Re: (Worst) He Walked Among Us by Norman Spinrad

In article <v2lmrk$1bsrm$1@dont-email.me>,
William Hyde  <wthyde1953@gmail.com> wrote:

James Nicoll wrote:

In article <v2kpno$1651a$2@dont-email.me>,
Michael F. Stemper <michael.stemper@gmail.com> wrote:

On 21/05/2024 08.08, James Nicoll wrote:

He Walked Among Us by Norman Spinrad
>
Can the comedian from tomorrow avert dystopia and save a disgruntled
SF author's ailing career in the process?
>
https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/pass

>
I always have concerns about stories featuring authors whose careers
are on the skids; especially when they're written by authors whose
careers were on the skids.

 
It's kind of depressing to consider authors like Silverberg, Brunner,
Spinrad, and Disch--and no doubt others--who were willing to put in
the effort to produce ambitious works, only to be rewarded with
disppointing or flat-out awful sales. In Brunner's case, in two
separate episodes. In the case of Disch, to have one's big success
be a kid's book.
 
Gene Wolfe seems to have escaped that trap. I wonder how?

>
>
Books like "Castleview" and "Free live free" did not, I think, sell
well.  His career changed with "The Shadow of the Torturer". My copy was
in strong demand from impecunious friends who had never before heard of
Wolfe.   I can only assume that a number of pecunious friends also
wanted to read the book.
>

 
Silverberg briefly retired, then returned with skillful pablum.

>
>
But also with "The Alien Years", which focuses largely on a
Heinlein-style family in confrontation with inconceivably advanced
aliens.  It would be interesting to know what RAH would think of it, but
in his absence, perhaps we can ask Lynn.
>
Published about the same time as Dickson's "Way of the pilgrim" in which
our alien occupiers are also inconceivably advanced but not quite as
difficult to understand.  Again dealt with in a manner not likely to
meet with the approval of John W. Campbell.
>
>

Brunner... well, I won't get to that part of his career until August.

>
He just seemed to vanish.  I was puzzled at the time.
>

The explanation is very depressing.

Although not as bad as the choice he got later in life of taking
his blood pressure meds and living at the cost of losing the ability
to write, or retaining the ability to write at the cost of dying young
(Which I think is the same choice Kornbluth got).
--
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