This World and Nearer Ones: Essays Exploring the Familiar by Brian W. Aldiss (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, July 26, 1979, 0-297-77655-X, £6.95, 261pp, hc, nf)
Illustrated collection of mostly previously published essays on a wide variety of subjects, including literature, film, politics, current affairs, art and the author’s own life.
- 10 · Introduction and Acknowledgements · Brian W. Aldiss · in
- 17 · Writing
- 18 · Ever Since the Enlightenment · Brian W. Aldiss · ar
delivered as speech in Canberra.
- 37 · James Blish and the Mathematics of Knowledge · Brian W. Aldiss · ar [Ref. James Blish]
expanded from “James Blish: The Mathematics of Behaviour”, Foundation #13, May 1978.
- 51 · Dick’s Maledictory Web · Brian W. Aldiss · ar Science-Fiction Studies March 1975 [Ref. Philip K. Dick]
- 59 · Why They Left Zirn Unguarded: The Stories of Robert Sheckley · Brian W. Aldiss · ar Vector [Ref. Robert Sheckley]
- 64 · Nesvadba: In the Footsteps of the Admirable Capek · Brian W. Aldiss · in from In the Footsteps of the Abominable Snowman, New English Library, 1979 [Ref. Josef Nesvadba]
- 69 · Verne: The Extraordinary Voyage · Brian W. Aldiss · ar [Ref. Jules Verne]
- 79 · Vonnegut: Guru Number Four · Brian W. Aldiss · ar Summary v1 #2, 1971, as “Guru Number Four” [Ref. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.]
- 86 · Barefoot: Its First Decade · Brian W. Aldiss · ar
- 90 · The Gulf and the Forest: Contemporary SF in Britain · Brian W. Aldiss · ar The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction April 1978
expanded from “The British Contribution to Science Fiction”, Maya #14, June 1977.
- 103 · Hoping
- 104 · Looking Forward to 2001 · Brian W. Aldiss · ar
delivered as a speech to the Oxford Union.
- 111 · Living
- 112 · The Hiroshima Man · Brian W. Aldiss · br New Worlds #173, July 1967; review of The Decision to Drop the Bomb by Len Giovannitti & Fred Freed and Dark Star by Ronnie Dugger.
- 120 · From History to Timelessness · Brian W. Aldiss · ar
- 125 · The Hashish Club · Brian W. Aldiss · pr The Hashish Club: An Anthology of Drug Literature, Volume One ed. Peter Haining, Peter Owen, 1975, as “Preface”
- 129 · 1951: Yesterday’s Festival of the Future · Brian W. Aldiss · ar A Tonic to the Nation ed. Mary Banham & Bevis Hillier, Thames & Hudson, 1976
- 135 · Seeing
- 136 · The Sower of the Systems: Some Paintings by G.F. Watts · Brian W. Aldiss · ar The Guardian
- 143 · The Fireby-Wireby Book · Brian W. Aldiss · ar Cidereal Times
- 148 · SF Art: Strangeness with Beauty · Brian W. Aldiss · ar from Science Fiction Art, New English Library, 1975
- 163 · The Film Tarkovsky Made · Brian W. Aldiss · mr Foundation #4, July 1973, as “Solaris”
- 170 · Kissingers Have Long Ears · Brian W. Aldiss · ar
- 173 · Spielberg: When the Mundane Breaks Down · Brian W. Aldiss · ar
lecture delivered at the ICA.
- 181 · Rough Justice
- 182 · Sleazo Inputs I Have Known · Brian W. Aldiss · br Foundation [Ref. Dr. Christopher Evans]; review of Cults of Unreason.
- 188 · It Catechised from Outer Space: Politics in SF · Brian W. Aldiss · br The New Review
- 194 · The Flight Into Tomorrow · Brian W. Aldiss · in from The Paradox Men, New English Library, 1974 [Ref. Charles L. Harness]
- 198 · Burroughs: Less Lucid Than Lucian · Brian W. Aldiss · br Punch August 1972, as “Me Spaceman, You Moonmaid” [Ref. Edgar Rice Burroughs]
- 201 · “Yes, Well, But…” · Brian W. Aldiss · br Science-Fiction Studies [Ref. Reginald Bretnor]; review of The Craft of Science Fiction.
- 211 · The Universe as Coal-Scuttle · Brian W. Aldiss · br The New Statesman
- 219 · This World
- 220 · California, Where They Drink Buck Rogers · Brian W. Aldiss · ar The Guardian
- 224 · Modest Atmosphere with Monsters · Brian W. Aldiss · ar Encounter November 1971
- 233 · Cultural Totems in the Soviet Union · Brian W. Aldiss · ar The New Review June/July 1977
- 249 · A Swim in Sumatra · Brian W. Aldiss · ar
- 256 · Index · [uncredited] · ix
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