Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/03/28
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]At 09:45 PM 3/28/06 -0600, Arche, Harvey wrote: >I've been hearing about Lem for 30 years, and searched for copies of his books. When I found them they were English translations from the French translations of the original Polish, and sorry to say, I couldn't hack reading them. So they sit on my shelves out of reach, to my great regret. Are there now decent English versions? Been reading (and re-reading) Phil Dick since '72. I never liked Lem that much but I read a lot of his stuff in the 1960's; little of it left much of an impression. In the summer of 1970, I met Avram Davidson in the flesh in Novato, California -- Novato is home to Lucasfilms and produced Huey Lewis and the News and, just between us folks, I am a 1968 graduate of Novato HS. Davidson gifted me a couple of Jack Vance books and STRONGLY advised me to go and visit Dick in the East Bay, but other things, such as returning East to college, intruded, and I never did so. I have been reading Dick since the early 1960's and his MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE really, really grabbed me when I encountered it in 1964. Phil Dick is an acquired taste. He spins his tales with a rather bizarre twist. But, damned, if he wasn't one hell of a writer -- and I am STILL waiting for the local rag to turn out a homeopape! THAT was one brilliant concept. There are still a few Phil Dick books I've failed to score, though I have worked my way most joyfully through the five volumes of his accumulated short stories and the single volume of his non-fiction essays. A Bertram Chandler died in 1985 and I did not read the final book he published until this past summer, just to have one bit left to enjoy. I feel the same way about Phil Dick, and hope that there will always be another story or another book to read. Marc msmall@aya.yale.edu Cha robh b?s fir gun ghr?s fir! NEW FAX NUMBER: +540-343-8505