Does Gene Wolfe read Cordwainer Smith?

Michael Andre-Driussi · 09 Sep 2002, 20:21 · from urth-v0209.mbox · original

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From: Michael Andre-Driussi <mantis at siriusfiction.com>
Subject: (urth) Does Gene Wolfe read Cordwainer Smith?
Date: Mon, 9 Sep 2002 13:21:13 -0700
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Hartshorn and Nutria have been talking about Cordwainer Smith and the
puzzling mystery of "How can Wolfe not know Smith's work?" and seeming
convergent evolution between Wolfe and Smith.

I don't want to rain on the parade here, but I have a new card to lay on
the table.

I, too, was puzzled by this strange Smith-gap in Gene Wolfe's reading, so a
few years ago I went so far as to send him an old paperback collection (in
mint condition!) of Smith stories (fwiw it contained my favorite: "Alpha
Ralpha Boulevard").  He never said a word about it, by which I believe that
he did not much like it and did not read more than a fraction of it.

If it had been something that he enjoyed as much as he enjoys Tolkien, or
even as much as he enjoys Dodie Smith's (ah, another _Smith_!) I CAPTURE
THE CASTLE, he would tell people . . . at WorldCon he told me about I
CAPTURE THE CASTLE (but I already knew he had it, heh-heh) and he mentioned
it to the audience at least one time when he was on a panel at WorldCon.

(Trivia: Dodie Smith is most famous for 101 DALMATIONS.)

So there is, I believe, a strong likelihood that he doesn't really enjoy
Cordwainer Smith.  As odd as that might seem to us.  I readily admit I've
never asked him point-blank, so if anyone would like to do that at a
convention, feel free to do so.

=3Dmantis=3D

--=20

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