Subject: (whorl) Cordwainer Smith

From: Michael Straight <straight at email.unc.edu>
Date: Thu, 11 Sep 1997 12:28:01 +0000

[Posted from WHORL, the mailing list for Gene Wolfe's Book of the Long Sun]

Sorry about the non-Wolfe topic, but I've never heard of Cordwainer Smith
outside of this mailing list, and was wondering if any of his fans could
recommend some titles.

-Rostrum

---

From: m.driussi <m.driussi at genie.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Sep 1997 19:14:00 +0000

Reply:  Item #2797678 from WHORL at LISTS.BEST.COM@INET01#

Rostrum,

alga is queen reader of Cordwainer Smith, so she will give you the
best pointers, but I cannot help myself from suggesting that "Alpha
Ralpha Boulevard" is his most perfect story and a great introduction
to his universe.  I believe it is widely collected, in various
anthologies such as the old ARBOR HOUSE TREASURY OF SCIENCE FICTION,
and it might even been in the one of the volumes of the old SCIENCE
FICTION HALL OF FAME.  Use an internet search engine to find a
bibliography or maybe alga knows where else you can find this story
(novella?).

(This discussion is what in the future will go into the "Wolfe-like
but not Wolfe" category.)

=mantis=

---

From: Greg Montalbano <greg.montalbano at ucop.edu>
Date: Thu, 11 Sep 1997 13:06:51 +0000

There's an old SF BOOK CLUB selection that still shows up in used book
stores:  THE BEST OF CORDWAINER SMITH.  Not only does it contain this
story, but a number of other interesting works, framed by some interesting
speculation on his whole "Instrumentality/Rediscovery of Man" future history.

~G~

>*This is WHORL, for discussion of Gene Wolfe's Book of the Long Sun.
>*More Wolfe info & archive of this list at http://moonmilk.volcano.org/whorl/
>*To leave the list, send "unsubscribe" to whorl-request at lists.best.com
ranjit at best.com
>*If it's Wolfe but not Long Sun, please use the URTH list:
urth at lists.best.com

---

From: Jim Jordan <jbjordan at gnt.net>
Date: Thu, 11 Sep 1997 15:35:53 +0000

The New England SF Association publishes two volumes containing all of
Cordwainer Smith. Both nicely bound hardcovers, with annotations. I sell
them, so if you don't want to track them down, you can order them from me:

Complete Short Stories:  $25.00
Norstrilia ("novel"): $21.00
shipping: $4.00

James B. Jordan
Box 1096
Niceville, FL 32588

	As for what to read first, it depends on where your interest lies. I
personally suggest getting both books and reading the stories in
chronological order, according to the time-line provided. If Christianity
is your main interest, you can start with his trilogy of long stories: "On
the Gem Planet" (which is a "mirror for princes," and concerns "nature");
"On the Wind Planet" (which concerns redemption, "grace"); and "On the Sand
Planet" (which concerns pilgrimage from Egypt to Eden, and is based on
Dante and Bunyan).

	An introductory essay on Smith by yours truly is at:

	http://www.wavefront.com/~Contra_M/cm/features/cm02_cordwain.html

Nutria

---

From: m.driussi <m.driussi at genie.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Sep 1997 22:42:00 +0000

Reply:  Item #4917410 from WHORL at LISTS.BEST.COM@INET01#

. . . and Nutria is king of Cordwainer Smith readers!

(Which makes for an odd couple royale. <g>)

(Those NESFA volumes are really nice, they always do good work, and
because of blood sacrifice to Ashtaronuggoth or some other Big Name
Devil, NESFA books are even available at Borders Books!! <gnashing of
teeth in ENVY>  OTOH, that is a daunting prospect, to buy the complete
volumes and start from the kinda rough and very early beginning--
don'tcha think?  On the Wolfe side, I wouldn't start somebody off with
his first ever story "The Case of the Vanishing Ghost" [1951] nor even
the first novel OPERATION ARES [1970]; I'd say FIFTH HEAD ["if the
first novella don't grab ya, f'gettit"] or SHADOW OF THE TORTURER
["if the first chapter don't grab ya, f'gettit"].)

(Gee, ranking the Cordwainer Smith stories.  I don't know.  For
example, "The Burning of the Brain" seems very popular but doesn't do
much for me.  "Scanners Live in Vain," another biggie, is touching but
a little rough, if I remember my impressions aright--but still I like
it better than "The Burning of the Brain."  And so on.)

=mantis=