M. John Harrison: Critical Essays

by Rhys Williams (Editor), Mark Bould (Editor), Phoenix Scholz-Krishna (Contributor)

This critical collection examines the way in which M. John Harrison has been at the forefront of British speculative fiction, from the New Wave to the New Weird and beyond, excoriating its lumpy prose, refusing its cheap consolations, and reinventing its most debased forms. Along with his depictions of a fallen world, of fragile humanity, entropic landscapes and self-harming trajectories, of transport cafes, moorland peaks and legendary cities, reinvented sword'n'sorcery, space opera and supernatural horror as profound meditations on desire and loss.

Genres: Nonfiction

297 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 2, 2019

Reviews

[Tim Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exhaustive look at a genius of writing

Although I don't think anyone could get to the heart of Harrison's writing better than Harrison himself (read his Wish I Was Here) this academic volume has some interesting insights. At the heart of his work is the impossibility of understanding ourselves and the tragedy of trying. Humans are hardwired to invent stories to explain our importance in the universe and most writers create stories where this is resolved in plot. Harrison assembles images and incidents and phrases and metaphors that show his characters moving through a world where shit happens and moments of insight and transcendence dissolve as we try to bring them into focus. It is a unique and brilliant art.