I’m going to postpone the writng update I said I would do today. I haven’t tabulated the numbers yet.

But since this is January 2, there are two birthdays I want to mention, Isaac Asimov (1920-1992) and Charles Beaumont (1929-1967).

Asimov hasn’t faded into obscurity, but I don’t see his books in bookstores like I used to unless it’s a used bookstore. The Foundation trilogy is still available, at least the original trilogy. I’m not sure about the later books. I, Robot is in print. A few other novels are, although i haven’t looked lately to see what they are. I’ve pretty much got most of his science fiction. I’m missing The Gods Themselves (I think).

I know Asimov is available in audiobook. I listened to Nightfall and Other Stories last year. I think one indication that Asmov is no longer as an important writer as he used to be is simply that in the era of MeToo, there hasn’t been a concerted effort to  cancel him. At least not one I’m aware of.  Maybe there has been and I’ve missed it.

Asimov would probably fiind himself in court these days. He was pretty free with his hands, by all accounts.

But I’m getting off topic. I write these posts to honor writers, not dig up dirt on them. And Asimov’s robot stories and Foundation series are works worth honoring. They cast a long shadow over the science fiction field, as does “Nightfall” to a lesser degree.

Asimov’s work is somewhat dated, but then whose from the forties, fifties, and sixties isn’t to a greater and lesser degree. I’ve been thinking about what vintage writers I want to focus on reading this year. Asimov is on the lsit. There’s quite a bit of his short fiction and a few of his novels I havne’t read.

Then there’s Charles Beaumont. Long-term readers of this blog know that Beaumont is a favorite. He was primarily a short fiction writer who died way too young from either Alzheimer’s or something that looked a whole heck of a lot like it.

He was mentored by Ray Bradbury and went on to write a number of Twilight Zone episodes.

I listened to Perchance to Dream on audiobook last year while I was driving back and forth across the state.

Beaumont was arguably the best of what is now known as theh California School of writers. The group included Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson, William F. Nolan, and George Clayton Johnson.

I would say at this point in their respective careers, Beaumont was better than Bradbury, who, in my opinion had peaked. (We’re talking the late fifties and early sixties here). Most (not all) of Bradbury’s best work had already been published. The only other person in that group who was writing at the same level of quality at the time was Matheson. I also listened to The Best of Richard Matheson on audio book shortly after I listened to Perchance to Dream. I think Beaumont’s work was a little stronger than Matheson’s, although they were both outstanding writers who were pillars of the fantastic fiction field.

If you’ve not read Beaumont, give him a try.