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Path: ...!2.eu.feeder.erje.net!3.eu.feeder.erje.net!feeder.erje.net!eternal-september.org!feeder3.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: Don <g@crcomp.net> Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written Subject: Re: (Tears) Report on Probability A by Brian W. Aldiss Date: Sun, 9 Jun 2024 16:19:52 -0000 (UTC) Organization: A noiseless patient Spider Lines: 68 Message-ID: <20240609a@crcomp.net> References: <v448ev$j27$1@reader1.panix.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8stipulation Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Injection-Date: Sun, 09 Jun 2024 18:19:52 +0200 (CEST) Injection-Info: dont-email.me; posting-host="682d22186ecf9e52908ec9af73ed05c0"; logging-data="3819651"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org"; posting-account="U2FsdGVkX1+O3+FN/qd80i+IH9/nIByY" Cancel-Lock: sha1:qKa3iIdPgKoTzNze1B8rpFmtr4A= Bytes: 3831 James Nicoll wrote: > Report on Probability A by Brian W. Aldiss > > A New Wave tale of observational recursion, > > https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/a-straight-a-student Thank you for the embedded link to _The Hireling Shepherd_. It's another example where an artistic image's blatant symbolism clobbers me in the head with the force of the stupid hammer. _The Hireling Shepherd_ brings to mind a similar sexual situation in _Fifth Business_ (Davies). The author, apparently an aficionado of Shakespeare, kindly defines Fifth Business in his preface. Perhaps you, in your role of theater staff member, also recognize the phrase, James. Fifth Business … Definition Those roles which, being neither those of Hero nor Heroine, Confidante nor Villain, but which were none the less essential to bring about the Recognition or the dénouement were called the Fifth Business in drama and opera companies organized according to the old style; the player who acted these parts was often referred to as Fifth Business. —Tho. Overskou, Den Danske Skueplads Here's an excerpt from Davies' speculative stream-of-consciousness story simulacrum - whose pointless plotlessness makes it merely a wannabe story despite all of its fine wordmanship. Its anti-Christian narrative hits me square between the eyes with the stupid hammer. He shot the beam of his flashlight into the scrub, and in that bleak, flat light we saw a tramp and a woman in the act of copulation. The tramp rolled over and gaped at us in terror; the woman was Mrs Dempster. It was Hainey who gave a shout, and in no time all the men were with us, and Jim Warren was pointing a pistol at the tramp, ordering him to put his hands up. He repeated the words two or three times, and then Mrs Dempster spoke. "You'll have to speak very loudly to him, Mr Warren," she said, "he's hard of hearing." I don't think any of us knew where to look when she spoke, pulling her skirts down but remaining on the ground. It was at that moment that the Reverend Amasa Dempster joined us; I had not noticed him when the hunt began, though he must have been there. He behaved with great dignity, leaning forward to help his wife rise with the same sort of protective love I had seen in him the night Paul was born. But he was not able to keep back his question. "Mary, what made you do it?" She looked him honestly in the face and gave the answer that became famous in Deptford: "He was very civil, 'Masa. And he wanted it so badly." Danke, -- Don.......My cat's )\._.,--....,'``. https://crcomp.net/reviews.php telltale tall tail /, _.. \ _\ (`._ ,. Walk humbly with thy God. tells tall tales.. `._.-(,_..'--(,_..'`-.;.' Make 1984 fiction again.