[net.sf-lovers] Sam Delany

judith@proper.UUCP (Judith Abrahms) (08/08/85)

In article <> Newman.pasa@Xerox.ARPA writes:

>RE Jim Hofmann's comments on Dahlgren: I will admit that Delaney takes
>on topics that most everyone else shies away from (most everyone - not
>everyone, and the others do it better!) but I don't really want to read
>about these topics, and I particularly don't want to read trashy writing
>on these topics. Similarly, though Delaney "divorces himself from
>standard literary style", there are others who do it better. 

Has nobody read Delany's other books?  Most of them, though shorter than
Dhalgren, are worse written and considerably less interesting, believe it
or not.  (I thought Dhalgren stylistically interesting but intolerably
repetitious.)  In fact, I sold _Nova_, _Triton_, and _Dhalgren_ so long ago
that it took this discussion to remind me the author of _Babel-17_ wrote them.

Yes, he's written ONE GOOD BOOK -- which may be out of print, since I've
never seen a new copy.  _Babel-17_ draws extensively on his knowledge of
linguistics (that's his field), has plenty of action, and tells a good love
tory about intelligent people.  Nor does it divorce itself from "standard
"standard literary style!"  It even has a plot!

Give it a shot before you give up on him.

Judith Abrahms

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"No plan survives the shock of battle." -- Clausewitz
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------