Brian Aldiss Anyone? (1 Viewer)

[Cormcolash]

Yeah HARM was good, interesting societal kind of study of sorts, taking things to an extreme that actually doesn't seem that far off.

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

Brian writes…

I am trying to keep this quiet, but in August I am going to celebrate my ninetieth birthday.

My publishers will celebrate by publishing a limited edition in facsimile of my teenage collection of stories entitled ”Whip Donovan”. These wonderful survivors are liberally illustrated by my watercolour paintings. They were executed when I should have been studying theology…

I am currently working on a long novel set in Russia in the 18th century. Typical SF, of course.

Harper Voyager will soon reprint everything I wrote in the sixties decade (another case of missing theology…)

BWA

Brian Aldiss | science fiction grandmaster & author of English prose

A long sci-fi novel set in 18th century Russia! I was a bit worried about not hearing much about him lately.

Oh, more info - it's "an appallingly long novel. (I have fallen under the influence of Tolstoy."
Brian Aldiss Interview - Interviews - Science Fiction and Fantasy World | SFFWorld

 

[Cormcolash]

Currently 3/4 of the way through the Helliconia trilogy. Beast of a book, 1300+ pages.

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

Currently 3/4 of the way through the Helliconia trilogy. Beast of a book, 1300+ pages.

What do you make of it so far?

 

[Cormcolash]

What do you make of it so far?

Very near the end now. Really liked it for the most part. It's a bit different in terms of the construction of the storyline, kind of non-standard for SF but reminiscent of some stuff by earlier authors like Olaf Stapledon for example. The world construction is great, and it's interesting how he forms analogies with Earth history for a lot of things but alters them to fit in his conception. It's also kind of cool how pretty much every character is flawed in one way or another, so there's not really any hero to look at. It's also interesting how the final volume in the trilogy takes a more traditional SF approach by linking back to Earth events and developing that side of the story.
I'd imagine that these books were fairly innovative when they were first published, without exactly being radical, if that makes sense!

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

I found them fairly straight forward and generic in terms of the structure, at least by Aldiss standards. Summer was great but I didn't think much of the other two. It all went a bit new agey, if I recall correctly.

 

[Lili Marlene]

And well by the looks of him here, between michael moorcock and some other lad at some yoke last week

The new website is nice, although not all the contents seems to be there yet. I wish more people would read Aldiss books and discuss them here.

http://brianaldiss.co.uk

Funnily enough I stumbled onto his website tonight, it's still quite good. I have never read anything by him, recommend me one will ye?

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

Funnily enough I stumbled onto his website tonight, it's still quite good. I have never read anything by him, recommend me one will ye?

• The Malacia Tapestry
• Brothers of the Head*
• Dracula Unbound
• The Squire Quartet is good, first one is the worst iirc
• The Moment of Eclipse and The Secret of this Book are excellent short story collections. The first is mostly sci-fi-ish and the second less so

After that it gets a bit hit and miss but even most of his not-so-great ones have something that makes them worthwhile.

The Helliconia trilogy is very popular but very over-rated in my opinion

* get the original illustrated edition, I got it for $0.80

 

[Cormcolash]

I found them fairly straight forward and generic in terms of the structure, at least by Aldiss standards. Summer was great but I didn't think much of the other two. It all went a bit new agey, if I recall correctly.

I thought it all started a bit new agey. Guess it does get more that way in Winter. I don't think they're very conventional though, but obviously not a patch on a book like The Malacia Tapestry.

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

Aldiss on a random selection of his novels and their covers
PressReader - Connecting People Through News

 

[Lili Marlene]

Aldiss on a random selection of his novels and their covers
PressReader - Connecting People Through News

I still haven't read any of his stuff but I was telling my 93 year old grandfather about him the other day, told him to get up and write a book already

 

[David Kronenbourg]

I've read Frankenstein Unbound and liked it. The Malacia Tapestry just arrived in the post.

 

[Lili Marlene]

• The Malacia Tapestry
• Brothers of the Head*
• Dracula Unbound
• The Squire Quartet is good, first one is the worst iirc
• The Moment of Eclipse and The Secret of this Book are excellent short story collections. The first is mostly sci-fi-ish and the second less so

After that it gets a bit hit and miss but even most of his not-so-great ones have something that makes them worthwhile.

The Helliconia trilogy is very popular but very over-rated in my opinion

* get the original illustrated edition, I got it for $0.80

I bought a book by him yesterday. None of these. FUCK YOUR ADVICE

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

I bought a book by him yesterday. None of these. FUCK YOUR ADVICE

Do I have to ask what one you bought?

 

[Lili Marlene]

Do I have to ask what one you bought?

I have forgotten and i can't find it on his bibliography online. Some mid 80's eco-one that isn't part of a massive series.

 

[Lili Marlene]

I have forgotten and i can't find it on his bibliography online. Some mid 80's eco-one that isn't part of a massive series.

mid 60's as it turns out

something called Earthworks.

I'll get to it when i finish the one i'm on now

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

That one is a bit forgettable

 

[Lili Marlene]

FFS. I'll read Frankenstein Unbound after this and if it's no good i'm gonna hold you responsible

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

FFS. I'll read Frankenstein Unbound after this and if it's no good i'm gonna hold you responsible

I already know that you only gave Frankenstein Unbound two stars on goodreads. That was the one that I meant to say was excellent, not Dracula Unbound although that one is quite enjoyable.

Anyway...

Brian Aldiss at 90: 'British readers had a prejudice against science fiction'

Agatha Christie’s secret
When I was a young bookseller in Oxford, I was fortunate enough to have lunch with Agatha Christie at All Souls College. She was very grand but all sweetness, and I plucked up the courage to look for some writerly advice, asking how she came up with such complex novels that tie together so neatly. She told me she wrote the books as normal, all the way through, before pausing at the penultimate chapter. She’d then work out who was the least likely character to have committed the crime and go back to fix a few train timetables, alter some relationships and make sure it all made sense, before proceeding to the end.

 

[Lili Marlene]

It wasn't great, no. The entire

Spoiler

going-back-in-time-and-making-out-with-Mary-Shelley-and-telling-your-wife-all-about-it

story was a bit ludicrous. He seems to have been pretty prescient on how science would be viewed in the further (i.e. the present) though. That was impressive.

I'll still probably read the one you said was shite though, since I have it.