Path: ...!weretis.net!feeder9.news.weretis.net!panix!.POSTED.panix2.panix.com!not-for-mail From: jdnicoll@panix.com (James Nicoll) Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written Subject: Re: (Worst) He Walked Among Us by Norman Spinrad Date: Wed, 22 May 2024 13:03:13 -0000 (UTC) Organization: Public Access Networks Corp. Message-ID: References: Injection-Date: Wed, 22 May 2024 13:03:13 -0000 (UTC) Injection-Info: reader1.panix.com; posting-host="panix2.panix.com:166.84.1.2"; logging-data="22242"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@panix.com" X-Newsreader: trn 4.0-test77 (Sep 1, 2010) Bytes: 2058 Lines: 30 In article , Michael F. Stemper wrote: >On 21/05/2024 08.08, James Nicoll wrote: >> He Walked Among Us by Norman Spinrad >> >> Can the comedian from tomorrow avert dystopia and save a disgruntled >> SF author's ailing career in the process? >> >> https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/pass > >I always have concerns about stories featuring authors whose careers >are on the skids; especially when they're written by authors whose >careers were on the skids. It's kind of depressing to consider authors like Silverberg, Brunner, Spinrad, and Disch--and no doubt others--who were willing to put in the effort to produce ambitious works, only to be rewarded with disppointing or flat-out awful sales. In Brunner's case, in two separate episodes. In the case of Disch, to have one's big success be a kid's book. Gene Wolfe seems to have escaped that trap. I wonder how? Silverberg briefly retired, then returned with skillful pablum. Brunner... well, I won't get to that part of his career until August. -- My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/ My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/ My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/ My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll