tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525415828746712027.post2515555869547137155..comments2024-03-27T22:39:08.396-04:00Comments on Sweet Freedom: FFB: Joan Aiken, THE GREEN FLASH; THE BEST OF MARGARET ST. CLAIR (Greenberg, ed.); C. M. Kornbluth, THIRTEEN O'CLOCK AND OTHER ZERO HOURS (Blish, ed.)Todd Masonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815516018079824802noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525415828746712027.post-761209107972924122010-12-03T22:11:02.303-05:002010-12-03T22:11:02.303-05:00Steve--Thanks for that. Scott Cupp's entry for...Steve--Thanks for that. Scott Cupp's entry for this week's roundelay is a collection of Henry Kuttner stories in the DOC SAVAGE mode, with a cover illustration lifted from THRILLING ADVENTURE that looks for all the world like a Buster Crabbe FLASH GORDON poster...for that matter, the Freas illo, if it isn't of a redheaded Marilyn Monroe, could be. The Lawrence woman also looks vaguely cinematically familiar. What a boon to the painter, photogoraphy, no?<br /><br />As you can gather, I'm rather happy about all three writers, and Aiken was the most prolific, I think...the English daughter of a Canadian mother and the American Conrad Aiken, most famously a poet but his "Silent Snow, Secret Snow" is a horror short-story chestnut.<br /><br />Kate--perhaps something can be done about that.<br /><br />George--I've read so few of Aiken's novels that I have a large repository awaiting me. I have to wonder how her Regencies stack up to Heyer's.<br /><br />Jerry--I'm not sure whether I read on Frederik Pohl's blog that someone was in the process of putting some of the "Park" novels back in print...I should check. <br /><br />Scott--As with some other volumes, including revival volumes under discussion today, the NESFA volumes' biggest problem by me is bad proofing...since I'm basically in need of reading glasses anyway, small type isn't necessarily dissuasive...down to a point, or at least five-point type, at least (Bantam and some other vintage paperbacks can be a challenge...latter-1970s Ace books, on the other hand, are all but default "easy eye" books (and the collapsing Lancer tagged its Magnum line, a good cheap source of classics in my youth, as the discount department store WT Grant's sold them and other Lancer titles for a quarter apiece in 1974 and '75). (That was where one got one's Scout paraphernalia and ViewMaster packets and 8mm Castle film abridgements of horror features and travelogues, too...)Todd Masonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01815516018079824802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525415828746712027.post-87374669490056208232010-12-03T19:38:00.721-05:002010-12-03T19:38:00.721-05:00I don't know Aiken at all, but I am in total a...I don't know Aiken at all, but I am in total agreement about the other two. BTW, if I recall correctly the St. Clair book doesn't mention that the nice future-landscape science fiction cover is actually taken from a still of Alla Nazimova in the 1923 movie of Oscar Wilde's <i>Salomé</i>, with a production design based on the Beardsley illustrations:<br /><br />http://content8.flixster.com/photo/67/85/62/6785622_gal.jpgSteveHLhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01745665231586422220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525415828746712027.post-85451363325761822352010-12-03T13:25:34.129-05:002010-12-03T13:25:34.129-05:00I need to remedy my lack of St. Clair. Seriously.I need to remedy my lack of St. Clair. Seriously.C. Margery Kempehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15910282257993793334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525415828746712027.post-3340366086553095202010-12-03T09:50:55.201-05:002010-12-03T09:50:55.201-05:00You've picked three wonderful writers! Kornbl...You've picked three wonderful writers! Kornbluth is a favorite. I've liked everything of Margaret St. Clair that I've read. I have a lot of Joan Aiken books stacked up. I need to read more of her work.Georgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04546161337366365635noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525415828746712027.post-74804235229959633032010-12-03T09:46:17.562-05:002010-12-03T09:46:17.562-05:00Great choices, Todd. I'm a fan of all three a...Great choices, Todd. I'm a fan of all three authors and have read most of their books. I am particularly fond of Aiken's Armitage family and her Mortimer stories. St. Clair's work still amazes me. Kornbluth was one of the best writers in the field, and <br />(going outside the field) isn't it time for some publisher to bring an omnibus of his "Jordan Park" books? (Are you listening, Stark House? Ramble House? Anybody?)<br /><br />I also ditto Scott about a St. Clair volume.Jerry Househttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09482856733981933159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8525415828746712027.post-20320716618423760662010-12-03T07:41:58.536-05:002010-12-03T07:41:58.536-05:00Three truly deserving choices, Todd. I have been ...Three truly deserving choices, Todd. I have been a fan of Margaret St. Clair for years and, yes, a NESFA volume would be wonderful. The Kornbluth NESFA is amazing but, as you pointed out, lacks the Blish notes and has type that almost makes a magnifying class necessary.Scott Cuppnoreply@blogger.com