On SF by Thomas M. Disch (University of Michigan Press, June 30, 2005, 0-472-06896-2, $24.95, 271pp, tp, nf)
Collection of 41 articles and reviews on and about SF. A hardcover edition (-09896-9, $60.00) was announced but not seen.
- 1 · Part One: The Forest
- 3 · The Embarrassments of Science Fiction · Thomas M. Disch · ar Science Fiction at Large ed. Peter Nicholls, Gollancz, 1976
- 16 · Ideas: A Popular Misconception · Thomas M. Disch · ar Foundation #14, September 1978 [Ref. Ian Watson]
- 21 · Mythology and Science Fiction · Thomas M. Disch · in New Constellations ed. Thomas M. Disch & Charles Naylor, Harper & Row, 1976
- 25 · Big Ideas and Dead-End Thrills · Thomas M. Disch · ar The Atlantic Monthly February 1992; subtitled “The Further Embarrassments of Science Fiction”.
- 37 · Part Two: Forefathers
- 39 · Poe’s Appalling Life · Thomas M. Disch · br The Washington Post November 24 1991, as “Master of the Macabre” [Ref. Edgar Allan Poe]; review of Edgar A. Poe: Mournful and Never-Ending Remembrance by Kenneth Silverman.
- 42 · Luncheon in the Sepulcher: Poe in the Gothic Tradition · Thomas M. Disch · in Strangeness ed. Disch & Naylor, Scribner's, 1977
- 49 · Brave New World Revisited Once Again · Thomas M. Disch · br Omni August 1982, as “Brave New World” [Ref. Aldous Huxley]
- 52 · A Tableful of Twinkies · Thomas M. Disch · br New York Times Book Review October 26 1980, as “Tops in Brand-Name Regognition” [Ref. Ray Bradbury]; review of The Stories of Ray Bradbury.
- 56 · Sic, Sic, Sic · Thomas M. Disch · br The Times Literary Supplement June 16 1978, as “The Earthbound Exegete” [Ref. Arthur C. Clarke]; reviews of Arthur C. Clarke ed. Joseph D. Olander & Martin Harry Greenberg and The Best of Arthur C. Clarke ed. Angus Wells.
- 59 · A Bus Trip to Heaven · Thomas M. Disch · br [Ref. Arthur C. Clarke]; review of The Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke.
- 61 · The Doldrums of Space · Thomas M. Disch · br Inquiry December 1982, as “Stellar Gold Rush” [Ref. Arthur C. Clarke & Isaac Asimov]; reviews of 2010: Odyssey Two by Arthur C. Clarke; Foundation’s Edge by Isaac Asimov.
- 65 · Isaac Asimov (1920-1992) · Thomas M. Disch · ob The (London) Evening News April 17 1992, as “Quantum Leap” [Ref. Isaac Asimov]
- 67 · Jokes Across the Generation Gap · Thomas M. Disch · br The Times Literary Supplement November 18 1985, as “Getting Down to Basics” [Ref. Kurt Vonnegut]; review of Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut.
- 72 · Time, Space, the Limitlessness of the Imagination—and Abs to Die for · Thomas M. Disch · br Los Angeles Times December 7 1997, as “Ground Control” [Ref. Vincent Di Fate]; review of Infinite Worlds: The Fantastic Visions of Science Fiction Art by Vincent Di Fate.
- 77 · Part Three: The Bully Pulpit
- 79 · The King and His Minions: Thoughts of a Twilight Zone Reviewer · Thomas M. Disch · ar Reign of Fear ed. Don Herron, Underwood-Miller, 1988
portions first appeared in different form in Twilight Zone.
- 89 · Talking with Jesus · Thomas M. Disch · rc The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction July 1981, as “Books” [Ref. Romulus Linney, Philip K. Dick, James Merrill & Rudy Rucker]; reviews of Jesus Tales by Romulus Linney; Valis by Philip K. Dick; Scripts for the Pageant by James Merrill; White Light by Rudy Rucker; Their Immortal Hearts.
- 97 · The Labor Day Group · Thomas M. Disch · rc The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction February 1981, as “Books” [Ref. Terry Carr, Gardner Dozois, Donald A. Wollheim, Arthur W. Saha & Gregory Benford]; reviews of The Best Science Fiction of the Year #9 ed. Terry Carr; Best Science Fiction Stories of the Year: Ninth Annual Collection ed. Gardner Dozois; The 1980 Annual World’s Best SF ed. Donald A. Wollheim & Arthur W. Saha; Timescape by Gregory Benford.
- 105 · 1979: Fluff and Fizzles · Thomas M. Disch · rc The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction July 1980, as “Books” [Ref. Brian W. Aldiss, Philip K. Dick, Philip José Farmer, Charles L. Harness & Vonda McIntyre]; reviews of New Arrivals, Old Encounters by Brian Aldiss; The Golden Man by Philip K. Dick; Dark Is the Sun by Philip José Farmer; The Catalyst by Charles Harness; Fireflood by Vonda McIntyre.
- 114 · The Feast of St. Bradbury · Thomas M. Disch · ar [Ref. L. Ron Hubbard, Michael Bishop, Philip K. Dick, Robert A. Heinlein, Barry N. Malzberg, Gene Wolfe, Norman Spinrad, John Calvin Batchelor, Stephen R. Donaldson, Jack L. Chalker & Charles Platt]; reviews of Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard (11/82), No Enemy But Time by Michael Bishop (6/82), The Transmigration of Timothy Archer by Philip K. Dick (9/82), Friday by Robert A. Heinlein (9/82), The Engines of the Night by Barry N. Malzberg (6/82), The Citadel Of The Autarch by Gene Wolfe (5-6/83), The Void Captain’s Tale by Norman Spinrad (5-6/83), The Birth of the People’s Republic of Antarctica by John Calvin Batchelor (5-6/83), White Gold Wielder by Stephen R. Donaldson (9-10/83), Medusa: A Tiger by the Tale by Jack L. Chalker (9-10/83), Dream Makers II by Charles Platt (9-10/83).
- 131 · Part Four: Selected Larger Trees
- 133 · A Different Different World · Thomas M. Disch · br Foundation #18, January 1980, as “Engine Summer” [Ref. John Crowley]; review of Engine Summer.
- 136 · Crowley’s Poetry · Thomas M. Disch · br Newsday April 26 1987 [Ref. John Crowley]; review of Ægypt by John Crowley.
- 141 · Wolfe’s New Sun · Thomas M. Disch · br The Washington Post Book World March 22 1981, as “A Wizard of the Fabulous” [Ref. Gene Wolfe]; review of The Claw of the Conciliator and Gene Wolfe’s Book of Days.
- 144 · The Champion of Cyberpunk: On Two Works by William Gibson · Thomas M. Disch · ar New York Times Book Review December 11 1988, as “Lost in Cyberspace” [Ref. William Gibson]; reviews of Mona Lisa Overdrive and Virtual Light.
- 147 · Queen Victoria’s Computers · Thomas M. Disch · br New York Times Book Review March 10 1991 [Ref. William Gibson & Bruce Sterling]; review of The Difference Engine by William Gibson & Bruce Sterling.
- 150 · Dick’s First Novel · Thomas M. Disch · in Gregg Press, 1977 [Ref. Philip K. Dick]; introduction to Solar Lottery.
- 160 · In the Mold of 1964: An Afterword · Thomas M. Disch · ar Bluejay, 1984 [Ref. Philip K. Dick]; afterword to The Penultimate Truth.
- 169 · Part Five: Crazy Neighbors
- 171 · The Village Alien · Thomas M. Disch · ar The Nation March 14 1987 [Ref. Whitley Strieber]; review of Communion by Whitley Strieber.
- 184 · UFOs and the Origins of Christianity · Thomas M. Disch · ar [Ref. Whitley Strieber]
- 190 · Science Fiction as a Church · Thomas M. Disch · ar Foundation #25, June 1982
transcript of talk at Yorcon II, April 1981.
- 198 · The Evidence of Things Not Seen · Thomas M. Disch · br The Hudson Review Autumn 1995 [Ref. Peter Washington]; review of Madame Blavatsky’s Baboon by Peter Washington.
- 205 · The Road to Heaven: Science Fiction and the Militarization of Space · Thomas M. Disch · ar The Nation May 10 1986
- 213 · Speaker Moonbeam: Newt’s Futurist Brain Trust · Thomas M. Disch · ar The Nation February 27 1995, as “Newt’s Futurist Brain Trust”
- 220 · A Closer Look at Close Encounters · Thomas M. Disch · mr Foundation #15, January 1979
- 223 · Primal Hooting · Thomas M. Disch · br The Nation November 14 1988 [Ref. Whitley Strieber]; review of Transformation by Whitley Strieber.
- 233 · Part Six: After the Future
- 235 · The Day of the Living Dead · Thomas M. Disch · br The Washington Post September 10 1989 [Ref. Peter Ackroyd]; review of First Light by Peter Ackroyd.
- 238 · The Fairy Tale Kingdom of Baghdad · Thomas M. Disch · br The Chicago Tribune February 3 1991, as “Barth’s Erotic Trip” [Ref. John Barth]; review of The Last Voyage of Somebody the Sailor by John Barth.
- 242 · SF: Guides to the Ghetto · Thomas M. Disch · br The Times Literary Supplement December 27 1985 [Ref. Stanislaw Lem & David Pringle]; reviews of Microworlds by Stanislaw Lem; Science Fiction: The 100 Best Novels by David Pringle.
- 245 · Over the River and Through the Wood · Thomas M. Disch · br Wall Street Journal January 15 1995 [Ref. Doris Lessing]; review of Mara and Dann by Doris Lessing.
- 248 · Measures of Hanging · Thomas M. Disch · br The New York Times March 15 1981, as “Pleasures of Hanging” [Ref. William S. Burroughs]; review of Cities of the Red Night.
- 250 · The Secret Code Language of Bright Kids · Thomas M. Disch · br The New York Times August 3 1986, as “Rock of Phages” [Ref. Christine Brooke-Rose]; review of Xorandor by Christine Brooke-Rose.
- 252 · Double Talk, Double Dutch, Dutch Chocolate · Thomas M. Disch · br The Hudson Review Spring 1998; review of Postmodern American Fiction: A Norton Anthology ed. Paula Geyh, Fred G. Lebron & Andrew Levy.
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