Monthly Archives: May 2024

Roger Zelazny

There is one writer of the fantastic  whose work I’ve not read nearly enough of, and that writer is –

Who am I trying to kid? There are a lot of writers whose work I’ve not read enough of.

But today, April 13, I’m going to focus on one, Roger Zelazny (1937-1995) because it’s his birthday.

I’ve read some of his short fiction, but it’s been years. I read the first of the Amber books when I was in graduate school. We won’t dwell on how long ago that was except to say it was in a prior millenium.

I’ve liked all of the stories I’ve read. NESFA Press has published a nice set of colletions with covers whose illustrations on the spines combine to make a picture. If I come into a nice sum of moola, I’m going to get them. (Those of you wondering what to get me for Christmas…)

But it’s been a long time since I read any of Roger Zelasny’s work. The one exception is A Night in the Lonesome October. That’s the one told from the point of view of Jack the Ripper’s dog. I’ve read that one more than once. It’s great.

I never had the chance to meet him. And you don’t see his books in bookstores any more. Maybe an omniubs of the Amber novels, because those are classics.

But that’s it.

At least for print. I’m not sure what’s available in ebook.

Again, we have someone who made significant contributions to the fantasy and science fiction fields who is in danger of fading into obscurity.

I’m going to try to incorporate more Zelazny into my reading  this year. What do you suggest?

Gene Wolfe

Today, May 7, is Gene Wolfe’s birthday. So I thought I would write a bit about him. It was that or L. Ron Hubbard.

And I’m not up for Hubbard tonight. Today has sucked rocks big time. It will be a while before I’m over this one.

I’ve not read a lot of Wolfe. I’ve liked most everything  I’v’e read by him. And he is an author who I want to read a great deal more of. I recently acquired (by legitimate means) his latest  collection, The Dead Man and Other Horror Stories.

I tried to read a few of the stories soon after the book arrived, but I was too tired to read. I ended up falling asleep. I have never been one of these people who can keep reading and never fall asleep. My body overpowers my brain. When I try to keep reading, I usually will have to reread the previous five pages the next day.

But I digress. Wolfe was one of the most unique voices in science fiction and fantasy. IThe novels I read, mostly back in graduate school, I enjoyed. I won’t say how long ago that was.

He’s another writer whose work shouldn’t be forgotten.