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Getting into Death
Contents:
Slaves (1967)
The Happy Story (1971)
The Asian Shore (1970)
The Persistence of Desire (1974)
Quincunx (1969)
Displaying the Flag (1974)
The Beginning of April or the End of March (1971)
The Planet Arcadia (1971)
The Invasion of the Giant Stupid Dinosaurs (1969)
A Kiss Goodbye (1974)
[X] Yes (1969)
Feathers from the Wings of an Angel (1971)
Let Us Quickly Hasten to the Gate of Ivory (1970)
The Colors (1968)
The Master of the Milford Altarpiece (1968)
The Complete Short Stories (1974)
Getting into Death (1974)
Slaves (1967)
The Happy Story (1971)
The Asian Shore (1970)
The Persistence of Desire (1974)
Quincunx (1969)
Displaying the Flag (1974)
The Beginning of April or the End of March (1971)
The Planet Arcadia (1971)
The Invasion of the Giant Stupid Dinosaurs (1969)
A Kiss Goodbye (1974)
[X] Yes (1969)
Feathers from the Wings of an Angel (1971)
Let Us Quickly Hasten to the Gate of Ivory (1970)
The Colors (1968)
The Master of the Milford Altarpiece (1968)
The Complete Short Stories (1974)
Getting into Death (1974)
206 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1974
234 people want to read
About the author
Thomas M. Disch
379 books317 followersThomas Michael Disch was an American science fiction writer and poet. He won the Hugo Award for Best Related Book—previously called "Best Non-Fiction Book"—in 1999. He had two other Hugo nominations and nine Nebula Award nominations to his credit, plus one win of the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, a Rhysling Award, and two Seiun Awards, among others.
His writing includes substantial periodical work, such as regular book and theater reviews for The Nation, The Weekly Standard, Harper's, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Times Literary Supplement, and Entertainment Weekly.
As a fiction writer and a poet, Disch felt typecast by his science fiction roots. "I have a class theory of literature. I come from the wrong neighborhood to sell to The New Yorker. No matter how good I am as an artist, they always can smell where I come from".
Following an extended period of depression after the death in 2005 of his life-partner, Charles Naylor, Disch stopped writing almost entirely, except for poetry and blog entries, although he did produce two novellas. Disch fatally shot himself on July 4, 2008, in his Manhatten (NYC) apartment.
Naylor and Disch are buried alongside each other at Saint Johns Episcopal Church Columbarium, Dubuque, Iowa. His last book, The Word of God, which was written shortly before Naylor died, was published a few days before Disch's death.
His writing includes substantial periodical work, such as regular book and theater reviews for The Nation, The Weekly Standard, Harper's, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Times Literary Supplement, and Entertainment Weekly.
As a fiction writer and a poet, Disch felt typecast by his science fiction roots. "I have a class theory of literature. I come from the wrong neighborhood to sell to The New Yorker. No matter how good I am as an artist, they always can smell where I come from".
Following an extended period of depression after the death in 2005 of his life-partner, Charles Naylor, Disch stopped writing almost entirely, except for poetry and blog entries, although he did produce two novellas. Disch fatally shot himself on July 4, 2008, in his Manhatten (NYC) apartment.
Naylor and Disch are buried alongside each other at Saint Johns Episcopal Church Columbarium, Dubuque, Iowa. His last book, The Word of God, which was written shortly before Naylor died, was published a few days before Disch's death.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 28, 2022
Appetizingly droll stories with venomous stingers.
'The Asian Shore' is about a professor taking a research trip (or is it more of a sabbatical) to Turkey for his thesis on entropy in architecture. However, while he is there he finds himself increasingly mistaken for a local, and is accosted by a woman who believes he is her husband. A really creepy story with mysterious implications.
'Displaying the Flag' is another story about the frailness/arbitrariness of identity, this time about a gay man who gets some sort of sci-fi conversion therapy to "be normal" but after it is successful he feels an urge for social stigma and shame so starts secretly attending a sports bar where the patrons are far-right chuds. Pretty hilarious story and one of the best in the book.
'The Invasion of the Giant Stupid Dinosaurs' is also pretty hilarious, Disch basically retells the crater scene from 'War of the Worlds' with his own barbed interpretation of the invaders' motivations. "Never ascribe to malice what might just be stupidity" etc..
'A Kiss Goodbye' - told with dialogue only, tells a sad story of a woman visiting an old acquaintance after a head trauma, hoping he can provide her with some insight into her past. The date goes poorly, he is boorish and there is something unpleasant and unsaid in their shared past. Horribly sad, good story though
'Feathers from the Wings of an Angel: A Prize Story' is one of many stories where you can't tell if Disch is ever being earnest or if his layers of irony are really one flat plane of contempt for the reader, the characters, the world.
'Let Us Quickly Hasten to the Gate of Ivory' - an adult brother and sister get lost in an enormous cemetery trying to find their mothers tombstone. Very creepy story, with effective typography experimentation throughout. One of my favourites.
'The Complete Short Stories' is absolutely brilliant, a collection of microfiction which functions as a mysterious whole.
'The Asian Shore' is about a professor taking a research trip (or is it more of a sabbatical) to Turkey for his thesis on entropy in architecture. However, while he is there he finds himself increasingly mistaken for a local, and is accosted by a woman who believes he is her husband. A really creepy story with mysterious implications.
'Displaying the Flag' is another story about the frailness/arbitrariness of identity, this time about a gay man who gets some sort of sci-fi conversion therapy to "be normal" but after it is successful he feels an urge for social stigma and shame so starts secretly attending a sports bar where the patrons are far-right chuds. Pretty hilarious story and one of the best in the book.
'The Invasion of the Giant Stupid Dinosaurs' is also pretty hilarious, Disch basically retells the crater scene from 'War of the Worlds' with his own barbed interpretation of the invaders' motivations. "Never ascribe to malice what might just be stupidity" etc..
'A Kiss Goodbye' - told with dialogue only, tells a sad story of a woman visiting an old acquaintance after a head trauma, hoping he can provide her with some insight into her past. The date goes poorly, he is boorish and there is something unpleasant and unsaid in their shared past. Horribly sad, good story though
'Feathers from the Wings of an Angel: A Prize Story' is one of many stories where you can't tell if Disch is ever being earnest or if his layers of irony are really one flat plane of contempt for the reader, the characters, the world.
'Let Us Quickly Hasten to the Gate of Ivory' - an adult brother and sister get lost in an enormous cemetery trying to find their mothers tombstone. Very creepy story, with effective typography experimentation throughout. One of my favourites.
'The Complete Short Stories' is absolutely brilliant, a collection of microfiction which functions as a mysterious whole.
July 5, 2023
Not a short story guy, but most of these absolutely whipped. Barely science fiction for the most part, but uniformly headache inducing levels of intelligence displayed throughout. When that intelligence wraps around sometimes solid, it's top tier. Some stories either lose steam or never quite get going, but are always interesting.
Favourites:
The beginning of April or the End of March
Getting into death
Displaying the Flag
Let us quickly hasten to the gate of ivory
The Master of the Milford Altarpiece (for the Chip Delaney biographical touch)
Favourites:
The beginning of April or the End of March
Getting into death
Displaying the Flag
Let us quickly hasten to the gate of ivory
The Master of the Milford Altarpiece (for the Chip Delaney biographical touch)
Read
April 2, 2014"Displaying the Flag" is great fun.
September 6, 2014
His best collection
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews