Monthly Archives: November 2025

Black Friday Adventures Fantastic Style: “Black Destoryer” by A. E. van Vogt

“Black Destoryer” by A. E. van Vogt first appeared in the July 1939 issue of Astounding Science Fiction. It’s been reprinted many times, including in Isaac Asimov Presents the Great SF Stories 1: 1939. I read that book all the way from cover to cover when I was in high school, yet I have no menory of this story.

I feel old.

I read it in The World Turned Upside Down yesterday. Just scanning the list of where it’s been reprinted, I think I have at least five other copies of it in varous anthologies.

It’s easy to see why this story has been so popular over the years. For the most part, the story still holds up quite well. It served in part as the inspiration for the movie Alien. Van Vogt collected fifty grand in an out of court settlement. Continue reading →

Happy Thanksgiving

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Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. A bit late, I know, but I still wanted to pass along apprpriate greetings. I hope you all have had a day filled with love, family, and food.

I’m thankful that I still have readers for this blog after I’ve been so inactive for the past months. I’ll try to do better.

Things are starting to slow down a little at work. I’ve got some grading to do and a short story deadline this weekend. Then it’s just finals. That will take up a few days, but then I’ve got plenty of time over the holidays for reading, writing and blogging.

So for what’s left ot it, have a great Thanksgiving.

Of Martians and Attics and Fred Pohl

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Today, November 26, is the birthday of Frederik Pohl (1919-2013). Pohl was many things in science fiction. Futurian. Writer. Editor. Collaborator (with other writers, not out countires enemies), Agent.

Keeping with the theme from yesterday, Pohl, like Anderson, was once one of the biggest names in science fiction. While not as prolific as Anderson (who AFAIK, was never an editor or agent), Pohl had a consistent work ethic and wrote pretty much up unitl his death.

Anderson wrote in the hard sciences, while Pohl tended to write more in the social sciences and satire. He could do rigor when he wanted to, though.

I did manage to read one of his stories today. “The Martian in the Attic” originally appeared in the July 1960 issue of IF, and it has onlhy been reprinted twice in english. First in the collection Turn Left at Thursday and in The Best of Frederik Pohl, which is where I read it. Continue reading →

Poul Anderson and the Vagaries of Publishing

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Today, November 25, is the 99th birthday of Poul Anderson (1926-2001). Anderson was once a major name in both science fiction and fantasy. Today, he is out of print and rapidly fading into obscurity.

He’s one of my favorites. I’ve not read anywhere near all of his works. There are a number I’ve not read.

I’ve not had time to read anything of his for this post. I try to do that for birthday posts, but I’m wrapping up a rough semester.

So I want to ramble or rant or ruminate, not sure which it will be, on something that’s been on my mind off and on for the last few months.

And that’s publishing and how one author is remembered and others are forgotten. This is not soemthing that is limited to the literature of the fantastic. Continue reading →