Malacia

Nick Gevers suggested: < what about Brian Aldiss' THE MALACIA TAPESTRY, which was published in the mid-1970s? > Jonathan Cape, 1976, but at least some of its parts were earlier, perhaps in Damon Knight's notable Orbit original sf anthologies. < hero, whose name is Perian (!) > Still more (!), in the stories - alas, I've never read them - I believe his name was Prian. < Aldiss told Charles Platt (in THE DREAM MAKERS) that he was planning a Malacia sequel; then Wolfe's Book appeared, and Aldiss did THE HELLICONIA TRILOGY instead, as if TBotNS had pre-empted his Malacia scheme, > Brian once told me that the book simply didn't sell well enough to justify the planned sequels. I wept and tore my garment and swore that it was the finest book he'd ever written, and urged him to put art above mere filthy lucre, but the man had a family and mansion to support and had to be realistic. The (rather sluggish) coincidence with BOTNS was just that, I think. Damien

At 12:01 1999-04-12 +0000, you wrote: ...

A reasonable and considered response. I would do the same, but it ought to wait till I leave the office, and you lose a lot of the spontaneity that way. But I shall certainly wail and gnash my teeth. And growl a lot.

By a long way ...

Helliconia and later works ought to have lined the coffers somewhat. I wonder if there might be room for a spot of art now or in the future? SBear. P.S. On the other paw, The Malacia Tapestry is so good, we wouldn't want him to spoil it.