Re: (Tears) Report on Probability A by Brian W. Aldiss

James Nicoll wrote:

Report on Probability A by Brian W. Aldiss
>
A New Wave tale of observational recursion,
>
https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/a-straight-a-student

Thank you for the embedded link to _The Hireling Shepherd_. It's another
example where an artistic image's blatant symbolism clobbers me in the
head with the force of the stupid hammer.
    _The Hireling Shepherd_ brings to mind a similar sexual situation in
_Fifth Business_ (Davies). The author, apparently an aficionado of
Shakespeare, kindly defines Fifth Business in his preface. Perhaps you,
in your role of theater staff member, also recognize the phrase, James.

    Fifth Business … Definition

    Those roles which, being neither those of
    Hero nor Heroine, Confidante nor Villain,
    but which were none the less essential to
    bring about the Recognition or the dénouement
    were called the Fifth Business in drama
    and opera companies organized according
    to the old style; the player who acted these
    parts was often referred to as Fifth Business.

    —Tho. Overskou, Den Danske Skueplads

Here's an excerpt from Davies' speculative stream-of-consciousness story
simulacrum - whose pointless plotlessness makes it merely a wannabe
story despite all of its fine wordmanship. Its anti-Christian narrative
hits me square between the eyes with the stupid hammer.

    He shot the beam of his flashlight into the scrub, and in
    that bleak, flat light we saw a tramp and a woman in the
    act of copulation. The tramp rolled over and gaped at us
    in terror; the woman was Mrs Dempster.

    It was Hainey who gave a shout, and in no time all the men
    were with us, and Jim Warren was pointing a pistol at the
    tramp, ordering him to put his hands up. He repeated the
    words two or three times, and then Mrs Dempster spoke.

    "You'll have to speak very loudly to him, Mr Warren," she
    said, "he's hard of hearing."

    I don't think any of us knew where to look when she spoke,
    pulling her skirts down but remaining on the ground. It was
    at that moment that the Reverend Amasa Dempster joined us;
    I had not noticed him when the hunt began, though he must
    have been there. He behaved with great dignity, leaning
    forward to help his wife rise with the same sort of
    protective love I had seen in him the night Paul was born.
    But he was not able to keep back his question.

    "Mary, what made you do it?"

    She looked him honestly in the face and gave the answer that
    became famous in Deptford: "He was very civil, 'Masa. And he
    wanted it so badly."

Danke,

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