Book Review: Time Travelers

Book Review: 'Time Travelers' edited by Gardner Dozois

2  / 5 Stars

'Time Travelers: From Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine' (275 pp.) was edited by Gardner Dozois and published by Ace Books in March 1989. The cover art is by Colin Hay.

This anthology features stories, all published in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine over the interval from 1976 to 1986, that deal with time travel.

This anthology is interesting in terms of providing a comparative showcase of older, established sci-fi writers, whose submissions to IASFM display the persistence of New Wave-era themes and prose styles; and newer writers, allied with the still-emerging genre of cyberpunk. 

The editors of IASFM were more accommodating to submissions from established authors like Aldiss, Watson, Varley, and Silverberg. Obviously this policy was informed by the value of having 'name' authors advertised on the magazine cover. 

My summary of the contents: 

Air Raid, by John Varley (1976): travelers from the future teleport into airplanes, as part of a scheme to save the human race. This story later was expanded into Varley's 1983 novel 'Millennium.'

The Small Stones of Tu Fu, by Brian W. Aldiss (1978): a traveler from the future obtains comfort from the Zen musings of an elderly Chinese sage. An effort by Aldiss to write something 'profound', something New Wave. I found this story underwhelming.

Time and Hagakure, by Steven Utley (1977): a Japanese man is able to telepathically communicate with those living in the past. Can he change the fate of people dear to him ?

The Comedian, by Tim Sullivan (1982): Chris Reilly is doing bad things, because a hologram, sent from the future, is telling him to........There is a 'shock' ending.

Twilight Time, by Lewis Shiner (1984): Travis travels back in time to 1961, and his boyhood home of Globe, Arizona, where Ace Doubles, True, and 'Rip Hunter' comics beckon from the racks of the National News stand. His dreams of renewal and redemption are on the verge of fulfilment. There's just a slight problem: Travis's Globe didn't have a swath of vitrified dirt lying across the road into town........! This is the best entry in the anthology.

Sailing to Byzantium, by Robert Silverberg (1985): Charles Phillips has been transported from the USA of 1984 to the 50th century, where there are only 4 million people on the planet, and these people enjoy remarkable luxury and comfort due to advanced technologies. Is there a catch to the lives of splendor enjoyed by the lotus eaters of the 50th century ? Maybe.........

This novelette won the 1985 Nebula award. This shouldn't be all that surprising, since it's basically a reboot of Silverberg's novelette 'Born With the Dead', which won the Nebula in 1974. 

'Sailing' is very much a piece from the New Wave era. It is resolute in exploring humanistic themes; a prose style so lyrical, as to be overwritten; the standard-issue Silverberg protagonist, which is a sensitive man afflicted (or blessed) simultaneously with amnesia and anomie; a meandering plot culminating in a revelation about one's sense of Self. 'Sailing' badly suffers when compared to the leaner, more taut storytelling of Shiner. 

Ghost Lecturer, by Ian Watson (1984): the Roman poet Lucius Accius is brought forward in time as a promotion and marketing stunt by the scheming television producer Jim Roseberry. However, the way Lucius sees the world and the things in it is very different from the way we in the 20th century see things. So there will be consequences......

This is another of the weaker stories in the anthology. It's a New Wave piece from Watson that seeks to use sci-fi as a vehicle to say something Profound about the phenomenon of Perception. It may have been trendy had it seen print in 1973, but in 1984, it seems tepid and dated.

Hauntings, by Kim Antieau (1985): Kate enjoys living in an old farmhouse, even if late at night she hears people whispering in her ear. 

Klein's Machine, by Andrew Weiner (1985): Phil Klein is a nice Jewish boy. Very smart, but psychologically troubled. He is found semi-comatose on a Greyhound bus, and eventually a shrink pries loose from Phil an incredible tale, one of travel into the far future. This story has a quirky sort of originality, but the ending has an ambiguous quality that left me unimpressed.

The Pure Product, by John Kessel (1986): people from the future are able to travel to our present, and do Bad Things with impunity. This story tries to say something Profound about free will and the nature of existence. It's too scattered to be very effective.

Aymara, by Lucius Shepard (1986): writer William Page Corson investigates a tale about a strange, ruined city deep in the Honduran jungle, and a time travel incident involving a woman from the future - named Aymara. 

This novelette starts off on a promising note, but too-quickly devolves into a melodrama where the actions of the characters are told, not shown. The time travel component of the narrative has a perfunctory quality, as author Shepard is more concerned with documenting the travail of lost love.

The verdict ? 'Time Travelers' really only has one good story, that being the entry from Lewis Shiner. Too many of the other contributions settle for predictable, 'softer' storytelling outcomes, rather than trying to do more involved, hard-sf oriented treatments of the theme. The anthology gets a Two-Star Rating.

The Best Science Fiction Novels of the Eighties

The  Top 10  Science  Fiction  Novels  of the  Eighties

In August 2023 I wrote up a post about my top 10 science fiction novels of the Seventies. None of my readers reacted violently to my list; indeed, some found the selections to have merit (!?). So, here I am with my top 10 science fiction novels of the Eighties.

 

As is the case with my Seventies selections, for the Eighties, I am showcasing novels that might not be foremost in mind as compared to those that won Hugo or Nebula awards, or were bestsellers (such as was the case with 'The Fountains of Paradise' or 'The Robots of Dawn.')

 

I do include trilogies, which I collectively count as one selection.

These aren't presented in any particular order, but simply represent a 'Top 10' compendium of 5-Star novels.

Here we go:

 

Slow Fall to Dawn, by Stephen Leigh (1981): this is the first volume in the 'Neweden' trilogy. On the eponymous backwater planet, society is governed by myriad guilds. To eliminate the untoward effects of crime and war, the ruling council demands that disputes between parties be settled by hiring contract killers from the guild of the assassins. The novels follow the adventures of Gyll the Thane, the leader of the assassin's guild, and a man with ambitions of expanding his operations into the Federation. The Neweden novels have a lyrical, Vance-ian flavor that I found appealing, and enough plot turns and twists to sustain interest over the span of three volumes.

 

West of Eden, by Harry Harrison (1984): on an alternate Earth, the comet that killed the dinosaurs never strikes, and as a result, the Age of Reptiles proceeds, in due course giving rise to a race of bipedal, talking lizards whose skills in bioengineering enable them to rule the tropical regions of the planet. In the temperate latitudes, populations of Cro-Magnons eke out a precarious existence. When one of their number, a young man named Kerrick, is captured and reared by the lizards, he gains insights into the biology of the reptiles, knowledge that can be used to resist their rule. Harrison is a veteran author and he demonstrates this in 'West of Eden,' deploying a smooth prose style that makes all three volumes engaging reads.

 

Jitterbug, by Mike McQuay (1984): this novel is burdened with one of the more unfortunate cover illustrations imposed on an eighties sci-fi book, which is too bad, because the contents are much better than the cover would indicate. ‘Jitterbug’ is set in a near-future USA under the rule of Saudi Arabia and Islam. Outside the walled environs of New Orleans, people terminally infected with a modified herpesvirus roam the depopulated countryside, interacting with outcasts and criminals. A young and ambitious outcast named Olsen strives to join the corporate elites secluded within the city. 'Jitterbug' combines sarcastic humor with revealing observations of Islam and Arab culture that, at the time, were rare in the genre of science fiction.

 

Protectorate, by Mick Farren (1985): the Eighties saw some pretty good alien invasion novels, such as 'Footfall,' by Niven and Pournelle (1985). But I think this novel by Mick Farren is a little bit better than 'Footfall.'

 

In 'Protectorate,' Earth has been conquered by a race of insectoid aliens known as the Wasps. Capable of summarily killing any human who displays ill-intentions towards them, the Wasps seemingly are omnipotent, and most of the surviving members of humanity are content to hustle amid the ruins of their vanquished civilization. But then a young man named Gwynn arrives on the scene…..a man with the power to defy the Wasps ! Farren avoids making ‘Protectorate’ a simplistic novel about heroic earthlings rising up against their alien oppressors, and deploys regular episodes of violence and mordant humor to give the book an offbeat, cynical sensibility. 

Starhammer, by Christopher Rowley (1986): this is the first entry in the ‘Vang’ trilogy. The novel is set in the far future, when Earth is subservient to a race of blue-skinned aliens known as the laowon. Protagonist Jon Iehard is a detective assigned to ferret out and eliminate humans who resist loawon rule. One such resistor is Eblis Bey, an elderly man who seeks the long-lost planet Baraf, where, it is rumored, lies the Starhammer: a weapon of unimaginable power that can free humanity from the thumb of the laowon. But what Jon Iehard doesn’t realize is that the Starhammer was created to counter a weapon of even greater lethality….the Vang trilogy is great space opera, tinged with horror and dark humor. 

Count Zero, by William Gibson (1986): this quasi-sequel to ‘Neuromancer’ delivers the cyberpunk experience, but has a more accessible prose style and more straightforward plotting than its predecessor. The cast of characters is just as interesting as those populating ‘Neuromancer,’ and Gibson’s descriptions of near-future fashion, tech, and sociocultural tropes remain engaging despite the passage of nearly 40 years. 

Shining Steel, by Lawrence Watt-Evans (1986): On the planet Godsworld, Christian fundamentalists engage in violent conflicts over petty issues of doctrine. John Mercy-of-Christ, the military commander of the True Word and Flesh sect, prepares to become the dictator of Godsworld. But then comes disturbing news: a task force of offworlders have taken an interest in the planet, and they have weapons that easily can crush the forces of the True Word and Flesh. Gifted with a plot that avoids the predictable, ‘Shining Steel’ provides a treatment of the conflict between Religion and Science that is more imaginative, and nuanced, than most.

 

Through Darkest America, by Neal Barrett Jr. (1986): This novel (and its sequel, 'Dawn's Uncertain Light,' 1989), takes place in the U.S. several centuries after World War Three has left society at a level equivalent to that of the mid- 19th century. Howie Ryder is a young man growing up on a prosperous farm in the southeastern region of the country. When his family defies the heavy hand of the government, Howie finds himself the subject of a manhunt, and flees west to seek safety in the wastelands. One part The Outlaw Josey Wales, one part Leigh Brackett's classic novel 'The Long Tomorrow,' and one part splatterpunk, 'Darkest America' is fast-moving and suspenseful.

 

The Return, by Richard Maynard (1988): this novel first was printed in the UK under the title 'The Quiet Place.' The UK edition's cover art is more graphic and informative than the cover used in the American edition (where the novel was retitled 'The Return'). 'The Return' is infused with the pessimistic attitude prevailing in British science fiction. The plot revolves around a starship crew who return to Earth following a relativistic voyage into deep space. They are appalled to discover that Europe has reverted to barbarism, and a brutal fight for survival is waged as they seek to discover what, or whom, has brought about the downfall of civilization. 'The Return' brings something new, albeit downbeat, to the post-apocalypse genre, and deserves wider recognition.

 

 

Metrophage, by Richard Kadrey (1988): this cyberpunk novel is set early in the 21st century in a chaotic, partially destroyed Los Angeles. L.A. is divided into a mosaic of neighborhoods, some enjoying wealth and privilege, while others are stricken with poverty and lawlessness. The streets are peopled by various tribes comprised of techno-enthusiasts, scavengers, self-styled anarchists, and ethnic groups. The novel's hero is one Jonny Qabbala, a punk who earns a living running drugs for the Smuggler Lords. A plague of suspicious origin will devastate the low-income environs of the city.....unless Jonny can find a cure. Kadrey’s dialogue is well-written and melds nicely with a quirky cast of characters, whose adventures unfold in an L.A. that’s one part ‘Mad Max,’ and one part ‘Blade Runner.’ 

So there you have it, the Top 10 science fiction novels of the Eighties !

Book Review: John the Balladeer

Book Review: 'John the Balladeer' by Manly Wade Wellman

5 / 5 Stars

 

'John the Balladeer' (261 pp.) was published by Valancourt Books in 2023. It's a reprinting of the 1988 Baen Books edition, which is long out of print, and copies of which are expensive (one eBay seller / speculator is asking for $355.47 !).

'John the Balladeer' compiles all the stories about the eponymous guitarist that Wellman wrote and published between 1951 and (posthumously) 1987.

 

Wellman (1903 - 1986) is of course one of the most celebrated writers of horror, fantasy, and science fiction of the late 20th century. All of his books eagerly are sought by Paperback Fanatics, and it's nice to see Valancourt reprint this particular title, making Wellman's works more accessible to the modern-day readership.

 

'John the Balladeer' was one of the more prominent characters in Wellman's fiction. Sometimes referred to as 'Silver John,' because his guitar had silver strings, John appeared in both the short stories compiled in this anthology, and novels such as 'After Dark' (1980) and 'The Hanging Stones' (1982). John deployed down-home geniality and a Christian ethos to confront and defeat various occult and supernatural troublemakers running loose in the wild country along the North Carolina - Tennessee border.

 

This anthology features a Forward by the late David Drake, a friend of Wellman's and a fellow North Carolina writer. David Drake provides an anecdote about visiting the Wellman cabin in Madison County, the real-world inspiration for the locales in which John travels. Karl Edward Wagner, another North Carolina fantasy fiction stalwart, was in attendance at the same time as Drake, so everyone had a good time taking in the high country air and some stringed instrument music. 

 

Wagner in turn provides an Introduction, in which he lays out the history of the John stories and the rationale behind their chronological presentation in the book. 

 

A reality of the Silver John stories is that they utilize a somewhat stilted prose meant to emulate a regional dialect, and accommodating this dialect takes some patience on the reader's part. 

 

He was purely ugly. I'd been knowing him ten years, and he looked as ugly that minute as the first time I'd seen him, with his mean face and his big hungry nose and the black patch over one eye. When he'd had both his eyes, they were so close together you'd swear he could look through a keyhole with the two of them at once.

 

***

"Been quite a much of blight this season," said the carpenter.

"Yes, down valley, but not up here." Mr Absalom glittered his eyes toward the house across the ditch . "A curse was put on my field. And who'd have reason to put a curse on, from some hateful old witch-book or other, but  Troy Holcomb ? I told him to his face. He denied the truth of that."

"Of course he'd deny it," said the carpenter.

 

***

It was another girl, older than Tilda, taller. Her hair was blacker than storm, and her pointy-chinned, pale face was lovely. She looked at Tilda a-kneeling by the spring and she sneered, and it showed her teeth as bright as glass beads.

 

***

I found 'John the Balladeer' to be more enjoyable when I read one or two stories at a time, rather than methodically going through the book from cover to cover in several sittings.

Who will like 'John the Balladeer' ? It's not a book of horror stories in the traditional sense of haunted houses, vampires, ghosts, specters, abominable snowmen, and killer crabs. But it does offer a down-home, folksy perspective on the supernatural, mixed in with a healthy leavening of Americana. If that appeals to you, then 'John the Balladeer' well is worth getting.

The font for the Dune novels of the 1970s

 The font for the 'Dune' books

Over at the 'Fonts in Use' blog, an interesting post about the origin of the font used on the covers of the Berkley Books paperback editions of the Dune books from the 1970s. It apparently is 'Davison Art Nouveau,' introduced in 1967 by Meyer Davison.

Davison Art Nouveau wound up being used for most / all of Frank Herbert's novels, as well as calendars, published by Berkley. 

The Comments accompanying the article also are pretty interesting, going deeply 'into the weeds' with Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass- !?

Book Review: Blood Knot

Book Review: 'Blood Knot' by Burt Cole

1 / 5 Stars

Reading old issues of Penthouse, Rolling Stone, and Playboy from the 1970s and 1980s exposes one to all manner of book reviews, and some of the titles featured in the reviews can be intriguing. Thus it was that I investigated 'Blood Knot' (197 pp.), which was published in hardback by St. Martin's Press in 1980. As best as I can tell, it never was issued in paperback.

'Burt Cole' is the pseudonym of the U.S. writer Thomas DIxon (b. 1930), who, from the late 1950s to the late 1980s, published a number of novels in the science fiction, melodrama, and thriller genres. 

I will state at the outset that 'Blood Knot' is a proto-splatterpunk novel, published in the years before the genre formally existed.

The novel is set in the near future, i.e., the 1990s, in a United States gripped by civil war between the fascist federal government and the Marxist People's Republic. All manner of atrocities and abominations freely are committed by both sides. It is unclear who the victor will be, but the People's Freedom Army (PFA) controls the rural areas of the eastern half of the country, leaving the feds to hold the cities and towns. The PFA regularly mounts forays to harass federal positions, while the feds, for their part, look to intercept and destroy PFA sorties through the use of armored vehicles and heli-gunships.

'Blood Knot' follows the fates of two members of the PFA. One is Mano, who, at the start of the book, is idling in the PFA rear area in the New Jersey countryside, recuperating from a debilitating war wound. Mano is a conscientious soldier: under no illusions that the war is a noble thing, but convinced of the righteousness of the People's Republic.

The other main character in the book is Kindred, a middle-aged man of seemingly mild appearance and demeanor who trains the PFA recruits in hand-to-hand combat methods. Kindred's body count has earned him a healthy respect (even fear) among the members of the PFA. Author Cole informs the reader that Kindred is a psychopath, with no moral scruples; he will kill anyone who angers him, as casually as swatting a fly. A Deep and Abiding Question the novel laboriously raises, is whether a psychopath in the service of a people's revolution is morally justifiable. Is Kindred an asset, or a liability ?

Over the course of the novel the paths of the two men will meet, for Mano's dedication to the cause, and the welfare of his fellow PFA members, is in conflict with Kindred's fondness for mayhem.

'Blood Knot' has an interesting and offbeat premise. Its depictions of a USA engaged in a bleak, destructive war are effective. However, the novel has major weaknesses.

One is the prose, which is stilted. I encountered the following adverbs:

buttocky

ventriloquially

screechily

staggaredly

tickedly

jerkily

runnily (referring to a bowel movement - !)

I've read some pulp prose in my time, but never with this many clunkers crammed into less than 200 pages. I also came upon the words 'durbar' (an assembly held by South Asian royalty) and 'fugacious' (short-lived).

Along with the prose style, 'Blood Knot' has its problems with plotting and composition. The narrative abruptly switches in time and place, without much in the way of framing or transitional passages. This is confusing. Then there are the passages, some several pages in length, where Kindred lectures (in clinical detail) on protocols for killing people. Author Cole intends these passages to inform the reader as to how hardened Kindred is, but deploying more than one passage for this purpose is (pun intended) 'overkill.'

The final 20 pages of the novel are filled with splatterpunk scenes. While I can tolerate my share of splat, when presented with page after page of gore and grue (including detailed descriptions of edged weapons being inserted into bodies), I had little enthusiasm for finishing the book.

I am comfortable with giving 'Blood Knot' a score of One Star. Apparently Cole's 1989 novel, 'The Quick', which I have not read, is a reboot of 'Blood Knot,' with a hero named 'Shaman' who is a version of Kindred. I may or may not tackle 'The Quick;' anyone who has, is welcome to post a Comment here with their opinion.

'Baby Come On' from Sex O'Clock USA

'Baby Come On' from Sex O'Clock USA

1976

One of the greatest disco songs of the 1970s was the track 'Baby Come On,' from the soundtrack to a 'mondo' style documentary, Sex O'Clock USA, released in 1976 by a French director named François Reichenbach.

According to TV Guide,

This French documentary is a valuable window into the so-called Sexual Revolution as it manifested in the U.S. during the pre-AIDS era of the mid-1970s. Drag queens, sex-slave auctions, prostitutes, and sex-workers all have their time before the cameras. Particularly interesting is a discussion held with a male live-sex-show performer in the company of his wife. A few explicitly hardcore moments are shown, and there are numerous simulated sexual encounters in Sex O'Clock, USA.

Porn stars Marc Stevens and John Holmes appear in the 90-minute film.

The soundtrack to Sex O'Clock USA was composed by Mort Shuman.

 

You can listen to 'Baby Come On' here. I defy anyone not to move when that bass groove kicks in..........

The entire soundtrack to the film is available here.

(I can't find a stream for the film, save for some sites that look really, really sketchy. If I find a legit stream I'll update this post accordingly.)

Book Review: A Tapestry of Time

Book Review: 'A Tapestry of Time' by Richard Cowper

3 / 5 Stars

'A Tapestry of Time' (222 pp.) first was published in the UK in 1982. This Pocket Books edition (cover art by Don Maitz) was issued in the US in October 1986. 

original cover art composition, by Don Maitz

'Tapestry' is the final volume in the 'White Bird of Kinship' trilogy, the other volumes being 'The Road to Corlay' (1978) and 'A Dream of Kinship' (1981).

My review of 'The Road to Corlay' is here.

My review of 'A Dream of Kinship' is here.

  

To recap the novel's premise: in the aftermath of the melting of the ice caps, which began in 2000 AD, large tracts of the earth of the early 3000s are underwater. What was the United Kingdom is an archipelago of island kingdoms, and Paris, which long ago was submerged, is but a legend to the inhabitants of what used to be France. Civilization has reverted to a medieval level of technology, where crossbows are the premiere weapons, and wind- and horse- powers drive transportation and commerce.

'Tapestry' follows immediately upon the events related in volume two, 'A Dream of Kinship.' It's June, 3039, and protagonist Tom of Tallon, and his girlfriend Witchet, are traveling around Southern Europe in a a manner akin to that of the college graduates of our day and time. Tom and Witchet's skill in music earns them a place with a troupe of actors, and the young couple are enjoying life to the fullest. 

Things are helped by the fact that the creed of the White Bird, a sort of primitive Christianity, now is regnant over the orthodox church, and Kinsmen (as believers in the White Bird are called) freely practice their faith in western Europe. While he finds this encouraging, Tom still is coming to terms with the fact that his father, Thomas of Norwich, was a martyr for the cause of the White Bird. Tom has inherited his father's numinous character; for example, playing magical pipes allows Tom to call up psychic abilities, including 'second sight' and out-of-body travel.

Tom and Witchet's idyllic life as troubadours comes to an abrupt end when their party is victimized by a group of bandits. In the aftermath, Tom finds himself questioning his role as the White Bird's Anointed. When bad things happen to good people, of what value is religion ? As his journey across Europe continues, Tom will find his faith tested, and with the testing will come revelations about his purpose in the world, and the truth underlying the phenomenon of the White Bird.

It's not disclosing any spoiler to say that 'Tapestry' is a Message novel, the Message being that religion works best when it is a personal encounter between one's psyche / soul, and the Divine. Author Cowper argues that when the religious experience is becomes codified and institutionalized, it loses its transcendent quality. Cowper also presents the religious experience as a manifestation of humanism, in that enlightenment must come from within one's self, rather than something inculcated by a dogmatic establishment.

While 'Tapestry' deserves praise for using the genre of science fiction and fantasy to address the nature of the Religious Experience, the novel's introspective quality means its narrative is sedate. This is particularly true of the book's final 73 pages, which are set in 3799 AD. A Victorian era has re-emerged, and the worship of the White Bird occupies a position akin to that of the Anglican church in the 19th century. 

A young couple, Margaret Coley and Robert Cartwright, find themselves inspired by Divine forces to bring about a charismatic revival in the creed of the White Bird. There is much discussion of theological and philological matters, discussions that are related in well-crafted prose, but are devoid of energy. It seems as if author Cowper included this section of the narrative more to give himself a chance to write a pastiche of a Victorian novel, than anything else.

Summing up, as with the preceding two novels in the trilogy, I am giving 'A Tapestry of Time' a Rating of Three Stars. For the trilogy as a whole, I award Four Stars. Those who enjoy science fiction and fantasy that contemplates religious and spiritual matters are most likely to find the 'White Bird of Kinship' franchise rewarding reading.

McKay's Books Mebane NC

At McKay's Books

Mebane, NC

So far this summer the heat has been stifling,with temps at or over 95 degrees F° most days. So, last month, given a forecast of a break in the heat, I decided to take a 4 hour drive down south through Lynchburg and Danville to Mebane, North Carolina, and the newest location in the McKay's Books franchise. 

McKay's is a chain of used bookstores, all of which are located either in Tennessee or North Carolina. It took me a while to realize this, but the McKay used books in Manassas, Virginia, is not part of the McKay's chain, even though McKay used books has the same shelving system and the same inventory scheme as McKay's.

 

The newest McKay's store opened only last April (it previously was in Greensboro). It's at 4053 Wilson Blvd. in Mebane, North Carolina, 27302, on a frontage road that runs parallel to interstate 40.

 

The interior is quite spacious and airy.

I would say that only about a third of the store's interior is set aside for books; the rest is dedicated to toys (lots of action figures), video games and gaming accessories, a large section for DVDs, and even a collection of secondhand audio equipment:

They have a decent section of used vinyl and CDs.

As far as books go, the sections are clearly noted and labeled, so finding books in a particular category is not difficult. Compared to the inventory in the Knoxville, TN branch, the Mebane location is less expansive, with a rather limited selection of paperbacks. They did have a good inventory of graphic novels, comic books, and even bins filled with trading cards for things like 'Magic, The Gathering.'

 

While at McKay's I submitted a collection of video and PC games; old vinyl; graphic novels; and hardcovers and paperbacks, for consideration for 'store credit,' and was pleasantly surprised to receive over $80 in said store credit. That sum certainly was more than I expected, and more than I would get from other used book outlets. 

Summing up, the Mebane McKay's is a pleasant place to shop at, but not the greatest place for paperback fanatics. To be fair, the store hasn't been that long in operation, so it could be that with the passage of time, the inventory will increase. I'm planning on a return visit, perhaps next year, to see what develops.

Book Review: Afro-6

Book Review: 'Afro-6' by Hank Lopez

5 / 5 stars

Let's wrap up our 'Some Tough City' celebration with 'Afro-6,' a 1969 novel from Dell. 

This novel is a member of a small, but significant, genre of 'what if' novels and short stories dealing with black takeovers / revolutions, one prominent example being Edwin Corley's 1970 novel 'Siege.' Also worth searching out are Robert Silverberg's 1970 story 'Black is Beautiful,' and Joe Hensley's 1973 story 'In Dark Places.'

Author Enrique Hank Lopez (1920 - 1985) was a Mexican-born author and, according to his obituary in the Los Angeles Times, the first Chicano to graduate from Harvard Law School.

Lopez published a number of books, on varied topics, in the 1970s and 1980s. These topics including the Andes plane crash survivors ('They Lived on Human Flesh !', 1973), the racial and educational politics of social advancement ('The Harvard Mystique', 1979), Indian mysticism ('The Hidden Magic of Uxmal', 1980) and a biography of writer Katherine Anne Porter ('Conversations With Katherine Anne Porter: Refugee from Indian Creek,' 1981).

'Afro-6' is not an easy novel to acquire. At amazon, the bookjackers have it listed at prices ranging from $175 to $295. At eBay, a vendor is advertising a 'like new' copy for $375 ('or best offer'). I remember getting my copy some four years ago, for a lot less money than that.

What, exactly, is 'Afro-6' ? Well, according to first-person narrator John Rios,

Dig. Dig this - I belong to a secret task force that's taking over New York City within the next ten days. Not all of the city, mind you, just the island of Manhattan. First of all, we'll isolate this miserable ofay town by destroying all the bridges and bottling up the tunnels connecting it to the surrounding metropolitan area. Then we're going to squeeze whitey into a very tight corner, man.

It's the early 70s, and a group of black revolutionaries are plotting to paralyze the U.S. with a series of riots and demonstrations, these part of an ambitious effort to take control of Manhattan, and use its possession to extort / leverage a black homeland from the federal government. Meticulous planning has gone into every aspect of Afro-6, and at 6 p.m. on October 1, it all goes down.

For Rios, who is a black Puerto Rican, the revolution is an opportunity to end the oppression of black and brown people, and stick it to whitey. Not that Rios necessarily hates white people as individuals; he has had white, Jewish, liberals as lovers, colleagues, and friends. But he hates the white power structure, it's long past time for the honkys to be shown the error of their ways.

The narrative regularly switches from the first-person perspective of Rios to the third-person perspective of Alan Geller, a friend of Rios's from their college days at Harvard. Geller provides the novel with a 'white' perspective that is sympathetic towards the black power movement.

I'm not going to spoil anything, but I will say that roughly halfway through the novel's 237 pages, Afro-6 does indeed 'go off.' And the entire nation is going to witness the depth of black rage.............

I give 'Afro-6' a Five Star Rating, because it's a well-plotted thriller. Author Lopez infuses ideology into the narrative, but avoids giving the novel a hectoring tone. There are some well-written action / combat sequences, and a healthy amount of caustic humor; one of the best examples of such, describes white liberals attending a rally held by a black militant named 'Abdul X.' As Abdul excoriates the white attendees, these revel in their abasement. 

If you can find an 'affordable' copy of Afro-6 it's well worth getting. It would be nice if, at some point in the future, a reprint of the novel can be introduced to the reading public, perhaps through something like W. W. Norton's Old School Books imprint from the 1990s. 

To paraphrase the diction in 'Afro-6,' I'm sure even honkys will dig the vibes of this novel !

Penthouse August 1972

Penthouse magazine
August 1972

August, 1972, and the top single in the U.S.A. is 'Alone Again (Naturally)' by the Irish singer-songwriter Gilbert O' Sullivan. I remember hearing it on the AM radio......it was in heavy rotation, back in those days.

The latest issue of Penthouse magazine is out, featuring Pet Marian Maylam on the front cover. There's not much else in the magazine to get excited about, but Marian, a lithe British redhead, provides a memorable portfolio where Bob Guccione displays his skills as a photographer.