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Long time out of print, many of R.A Lafferty's books are now available on ebook format. I am sure I am not the only person happy to see these editions.
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never heard of him, but he sounds interesting. Thanks for mentioning it, I might have never looked him up otherwise.
Posts: 15082 | Registered: Jul 2001
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I wonder if he's got anything on audible? I'll check it out.
Posts: 17164 | Registered: Jun 2001
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zlogdanbr
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Two years ago, I did not know anything about him either. I had even forgotten that Neil Gaiman explicitly mentions R. A Lafferty at Fragile Things.
There was a topic at Michael Moorcock's forum about him which made me very curious but the situation was all his books were out of print.
A friend of mine just told me that a few fans gathered themselves and heroically created a huge pack of his short stories ( which he is known to a being a master ) because nobody has ever made his work available on digital.
Truth to be told, R. A Lafferty has never been translated to Portuguese, which is a sad loss for us.
I have read the fan version of the book "Nine Hundred Grandmothers" and loved it, it is simply a wonderful set of short stories whose style is unique.
Still the way the fan version was published had two problems: first it was an unofficial fan version ( I did not buy it ), second they have bundled all his short stories collections in one massive file which made a bit difficult if you preferred to read "book by book" instead of "all short stories alphabetically".
Please, do not think these fan versions are bad. They are excellent, very very good crafted. In fact, I believe even that they were used to create these new official versions.
This is the review I wrote on my good reads profile:
Long time out of print, never published in Brazil, Lafferty was an author much as he is described by other authors that admire him ( huge list, Zelazny, Harlan Ellison, Gaiman, Gene Wolfe, etc ) and say nothing less than he was a genius writer that lived in Tulsa, and wrote many excellent fantasy/science fiction tall tales. Spirituous, humorous ( not LOL of course ) and intrinsically fantastic.
My first Lafferty book.
Nine Hundred Grandmothers - 5/5 About a spatial merchant trying to speculate about the origins of the universe from knowing the infinite etymology of an ancient race.
Land of the Great Horses - 3/5 I bet this tale will look me better at second read, but it is a deals with an inhospitable ancient landscape in India and its implications in the exodus of the Romany ( Gypsies ).
Ginny Wrapped in the Sun - 4/5 Speculations of the cyclic nature of human psyche in far undetermined planet/future.
The Six Fingers of Time -5/5 Just about a story of a regular guy with six fingers and a speculation of the primordial pit from where man came out at the dawn of times and the nature of time and after all about the process of learning and enlightenment.
Frog on the Mountain - 5/5 Probably drawing influences from Native American Mythology this is the primordial search for the vilest beast in an alien planet.
All the People - 5/5 Another quintessential tale about artificial life just as is P. K Dick The Simulacra.
Primary Education of the Camiroi - 4/5 Made upon pure irony and satire, this tale criticizes the archaic learning systems that we need to go through by postulating a planet where there is an utopia in this regard.
Slow Tuesday Night - 3/5 What if it took seconds for us to acquire economical empires ?
Snuffles - 5/5 Nearly a theological study of an omnipotent deity meeting the long time known human arrogance. Some nods to cartoon-like nature.
Thus We Frustrate Charlemagne - 5/5 The well known Butterfly effect from a historical perspective. A good dosage of humor.
Name of the Snake - 5/5 Huge critical satire to religious intolerance - from a Catholic perspective - and fruitless search for sins.
Narrow Valley - 5/5 Very funny magic tale a about a narrow valley that is hidden by arcane Native American magic.
Polity and Custom of the Camiroi - 5/5 The planet Camiroi comes back and more satire. It does seem those Camiroi really like to play jokes and mock the space-illiterate, naive Earthlings.
In Our Block - 5/5 Outstanding tall story, where imagination comes in strongly to postulate the creation of matter from nothing. Pretty fun.
Hog-Belly Honey - 3/4 One of the weakest stories here. But deals with two kinds of intelligent and smart arrogant man: One scientist's mind is natural and raw against a brilliant and erudite scientist. Probably to illustrate the arrogant behavior of some scientists.
Seven Day Terror - 4/4 Quite fun plot from an impossible premise: an imaginary machine that makes things disappear for 7 days.
The Hole on the Corner - 5/5 This is a bit strange at first, the reader is a bit caught by the humorous tones. But at the end, we see that is another strange tale based upon a premise of multiple persona living at the same time in space. Family comedies and head doctor jokes
What's the Name of that Town - 5/5 Lafferty seems to enjoy the idea of things deleted from the human mind, like a huge city and a tragedy it hit it.
Through Other Eyes - 5/5 While reading the first pages I thought I'd not like it all, but it happened to be one the best tales: poetic and little bit humorous. Reflection over the perceptions people have of the world surrounding us and the beings dwelling around us.
One at a Time - 5/5 The best story here and one of my - now - all time favorites. Drawing influence from the popular Irish culture at the same time it evokes the carpe diem motto. A story about friendship, enjoying life. Little bit humorous.
Guesting Time - 3/4 The last take is ok, it tells the story of a certain alien people popping in on Earth in groups of gazillions and that turns Earth a overcrowded planet
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