"The Second Coming" by Joe Gores...I've mentioned elsewhere, including in my obituary/book review here recently, how much this story, about a pair of goofy young men who think they've scored a great opportunity for a macabre lark by managing to qualify as witnesses to a legal execution at a penitentiary, got me to thinking as a kid about all the reasons I opposed the death penalty. I've not been persuaded that there's a good argument for it since.
"Pacifist" by Mack Reynolds...similarly, this story, about an operative who is engaged in an attempt to use violent means in a very "retail" manner to ensure the larger peace, is one of the several thoughtful, key stories contributed by Reynolds, the son of Verne Reynolds, once the presidential candidate of the very doctrinaire US Marxist organization the Socialist Labor Party (Daniel De Leon, the party's founder, denounced Marx himself for the latter's own deviations; the SLP is the oldest of the US's leftist parties, albeit it's never been large). A wry, satirical (but not bluntly so) story that is perhaps part of why I found the recent film Wanted so dire, as the latter is an empty-headed, pseudo-mystical and machismic attempt to deal with similar matters.
"The Genius" by Donald Barthelme...a very funny story about the quotidian details in the life of a man recognized for his mental prowess, and his attempts to do something worthwhile beyond what he's already achieved. One incident: his successful call for a conclave of geniuses unfortunately results, inevitably, in hundreds of geniuses in one room...an experience which on several levels depresses him. It was a helpful suggestion that being, shall we put it as very bright, would not solve every problem one would face, and that was not in and of itself a failing.
"The Meeting" by Frederik Pohl and C. M. Kornbluth...Pohl and Kornbluth were friends, collaborators, had a period of estrangement, came up together in the remarkable group of young writers et alia known as the Futurians...and both had children with learning disabilities, Kornbluth's apparently very severe. Kornbluth died young, from the hypertension that had been brought on by his exertive experiences as an infantryman in World War II, and left a number of fragments that Pohl went about completing and publishing in the late 1960s and early 1970s...and while Kornbluth, even before he was dealt some really very unfortunate hands in his adult life, was drawn to an incisive and grim view of the world, and Pohl, both in other "posthumous collaborations" with Kornbluth around this time such as "Mute Inglorious Tam" and his solo work such as "Shaffery Among the Immortals" (quite aside from his similar earlier work) was quite willing to take the same acidic approach, "The Meeting" is something a bit different, a much more stripped-down and mimetic matter of coping with monstrous decisions and fighting one's way through them. It was both a warning about what life could be like and advice on how to cope with that.
5+:
There are so many that might dislodge any one of the above at another time...Joanna Russ wrote several, though one of the least likely in this context might be "Useful Phrases for the Tourist," which was one of my first utterly non-narrative stories that still was utterly clearly a story, as well as a hilarious jape. Carol Emshwiller ("Sex and/or Mr. Morrison") and Kate Wilhelm ("The Funeral"), likewise...which reminds me of R. A. Lafferty's "Fog in My Throat," with its remarkable take on how we all experience death.
And then there are stories that might not actually nudge one's thoughts so much as simply grip one, shake one up, offer fresh perspective...as, say, Fritz Leiber and Jorge Luis Borges were always good for that for me, Patricia Highsmith, Damon Knight and Muriel Spark usually, Avram Davidson, Ursula Le Guin and Tillie Olsen frequently, John Cheever sometimes. As are these two examples (two I hope you've encountered before):
"Rachel in Love" by Pat Murphy
"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" by Joyce Carol Oates
Were there any short stories, particularly that helped change your perspectives on life, in specific or more sweeping ways?
I started reading these four issues of the four most important US fantasy-fiction magazines to come into their own the 1950s (how many modifiers is that?...you know, to rule out the dying Weird Tales and Famous Fantastic Mysteries, the Fantastic Adventures merged with Fantastic, the several shortlived magazines essentially called just Fantasy, the remarkably uneven Imagination and Imaginative Tales) in May, and what with working and cataracts (since dealt with) and other demands on my time, I still haven't gotten too much further than my initial read through Algis Budrys's lead novella in the Beyond issue...but I have read at least some of each of the others...so...a progress report:
***In the F&SF: H. B. Fyfe's "Ransom" is a solid example of what Christopher Anvil and Randall Garrett and Eric Frank Russell (at low ebb) later would do worse, repeatedly, for Astounding, and Analog after the 1960 retitling: the aliens who think they're much smarter than the humans they are tackling. Fyfe, one of the underappreciated writers in the field several decades after his suicide, takes more pains to make the aliens here, if too anthropomorphic (and certainly a bit too Medici-esque), at least reasonably sharp and dangerous, rather more of a challenge for their human adversaries than the later yard goods would offer. From previous reading, Ray Bradbury's "The Pedestrian" is a relatively famous, slight and overdirected vignette about over-regulation, comic inferno that doesn't gain too much from being sparked by an actual incident of being asked by cop why he, Bradbury was walking in LA rather than driving (some stereotypes have long roots); Thurber's "If Grant Had Been Drinking at Appomattox" remains punchy and genuinely funny, if now even more widely-familiar than it surely was in 1952...
Indices from ISFDb:
The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, February 1952
3 • Ransom • shortstory by H. B. Fyfe
10 • The Rape of the Lock • [Gavagan's Bar] • shortstory by L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt
18 • Report from the Editors • essay by The Editors
19 • Ugly Sister • (1935) • shortstory by Jan Struther
25 • The Hunting of the Slan • (1849) • essay by Edgar Allan Poe
26 • Flood • shortstory by L. Major Reynolds
32 • Mrs. Poppledore's Id • novelette by Reginald Bretnor [as by R. Bretnor ]
52 • Minister Without Portfolio • shortstory by Mildred Clingerman
59 • The Good Life • shortstory by John R. Pierce [as by J. J. Coupling ]
68 • The 8:29 • shortstory by Edward S. Sullivan
74 • Jizzle • (1949) • shortstory by John Wyndham
84 • The Giant Finn MacCool • (1951) • shortstory by William Bernard Ready [as by W. B. Ready ]
89 • The Pedestrian • (1951) • shortstory by Ray Bradbury
93 • The Two Magicians • (1678) • shortstory by Nathaniel Wanley
94 • The Lonely Worm • shortstory by Kenneth H. Cassens
105 • Recommended Reading (F&SF, February 1952) • [Recommended Reading] • essay by The Editors
105 • Review: The Day After Tomorrow by Robert A. Heinlein • review by The Editors
105 • Review: The Green Hills of Earth by Robert A. Heinlein • review by The Editors
105 • Review: The Puppet Masters by Robert A. Heinlein • review by The Editors
106 • Review: The House of Many Worlds by Sam Merwin, Jr. • review by The Editors
106 • Review: Loneliest Girl in the World by Kenneth Fearing • review by The Editors
106 • Review: World of Wonder by Fletcher Pratt • review by The Editors
106 • Review: New Tales of Space and Time by Raymond J. Healy • review by The Editors
106 • Review: Space on My Hands by Fredric Brown • review by The Editors
106 • Review: Bullard of the Space Patrol by Malcolm Jameson • review by The Editors
106 • Review: The Great Disciple and Other Stories by W. B. Ready • review by The Editors
107 • Review: Rockets, Jets, Guided Missiles and Spaceships by Jack Coggins and Fletcher Pratt • review by The Editors
107 • Review: Space Medicine: The Human Factor in Flights Beyond the Earth by John P. Marbarger • review by The Editors
107 • Review: Index to the Science-Fiction Magazines (1926-1950) by Donald B. Day • review by The Editors
108 • Worlds of If • essay by The Editors
109 • Hands Off • (1881) • shortstory by Edward Everett Hale
119 • If Grant Had Been Drinking at Appomattox • (1930) • shortstory by James Thurber
119 • Review: If, or History Rewritten by J. C. Squire • review by The Editors
122 • The Hole in the Moon • shortstory by Margaret St. Clair [as by Idris Seabright]
***In the Fantastic, B. Traven's novelet is at least twice as long as it might be if Traven wasn't milking it for every nickel per word he was likely to get out of the magazine...and yet still making the story charming and engaging, even when the repetition was not disguised at all. A Mexican peasant strikes a canny bargain with Death, and faces the relatively ambiguous consequences. It won't make you forget the work Traven is more famous for (The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, most obviously), but some of the grit and qualified empathy one finds there is here, too. "The Delicate Dinosaur" is almost definitive "slick" fantasy, of the sort Fantastic was always happy to have, in the sense of a smoothly-written, relatively unsurprising, mildly diverting romp that tries to make a not terribly shocking point about collective self-delusion. Howard Browne did love his ambiguous endings. William Altman was one of the relatively large number of CBS network folks who wrote fiction on the side, often for fantasy magazines (Reid Collins comes to mind, the CBS News guy of the '70s; somewhat more mimetic-fiction-oriented was CBS Morning News anchor Hughes Rudd). I can't find an image of the whole wraparound cover for this issue, with another panel of unusual Richard Powers quasi-realism, and the banner for Shirley Jackson's story, so I might need to scan my copy...
Fantastic, March-April 1953
fep • They Write... • essay by Shirley Jackson
fep • They Write... • essay by Billy Rose
fep • They Write... • essay by B. Traven
4 • The Third Guest • novelette by B. Traven
4 • The Third Guest • interior artwork by Tom O'Sullivan
37 • The Delicate Dinosaur • shortstory by William Markham Altman
37 • The Delicate Dinosaur • interior artwork by J. Bryan
55 • Cartoon: "Don't look like they're coming." • interior artwork by Mendoza
56 • The Cold Green Eye • shortstory by Jack Williamson
56 • The Cold Green Eye • interior artwork by Ernie Barth
66 • Something for the Woman • shortstory by Randall Garrett [as by Ivar Jorgensen]
66 • Something for the Woman • interior artwork by Emsh
74 • The Sword of Yung Lo • shortstory by Maurice Walsh
74 • The Sword of Yung Lo • interior artwork by Bill Ashman
88 • Cartoon: "Anything wild?" • interior artwork by Frosty
90 • Stop on the Red • shortstory by Franklin Gregory
90 • Stop on the Red • interior artwork by Charles Berger
102 • Escape Me Never • novelette by J. T. McIntosh [as by J. T. M'Intosh]
102 • Escape Me Never • interior artwork by Emsh
121 • Cartoon: "Now That's enough, John. Our guests aren't interested in your old voodoo hobby." • interior artwork by Ray Dillon
124 • Root of Evil • shortstory by Shirley Jackson
124 • Root of Evil • interior artwork by Virgil Finlay
130 • A Star Falls on Broadway • shortstory by Harry Walton [as by Harry Fletcher]
130 • A Star Falls on Broadway • interior artwork by Leo Summers [as by L. R. Summers]
132 • Three Wishes • shortstory by Poul Anderson
133 • Three Wishes • interior artwork by Dick Francis
136 • Cartoon: "Go Where?" • interior artwork by Ray Dillon
139 • The Devil George and Rosie • (1934) • shortstory by John Collier (aka The Devil, George, and Rosie)
139 • The Devil George and Rosie • interior artwork by David Stone
159 • The Tourists • (1949) • shortstory by Billy Rose
159 • The Tourists • interior artwork by Emsh [as by Harry Garo]
***The Beyond's next story, by Richard Deming, is a somewhat disappointing fantasy from someone who would focus his efforts on usually better straightforward crime fiction in the coming years. But it is somewhat amusing as an example of the Prodigal Adult Child returning to a slightly more sad and sinister than usual nest of his youth. Slight enough that I've forgotten the mild twist ending already.
Beyond Fantasy Fiction, November 1953
2 • The Real People • novella by Algis Budrys
2 • The Real People • interior artwork by Ashman
57 • The Helpful Haunt • shortstory by Richard Deming
57 • The Helpful Haunt • interior artwork by Kossin
70 • Hush! • shortstory by Zenna Henderson
70 • Hush! • interior artwork by Don Rico
80 • House . . . Wife • novelette by Lyle G. Boyd and William C. Boyd [as by Boyd Ellanby ]
80 • House . . . Wife • interior artwork by Sale
109 • Just Imagine • shortstory by Ted Reynolds
109 • Just Imagine • interior artwork by Vidmer
113 • The Big Breeze • shortstory by Franklin Gregory
113 • The Big Breeze • interior artwork by Sale
128 • Sorry, Right Number • shortstory by Richard Matheson
128 • Sorry, Right Number • interior artwork by Sussman
140 • My Darling Hecate • novelette by Wyman Guin
140 • My Darling Hecate • interior artwork by Emsh
159 • Prediction (Beyond Fantasy Fiction, November 1953) • essay by uncredited
***This Fantastic Universe offers another long lead story by Algis Budrys, who was from the beginning of his career as fascinated by labyrinthine political manipulation and intellectual power-brokers as the child of spies turned diplomats might be. Another well-thought-out if still obviously too human alien species here, with humans (relentlessly "Earthmen") and another alien species as the problems to be juggled. Haven't finished this one yet, so am not sure if the rather arbitrary frame, where the alien protagonist is bitterly regretful that he didn't take the opportunity he could've to confer with his successor in command, will have some fleshing out of the actual reasons for that noncommunication other than plot convenience ("If only I hadn't forgotten to impart this over the years!"--happily, not a quotation from the story).
Fantastic Universe, November 1954
fep • The Story Behind the Cover (Fantastic Universe, November 1954) • essay by Frank Belknap Long
4 • Shadow on the Stars • novelette by Algis Budrys
29 • Miss Katy Three • shortstory by Robert F. Young
38 • Subject for Today • shortstory by Henry Hasse
45 • The Killing Winds of Churgenon • shortstory by Evelyn Goldstein
54 • The Briscoe Bolt • shortstory by Len Guttridge
59 • Mr. Hoskin's Blasting Rod • novelette by Theodore R. Cogswell
79 • Minority Group • shortstory by Robert Sheckley
87 • Man of Distinction • shortstory by Frank Belknap Long
94 • An Old, Old Friend • shortstory by David Eynon [as by David Lewis Eynon ]
100 • The Tormented Ones • shortstory by Richard R. Smith
110 • Give a Man a Chair He Can Lick • shortstory by Hal K. Wells
122 • A Lion in Your Lap • shortstory by Frank Belknap Long [as by Frank Doty ]
126 • Universe in Books (Fantastic Universe, November 1954) • [Universe in Books (Fantastic Universe)] • essay by Robert Frazier (active 1954-1955)
126 • Review: The Explorers by C. M. Kornbluth • review by Robert Frazier (active 1954-1955)
126 • Review: The Forgotten Planet by Murray Leinster • review by Robert Frazier (active 1954-1955)
127 • Review: The Science-Fiction Subtreasury by Wilson Tucker • review by Robert Frazier (active 1954-1955)
127 • Review: Giant Anthology of Science Fiction by Leo Margulies and Oscar J. Friend • review by Robert Frazier (active 1954-1955)
128 • Review: The Immortal Storm: A History of Science Fiction Fandom by Sam Moskowitz • review by Robert Frazier (active 1954-1955)
Please see Patti Abbott's blog (and welcome home) for more of today's "Forgotten" Books selections and recommendations...this, clearly, is what happens when I skip a week...
