calonlan Wrote:
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> Try a genre in translation that has some of this
> most stunning and powerful imagery I have ever
> encountered - anything by Nikos Kazantzakis, but I
> particular recommend "the Fratricides" and "The
> Greek Passion" (art film made from this many years
> ago entitled "He who must Die"

I'll look it up; I think I've heard of it, but not sure. "He who Must Die" sounds very familiar. Thanks for the tip. I still need to get around to some other stuff in translation while I'm at it. I'm woefully deficient in my reading in eastern European scifi and suchlike (Lem, Zamiatin).

Have you tried the stories by David Gemmell from the UK.
In my opinion some of the best fantasy around

Nikos Kazantzakis - particularly, The Greek Passion, and The Fratricides

Additionally, read Robert Graves scholarly book, The White Goddess, as it will infinitely deepen your appreciation of almost everything else you read, particularly Tolkien

From the vistas point of view you should try the Ransom trilogy by CS Lewis - if you're an atheist you could just view the theology as science fictional speculation; after all one can enjoy "A Voyage to Arcturus" without being a Dualist, or Stapledon without being a "worship what is" contemplative.

Robert Gibson Wrote:
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> From the vistas point of view you should try the
> Ransom trilogy by CS Lewis - if you're an atheist
> you could just view the theology as science
> fictional speculation; after all one can enjoy "A
> Voyage to Arcturus" without being a Dualist, or
> Stapledon without being a "worship what is"
> contemplative.

I've read Out of the Silent Planet and most of Perelandra, but the series just didn't do much for me, so I never made it to That Hideous Strength (which from what I understand is the weakest of the three books, having been informed more by Williams' influence on Lewis). I was/am a big fan of the Chronicles of Narnia, so believe it or not I expected to like the "Space Trilogy" despite being an rabid atheist--my take is that Christians make some of the best fantasists, as they're halfway there already (no offense intended :). I'm no hard scifi enthusiast, but I think it's a stretch to call the theological speculations in the books science fictional (wasn't based on science really, except the nice touches based on linguistics).

I'm intrigued by your characterization of Stapledon as a "worship what is" contemplative. What exactly do you mean? I had him pegged as more of a spiritual socialist of some sort.

If I understand your tastes right, I would recommend to you Arthur C. Clarke's The City and the Stars and Rendezvous With Rama. And if you enjoy those two, Childhood's End.

Michael Shea has done some interesting items. He was influenced by Lovecraft, C. A. Smith, Fritz Leiber, and Jack Vance, but had a fine original style of his own. Foremost among his shorter tales I would put "Polyphemus" and "Fat Face".

By the way, speaking of "the other end of the techno-political spectrum", here are two letters from Clarke's and Dunsany's correspondence:



Kings College,
Strand, W.C.1

16 March 1948

Dear Lord Dunsany,

I think that the enclosed magazine, which I have just received fromt he States, may interest you a good deal. (Arkham House, I notice, is publishing "The Fourth Book of Jorkens".)

"The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath" made a considerable impression on me when I first read it some time ago. Have you ever come across any of Lovecraft's work before? As you will see from the editorial note, he was strongly influenced by your earlier writings. His output was very large, and somewhat uneven, but his best stories were masterpieces in their genre. Although they only appeared in magazine form during his life many have now been reprinted in anthologies and collections.

Perhaps you will let me have the magazine back eventually, at your convenience.

My examinations are now looming very large on the horizon, so I am retiring to the country for a month's steady reading.

Very sincerely yours,
Arthur C. Clarke



Dunsany Castle,
Co. Meath

March 20, 1948

Dear Mr. Clarke,

Thank you very much for the Arkham Sampler. I see Lovecraft borrowed my style, and I don't grudge it to him. Indeed, I am glad to be able to read his tales. The Necronomicon reminds me of a brief scene I once sent to a paper called Rhythm, or The Blue Review (I forget which), that was edited by Middleton Murry, which I called The Fifth Act of the Thlobbon of Sapphanal. Middleton Murray printed it, but I don't think he quite made head or tail of it. That was a very long time ago. I will send the magazine back to you shortly. Perhaps when your examination is successfully over & when we are in England, as we shall be from the beginning of April, you might care to come & see us at our small house, Dunstall Priory, Shoreham near Sevenoaks, Kent. It is only 20 miles by electric train from Victoria; & to anyone who contemplates the journeys that you contemplate it is not far, unless you should mistake, as many do, our little Shoreham for the larger on on the sea, in which case the journey to reach us is of a more interplanetary nature.

Yours sincerely
Dunsany



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 24 Mar 16 | 03:11AM by Knygatin.

I found Lovecraft's essay "Lord Dunsany and His Work" in a galley proof from Marginalia among Lord Dunsany's papers.

Martinus Wrote:
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> I found Lovecraft's essay "Lord Dunsany and His
> Work" in a galley proof from Marginalia among Lord
> Dunsany's papers.


That is interesting. I guess August Derleth must have sent it too him.

I wonder what Dunsany actually thought of Lovecraft's work, and if he was enamored of it. I suspect he may have found it a bit too overt. And Dunsany was of an earlier, already settled disposition, formed by the needs of a different time and place. But I feel sure that he still must have been able to appreciate Lovecraft's exceptional gift and ability. The above letter doesn't exactly overflow with enthusiasm, but indicates at least that he read some of Lovecraft's tales (and Necronomicon doesn't appear in "The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath").

Knygatin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Martinus Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I found Lovecraft's essay "Lord Dunsany and His
> > Work" in a galley proof from Marginalia among
> Lord
> > Dunsany's papers.
>
>
> That is interesting. I guess August Derleth must
> have sent it too him.

There was a letter published somewhere (maybe in Studies in Weird Fiction?) in which Dunsany asked Derleth whether Marginalia was still in print, because he had heard that Lovecraft had written an essay about him that was included in it. I suppose it must have been out of print, hence the galley proof.

> I wonder what Dunsany actually thought of
> Lovecraft's work, and if he was enamored of it. I
> suspect he may have found it a bit too overt. And
> Dunsany was of an earlier, already settled
> disposition, formed by the needs of a different
> time and place. But I feel sure that he still must
> have been able to appreciate Lovecraft's
> exceptional gift and ability. The above letter
> doesn't exactly overflow with enthusiasm, but
> indicates at least that he read some of
> Lovecraft's tales (and Necronomicon doesn't appear
> in "The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath").

In general, Dunsany's taste ran more to mainstream literature: Kipling, Tolstoy, Dumas, the Brownings, Tennyson, Keats... But he apparently liked Blackwood (indeed, he knew him personally and once went tobogganing on silver tea trays with him) and Wells (another personal acquaintance). He seems to have been cautiously positive about Lovecraft, and definitely curious about him.

Here's the Derleth letter:

Quote:

Dunstall Priory
Shoreham Nr Sevenoaks

March 28, 1952

Dear Mr. Derleth

I have been told of an article which I never saw in print, written about my work by the late H. P. Lovecraft, in a book published by you called Marginalia. It would be very kind of you if you would give me a copy of this book because I cannot get one here, & have an odd interest in Lovecraft’s work because in the few tales of his I have read I found that he was writing in my style, entirely originally & without in any way borrowing from me, & yet with my style & largely my material. It would much interest me to see the book if you would be so kind as to send me a copy.

Yours sincerely,

Dunsany

"Lord Dunsany and his Work" appeared as a foreword in the 1976 edition of Lord Dunsany's Tales of Three Hemispheres.

"At the Mountains of Madness", etc."

In this you are right, my friend! But in this...

"The Eternal World"

...you are sadly mistaken. The correct answer is "The Double Shadow".

Just kidding... :^)

I, too, re-read certain works over and over--perhaps have read Chandler's Marlowe novels 15-25 times, for example.

It's a wonder my wife sticks with me.