Electronic OtherRealms #18 Fall, 1987 Part 2 Two Books on Robert Bloch Reviewed by Jerry Boyajian boyajian@akov68.dec.com Copyright 1987 by Jerry Boyajian The Complete Robert Bloch Randall D. Larson Fandom Unlimited Enterprises P.O. Box 70868 Sunnyvale, CA 94086 126+ pages, $10.00 [*+] The preface starts with "The Complete Robert Bloch is intended to provide the first complete [emphasis in the original] and comprehensive bibliography of all of the work of Robert Bloch..." Obviously, the quality of such a work depends on its completeness and accuracy. I regret to say that Larson fails on both counts. It would be both time-consuming and silly to both check each entry for accuracy and search down other items. The reason for getting Larson's bibliography would be so that I wouldn't have to do the work myself. So, what I did was to use a variation of the Budrys Test. Algis Budrys, author and book reviewer for Fantasy & Science Fiction judges a biographical reference work based on what it has to say about him. If his entry is accurate (presumably, he knows his life better than anyone), he figures that the rest of the book is equally so; if his entry is full of errors, he figures other entries are likely to be as well. To judge The Complete Robert Bloch, I cross-checked information against two other works: Michael Cook's Monthly Murders (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1982), an index to mystery magazines, and Frank Parnell and Mike Ashley's Monthly Terrors (Greenwood Press, 1985), an index to fantasy and horror magazines. The first thing that becomes obvious is that Larson is missing (or perhaps ignores) completely the British editions of such American magazines as The Saint Mystery Magazine, Ellery Queens Mystery Magazine and Unknown Worlds. This might be because Larson, if he was aware of these, assumed that these were exact duplicates of the American counterparts. In fact, the contents of these British editions do not match the American ones, but are usually shuffled from various American issues (sometimes there is a 100% match, and usually a 60-75% match, but quite often it's almost a totally separate set of contents). Bibliographically, these are completely different magazines, and bibliographically, they should be treated as such. In some of the cases in which a Bloch story was reprinted in a magazine's British edition, the British appearance followed the American one by a few months. In at least two cases, the British appearance preceded the American one by up to five months, which illustrates the importance of including these citations. I also noted a few other missing citations, but the lack of above mentioned British editions is a major hole. So much for comprehensiveness. As to the information that is present, I noted several instances in which the citation is a month off (reading, for instance, June when it should be July). In a couple of other cases, it's a year off (e.g. 1971 instead of 1970). The most jarring was a citation that read "Ed McBain Magazine, Jan 1961" -- not one element of that citation is correct. Since I have that issue, I can say that (1) the actual title of the magazine is Ed McBain's Mystery Book, (2) there is no month listed in that issue, and (3) the year is 1960, not 1961. From what Larson says in his preface, the impression given is that Bloch allowed him access to the author's files for much of the information. This certainly has its advantages in noting obscure appearances (though at least one obscure appearance, cited in Monthly Terrors, is missing), as well as foreign sales. But there are also disadvantages in that the published story may differ in some way from what it says in Bloch's records. This may account for the aforementioned Ed McBain's inaccuracy, for example, or for the lack of the British editions of American magazines, since they probably counted only as a single sale in Bloch's files). Another example is in the case of a story that appeared in Hustler called "The Shrink and the Mink." Undoubtedly, that was Bloch's original title, but it actually appeared in the magazine as "The Shrink and the Nympho." It's my guess that Larson relied too much on Bloch's files, and didn't avail himself of the bibliographic works that had gone before. It's also likely that Larson did not ultimately check his information against actual copies of the works themselves. This is something that any would be bibliographer must do, if possible, to ensure accuracy. It's obvious that Larson is a dedicated fan of Bloch's and that this book is an attempt to show that dedication, but it's equally obvious that in the field of bibliography, he's a fish out of water, and isn't aware of what resources already exist. All these seem like small quibbles, and indeed, in one respect they are. But, there are two points to be made. First, if one claims to be complete and comprehensive, one should make damn well sure one is. Secondly, if in cross-checking a small amount of information, I find a fair number of incorrect citations, how much can I trust the rest of the information to be accurate? Some typos and a certain percentage of error are inevitable (having compiled and published some indexes myself, I well know this), but the error rate for what I checked I judge to be rather high. I don't wish to totally denigrate this work. There certainly is some welcome information in here regarding foreign editions of Bloch's work, as well as his work for radio, TV, and the movies (but again, can I trust it?). And the book is full of reproductions of covers of Bloch's books and magazines with Bloch's stories in them. For those who aren't picky about every citation, but are interested in finding out what Bloch has done and where his work can be found, this bibliography can be a useful guide. Robert Bloch Starmont Reader's Guide 37 Randall D. Larson Starmont House P.O. Box 851 Mercer Island, WA 98040 148+ pages, $8.95 [***] Unlike The Complete Robert Bloch, this book I can recommend. First, at the back of it, there is an abbreviated bibliography of Bloch's work. It's not as detailed or comprehensive as The Complete Robert Bloch (and, of course, containing the same errors where applicable), as it only lists first appearances, though in the case of short fiction, it also cites reprintings in Bloch's collections). As a guide to finding out what Bloch has done and where he has done it, this is as useful as The Complete Robert Bloch, and not as cluttered with details. But the bibliography merely serves as something of an appendix to the main body of Robert Bloch, which is a discussion of Bloch's work itself. Larson divides Bloch's work up into discrete groups: his early work, his Cthulhu Mythos stories, his Science Fiction, humorous fiction, psychological terror, and so forth. A brief plot synopsis is given for each of Bloch's short stories and novels, and for the more "important" works, a critical analysis of Bloch's style follows, as well as an assessment of where the work stands in Bloch's oeuvre. At first, Robert Bloch seems superficial, but it serves its purpose well, being just what the series title suggests it is: a reader's guide to Bloch. It introduces the reader to the subject, and helps him find other work in the same vein as stories that he has sampled. If, for example, you liked one or two of Bloch's Cthulhu Mythos tales, this will tell you what others Bloch has written. If you liked the suspense of Psycho, herein you will find out what else Bloch has written along the same lines, as well as assessments of the relative merits of each work. Larson obviously knows his subject well, and has a readable style. Since he is a fan and not an academic, his approach is more oriented toward whether a particular story succeeds or fails than where it falls in some imagined Literary Scheme of Things. I'm not sure that the hard-core Bloch fan will get much out of this book. It's really aimed (whether intentionally or not) at the reader who has sampled some of Bloch's work and would like to try more. The person who hasn't read anything of Bloch's but is curious about his work would probably spend his money better by first buying a novel or collection or two of Bloch's (if you like down-to-Earth suspense or terror, I recommend his work) and reading the material itself, and then come to this book to get an idea of what else to look for. Double Nocturne Cynthia Felice DAW Books, $3.50 [****] Reviewed by Danny Low hplabs!dlow Copyright 1987 by Danny Low The basic plot of this book is similar to Jack Vance's Planet of Adventure series. There is a similar richness and "alien-ess" in the cultures described in both stories. Yet, the two stories are very different in flavor. The planet Islands were cut off during the Homeworld wars. During the interregnum, the stranded colonists developed their own culture. This appears to have been partially due to a faulty AI (Artificial Intelligence) unit that was supposed to govern the planet. The Homeworlds wars are now over. Hark is a member of a team sent to Islands to repair the faulty AI. The first landing party is shot down. Hark, while trying to rescue his fellow crewmates, is forced to land by a storm and is captured by local Islanders. He discovers that the Islanders have a religious matriarchal society where men are treated as inferiors. The Islanders are also divided into three nations and each nation is in turn divided into various political and religious factions. The Islanders are split as to whether they want to reestablish contact with the Homeworlds. Some Islanders see Hark as a means to gain ascendancy over their religious and political rivals. Hark is in a lot of trouble. Hark has three tasks. The first is to escape from his captors. This is not an easy task as his captors know his value as a prisoner. The second is to rescue his fellow crewmates. However both of them are seriously injured and held under close guard in a hospital. The third is to leave this planet. Unfortunately, one of the two landers is destroyed. The other is damaged and hidden under guard. Furthermore, the AI that controls the mothership will automatically leave Islands for the Homeworlds if it cannot find any trace of the landers or the crew after conducting a standard space search. Hark is not a Vancian super competent hero. In fact, he is foolish, stubborn to the point of being pigheaded, lacks social tact and can take some time to figure out what's going on. On the other hand, he is a rather good looking blond that many of the Islander women find attractive. Their desire for him as a sex object clearly saves Hark in several instances. Felice has created a credible religious matriarchal society that is clearly not our patriarchal society with all the sex roles exactly reversed. She has clearly thought out how a matriarchal society would be different from a patriarchal society aside from the simple change in the sex of the dominant sex. Much of the society is hinted at but never explained which gives the society more richness and at the same time, gives the reader a sense of culture shock because so much of the society cannot be comprehended. In addition, social statements on sexual equality, while important, is not allowed to get in the way of the story. This is a very well done book and well worthwhile reading. The Uplift War Dave Brin Bantam Books, $4.50 ISBN 0-553-25121-X Reviewed by Fred Bals bals@nutmeg.dec.com Copyright 1987 by Fred Bals It's always dangerous to meet -- and hear -- writers. They never match your preconceptions of what they should be. For instance, I'm unable to enjoy one writer's stories anymore simply because he speaks in a strange whine of a voice. Certainly not his fault, of course. But the problem is exacerbated because he writes "tough-guy" hard-boiled stories. I used to enjoy them a lot. Now, I burst out laughing every time I start reading one of them. All I can hear is the sound of the author's voice in my head. On the other hand, some writers are exactly like what they write. I recently "met" David Brin at a book-signing. "Met" is in quotes because it's the wrong term. I viewed a performance. In the space of a couple of hours Brin kept up a running monologue as he signed books, alternately happily haranguing the crowd to sign some sort of petition he was flogging, and lambasting the cyberpunks for what he seemed to feel was their negative world-view. No one would ever accuse David Brin of a negative world-view. He's more like Pollyanna as author. He's so cheerful and positive. I expected people in the crowd to start going into diabetic convulsions at any time. Before I'm accused of making an ad hominem attack on David Brin, let me note that this unrelieved optimism spills over into his writing, and that is the crux of my problem with The Uplift War. In many ways, the book -- as are the other books of the Uplift series -- is designed as a didactic, instructive manual to promote Brin's view of mankind's relationship with nature and the creatures sharing this planet with us. It is propaganda, pure and simple. Brin himself implies as much in his Postscript to The Uplift War. So, if Brin wants his game on that sort of playing-field, then the reviewer has to take into the consideration the man himself, as well as his writing, in order to review his works adequately. I have nothing against optimism per se. I play the lottery every week and have been known to go the track once or twice, too. I just prefer my optimism tinged with some realism, which is usually a quick lesson if you're into serious gambling. Perhaps David Brin should take up gambling, as anything approaching realism is sadly lacking in The Uplift War. The statements that I heard Brin make of his problems with the cyberpunk crew's depressing world-view are very indicative, as the best of cyberpunk extrapolates from the firm foundation of present-day trends. If the worlds evolving from that extrapolation are often bleak, grimy, and depressing, they also can trace their roots quite clearly to the world of today. Brin's Uplift universe, on the other hand, operates in a vacuum, simply ignoring present-day reality and the way people really act. To give the series its fair due, Brin does postulate a far, far future, one in which Man has evidently come to his senses through unknown means, halted his ecological rape of the planet, and has become rational enough to want to "uplift" the lesser creatures of the Earth -- most notably chimpanzees and dolphins -- for altruistic reasons. Yet, while Brin addresses some of the "hows" of his universe fairly well, he leaves the "whys" to the reader's imagination. "Whys" such as: why did mankind get so smart and nice all of a sudden? Why uplift other species at all, unless you're going to use them as slave labor (See Jerry was a Man by Heinlein, for instance, as a well-thought-out example of what *really* would happen if chimps were instilled with intelligence). If you can swallow those base premises with the lack of rational explanation -- which I find difficult -- you may be able to suspend your disbelief enough to enjoy The Uplift War. The Uplift War relates the story of various humans, aliens, and uplifted chimpanzees on the planet Garth, its animal inhabitants themselves victims of a previous uplifted race's reversion to savagery. Mankind has inherited the planet in their continuing bid to become an acknowledged patron race, an important consideration in a universe where a race's "face" is measured by the number of species it caretakes. Because mankind is thought of as a "wolfling" species, that is, one which has attained intelligence without the dubious benefit of a patron, our credibility among the other members of the Five Galaxies is tenuous at best. Thus, the mandate of the humans in The Uplift War is to restore the dying planet with their "clients," the neo-chimpanzees, as helpmates. Unfortunately for both men and chimps, the events told in the previous book of the Uplift universe, Startide Rising, has thrown the so-called Five Galaxies into turmoil. A dolphin-crewed starship has made a discovery that may have repercussions upon every race. War has broken out among the Five Galaxies, and one alien race, the bird-like Gubru, has taken the opportunity to seize Garth, embarrass Mankind, and possibly become the neo-chimp's new patron race. The Uplift War deals with the battle for Garth conducted by an irregular army of one young, human male, an alien female, and various neo-chimps versus the Gubru. A sub-plot that later becomes important to the story's resolution is the search for a mysterious race of "Garthlings," creatures with the potential for uplifting that may have survived genocide. To praise Brin with faint damns, the plot itself rollicks right along. The Uplift War is an entertaining read if taken at pure mind-candy level. Brin, however, has the annoying habit of interjecting ten-dollar adjectives into otherwise mundane descriptive phrases ("Shadows were stark, acherontic, and surprising"). Being nicer to you than Brin, I'll not that "acherontic" is a Brin-invented adjective derived from "Acheron," the main river in Hades. But except for similar authorial lapses where Brin seems determined to add as many new words to Webster's as possible, the reading is easy and fast-paced. On the negative side, the characters are so one-dimensional that they'd disappear if turned sideways. All seem created to advance the plot, mere stick figures who act and react to the circumstances Brin throws at them. Brin himself seems to have realized this, as he begins an interesting sub- plot early in the story concerning the growing sexual attraction between the main human male character, Robert Oneagle, and an alien female, Athaclena, in an apparent attempt to develop the characters of both. Yet, what could have become a welcome emotional counter-point to the overwhelming action of the plot is simply allowed to fade away in an unsatisfactory nonresolution. The neo-chimp characters in the book are more human than ape-like, so much so that one has to keep reminding himself that Brin *is* talking about nonhuman characters. On the other hand, the Gubru are fairly well- done, their motivations nicely extrapolated from their avian ancestry. Ultimately, The Uplift War is a direct descendant of the pulp novels of the `50s, with a dash of `70s ecological awareness tossed in for good measure. For readers who ask no more from their science fiction than a good, entertaining action yarn, The Uplift War should be satisfying. But for those who like to be challenged by what they read -- even when that challenge leads us into depressing, bleak, worlds, The Uplift War is unsatisfying fare indeed. OtherRealms #18 Fall, 1987 Copyright 1987 by Chuq Von Rospach. All Rights Reserved. One time rights have been acquired from the contributors. All rights are hereby assigned to the contributors. OtherRealms may be reproduced in its entirety only for non-commercial purposes. No article may be reprinted without the express permission of the author.