revealed a Soviet TV adaptation earlier than Tarkovsky’s 1972 masterpiece: Boris Nirenburg and Lidiya Ishimbayeva’s TV play Solaris (1968).
- Angela Carter’s Heroes & Villains (1969): Carter’s prose tears and rends with unnatural power. Recommended for fans of experimental, feminist, and well-written 60s New Wave science fiction. I suggest tracking down The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman (1972) first.
- Isaac Asimov’s Foundation (fix-up 1951): I impulsively started watching the recent TV adaptation (through episode five). Solid. My memory of my original read-through back in my teens remains mostly lost to time so I wasn’t fixated on show’s changes.
- Jack Vance’s The Languages of Pao (1958): I found the ideas in The Languages of Pao elevate the story above its banal plot and muddled action. Recommended for fans of early social SF.
What am I writing about?
I’m currently working on a review of a rare reread — John Brunner’s fascinating The Shockwave Rider (1975). Stay tuned. I’m also working on an article for issue three of Rachel S. Cordasco’s magazine The SF in Translation Magazine. I plan on contributing one review of pre-1985 SFF in translation for each issue. If you haven’t tracked down the magazine (or taken a look at my review in each) then you’re in for a treat! Here’s the link to free PDFs of each issue. The next issue will be published at the end of November.
If you missed any of my articles and review from the past few months, here are links to some of my favorites.
- Exploration Log 17: Interview with Loïg J. F. Pascual on 1970s-1980s Feminist Science Fiction Fandoms
- Luděk Pešek’s Trap for Perseus (1976, trans. Anthea Bell, 1980)
- Exploration Log 16: Clifford D. Simak’s speech “The Face of Science Fiction” (1953)
- Exploration Log 15: Clifford D. Simak’s fanzine article “The Future of Science Fiction” (1941)
- George Alec Effinger’s The Wolves of Memory (1981)
What am I reading?
- Uncredited cover for the 2013 edition
I read Carlen Lavigne’s entire book Cyberpunk, Feminism, and Science Fiction (2013) a few days back while waiting for vet updates on my cat — we had to visit the pet emergency room. He’s on the long road to recovery but we had quite the scare. See comments above for my thoughts on this monograph! Thought provoking for sure!
A Curated List of SF Birthdays from the Last Two Weeks [names link to The Internet Speculative Fiction Database for bibliographical info]
September 12th: Henry Slesar (1927-2002)
September 12th: Frank K. Kelly (1914-2010).
September 14th: Martin Caidin (1927-1997). In addition to his slick best-selling SF thrillers, he claimed to posses the power of telekinesis.
September 14th: Martin Caidin (1927-1997). In addition to his slick best-selling SF thrillers, he claimed to posses the power of telekinesis.
September 14th: Artist Rowena Morrill (1944-2021). Can’t say I’m much of a fan of her work.
- Charles Moll’s cover for the 1st edition of Norman Spinrad’s No Direction Home (1975)
September 15th: Norman Spinrad (1940-). My most recent Spinrad review: “The Weed of Time” (1970).
September 15th: Chelsea Quinn Yarbro (1942-). I’ve reviewed her post-apocalyptic novel False Dawn (1978) and Hyacinths (1983), an unsettling dystopian tale of a future where even the unregulated creative world of dreams is harnessed and controlled.
September 15th: Howard Waldrop (1946-2024). I thoroughly enjoyed Waldrop’s “Mary Margaret Road-Grade” (1976).
September 16th: Lisa Tuttle (1952-). I can’t dispel the disquiet caused by her story “Stone Circle” (1976).
September 18th: Francis Stevens (1883-1948). Best known for her SF satire The Heads of Cerberus (1919).
September 19th: Hilary Bailey (1936-2017). I’ve covered a few of her short stories. I remain most impressed with her novel co-written with her then-husband Michael Moorcock The Black Corridor (1969).
September 19th: Damon Knight (1922-2002). My most recent Knight review: Far Out (1961).
September 19th: Tanith Lee (1947-2015). If you haven’t read any of her science fiction yet, check out her brilliant and moody Electric Forest (1979).
- Chris Foss’ cover for the 1977 edition
September 20th: Keith Roberts (1935-2000). Check out his wonderful collection The Grain Kings (1976).
September 20th: George R. R. Martin (1948-). I’ve only covered his early short story “The Second Kind of Loneliness” (1972) on my site. I should read more of his early SF.
September 20th: James P. Blaylock (1950-). Remains a complete unknown to me. I always see his name on the shelves of my local Half Price Book store.
September 20th: A. A. Attanasio (1951-). His monolithic looking Radix (1981) judges me, unread, from the shelves (for years). I have yet to explore his work.
September 23rd: Wilmar H. Shiras (1908-1990). is best known for her short stories in the Children of the Atom sequence–starting with “In Hiding” (1948)–about hyper-intelligent mutant children and a well-meaning psychiatrist who brings them together. I reviewed the majority of her early work here.
- Chris Foss’ cover for the 1977 edition
September 23rd: Richard Wilson (1920-1987). I’ve only reviewed Wilson’s controversial “Mother of the World” (1968). I reviewed his short story “Strike” (1953) for my ongoing series on labor issues in SF.
September 24th: Artist Jack Gaughan (1930-1985). While he’s never been one of my favorite big name artist of the era, I find an occasional cover or interior art appealing. His cover for the 1969 edition of Ursula Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness (1969) is a great example.
September 24th: John Brunner (1934-1995). The author of my favorite SF novel: Stand on Zanzibar (1968). As I mentioned earlier in the post, I’m working on a rare reread review of one of his best works.
September 24th: David Drake (1945-2023).
September 24th: John Kessel (1950-).
September 25th: J. Hunter Holly (1932-1982).
September 26th: Douglas R. Mason (1918-2013). An incredibly prolific British SF author… I’ve not enjoyed what I’ve read of his so far.
For book reviews consult the INDEX
For cover art posts consult the INDEX
For TV and film reviews consult the INDEX
#1950s #1960s #1970s #1980s #AngelaCarter #bookReview #bookReviews #books #cyberpunk #fiction #IsaacAsimov #jackVance #sciFi #scienceFiction #StanislawLem #writing -
What pre-1985 science fiction are you reading? + Update No. XXX
What pre-1985 science fiction adventures have you started this summer? Any great reads? Disappointing ones? Intriguing discoveries? Here’s the June installment of this column. I know, it’s been a while…
- A selection of read volumes from my shelves
On Bluesky, a Youtube channel that I follow sought to collate a list influential cyberpunk novels for a future video or review series from the first generation of the subgenre’s practitioners. Other than Pat Cadigan’s multiple contributions, the list was entirely male. Knowing me, I suggested a few works by female authors that engaged with similar ideas that might be considered either important predecessors–for example Joan Vinge’s “Fireship” (1978) and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro’s Hyacinths (1983) (I think the proto-internet isn’t that central so it tends to be dismissed)–or works by the second generation right around the original poster’s cutoff date of 1990: Lisa Mason’s Arachne (1990), late 80s short fiction by Candas Jane Dorsey, Melissa Scott’s Trouble and Her Friends (1994), Gwyneth Jones’ Escape Plans (1986) and White Queen (1991), Misha’s Red Spider White Web (1990), and Nisi Shaw’s “I Was a Teenage Genetic Engineer” (1989).
Intrigued about why so many female authors started writing cyberpunk in the 90s, I tracked down Carlen Lavigne’s book Cyberpunk, Feminism, and Science Fiction (2013) which charts feminist interpretations of the genre between 1981 and 2003. She admits that before 1990, other than Pat Cadigan, cyberpunk was primarily white and male. Unfortunately, as cyberpunk lost its steam and cultural cache in the 90s, female authors increasingly offered their unique critiques on the genre and larger contemporary movements. My takeaway, if you read newer SF, is not to ignore the slightly later takes by feminist authors–they tend to be given short shift in the established canon of the subgenre. Other than the few I mentioned above, the following caught my eye: Marge Piercy’s He, She and It (1991), Emma Bull’s Bone Dance (1991), and Raphael Carter’s The Fortunate Fall (1996).
Also, before we get to the photograph above and the curated birthdays, let me know what pre-1985 (or after if it’s cyberpunk by women!) SF you’re currently reading or planning to read!
The Photograph (with links to reviews and brief thoughts)
- Stanislaw Lem’s Solaris (1960, trans. 1970): One of those novels on my shortlist to reread. I remember how transfixed I was by Lem’s heady combination of critique of humanity’s urge to explore outward and the personal of memory and trauma. A look at Wikipedia revealed a Soviet TV adaptation earlier than Tarkovsky’s 1972 masterpiece: Boris Nirenburg and Lidiya Ishimbayeva’s TV play Solaris (1968).
- Angela Carter’s Heroes & Villains (1969): Carter’s prose tears and rends with unnatural power. Recommended for fans of experimental, feminist, and well-written 60s New Wave science fiction. I suggest tracking down The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman (1972) first.
- Isaac Asimov’s Foundation (fix-up 1951): I impulsively started watching the recent TV adaptation (through episode five). Solid. My memory of my original read-through back in my teens remains mostly lost to time so I wasn’t fixated on show’s changes.
- Jack Vance’s The Languages of Pao (1958): I found the ideas in The Languages of Pao elevate the story above its banal plot and muddled action. Recommended for fans of early social SF.
What am I writing about?
I’m currently working on a review of a rare reread — John Brunner’s fascinating The Shockwave Rider (1975). Stay tuned. I’m also working on an article for issue three of Rachel S. Cordasco’s magazine The SF in Translation Magazine. I plan on contributing one review of pre-1985 SFF in translation for each issue. If you haven’t tracked down the magazine (or taken a look at my review in each) then you’re in for a treat! Here’s the link to free PDFs of each issue. The next issue will be published at the end of November.
If you missed any of my articles and review from the past few months, here are links to some of my favorites.
- Exploration Log 17: Interview with Loïg J. F. Pascual on 1970s-1980s Feminist Science Fiction Fandoms
- Luděk Pešek’s Trap for Perseus (1976, trans. Anthea Bell, 1980)
- Exploration Log 16: Clifford D. Simak’s speech “The Face of Science Fiction” (1953)
- Exploration Log 15: Clifford D. Simak’s fanzine article “The Future of Science Fiction” (1941)
- George Alec Effinger’s The Wolves of Memory (1981)
What am I reading?
- Uncredited cover for the 2013 edition
I read Carlen Lavigne’s entire book Cyberpunk, Feminism, and Science Fiction (2013) a few days back while waiting for vet updates on my cat — we had to visit the pet emergency room. He’s on the road to recovery but we had quite the scare. See comments above for my thoughts on this monograph! Though provoking for sure!
A Curated List of SF Birthdays from the Last Two Weeks [names link to The Internet Speculative Fiction Database for bibliographical info]
September 12th: Henry Slesar (1927-2002)
September 12th: Frank K. Kelly (1914-2010).
September 14th: Martin Caidin (1927-1997). In addition to his slick best-selling SF thrillers, he claimed to posses the power of telekinesis.
September 14th: Martin Caidin (1927-1997). In addition to his slick best-selling SF thrillers, he claimed to posses the power of telekinesis.
September 14th: Artist Rowena Morrill (1944-2021). Can’t say I’m much of a fan of her work.
- Charles Moll’s cover for the 1st edition of Norman Spinrad’s No Direction Home (1975)
September 15th: Norman Spinrad (1940-). My most recent Spinrad review: “The Weed of Time” (1970).
September 15th: Chelsea Quinn Yarbro (1942-). I’ve reviewed her post-apocalyptic novel False Dawn (1978) and Hyacinths (1983), an unsettling dystopian tale of a future where even the unregulated creative world of dreams is harnessed and controlled.
September 15th: Howard Waldrop (1946-2024). I thoroughly enjoyed Waldrop’s “Mary Margaret Road-Grade” (1976).
September 16th: Lisa Tuttle (1952-). I can’t dispel the disquiet caused by her story “Stone Circle” (1976).
September 18th: Francis Stevens (1883-1948). Best known for her SF satire The Heads of Cerberus (1919).
September 19th: Hilary Bailey (1936-2017). I’ve covered a few of her short stories. I remain most impressed with her novel co-written with her then-husband Michael Moorcock The Black Corridor (1969).
September 19th: Damon Knight (1922-2002). My most recent Knight review: Far Out (1961).
September 19th: Tanith Lee (1947-2015). If you haven’t read any of her science fiction yet, check out her brilliant and moody Electric Forest (1979).
- Chris Foss’ cover for the 1977 edition
September 20th: Keith Roberts (1935-2000). Check out his wonderful collection The Grain Kings (1976).
September 20th: George R. R. Martin (1948-). I’ve only covered his early short story “The Second Kind of Loneliness” (1972) on my site. I should read more of his early SF.
September 20th: James P. Blaylock (1950-). Remains a complete unknown to me. I always see his name on the shelves of my local Half Price Book store.
September 20th: A. A. Attanasio (1951-). His monolithic looking Radix (1981) judges me, unread, from the shelves (for years). I have yet to explore his work.
September 23rd: Wilmar H. Shiras (1908-1990). is best known for her short stories in the Children of the Atom sequence–starting with “In Hiding” (1948)–about hyper-intelligent mutant children and a well-meaning psychiatrist who brings them together. I reviewed the majority of her early work here.
- Chris Foss’ cover for the 1977 edition
September 23rd: Richard Wilson (1920-1987). I’ve only reviewed Wilson’s controversial “Mother of the World” (1968). I reviewed his short story “Strike” (1953) for my ongoing series on labor issues in SF.
September 24th: Artist Jack Gaughan (1930-1985). While he’s never been one of my favorite big name artist of the era, I find an occasional cover or interior art appealing. His cover for the 1969 edition of Ursula Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness (1969) is a great example.
September 24th: John Brunner (1934-1995). The author of my favorite SF novel: Stand on Zanzibar (1968). As I mentioned earlier in the post, I’m working on a rare reread review of one of his best works.
September 24th: David Drake (1945-2023).
September 24th: John Kessel (1950-).
September 25th: J. Hunter Holly (1932-1982).
September 26th: Douglas R. Mason (1918-2013). An incredibly prolific British SF author… I’ve not enjoyed what I’ve read of his so far.
For book reviews consult the INDEX
For cover art posts consult the INDEX
For TV and film reviews consult the INDEX
#1950s #1960s #1970s #1980s #AngelaCarter #bookReview #bookReviews #books #cyberpunk #fiction #IsaacAsimov #jackVance #sciFi #scienceFiction #StanislawLem #writing -
What pre-1985 science fiction are you reading? + Update No. XXX
What pre-1985 science fiction adventures have you finished this summer? Any great reads? Disappointing ones? Intriguing discoveries? Here’s the June installment of this column. I know, it’s been a while…
- A selection of read volumes from my shelves
On Bluesky, a Youtube channel that I follow sought to collate a list influential cyberpunk novels for a future video or review series from the first generation of the subgenre’s practitioners. Other than Pat Cadigan’s multiple contributions, the list was entirely male. Knowing me, I suggested a few works by female authors that engaged with similar ideas that might be considered either important predecessors–for example Joan Vinge’s “Fireship” (1978) and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro’s Hyacinths (1983) (I think the proto-internet isn’t that central so it tends to be dismissed)–or works by the second generation right around the original poster’s cutoff date of 1990: Lisa Mason’s Arachne (1990), late 80s short fiction by Candas Jane Dorsey, Melissa Scott’s Trouble and Her Friends (1994), Gwyneth Jones’ Escape Plans (1986) and White Queen (1991), Misha’s Red Spider White Web (1990), and Nisi Shaw’s “I Was a Teenage Genetic Engineer” (1989).
Intrigued about why so many female authors started writing cyberpunk in the 90s, I tracked down Carlen Lavigne’s book Cyberpunk, Feminism, and Science Fiction (2013) which charts feminist interpretations of the genre between 1981 and 2003. She admits that before 1990, other than Pat Cadigan, cyberpunk was primarily white and male. Unfortunately, as cyberpunk lost its steam and cultural cache in the 90s, female authors increasingly offered their unique critiques on the genre and larger contemporary movements. My takeaway, if you read newer SF, is not to ignore the slightly later takes by feminist authors–they tend to be given short shift in the established canon of the subgenre. Other than the few I mentioned above, the following caught my eye: Marge Piercy’s He, She and It (1991), Emma Bull’s Bone Dance (1991), and Raphael Carter’s The Fortunate Fall (1996).
Also, before we get to the photograph above and the curated birthdays, let me know what pre-1985 (or after if it’s cyberpunk by women!) SF you’re currently reading or planning to read.
The Photograph (with links to reviews and brief thoughts)
- Stanislaw Lem’s Solaris (1960, trans. 1970): One of those novels on my shortlist to reread. I remember how transfixed I was by Lem’s heady combination of critique of humanity’s urge to explore outward and the personal of memory and trauma. A look at Wikipedia revealed a Soviet TV adaptation earlier than Tarkovsky’s 1972 masterpiece: Boris Nirenburg and Lidiya Ishimbayeva’s TV play Solaris (1968).
- Angela Carter’s Heroes & Villains (1969): Carter’s prose tears and rends with unnatural power. Recommended for fans of experimental, feminist, and well-written 60s New Wave science fiction. I suggest tracking down The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman (1972) first.
- Isaac Asimov’s Foundation (fix-up 1951): I impulsively started watching the recent TV adaptation (through episode five). Solid. My memory of my original read-through back in my teens remains mostly lost to time so I wasn’t fixated on show’s changes.
- Jack Vance’s The Languages of Pao (1958): I found the ideas in The Languages of Pao elevate the story above its banal plot and muddled action. Recommended for fans of early social SF.
What am I writing about?
I’m currently working on a review of a rare reread — John Brunner’s fascinating The Shockwave Rider (1975). Stay tuned. I’m also working on an article for issue three of Rachel S. Cordasco’s magazine The SF in Translation Magazine. I plan on contributing one review of pre-1985 SFF in translation for each issue. If you haven’t tracked down the magazine (or taken a look at my review in each) then you’re in for a treat! Here’s the link to free PDFs of each issue. The next issue will be published at the end of November.
If you missed any of my articles and review from the past few months, here are links to some of my favorites.
- Exploration Log 17: Interview with Loïg J. F. Pascual on 1970s-1980s Feminist Science Fiction Fandoms
- Luděk Pešek’s Trap for Perseus (1976, trans. Anthea Bell, 1980)
- Exploration Log 16: Clifford D. Simak’s speech “The Face of Science Fiction” (1953)
- Exploration Log 15: Clifford D. Simak’s fanzine article “The Future of Science Fiction” (1941)
- George Alec Effinger’s The Wolves of Memory (1981)
What am I reading?
- Uncredited cover for the 2013 edition
I read Carlen Lavigne’s entire book Cyberpunk, Feminism, and Science Fiction (2013) a few days back while waiting for vet updates on my cat — we had to visit the pet emergency room. He’s on the long road to recovery but we had quite the scare. See comments above for my thoughts on this monograph! Thought provoking for sure!
A Curated List of SF Birthdays from the Last Two Weeks [names link to The Internet Speculative Fiction Database for bibliographical info]
September 12th: Henry Slesar (1927-2002)
September 12th: Frank K. Kelly (1914-2010).
September 14th: Martin Caidin (1927-1997). In addition to his slick best-selling SF thrillers, he claimed to posses the power of telekinesis.
September 14th: Martin Caidin (1927-1997). In addition to his slick best-selling SF thrillers, he claimed to posses the power of telekinesis.
September 14th: Artist Rowena Morrill (1944-2021). Can’t say I’m much of a fan of her work.
- Charles Moll’s cover for the 1st edition of Norman Spinrad’s No Direction Home (1975)
September 15th: Norman Spinrad (1940-). My most recent Spinrad review: “The Weed of Time” (1970).
September 15th: Chelsea Quinn Yarbro (1942-). I’ve reviewed her post-apocalyptic novel False Dawn (1978) and Hyacinths (1983), an unsettling dystopian tale of a future where even the unregulated creative world of dreams is harnessed and controlled.
September 15th: Howard Waldrop (1946-2024). I thoroughly enjoyed Waldrop’s “Mary Margaret Road-Grade” (1976).
September 16th: Lisa Tuttle (1952-). I can’t dispel the disquiet caused by her story “Stone Circle” (1976).
September 18th: Francis Stevens (1883-1948). Best known for her SF satire The Heads of Cerberus (1919).
September 19th: Hilary Bailey (1936-2017). I’ve covered a few of her short stories. I remain most impressed with her novel co-written with her then-husband Michael Moorcock The Black Corridor (1969).
September 19th: Damon Knight (1922-2002). My most recent Knight review: Far Out (1961).
September 19th: Tanith Lee (1947-2015). If you haven’t read any of her science fiction yet, check out her brilliant and moody Electric Forest (1979).
- Chris Foss’ cover for the 1977 edition
September 20th: Keith Roberts (1935-2000). Check out his wonderful collection The Grain Kings (1976).
September 20th: George R. R. Martin (1948-). I’ve only covered his early short story “The Second Kind of Loneliness” (1972) on my site. I should read more of his early SF.
September 20th: James P. Blaylock (1950-). Remains a complete unknown to me. I always see his name on the shelves of my local Half Price Book store.
September 20th: A. A. Attanasio (1951-). His monolithic looking Radix (1981) judges me, unread, from the shelves (for years). I have yet to explore his work.
September 23rd: Wilmar H. Shiras (1908-1990). is best known for her short stories in the Children of the Atom sequence–starting with “In Hiding” (1948)–about hyper-intelligent mutant children and a well-meaning psychiatrist who brings them together. I reviewed the majority of her early work here.
- Chris Foss’ cover for the 1977 edition
September 23rd: Richard Wilson (1920-1987). I’ve only reviewed Wilson’s controversial “Mother of the World” (1968). I reviewed his short story “Strike” (1953) for my ongoing series on labor issues in SF.
September 24th: Artist Jack Gaughan (1930-1985). While he’s never been one of my favorite big name artist of the era, I find an occasional cover or interior art appealing. His cover for the 1969 edition of Ursula Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness (1969) is a great example.
September 24th: John Brunner (1934-1995). The author of my favorite SF novel: Stand on Zanzibar (1968). As I mentioned earlier in the post, I’m working on a rare reread review of one of his best works.
September 24th: David Drake (1945-2023).
September 24th: John Kessel (1950-).
September 25th: J. Hunter Holly (1932-1982).
September 26th: Douglas R. Mason (1918-2013). An incredibly prolific British SF author… I’ve not enjoyed what I’ve read of his so far.
For book reviews consult the INDEX
For cover art posts consult the INDEX
For TV and film reviews consult the INDEX
#1950s #1960s #1970s #1980s #AngelaCarter #bookReview #bookReviews #books #cyberpunk #fiction #IsaacAsimov #jackVance #sciFi #scienceFiction #StanislawLem #writing -
What pre-1985 science fiction are you reading? + Update No. XXX
What pre-1985 science fiction adventures have you finished this summer? Any great reads? Disappointing ones? Intriguing discoveries? Here’s the June installment of this column. I know, it’s been a while…
- A selection of read volumes from my shelves
On Bluesky, a Youtube channel that I follow sought to collate a list influential cyberpunk novels for a future video or review series from the first generation of the subgenre’s practitioners. Other than Pat Cadigan’s multiple contributions, the list was entirely male. Knowing me, I suggested a few works by female authors that engaged with similar ideas that might be considered either important predecessors–for example Joan Vinge’s “Fireship” (1978) and Chelsea Quinn Yarbro’s Hyacinths (1983) (I think the proto-internet isn’t that central so it tends to be dismissed)–or works by the second generation right around the original poster’s cutoff date of 1990: Lisa Mason’s Arachne (1990), late 80s short fiction by Candas Jane Dorsey, Melissa Scott’s Trouble and Her Friends (1994), Gwyneth Jones’ Escape Plans (1986) and White Queen (1991), Misha’s Red Spider White Web (1990), and Nisi Shaw’s “I Was a Teenage Genetic Engineer” (1989).
Intrigued about why so many female authors started writing cyberpunk in the 90s, I tracked down Carlen Lavigne’s book Cyberpunk, Feminism, and Science Fiction (2013) which charts feminist interpretations of the genre between 1981 and 2003. She admits that before 1990, other than Pat Cadigan, cyberpunk was primarily white and male. Unfortunately, as cyberpunk lost its steam and cultural cache in the 90s, female authors increasingly offered their unique critiques on the genre and larger contemporary movements. My takeaway, if you read newer SF, is not to ignore the slightly later takes by feminist authors–they tend to be given short shift in the established canon of the subgenre. Other than the few I mentioned above, the following caught my eye: Marge Piercy’s He, She and It (1991), Emma Bull’s Bone Dance (1991), and Raphael Carter’s The Fortunate Fall (1996).
Also, before we get to the photograph above and the curated birthdays, let me know what pre-1985 (or after if it’s cyberpunk by women!) SF you’re currently reading or planning to read.
The Photograph (with links to reviews and brief thoughts)
- Stanislaw Lem’s Solaris (1960, trans. 1970): One of those novels on my shortlist to reread. I remember how transfixed I was by Lem’s heady combination of critique of humanity’s urge to explore outward and the personal of memory and trauma. A look at Wikipedia revealed a Soviet TV adaptation earlier than Tarkovsky’s 1972 masterpiece: Boris Nirenburg and Lidiya Ishimbayeva’s TV play Solaris (1968).
- Angela Carter’s Heroes & Villains (1969): Carter’s prose tears and rends with unnatural power. Recommended for fans of experimental, feminist, and well-written 60s New Wave science fiction. I suggest tracking down The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman (1972) first.
- Isaac Asimov’s Foundation (fix-up 1951): I impulsively started watching the recent TV adaptation (through episode five). Solid. My memory of my original read-through back in my teens remains mostly lost to time so I wasn’t fixated on show’s changes.
- Jack Vance’s The Languages of Pao (1958): I found the ideas in The Languages of Pao elevate the story above its banal plot and muddled action. Recommended for fans of early social SF.
What am I writing about?
I’m currently working on a review of a rare reread — John Brunner’s fascinating The Shockwave Rider (1975). Stay tuned. I’m also working on an article for issue three of Rachel S. Cordasco’s magazine The SF in Translation Magazine. I plan on contributing one review of pre-1985 SFF in translation for each issue. If you haven’t tracked down the magazine (or taken a look at my review in each) then you’re in for a treat! Here’s the link to free PDFs of each issue. The next issue will be published at the end of November.
If you missed any of my articles and review from the past few months, here are links to some of my favorites.
- Exploration Log 17: Interview with Loïg J. F. Pascual on 1970s-1980s Feminist Science Fiction Fandoms
- Luděk Pešek’s Trap for Perseus (1976, trans. Anthea Bell, 1980)
- Exploration Log 16: Clifford D. Simak’s speech “The Face of Science Fiction” (1953)
- Exploration Log 15: Clifford D. Simak’s fanzine article “The Future of Science Fiction” (1941)
- George Alec Effinger’s The Wolves of Memory (1981)
What am I reading?
- Uncredited cover for the 2013 edition
I read Carlen Lavigne’s entire book Cyberpunk, Feminism, and Science Fiction (2013) a few days back while waiting for vet updates on my cat — we had to visit the pet emergency room. He’s on the long road to recovery but we had quite the scare. See comments above for my thoughts on this monograph! Thought provoking for sure!
A Curated List of SF Birthdays from the Last Two Weeks [names link to The Internet Speculative Fiction Database for bibliographical info]
September 12th: Henry Slesar (1927-2002)
September 12th: Frank K. Kelly (1914-2010).
September 14th: Martin Caidin (1927-1997). In addition to his slick best-selling SF thrillers, he claimed to posses the power of telekinesis.
September 14th: Martin Caidin (1927-1997). In addition to his slick best-selling SF thrillers, he claimed to posses the power of telekinesis.
September 14th: Artist Rowena Morrill (1944-2021). Can’t say I’m much of a fan of her work.
- Charles Moll’s cover for the 1st edition of Norman Spinrad’s No Direction Home (1975)
September 15th: Norman Spinrad (1940-). My most recent Spinrad review: “The Weed of Time” (1970).
September 15th: Chelsea Quinn Yarbro (1942-). I’ve reviewed her post-apocalyptic novel False Dawn (1978) and Hyacinths (1983), an unsettling dystopian tale of a future where even the unregulated creative world of dreams is harnessed and controlled.
September 15th: Howard Waldrop (1946-2024). I thoroughly enjoyed Waldrop’s “Mary Margaret Road-Grade” (1976).
September 16th: Lisa Tuttle (1952-). I can’t dispel the disquiet caused by her story “Stone Circle” (1976).
September 18th: Francis Stevens (1883-1948). Best known for her SF satire The Heads of Cerberus (1919).
September 19th: Hilary Bailey (1936-2017). I’ve covered a few of her short stories. I remain most impressed with her novel co-written with her then-husband Michael Moorcock The Black Corridor (1969).
September 19th: Damon Knight (1922-2002). My most recent Knight review: Far Out (1961).
September 19th: Tanith Lee (1947-2015). If you haven’t read any of her science fiction yet, check out her brilliant and moody Electric Forest (1979).
- Chris Foss’ cover for the 1977 edition
September 20th: Keith Roberts (1935-2000). Check out his wonderful collection The Grain Kings (1976).
September 20th: George R. R. Martin (1948-). I’ve only covered his early short story “The Second Kind of Loneliness” (1972) on my site. I should read more of his early SF.
September 20th: James P. Blaylock (1950-). Remains a complete unknown to me. I always see his name on the shelves of my local Half Price Book store.
September 20th: A. A. Attanasio (1951-). His monolithic looking Radix (1981) judges me, unread, from the shelves (for years). I have yet to explore his work.
September 23rd: Wilmar H. Shiras (1908-1990). is best known for her short stories in the Children of the Atom sequence–starting with “In Hiding” (1948)–about hyper-intelligent mutant children and a well-meaning psychiatrist who brings them together. I reviewed the majority of her early work here.
- Chris Foss’ cover for the 1977 edition
September 23rd: Richard Wilson (1920-1987). I’ve only reviewed Wilson’s controversial “Mother of the World” (1968). I reviewed his short story “Strike” (1953) for my ongoing series on labor issues in SF.
September 24th: Artist Jack Gaughan (1930-1985). While he’s never been one of my favorite big name artist of the era, I find an occasional cover or interior art appealing. His cover for the 1969 edition of Ursula Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness (1969) is a great example.
September 24th: John Brunner (1934-1995). The author of my favorite SF novel: Stand on Zanzibar (1968). As I mentioned earlier in the post, I’m working on a rare reread review of one of his best works.
September 24th: David Drake (1945-2023).
September 24th: John Kessel (1950-).
September 25th: J. Hunter Holly (1932-1982).
September 26th: Douglas R. Mason (1918-2013). An incredibly prolific British SF author… I’ve not enjoyed what I’ve read of his so far.
For book reviews consult the INDEX
For cover art posts consult the INDEX
For TV and film reviews consult the INDEX
#scienceFiction #books #1960s #1980s #fiction #bookReviews #1950s #1970s #sciFi #bookReview #jackVance #IsaacAsimov #StanislawLem #AngelaCarter #writing #cyberpunk -
“…there is no reason for anything to be real.” #angelacarter #blackvenus
https://kaggsysbookishramblings.wordpress.com/2026/05/25/there-is-no-reason-for-anything-to-be-real-angelacarter-blackvenus
🫧 via https://bubbles.town/entry/15367026 -
“…there is no reason for anything to be real.” #angelacarter #blackvenus
https://kaggsysbookishramblings.wordpress.com/2026/05/25/there-is-no-reason-for-anything-to-be-real-angelacarter-blackvenus
🫧 via https://bubbles.town/entry/15367026 -
“…there is no reason for anything to be real.” #angelacarter #blackvenus
I am nothing if not a very easily influenced reader; mention an interesting sounding book, and I'm off to see if I have it in the stacks or if I can pick up a reasonably priced copy somewhere. And recently, Chris over at Calmgrove Books happened to write about a couple of the stories in the "Black Venus" collection by Angela Carter…
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#vendredilecture La compagnie des loups, d'Angela Carter. Après être tombée en amour avec Les machines à désir infernales du Dr Hoffman, je continue ma lecture d'Angela Carter avec ce recueil de nouvelles de réécriture de contes, et ça me plaît beaucoup 😃
#mastolivre #angelacarter #sfff #contes #litterature -
#vendredilecture La compagnie des loups, d'Angela Carter. Après être tombée en amour avec Les machines à désir infernales du Dr Hoffman, je continue ma lecture d'Angela Carter avec ce recueil de nouvelles de réécriture de contes, et ça me plaît beaucoup 😃
#mastolivre #angelacarter #sfff #contes #litterature -
#Blog about how I'm reading some books. 😊
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#Blog about how I'm reading some books. 😊
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#Blog about how I'm reading some books. 😊
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#Blog about how I'm reading some books. 😊
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Die blutige Kammer
Ganz oben auf meinem aktuellen Lesestapel liegt dieses Buch: „Die blutige Kammer“ von Angela Carter. Angela Carter ist die Godmother der feministischen (Horror-)Literatur. Ihre abgründig-erotischen Neuerzählungen von Märchen bestechen auch mehr als fünfzig Jahre nach ihrem Erscheinen mit unvermittelter Wucht. Die Autorin erzählt klassische Märchen nach, in denen die weiblichen Figuren nicht in Passivität gefangen sind und die Handlung sich an ihnen vollzieht, sondern in denen sie […] -
#AngelaCarter on #VirginiaWoolf Just so good. I mean, she always surprises and delights me:
"Borges, talking about Finnegans Wake, said that one day its simplicities would become apparent to everybody and, ‘Like all great novels,’ like The Odyssey, Gulliver’s Travels, Don Quixote, it would be read by children."
https://literaryreview.co.uk/crying-woolf-too-often #Literature -
#AngelaCarter on #VirginiaWoolf Just so good. I mean, she always surprises and delights me:
"Borges, talking about Finnegans Wake, said that one day its simplicities would become apparent to everybody and, ‘Like all great novels,’ like The Odyssey, Gulliver’s Travels, Don Quixote, it would be read by children."
https://literaryreview.co.uk/crying-woolf-too-often #Literature -
#AngelaCarter on #VirginiaWoolf Just so good. I mean, she always surprises and delights me:
"Borges, talking about Finnegans Wake, said that one day its simplicities would become apparent to everybody and, ‘Like all great novels,’ like The Odyssey, Gulliver’s Travels, Don Quixote, it would be read by children."
https://literaryreview.co.uk/crying-woolf-too-often #Literature -
#AngelaCarter on #VirginiaWoolf Just so good. I mean, she always surprises and delights me:
"Borges, talking about Finnegans Wake, said that one day its simplicities would become apparent to everybody and, ‘Like all great novels,’ like The Odyssey, Gulliver’s Travels, Don Quixote, it would be read by children."
https://literaryreview.co.uk/crying-woolf-too-often #Literature -
Clifftop landscape theatre in Cornwall, inspired by Angela Carter. (and made possible by arts funding, btw.)
https://cornishstuff.com/2024/08/29/all-female-cast-to-star-in-wildworks-theatres-autumn-blockbuster-stranger-beasts/
#landscape #theatre #AngelaCarter #cornwall -
Clifftop landscape theatre in Cornwall, inspired by Angela Carter. (and made possible by arts funding, btw.)
https://cornishstuff.com/2024/08/29/all-female-cast-to-star-in-wildworks-theatres-autumn-blockbuster-stranger-beasts/
#landscape #theatre #AngelaCarter #cornwall -
Clifftop landscape theatre in Cornwall, inspired by Angela Carter. (and made possible by arts funding, btw.)
https://cornishstuff.com/2024/08/29/all-female-cast-to-star-in-wildworks-theatres-autumn-blockbuster-stranger-beasts/
#landscape #theatre #AngelaCarter #cornwall -
Clifftop landscape theatre in Cornwall, inspired by Angela Carter. (and made possible by arts funding, btw.)
https://cornishstuff.com/2024/08/29/all-female-cast-to-star-in-wildworks-theatres-autumn-blockbuster-stranger-beasts/
#landscape #theatre #AngelaCarter #cornwall -
CW: Literature, crude
"There is no element of the metaphysical about pissing."
- Angela Carter, Nights at the Circus
#AngelaCarter #Quotes -
CW: Literature, crude
"There is no element of the metaphysical about pissing."
- Angela Carter, Nights at the Circus
#AngelaCarter #Quotes -
CW: Literature, crude
"There is no element of the metaphysical about pissing."
- Angela Carter, Nights at the Circus
#AngelaCarter #Quotes -
CW: Literature, crude
"There is no element of the metaphysical about pissing."
- Angela Carter, Nights at the Circus
#AngelaCarter #Quotes -
It's a little late, but I'm sharing my #2024 reading challenge - which is to read my TBR shelf before I buy any new (other than monthly book club) books....
#books #reading #2024readingchallenge #Shelfie #18books
#Margaretatwood
#Stephenpinker
#Owenjones
#Bradleywiggins
#Davidmitchell
#Erinmorgenstern
#Damongalgut
#Angelacarter
#Hayfestival
#Neilgaiman
#Hilarymantel
#Stephenking
#Richardcoles
#Jonathancoe
#Deliaowens
#Robertmacfarlane
#Janejacobs -
@rowenamonde. It's very strange. I like it. I haven't read much #AngelaCarter and wonder if it's representative or strange -- even for her!
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@rowenamonde. It's very strange. I like it. I haven't read much #AngelaCarter and wonder if it's representative or strange -- even for her!
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@rowenamonde. It's very strange. I like it. I haven't read much #AngelaCarter and wonder if it's representative or strange -- even for her!
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@rowenamonde. It's very strange. I like it. I haven't read much #AngelaCarter and wonder if it's representative or strange -- even for her!
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@rowenamonde. And do you have a favorite #AngelaCarter book? I'm currently reading Love (1971).
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@rowenamonde. And do you have a favorite #AngelaCarter book? I'm currently reading Love (1971).
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@rowenamonde. And do you have a favorite #AngelaCarter book? I'm currently reading Love (1971).
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@rowenamonde. And do you have a favorite #AngelaCarter book? I'm currently reading Love (1971).
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Don't you just love it when you're reading a #book and you learn new #words? Today, thanks to #AngelaCarter, I learned the words, "ogive" and "gorse."
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Don't you just love it when you're reading a #book and you learn new #words? Today, thanks to #AngelaCarter, I learned the words, "ogive" and "gorse."
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Don't you just love it when you're reading a #book and you learn new #words? Today, thanks to #AngelaCarter, I learned the words, "ogive" and "gorse."
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Don't you just love it when you're reading a #book and you learn new #words? Today, thanks to #AngelaCarter, I learned the words, "ogive" and "gorse."
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Don't you just love it when you're reading a #book and you learn new #words? Today, thanks to #AngelaCarter, I learned the words, "ogive" and "gorse."
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Don't you just love it when you're reading a #book and you learn new #words? Today, thanks to #AngelaCarter, I learned the words, "ogive" and "gorse."
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Don't you just love it when you're reading a #book and you learn new #words? Today, thanks to #AngelaCarter, I learned the words, "ogive" and "gorse."
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Artists had a lot of fun with #AngelaCarter book covers #books #art #bookstodon
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Artists had a lot of fun with #AngelaCarter book covers #books #art #bookstodon
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Artists had a lot of fun with #AngelaCarter book covers #books #art #bookstodon
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Artists had a lot of fun with #AngelaCarter book covers #books #art #bookstodon
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UK peeps, Taking Pictures has Neil Jordan's Company of Wolves, adapted from Angela Carter's tales, on late this evening. Lush mixture of awakening sexuality, coming of age, repression, release and horror.
"The worst kind of wolves are hairy on the inside..."
#horror #film #AngelaCarter #TheCompanyOfWolves #werewolf #HorrorFilm #NeilJordan
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UK peeps, Taking Pictures has Neil Jordan's Company of Wolves, adapted from Angela Carter's tales, on late this evening. Lush mixture of awakening sexuality, coming of age, repression, release and horror.
"The worst kind of wolves are hairy on the inside..."
#horror #film #AngelaCarter #TheCompanyOfWolves #werewolf #HorrorFilm #NeilJordan
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UK peeps, Taking Pictures has Neil Jordan's Company of Wolves, adapted from Angela Carter's tales, on late this evening. Lush mixture of awakening sexuality, coming of age, repression, release and horror.
"The worst kind of wolves are hairy on the inside..."
#horror #film #AngelaCarter #TheCompanyOfWolves #werewolf #HorrorFilm #NeilJordan
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UK peeps, Taking Pictures has Neil Jordan's Company of Wolves, adapted from Angela Carter's tales, on late this evening. Lush mixture of awakening sexuality, coming of age, repression, release and horror.
"The worst kind of wolves are hairy on the inside..."
#horror #film #AngelaCarter #TheCompanyOfWolves #werewolf #HorrorFilm #NeilJordan
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CW: link to a post on Twitter
Angela Carter, 1968. This image was a Tweet from Dr. Dickon Edwards @dickon_edwards on the site that shall not be named. If I had one writer who has influenced me beyond any other, it would be Angela Carter. I taught her work in night school classes, and she visits me in dreams sometimes, dispensing writing advice in the form of puzzles I must solve. #AngelaCarter #AmWriting #WritingCommunity #WritingLife #FairyTale
https://twitter.com/dickon_edwards/status/1634213826559090688?s=20 -
CW: link to a post on Twitter
Angela Carter, 1968. This image was a Tweet from Dr. Dickon Edwards @dickon_edwards on the site that shall not be named. If I had one writer who has influenced me beyond any other, it would be Angela Carter. I taught her work in night school classes, and she visits me in dreams sometimes, dispensing writing advice in the form of puzzles I must solve. #AngelaCarter #AmWriting #WritingCommunity #WritingLife #FairyTale
https://twitter.com/dickon_edwards/status/1634213826559090688?s=20 -
CW: link to a post on Twitter
Angela Carter, 1968. This image was a Tweet from Dr. Dickon Edwards @dickon_edwards on the site that shall not be named. If I had one writer who has influenced me beyond any other, it would be Angela Carter. I taught her work in night school classes, and she visits me in dreams sometimes, dispensing writing advice in the form of puzzles I must solve. #AngelaCarter #AmWriting #WritingCommunity #WritingLife #FairyTale
https://twitter.com/dickon_edwards/status/1634213826559090688?s=20 -
CW: link to a post on Twitter
Angela Carter, 1968. This image was a Tweet from Dr. Dickon Edwards @dickon_edwards on the site that shall not be named. If I had one writer who has influenced me beyond any other, it would be Angela Carter. I taught her work in night school classes, and she visits me in dreams sometimes, dispensing writing advice in the form of puzzles I must solve. #AngelaCarter #AmWriting #WritingCommunity #WritingLife #FairyTale
https://twitter.com/dickon_edwards/status/1634213826559090688?s=20 -
Inspired me to rediscover the glorious #CompanyOfWolves on youtube. A toothsome treat for this evening.
#AngelaCarter #werewolves
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrdEdPTGHLM -
Inspired me to rediscover the glorious #CompanyOfWolves on youtube. A toothsome treat for this evening.
"Never stray from the path..."
#AngelaCarter #werewolves
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrdEdPTGHLM
