ORBIT – Otherworldly Reads, Bold Ideas, and Tales. SF & F Short Stories and Novelettes discussion

After reading Bester’s mid-70s novel The Computer Connection I thought I’d follow up with Starburst, published 1958, the first collection of his short fiction to be published in book form. It collects 11 stories, a number of them famous genre classics.

"Disappearing Act" (Star Science Fiction Stories No. 2, 1953)
"Adam and No Eve" (Astounding 1941)
"Star Light, Star Bright" (F&SF 1953)
"The Roller Coaster" (Fantastic 1953)
"Oddy and Id" (Astounding 1950)
"The Starcomber" (F&SF 1954)
"Travel Diary" (original)
"Fondly Fahrenheit" (F&SF 1954)
"Hobson’s Choice" (F&SF 1952)
"The Die-Hard" (original)
"Of Time and Third Avenue" (F&SF 1951)

Disappearing Act . (1953.) This is one of those famous stories, reprinted a number of times. It is a satirical Cold War story, set in a militarized future USA engaged in an apparently endless war which central character General Carpenter, a “master of public relations”, proclaims is a fight for “the Ideal of civilization; for Culture, for Poetry, for the Only Things Worth Preserving”. Something peculiar is going on at a military hospital and Carpenter is determined to get to the bottom of it. Specialists are called in, each of them ignorant of everything outside their specialty. Finally a poet is called for…

This is an entertaining story whose satire targets several aspects of 50s American culture. 4 stars.

Adam and No Eve (Astounding, September 1941). The earliest of the stories collected here, and another famous one. (According to SF Encyclopedia Bester published about 14 stories 1939-42 before detouring to comics and other endeavours, returning to the sf field in 1950.)

This one centres on a character making his way across a devastated, lifeless landscape. In flashbacks we learn of his past as a headstrong genius inventor. Ultimately we get a variation on an ancient trope. What Oleksandr might call a “punchline” story, but an interesting one with allegorical elements as well.

Another story that deserves its fame. 4-5 stars.

Star Light, Star Bright was a 2004/1954 Retro Hugo finalist, and is very briefly discussed elsewhere in this group. Oleksandr and I both ranked it 4th of the 5 finalists. I thought it was clever and a fun read.

The Roller Coaster Fantastic, 1953. Well written, albeit ugly, variant of the (view spoiler)[”time traveling tourists” (hide spoiler)] trope. 3-4 stars.

I knew Bester mostly as a writer of SF novels (even if, as mentioned, we read his Hugo-nominated story) and for me he was less engaging than say Asimov, Simak or RAH - it can be just a matter of age and taste. I was looking for his short stories on YouTube and found his essay - MY AFFAIR WITH SCIENCE FICTION by Alfred Bester
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7gu2...

I don’t know that one. Generally I prefer paper copies, or at least “eye reading” over the aural experience of prose fiction. I may look for more Bester when I finish this current collection.

It’s many years since I read his famous 50s novels; I’m not sure how I’d react to them now. As you know I was unenthusiastic about The Computer Connection.

The text of Bester’s My Affair With Science Fiction is online at the Library of America site.

https://sciencefiction.loa.org/biogra...

I’ve read about half of My Affair With Science Fiction. It’s full of interesting anecdotes. One of them concerns his first and only meeting with John W. Campbell, which occurred when Bester submitted Oddy and Id to Astounding, which ended up publishing it. (1950.)

I’ve just read Oddy and Id. It’s a story about a young guy named Odyssey Gaul, nicknamed ‘Oddy’, who is incredibly lucky. Everything always turns out well for him, sometimes through a ridiculous chain of unlikely events and circumstances. The world is heading for what would be a disastrous war, and some academics get hold of Oddy, with the idea of getting him to identify with the cause of peace, so that his incredible luck will save the world from war. In the end there is a twist, having to do with the idea that what Oddy actually wants is governed by his “id”, i.e. subconscious desires, not his “rational” conscious wishes. (“Id” is a Freudian term.) The story is readable but disjointed in my opinion, and this ending isn’t strong. I think it’s a 3 star story.

In My Affair With Science Fiction, Bester describes being called to Campbell’s office in New Jersey, where Campbell tells him Freud is finished and tries to convert him to Dianetics. A colourful anecdote.

I’m surprised he doesn’t have a volume in the Ballantine series

https://www.worldswithoutend.com/list...

Allan wrote: "I’m surprised he doesn’t have a volume in the Ballantine series

https://www.worldswithoutend.com/list..."

Interesting point.

There was a 2-volume collection of his stories published around that time (mid-70s) by Berkeley, and there have been other collections since.

The Starcomber, originally published in F&SF in 1954 under the title “5,271,009”. A long complicated story in which a mysterious character with apparently supernatural powers, named Solon Aquila, puts artist Jeffrey Halsyon through a series of fantastic experiences in order to teach him to grow up, put juvenile fantasies of omnipotence behind him, and engage with the real world as an adult. These juvenile fantasies may have some resemblance to popular fiction. Another story with a somewhat Freudian basis. Energetic, original and generally entertaining. 4 stars.

Travel Diary Light, dull, short, would be humorous piece. Diary entries by a cliche American ‘50s female tourist on other planets, back in time at the Great Fire of London, etc. Hardly worth a rating, but I’ll say 2 stars.