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Post by richardburton on Feb 4, 2008 13:31:27 GMT 1
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Post by David Faltskog on Feb 4, 2008 13:42:35 GMT 1
Cool  Thanks for the link. d.f. |
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Post by waltp on Jul 18, 2009 4:50:11 GMT 1
I started reading one of his collections and, truth be told, he leaves me a little cold. I've read WotW and Time Machine, which are good, and a couple of his novellas that are quite well known. But his more obscure stuff... well there seems to be a reason it's obscure.
THE CHRONIC ARGONAUTS wasn't too bad.
I started the collection of short stories called THE COUNTRY OF THE BLIND AND OTHER STORIES. Of the stories I got through so far:
THE JILTING OF JANE left me cold.
THE CONE felt like a bad Poe story.
THE STOLEN BACILLUS had promise but the ending didn't deliver. Not bad, just could have been a lot better.
THE FLOWERING OF THE STRANGE ORCHID reminded me of a very early attempt at Little Shop of Horrors. Again, had promise, but...
IN THE AVU OBSERVATORY, same. Good premise that fell flat in the end.
AEPYORNIS ISLAND wasn't too bad.
THE REMARKABLE CASE OF DAVIDSON'S EYES has an interesting premise, which worked for me.
THE LORD OF THE DYNAMOS was good. Not what I would have expected, but it worked.
THE MOTH was pretty good. Probably one of the first stories of it's type I would assume, which others have perfected later.
THE STORY OF THE LATE MR. ELVESHAM was another that has been a staple of SF over the years. This was an early attempt that wasn't too bad, but Twilight Zone and others gave it the suspenseful twists the concept needed.
UNDER THE KNIFE was pretty kool.
THE SEA RAIDERS I'm not sure about. It didn't seem to have a point.
That's as far as I got into the book. Still have 2/3 to go. What I'm discovering is his style does not give good endings. They just kind of sit there turning the stories into a slightly extraordinary slice-of-life story. I guess I'm used to very extraordinary with exciting conflict resolution. Times have changed.
The book also includes
THE MAN WHO COULD WORK MIRACLES
JIMMY GOGGLES THE GOD
and, of course
COUNTRY F THE BLIND, a story I know fairly well through old radio episodes, and I think I read it as a kid.
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Post by Lonesome Crow on Jul 18, 2009 15:08:53 GMT 1
I agree with that 'waltp' his short stories do tend to lack a punch at the end and they seem to be ideas for a story without a lot of thought for the ending.
I did enjoy 'THE CHRONIC ARGONAUTS' an early idea for the Time Machine I believe.
I would also check out 'THE STAR' and 'THE CRYSTAL EGG' Two of my favorite Wellsian short stories.
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Thanks for the link.
Prepare For The Future
