short story project so far

Fernando Q. Gouvea · 03 Aug 2014, 16:51 · from 2014-August.txt.gz

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From: fqgouvea at colby.edu (Fernando Q. Gouvea)
Date: Sun, 03 Aug 2014 12:51:39 -0400
Subject: (urth) short story project so far
In-Reply-To: <CAF1072yEAtsbr0G+sPrubw-U__5gTDYkT8dscZJfSdqXeE=PdQ at mail.gmail.com>
References: <CAF1072yEAtsbr0G+sPrubw-U__5gTDYkT8dscZJfSdqXeE=PdQ at mail.gmail.com>
Message-ID: <53DE689B.9030801 at colby.edu>

I'll chime in with the others: I'd certainly buy the book(s) and read 
them. And probably refer to them on re-reading the stories. I don't 
always agree with your interpretations, but they are always fun to read.

Some years ago, the college where I teach had created a way for students 
to get a little bit of academic credit for taking part in a "book 
seminar" meeting once a week. They wanted faculty participation, so I 
volunteered and chose as my book /The Island of Doctor Death and Other 
Stories and Other Stories/. It was fun, but most of the students thought 
the stories were far too difficult. One came to me at one point and said 
"You do realize that most of these book seminars are /much/ easier than 
this, don't you?" Alas, no, I didn't realize.

The college later stopped the book seminars, probably because they felt 
students were getting credit for very little work...

I hope you will keep at it. I'm having fun, and feel grateful for the 
immense amount of work you've clearly put into this.

Fernando


On 7/31/2014 1:36 PM, Marc Aramini wrote:
> Well, I am about 33 percent done with Wolfe's published stories after 
> this next one, "The Doctor of Death Island" ... I plan on skipping two 
> numbers and returning to "The Eyeflash Miracles" and "Seven American 
> Nights" after I consider them a bit more.
>
> I would really like to tear through the 80s more quickly than the 70s, 
> and it should be possible since Wolfe's time on long novels and series 
> vastly reduced the length and allusive depth of his short fiction. ... 
> However, I feel that 7 American Nights and probably Cabin on the Coast 
> in the early 80s marked a shift away from SF tropes to more fantastic 
> ones, which are a bit less easy to mark "objectively" - some stories 
> might actually have unresolvable mysteries, though I don't think 
> anything written before 1980 actually does.
>
> The write-ups I feel are least satisfactory are "The Green Wall Said", 
> "The Blue Mouse",  "Paul's Treehouse" - though I think the garment 
> district uprising in "A Criminal Proceeding" and mentioned briefly in 
> "Operation ARES" can explain who is actually rioting in that story, 
> "Hour of Trust" (what is the name of the company running everything, 
> whose symbol is gold stamped instruments? That write up gave me more 
> problems than you would think) "The Island of Doctor Death an Other 
> Stories", and perhaps the Thag stories.
>
> I am most satisfied with "The Changeling", "Many Mansions" - (those 
> houses are luring people in and are merely dressed up as familiar, 
> tempting human houses with mimicry, and might even be planting 
> something, human-alien symbiotic style, inside people through the 
> strong drink), "The HORARS of War", and "Trip, Trap" write ups.
>
> I already know exactly what type of essays I will be finishing up on 
> Long Sun, Latro, and Home Fires, but the rest will take some time and 
> I might not return to New Sun until the majority of the short fiction 
> and shorter novels are done.
>
> All considered the project might be close to 2,000 pages or so when I 
> am done.
> Of course it would need hefty revision and citation, but lately I have 
> considered perhaps trying to publish it upon completion - short essays 
> on the long fiction in front which would be my own thesis 
> based developments, not comprehensive looks at all, and the story 
> analysis section after that.  A traditional publisher would never 
> touch it, I imagine, and it would be far too big for a small or 
> university press, but perhaps an ebook would work.  Anyone think that 
> would be viable?  Should I even, say, try to split it in half?  Just 
> thought I would see what you guys thought, as this has been a WHOLE 
> lot of work, even though I love it.
>
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-- 
=============================================================
Fernando Q. Gouvea         http://www.colby.edu/~fqgouvea
Carter Professor and Chair
Dept. of Mathematics and Statistics
Colby College              Editor, Carus Mathematical Monographs
5836 Mayflower Hill        Editor, MAA Reviews
Waterville, ME 04901       http://www.maa.org/publications/maa-reviews

If you're told about vampires, it's a good thing to be told about stakes at the same time.
   -- Terry Pratchett, in "Let There Be Dragons"

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