The commentator Alan
posts on 4/29/2010 5:16:12 AM
Crown and Anchor now on Abebooks
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Michael Leader
posts on 3/3/2009 5:15:36 PM
Yes, though it's a shame they're only in 5 x 13 min segments. 65min for the whole book? The slow pace of Episode 1 indicates they'll be dropping a lot of the later story, which is a shame, as the book builds wonderfully, but starts off slowly to explain the disaster, set up character. A necessary beginning point, but its the latter half which is so memorable, so hopefully they won't edit too much out.
The narration style is also a bit stilted.
But hey, any Sam stuff is great! And The Lotus Caves movie - wow! Though I'm surprised this book got picked up and not a more well-known JC tome.
Alan, if you tried to email me, I haven't got it. michaelleader AT yaffa.com.au Would dearly love a borrow of C&A and happy to pay a borrowers fee!
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The commentator Alan
posts on 3/2/2009 5:58:38 AM
Blimey!!! Radio 4 is at this very moment broadcasting a brand new dramatisation of Death of Grass. About time. Nicely tied in with the republication of the novel!
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Michael leader
posts on 2/24/2009 12:09:54 AM
You beat me to it, re those reprints. But a Lotus Caves movie? Talk about obscure source material, though I'd be very happy if true. Any more info? It's locked off at IMDb... With a Tripods movie it could be a great time to be a JC fan!
Alan, again, would love an email and a very careful borrow of Crown - the only Youd novel I've not read.
Who's doing the intro to Death of Grass? Sam?
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The commentator Alan
posts on 2/19/2009 3:12:12 AM
I'm also a fan of Robert Sheckley especially his short story collections. Michael, sorry for the delay. I'll drop you a line over Crown and Anchor. And for all those who have been unable to get a copy of Death of Grass at a reasonable price it is being rereleased on April 2nd by Penguin with a fresh introduction. Considering the paucity of decent movies recently I would hope that this might lead to a proper film adaption. Also I see that Lotus Caves is or has been filmed as well. A long overdue treatment.
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Robert
posts on 2/8/2009 9:26:33 PM
Wow, that does make a nice Christmas, Alan! Hope I can get my hands on copies of those myself one day... Meanwhile, I'm digging through my magazines with Youd stories, and have read "Talent for the Future" and "Escape Route". The latter is a refreshingly different sort of post-apocalyptic sci-fi. Youd did optimistic takes in Wild Jack and A Dusk of Demons, of course, but this one is more of a determinism in the face of despair. And the characters really kept me guessing until the end; terrific tale. "Talent for the Future" too shows just how versatile Youd is with writing styles, sounding almost like Robert Sheckley. A good tale, though sadly the punchline is lost on me; I have no idea what "the gambler's lucky card trick" is. That issue of Fantastic Universe is chock-full of outstanding tales, though. I loved "The Laminated Woman" by Evelyn E. Smith, "Down with the Tyrants" by Harlan Ellison, and "The Pompous Asteroid" by Winston Marks.
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Michael
posts on 1/4/2009 8:27:06 PM
Alan I would dearly love to borrow Crown and Anchor as I cannot find it anywhere (or buy it from you). Happy to pay all the costs etc.
Please contact at michaelleader at yaffa.com.au
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The commentator Alan
posts on 12/25/2008 1:53:31 PM
Merry Christmas everyone especially Sam. I got the wonderful surprise from my wife of a completed collection of Sam's novels in the shape of Palace of Strangers and Crown and Anchor. All in all, a good day. Just need to start getting all those short stories now and find the time to start reading The Winter Swan and so on!
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The commentator Rodney
posts on 11/2/2008 11:21:17 AM
I had not read the Fireball trilogy before, and just finding out about it, loaned them out of my public library. I enjoyed them, but felt you really didn't flesh out the two main characters. They didn't seem to grow much throughout the books, instead allowing the events to shape them. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the books. I just seemed to miss the character growth that I think you captured much better in TSOTS or Tripods, and even in your non-trilogies such as The Guardians and The Lotus Caves, two books I consider to be must reads. I wish you the best Sam, and I think we all hope that you have another book waiting to come out for us, your loyal readers!
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The commentator MartinDoddles
posts on 10/20/2008 8:53:30 PM
Always being one for location reading - knowing the setting to assit in mental context - just come back to guernsey from a weekend in Winchelsea .. and set to re-read Empty World.
Passed by the Youd abode in Rye but felt it was inappropriate to knock.
Still searching for missing volumes if any one has any to spare.
Martin
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Robert
posts on 8/26/2008 4:49:45 PM
Oh, I wasn't suggesting it could lead to a reprint. I just thought it might get a few more people to look up your works. Personally, I think the semicolon works best, even though it's grammatically incorrect and in your shoes, I'd never have thought of writing it that way. The semicolon gives more of a pause to it, which works well for the rhythm of the sentence.
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The commentator Sam Youd
posts on 8/20/2008 7:33:34 AM
Robert: I misremembered -- can't blame the publisher. In fact I think the best version might be: "I cried the day my father died; from joy." (Not sure whether the semi-colon is better than a comma there but there's not much in it). Congratulations on your success with the essay. Doubt if it will lead to a reprint, but I'm flattered that you thought it a worthwhile jumping-off point!
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Robert
posts on 8/17/2008 8:33:03 PM
Alan, I see what you mean re: resolved/unresolved endings. I agree that it seems most audiences today can't handle the concept of issues being left unresolved by a story. As the work of Sam and others has shown, it's better to treat a long-term problem as a long-term problem and leave the outcome unseen. After all, long-term problems take a long time to resolve, and when they do(as shown in Mr.Youd's _Pendulum_, for instance), they often change into a different long-term problem. On the other end, though, I think a lot of creators use open-ended endings as a cop-out from resolving plot threads that should be resolved.
+++ Hey Sam, thought you might be interested to hear that I just sold a "favorite first line" critical essay to the magazine The First Line using the opening sentence of A Bride For Bedivere. Hopefully that will rouse some more interest in your works! By the way, I remember you quoted that opening sentence to me as "I cried the day my father died; for joy." but in my copy of the book it says "I cried the day my father died; but from joy."(a somewhat weaker wording in my opinion, though the line undeniably still delivers a punch to the gut) Any idea why this is? Did your editor change the line before the book went to press?
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The commentator Alan
posts on 8/14/2008 4:52:12 PM
Michael,
I'm also on the lookout for Crown and Anchor (and Palace of Strangers) so if I track it down I'll let you borrow it. I'm also intrigued by the O level passnotes book on Death of Grass but I've never seen it anywhere. On holiday at the moment and have read The Guardians and the Lotus Caves on the beach this week (in between the rain). Without wishing to sound too obvious, I am surprised just how well they stand up. Haven't read The Guardians for twenty years and the whole thing was tremendous. Made me wonder if Robert Westall used it as his inspiration for Futuretrack 5.
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Michael
posts on 8/7/2008 12:37:49 AM
Alan: Try David Cronenberg's films. He usually leaves things "unresolved" instead focussing on his theme or characters arcs. Some films are more violent than others though, so if you're squeamish.
Robert: Track down all of Sam's shorts - they're almost all fantastic!!
BTW, anyone, my only gap in my Sam reading collection is Crown and Anchor. Does anyone have this book and would lend or sell it to me? I'll pay a fair price.
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The commentator Alan
posts on 7/28/2008 6:43:17 PM
Sam, I saw a bit of the Spielberg version of War of the Worlds last night. Not only did they refer to the machine as Tripods but there was a scene where Tom Cruise destroyed one after being pulled up by its tentacle through the judicial use of a hand grenade. Ring any bells?
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The commentator Alan
posts on 7/28/2008 4:05:05 PM
Sam, I saw a bit of the Spielberg version of War of the Worlds last night. Not only did they refer to the machine as Tripods but there was a scene where Tom Cruise destroyed one after being pulled up by its tentacle through the judicial use of a hand grenade. Ring any bells?
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The commentator Sam Youd
posts on 7/22/2008 6:22:00 AM
You can't post a second time without someone intervening, but I can now correct an error: the US title for Cloud on Silver was not The Ragged Edge (that was A Wrinkle in the Skin) but, more appropriately, Sweeney's Island. Thanks for the kind words, Alan and Robert.
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The commentator Alan
posts on 7/20/2008 4:03:58 PM
Robert, the point I guess I'm making is that in most narrative tales, a resolution to the circumstances is normally seen as the end especially in these modern times. I am struggling to think of a modern film where the arc of the protagonists has been the start and end of the story but rather it would be neatly fitted with the wider circumstances. A good example might be 'The Birds' where no explanation is given and no solution is found to homicidal birds attacking humans. If that was made today then the film would have offered a reason for the behaviour and a solution 3 minutes from the end. I went to see War of the Worlds by Spielberg which I thought was a marvellously grim adaptation of the novel but thought how much more interesting would it have been if they had just found some sort of sanctuary (a la Death of Grass) without resolving the issue of the Earth being dominated and subjugated. That's why I enjoy Sam's novels so much because easy solutions are not found and the messy reality of real relationships are preferred to glossy happy endings. I agree with Sam that the novels mentioned do have complete character arcs but there is the potential for the situation to be exploited further. I find it tremendous that this wasn't done because he felt the purpose of the tales had been accomplished regardless of what could have been commercially rung from the scenarios. Almost needless to say, I find it wonderful that my imagination is free to speculate the future of the characters. Empty World was the book that first turned me onto reading and a run of the mill sequel would have removed that sense of awe and wonderment at its utterly unexpected solution. But it still didn't stop me being surprised there was no sequel as other books I'd read up to that point would have had one especially with such a rich story.
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Robert
posts on 7/20/2008 1:49:59 PM
Boy, am I in a cheering mood now. I've managed to finally track down not one, but three magazines containing JC short stories that didn't make it into The Twenty-Second Century. I now have "Socrates", "Talent for the Future", and "Man of Destiny". Plus there are some other top-name writers in these mags. Looks like I've got some good reading ahead. +++
Interesting discussions going on here. I've always felt that the story arcs in The Death of Grass, World in Winter, and Empty World were finished. The novels from the beginning were about the protagonists struggling within new social, economic, and political worlds, so it's fitting that the novels end where the protagonists' stories end, rather than approaching those post-apocalyptic worlds from other perspectives.
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