Which books/covers/authors in the post intrigue you? Which have you read? Disliked? Enjoyed?
1. Away From the Here and Now, Clare Winger Harris (1947)
Uncredited–JM initials but no known name–cover for the 1st edition
From the inside flap: “In this age of atomic bombs and radar to the moon, Mrs. Harris’ stories may prove closer to the “here and now” than the title would indicate. Mrs. Harris Proudly claims the distinction of being the first woman science-fiction writer in the country. Each of her stories is based upon a sound scientific fact, carried so plausibly to the nth degree that at no time does it overstain credulity. The stories possess the qualities of dealing with ideas of big importance to the human race, of presenting those ideas in a plausible form, and of appealing to emotions that exist deep within the heart of every human being whether he be scientific or not.
Here is sugar-coated science.”
Contents: “A Runaway World” (1926), “The Fate of Poseidonia” (1927), “A Certain Soldier” (1927), “The Diabolical Drug” (1929), “The Miracle of the Lily” (1928), “A Baby on Neptune” (1929), “The Artificial man” (1929), “The Menace of Mars” (1928), “The Evolutionary Monstrosity” (1929), “The Fifth Dimension” (1928), “The Ape Cycle” (1930)
Initial Thoughts: I’m now the proud owner of what I’m almost sure is the first published collection of short stories by a female science fiction author who wrote for genre magazines. Clare Winger Harris’ Away From Here and Now (1947) contains stories published in the 1920s and early 30s. She was awarded the Cordwainer Smith Rediscovery Award earlier this year. The collection contains all but one of her SF stories–“The Vibrometer” (1933) is left out.
2. Man Plus, Frederik Pohl (1976)
Uncredited cover for the 1977 edition
From the back cover: “Take a man. Replace his eyes with faceted red globes, his nose with flaring, leathery nostrils, his skin with poreless, hairless plastic. Add bat ears, which are photo receptors, and huge black wings, which are solar energizers…
MAN PLUS
A novel of unbearable suspense… a desperate political gamble to save earth from destroying itself… the struggle of a man who is more than a man to become the first Martian…”
Initial Thoughts: Nominated for the 1977 Hugo Award. Won the 1977 Nebula. I’m shocked that I didn’t already have a copy! Certainly a bizarre cover…
3. Soul of the Robot, Barrington J. Bayley (1974)
Bob Layzell’s cover for the 1977 UK edition
From the back cover (of the Doubleday 1st edition that I was unable to scan due to the poor quality of the dust jacket and the library book protective cover): “A new excitement germinated in Jasperodus’ mind: the excitement known to the world as AMBITION: “I have been through fire and am purged of despair and self-doubt. Am I less of a man than Horsu Greb? Than King Zhorm? Than Padua, even? Am I capable of less than they? Demonstrably, no! And I shall prove my worth. I shall prove it by gaining power over them… they shall all defer to Jasperodus the robot!”
A robot with self
Initial Thoughts: Back in the early days of the site, Bayley featured prominently. The Garments of Caean (1976) remains my favorite of his novels — so far. I covered Bayley’s “Exit from City 5” (1971) in my generation ship short story review series back in January. I recently read a review by Andy Johnson (who occasionally leaves comments on the site) of The Soul of the Robot (1974), which prompted me to acquire a copy.
4. The Cold Cash War, Robert Asprin (1977)
Wayne Barlow’s cover for the 1978 edition
From the back cover: “THE CORPORATE WARS WERE ON!
THEY WERE SOPHISTICATED GAMES PLAYED WITH ALL THE SUBTLETY AND SKILL TECHNOLOGY COULD DEVISE.
Until saving costs became more important than life itself.
At the corporate negotiations table, beautiful Judy Simmons announced the change in rules. Beneath her tough exterior she was shaken–shaken enough to confide in Fred Willard, her most dangerous rival. They would come to share the horror of what lay ahead.
But even they had never heard of Steve Tidwell. He had been picked from the world’s best fighting men and given an offer he couldn’t refuse.
What began as an exercise in tactics leapt out of control, as a mercenary army trained for the ultimate confrontation between the corporations and the rest of the world.”
Initial Thoughts: I haven’t read anything by Asprin. This one looks fun. I’m a fan of Barlowe’s cover.
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Science Fiction and Other Suspect Ruminations 
You know what I think of Clare Winger Harris’ work — not stuff much in fashion today, but intriguing and highly imaginative.
I’ve read a lot of Barrington Bayley, and he too could be described as “intriguing and highly imaginative”. A fascinating writer. Alas, I haven’t read The Soul of the Robot, though I do hear good things about it.
I haven’t read Man Plus since shortly after it appeared, but I do remember quite liking it. And I think I read “Cold Cash War”, the novella version, in Analog back in the day. I thought it just OK, and when he started doing the comic fantasy things I really didn’t much like them.
I imagine my interest in her work will be purely historical rather than literary. I look forward to reading them. Did you have a favorite story? I assume you reread them all as you’re on the Cordwainer Smith Rediscovery Award panel 🙂
I snagged the Asprin as I thought it might, due to the corporate dystopia premise, discuss worker rights and oppression.
Definitely check out the review of Bayley I linked. I thoroughly enjoy Andy Johnson’s site!
The Asprin novel sounds a lot like a less engaging version of Mack Reynolds’ Joe Mauser series (like Mercenary from Tomorrow). I see that one of the characters in Cold Cash War is even named “Mausier”. I am wondering how much of an influence Asprin credited Reynolds.
Sounds like a homage for sure!
Clare Winger Harris’s book was published by Dorrance–a vanity press. But don’t be deterred by that. I think she was a victim of timing and not lack of merit. Her book was published in 1947, just as the brief flowering of specialty SF presses was getting started, and likely contracted for the previous year. Even if she had waited a year longer, she probably wouldn’t have gotten published by a paying publisher because her work was almost all done in the 1920s and partakes of its period flavor, and none of it (the SF anyway) was at novel length. She seems to be pretty well regarded now, though it’s been so long since I read anything of hers that I don’t remember much about it.
The book blurb I reproduced above does scream self-promotion. Yeah, she just won the Cordwainer Smith Rediscovery award — and Rich Horton, who left a comment earlier, was on the panel. As I mentioned to him, I imagine I will most enjoy it due to its historical importance. I struggle with SF before WWII (with a few exceptions).
I could only hand out Two Stars to ‘Soul of the Robot,’ it will be interesting to see what you think of it……..
tarbandu
https://theporporbooksblog.blogspot.com/search/label/Soul%20of%20the%20Robot
Thank you for the link. I included a link to Any Johnson’s review of the book above — check it out as well. As you know, it could be years and years before I get to it.
I loved Man Plus. The story focuses on how the technology effects one human being, without getting lost in navel-gazing.
I’m surprised you haven’t read Robert Asprin. His Another Fine Myth series of comic fantasy is pretty well known. The Cold Cash War is pretty good, in my opinion, speculative sociological SF. Sort of a slightly less dark Shockwave Rider.
As for Apsrin, probably as I have little interest in fantasy. Especially comic fantasy! No Terry Pratchett for me. While I’d like to think I’ve read a huge swath of the SF from the decades I enjoy, I am still relatively young in comparison to many fans of SF from that era — as in, I’m a child of the late late late 80s. haha.
Cordwainer Smith, H. Beam Piper, William F. Nolan, Mildred Clingerman, Paul Cook, Kenneth bulmer, and Zenna Henderson are a few names that come to mind that I just have not read yet in any meaningful way (maybe a story or two that I never sat down and wrote about). And many more!
It’s been awhile since I’ve read Man Plus, my memory is that it is the weakest of Pohl’s late 70s novels (Jem is the best). While the psychological strain of becoming a cyborg is handled well, the book relies too heavily on a not particularly interesting and rather heavy-handed twist ending.
Shaky Mo Collier: the book relies too heavily on a not particularly interesting and rather heavy-handed twist ending.
That ending was slightly more interesting and less heavy-handed when Man Plus was first published. It might even have been the first time the idea of all the world’s computers ‘waking up’ was done, though even back then I still found it a little ho-hum — as you say.
I recently re-read Man Plus and several other Pohl works. What struck me more than the cyborgization — though that was fine for the time, and Pohl almost always made some attempt at real sfnal speculation rather than just SF tropes — was, firstly, that he was much better with people and their flaws than most SF writers and, secondly, how variable the quality of his writing was, once you got past the apparent constant fluency of his style.
That is, there were Pohl novels and stories that were about as good as SF gets, and there were others when he was just phoning it in — and the difference wasn’t immediately obvious on a paragraph-by-paragraph level.
There were also Pohl books like The Cool War (1979), which left a lot of SF readers cold at the time but is about forty-fifty years ahead of its time with its speculations about asymmetric warfare, and short stories like ‘The Kindly Isle’ (1984) with its notion of behavior control through genetically-engineered pathogens.
“Firstly, that he was much better with people and their flaws than most SF writers” — This point is what struck me when I read Gateway for the first time. The terror that immobilizes him until he runs out of money. As in, how front and center the narrative dwelled on the psychological damage caused by extremely limited knowledge of the dangerous alien technology they depend on to acquire great wealth.
I’m inclined to agree that one of Pohl’s saving graces is his capacity for strong, believable characters/narrators. Sometimes his ideas/plots get away from him though.
Appreciate the reminder on the Cool War, thats one I havent read and should keep an eye out for.
I strongly agree with Shaky Mo that JEM is the best of Pohl’s late ’70s novels — which for me means it’s the best of all Pohl’s novels. It’s a great and very dark book. It brought me to tears at the end, tears of frustration and anger (at humanity) — and it’s the only book I have ever literally thrown across the room, not because it was so bad but because it was so good.
I did like The Cool War a good deal as well, though as noted it’s not got quite the reception as other Pohl novels. And, yes, he did sometimes — often, late in his career — just mail it in — and even then his talent was enough to usually make the book entertaining (if typically insubstantial.)
I’m all for a deeply affective and dark reading experience! Count me intrigued. I also look forward to your article on Pohl and labor issues in Journey Planet.
I enjoyed Man Plus very much back in the 1980s (but did not like the sequel coauthored by Thomas Thomas).
What were your favorite elements?
As I recall, I liked the psychological effects of the main character’s transformation and the twist ending
Yeah, I need to return to Pohl’s 70s work. I found, in my late teens, the psychological bits of Pohl’s Gatweway (1977) absolutely brilliant — and I think I would appreciate that angle of his work even more now.
I mentioned it above but knowing your tastes I would highly recommend Jem. Has some of the best characterizations of a truly alien culture/psychology of the period, akin to Vinge’s (much later) Fire in the Deep & Deepness in the Sky.
(Plz forgive the Vinge citation there, I know those are outside your preferred era)
Haha, hey, I’ve read a ton of SF after that date in my younger years — late teens. I’ve read every Hugo Award winning novel published before 2000 or so (later ones include Gaiman’s American Gods, Sawyer’s Hominids, Wilson’s Spin, Mieville’s The City & The City). I was on an unhealthy diet of Stross, Brin, and Robert Charles Wilson ~2011 when I realized most of my enjoyment came from SF in conjunction with an earlier historical context.
Yeah, I am always a bit more interested when characterization concerns humans and their oblique interiors — but yes, I have a copy somewhere, on one of many shelves.
I read Vinge’s novels as an older teen. I enjoyed them at the time.
I usually enjoy Barrington Bayley very much, almost entirely bacause of his apparently endless supply of bizarre ideas, but I’ve always been a bit sceptical of Soul of the Robot. What seem to be the main idea – an artificial creature in search of its “self”, is such a trite SF kliche by now, and not something I’m interested in.
Still, if someone could make it sufficiently weird to be interesting, it might well be Bayley. So… I’ll be looking forward to what you have to say, and maybe I’ll give it a try if I stumble upon a cheap copy at some point.
I agree — Bayley is never shorts of ideas. Here’s the review that inspired me to track down The Soul of the Robot as it could be years before I cover it: https://www.andyjohnson.xyz/home/a-case-of-consciousness-the-soul-of-the-robot-1974-by-barrington-j-bayley-review
Thanks for the mention – really appreciate you taking the time to visit my site. While I still prefer The Garments of Caean, I did enjoy The Soul of the Robot. I have two more of Bayley’s books on hand which I plan to read and review within 2024 – The Grand Wheel (1977) and the author’s only sequel The Rod of Light (1985).
Of course Bayley was very friendly with Michael Moorcock. Moorcock wrote relatively few “straight”, traditional SF novels and I often think that in a way Bayley filled that gap. There are similarities in terms of style, and that sense of relentless, restless invention.
Of course! Thank you for writing your review. Bayley was definitely I explored more in the earliest years of my site. In case you didn’t know, my pseudonym partly comes from Bayley’s Pillars of Eternity (1982) in which a character who undergoes great trauma names himself Joachim Boaz. I was also reading Hoban’s The Lion of Boaz-Jachin and Jachin-Boaz around the same time. I too prefer The Garmets of Caean.
My general sense of Moorcock is that he wrote to fund his money-losing editorial projects — like New Worlds. That said, he has his radical/experimental moments. The Black Corridor (which he co-wrote with his then wife) comes to mind: https://sciencefictionruminations.com/2020/06/08/book-review-the-black-corridor-michael-moorcock-and-hilary-bailey-1969/