FRIDAY"S FORGOTTEN NON-BOOK: DON'T SPEAK OF ROPE

Recently, author Harlan Ellison announced he was fixin' to die.  Or words to that effect.  He feels that his body is shutting down.  He has gone to his last convention, and has left instructions with his wife to destroy any unfinished work once he goes.  The once enfant terrible of the science fiction world is cashing in his chips.  I have never met Ellison, but I know from numerous testimonies that he is an honest, ethical, and fearless man -- one whose talent is equalled only by his fierce humanity.  (But don't get on his bad side; he can be tenacious and has a long memory.)  I sincerely hope his personal prediction is wrong and that he will grace us with his presence and his words for a long time to come.

     Anyway, this brought to mind several Ellison projects that died a-borning -- most notably Don't Speak of Rope, a collaboration with Avram Davidson that didn't make it.  Instead of a Friday's Forgotten Book, let's consider a Friday's Forgotten Non-Book.

     A few words about Avram Davidson.  He was one of the best writers (in any genre) of the 20th century.  Where Ellison would shock us and play with our emotions, Davidson would woo us with his words and jopyfully screw with our intellect.  Davidson loved words and the power they could have; he would zig from one idea to another to another across the pages and leave the reader breathless.  His few years as editor of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction were like no others; his eclectic hand was obvious in every issue.  Davidson, like Ellison, was a highly moral person; A. J. Budrys once wrote that, when he and Davidson were writting for the "true story" men's magazine, Davidson would actually research and write true stories.  Davidson also never admitted that he wrote an "Ellery Queen" novel because that would have breached his contract.

     The time, I imagine was the Sixties. (I'm going on memory here about what Ellison wrote about this some years ago.)  Ellison and Davidson were having late night coffee in a New York City (?) diner.  And there was some sort of a disturbance.  Some people, perhaps members of a gang were getting rowdy and there was a chance that things could go badly for our duo.  Ellison noted that Davidson had taken a piece of rope (maybe it was a scarf --  I have a hard time remembering what I ate for breakfast, let alone something that I had read years ago) out of his pocket and was quietly, calmly knotting it in the middle.  Nothing happened.  Davidson and Ellison finished their coffee and left.  But the rope?  What was Davidson doing?  Davidson explained that it was the only defensive weapon available, with it he could disable and probably kill a person in seconds.  Just something he had learned while serving in the Isreali Army.  (This was the same method Thugees used in Colonial India.)  They talked some more and thought that this could have the makings of an interesting novel.  Ellison wrote a bit of the novel; Davidson wrote a bit.  Ellison (or his publisher, or agent) announced it as a forthcoming book.  Soon after, both writers realized that they could go no further:  the book just did not gel.
Never written.  Never published.

     Let us weep for this book that never was.  Ellison and Davidson, both at the height of their powers -- what a combination!  In my fantasies over the years, I wished that a third writer, equally distinct, equally, talented, someone on the level of, say, Fritz Leiber, might pick up the fragmented pieces of this novel and mold it to completion.  Alas, my fantasy is as dead as that book.

     Ellison, of course, has other non-books (almost every writer has).  An early collection of his stories never made it to print (what was it's name?  I swear it was on the tip of my tongue when I began to write this piece -- ah, The Crackpots, that's it!); all the stories slated for that collection eventually found their ways to other Ellison collections.  And there's the infamous Last Dangerous Visions, an anthology that has remained unpublished for more than a quarter of a century.

     Davidson, too, had a number of non-books.  Many of those he published were envisioned as the first of a series.  The vagaries if the publishing world pushed planned sequels into non-existance.

     What non-books have been gnawing at your brain?  What ones do you wish existed?

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      For some true Friday's Forgotten Books, go to Patti Abbot's wonderful blog pattinase.blogspot.com, where you will find some great reading suggestions.  I'll get back on the proper track next Friday.

AWESOMENESS

A regular daily stop for me on the web is Bill Crider's always interesting blog, Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine.  This morning he posted a link to the Top 14 Astronomy Pictures of 2010.  Be prepared to have your socks knocked off:

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/12/14/the-top-14-astronomy-pictures-of-2010/

     And, because I'm a nice guy, here's the link to Bill's blog:

http://billcrider.blogspot.com/

     Enjoy. 

ROGER ELWOOD -- PART I

During the Sixties and Seventies there was a phemenon in the science fiction field known as Roger Elwood, whom some feel almost killed the sf field.  Elwood was an anthologist and promoter who was so prolific that, for a while, he was responsible for fully a quarter of the science fiction short stories published.  He produced (by my count) at least 66 anthologies; his count was about 80, which may have counted single-author collections (which I did not). He also edited a line of science fiction books for Harlequin and edited a short-lived science fiction magazine.  Elwood also claimed he had sold a thousand articles; I don't know if this has been verified.

     Elwood did most (if not all) of his work over the phone.   He evidently finessed a number of publishing houses into contracts while not letting on about his contracts with other publishing houses, resulting in a flood on the market.  Many of his anthologies (especially the later ones) were of poor quality and carelessly edited.  His book line, Laser Books, was criticized for clumsy editing and, in at least one case, a book was rewritten (and credited!) by another hand without the author's knowledge.  As with many other editors, Elwood imposed his personal beliefs on the stories he anthologized, restricting religion and sex as themes.  After he left the science fiction field, he ended his career as an author of religious novels.  He died in 2007.

     Despite his flaws, many of his anthologies are of interest and contain rare reprints, as well as works by some well-known authors at the beginning or ends of their careers.  I'd thought I'd cover his anthologies in this on-going, occasional series.

     ALIEN WORLDS (Paperback Library, 1964)  Elwood's first anthology, with science fiction historian Sam Moskowitz as an uncredited co-editor.  Contents:

• Poul Anderson, The Last Monster.  Originally published as Terminal Quest, in Super Science Stories, August, 1951.
• Robert Bloch, The Fear Planet.  Originally published in Super Science Stories in February, 1953.
• John Brunner, Singleminded.  Originally published in If, May, 1963; it has also been published as Single-Minded.
• John W. Campbell (Jr.), The Brain Stealers of Mars.  Originally published as The Brain-Stealers of Mars in Wonder Stories,  December, 1936; this was the first story in Campbell's "Penton and Blake" series.
• Philip K. Dick, The Cosmic Poachers.  Originally published in Imagination, July, 1953.
• Edmond Hamilton, The Stars, My Brothers.  Originally published in Amazing Stories, May, 1962.
• Eric Frank Russell, Afternoon of a Fahn.  Originally published in Imagination, April, 1951; it has also been published as Rainbow's End.
• Robert Sheckley, Dawn Invader.  Originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, March, 1957.
• Clifford D. Simak, Madness from Mars.  Originally published in Thrilling Wonder Stories, April, 1939
• "John Wyndham" [John Benyon Harris], The Man from Beyond.  Originally published as The Man from Earth, Wonder Stories, September, 1934.

     Comments:  An interesting selection of (then) little-known stories by well-known authors.


     INVASION OF THE ROBOTS (Paperbackback Library, 1965)  As the title suggests, a theme anthology.  ISFDB notes that L. W. Curry lists Sam Moskowitz as the anonymous editor of this book, rather than as an anonymous co-editor; if true, I suppose we could consider this a companion-piece to Moskowitz's The Coming of the Robots (Collier Books, 1963).  Contents:

• Isaac Asimov, Satisfaction Guaranteed.  Originall published in Amazing Stories, April, 1951; a "Susan Calvin" story.
• Robert Bloch, Almost Human.  Originally published in Fantastic Adventures, June, 1943, as by "Tarleton Fiske".
• Lester del Rey, Into Thy Hands.  Originally published in Astounding Science Fiction, August, 1945.
• Philip K. Dick, The Defenders.  Originally published in Galaxy Science Fiction, January, 1953.
• Henry Kuttner, Piggy Bank.  Actually written with Kuttner's wife, C. L. Moore (uncredited); originally published in Astounding Science Fiction, December, 1942, as by "Lewis Padgett".
• Richard Matheson, Brother to the Machine.  Originally published in If, November, 1952.
• Eric Frank Russell, Boomerang.  Originally published as A Great Deal of Power, Fantastic Universe, August-September, 1953.
• Jack Williamson, With Folded Hands....  Originally published in Astounding Science Fiction, July, 1947; also published as With Folded Hands; the first story in Williamson's "Humanoid" series.

     Comments:  Again, stories by top-named authors;  several of the stories are considered classics in the field.


     STRANGE SIGNPOSTS, co-edited with Sam Moskowitz (Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1966)  The first hardcover anthology and the first to list Moskowitz as a co-editor.  Contents:

• Roger Elwood and Sam Moskowitz, The Other Side of the Curtain -- A Reflection of the Future.  Introduction.
• Robert Bloch, One Way to Mars.  Originally published in The Opener of the Way, Arkham House, 1945.
• Ray Bradbury, Doodad.  (Originally published in Astounding Science Fiction, September, 1943.
• Edgar Rice Burroughs, Skeleton Men of Jupiter.  Originally published in Amazing Stories, February, 1943; part of Burroughs' "John Carter/Barsoom" series.
• Arthuir C. Clarke, Castaway.  Originally published in Fantasy No. 2, April, 1947, as by "Charles Willis".
• "Erckmann-Chatrian" [working name of collaborators Alexandre Chatrian and Emile Erckmann], Hans Schnap's Spy-Glass, from Popular Tales and Romances, Ward, Lock and Tayler, 1872, translator unknown; the original French publication of the story was in 1860.
• Edmond Hamilton, The Man Who Saw the Future.  Originally published in Amazing Stories, October, 1930.
• Nathaniel Hawthorne, Rappacinni's Daughter.  Originally published in The United States Magazine and Democatic Review, December, 1844.
• H. P. Lovecraft, The Whisperer in the Darkness.  Originally published in Weird Tales, August, 1931; a "Cthulhu Mythos" story.
• Edgar Allan Poe, Mellonta Tauta.  Originally published in Godey's Lady Book, February, 1849.
• [Luis P. Senarans], Frank Reade Junior's Air Wonder.    Originally published separately in 1876, as by "Noname"; part of a long-running series.
• Mary Shelley, The Last Man [exerpt].  A section from Shelley's The Last Man, H. Coburn, 1826.
• Jules Verne, The Begum's Fortune [exerpt].  A section from Verne's The 500 Millions of the Begum, G. Munro, 1879; this extract evidently taken from I. O. Evans' Jules Verne -- Master of Science Fiction, Sidgewick Jackson, 1956; if so, Evans is probably the translator; the original novel was first published in French in 1879.
• "Harl Vincent" [Harold Vincent Schoepflin], Prowler of the Wastelands.  Originally published in Astounding Stories, April, 1935; the first of two stories Vincent wrote about the "Prowler".
• H. G. Wells, The Chronic Argonauts.  Originally published in The Science School Journal in two parts, beginning in April, 1888; the basis of Wells' novel The Time Machine.
• Jack Williamson, The Cosmic Express.  Originally published in Amazing Stories, November, 1930.

     Comments:  A volume mainly of historical works in the field.  The contents alone show a heavy hand by Moskowitz in the selection of stories.  The Clarke and the Bradbury are very minor stories, the type that Moskowitz liked to "rescue" from pulp and fan oblivion.  Please note that Moskowitz sometimes had a heavy hand in abridging extracts and longer works; I do not know if this is the case here, though.

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Coming soon:  more Elwood anthologies, including more collaborations with Sam Moskowitz and Elwood's first collaboration wi Vic Ghidalia.

NAOMI WISE REDUX

While preparing the last post, I came across this version of Naomi Wise, sung by Doc Watson.  Note that Doc's version is different from the one I posted earlier, and that Naomi's name has been shortened to Omie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-CGqAdW2vE&feature=related

There are probably as many versions of this ballad as there are singers; Doc's version is true to its Appalachian roots.

SIX SONGS

The first few flakes of winter snow has arrived in my part of Southern Maryland.  It makes me want to hunker up with a cup of hot chocolate and a few good songs.   Here's one from the late Tom Wisner, sung by Teresa Whitaker:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFuGJC4Fmng&feature=related

And here's Dave Mallett with one of his best-known songs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYHliyjh29k

If anyone has written more great songs than Tom Paxton, I don't know of him:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxWEIHFLBLg

I love this one by Don McLean:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RqJNpe6otk

The simple beauty of Tommy Makem's lyrics live on after him.  This is one of my favorites:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOjs_A6OX8k

This last song was written by the great john Jacob Niles.  It's my favorite Christmas song.  This version is by Maureen Hegarty:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZ_fH-1xwGE

INCOMING

I was very good this week until Saturday, when I hit a thrift store in Annapolis.  Twelve new books came in last week:

• Charles de Lint, The Little Country
• Gordon R. Dickson, The Outposter
• Gordon R. Dickson, Space Winners
• Stephen R. Donaldson, The Man Who Killed His Brother
• John T. Flanagan & Arthur Palmer Hudson, The American Folklore Reader
• Nancy Holder & Jeff Mariotte, Unseen: The Burning
• Jack Ketchum, The Girl Next Door 
• Warren T. Longtree, Twisted Arrow (Ruff Justice #26)
• Andre Norton & Martin H. Greenberg, editors, Catfantastic IV
• J. R. Roberts, Trouble in Tombstone (The Gunsmith Giant #1)
• John Scalzi, Old Man's War
• Ross Thomas, Twilight at Mac's Place 

     A nice mix of science fiction, fantasy, western, and mystery/suspense.     

QUILT OF VALOR

My niece (who doesn't realize it, but is about the coolest person on earth) just sent us an e-mail saying she is thinking about making a Quilt of Valor for a wounded soldier.  She suggested that it might be a good project for The Cool Girls Quilting Club, a loose-knit group that she and my wife and daughters started about six years ago; they meet irregularly -- usually once a month -- and spend the time talking and eating and sometimes quilting.  I usually hide in another room.

The Quilt of Valor project is a worthy one.  As the website says, it's not about politics -- it's about people.

Check it out.

http://www.qovf.org/index.html