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futurerevisited.bsky.social
Revisiting a love of page-turning SF last enjoyed several decades ago… and so now in the process of discovering many fine books for the very first time. 📚
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A story I simply had to read because of its wonderful title. And what an extraordinary tale it proved to be - a post apocalyptic earth where the adults spend their leisure time obsessed with a Barbie-esque doll named ‘Perky Pat’. By turns funny & sobering, culminating in a rather poignant ending.

submitted 1 day ago • 0 comments

Just finished J.G. Ballard’s 1961 tale ‘Mr F. is Mr F’. An unsettling tale that prefigures the central conceit of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. In other hands the story would come across as whimsical, but there’s an unnerving sense of dread which pays off spectacularly in the closing pages.

submitted 4 days ago • 1 comment

Today’s Zelazny pick was ‘Divine Madness’, originally published in the Oct 1966 issue of New Worlds (pictured). A simple tale but beautifully told, as our central character experiences time running backwards towards a pivotal life-changing moment. Rather poignant closing sentence too, a nice touch.

submitted 4 days ago • 2 comments

Celebrating the work of Kate Wilhelm, born on this day 1928. A copy of her Hugo Award winning novel ‘Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang’ was a chance and very welcome find last year. Beautifully written, with the unfolding drama in a ravaged post-apocalyptic landscape conveyed with great subtlety.

submitted 7 days ago • 1 comment

Excellent overview this week of the career of British author Keith Roberts, courtesy of the superb ‘Outlaw Bookseller’ channel . I can well foresee myself happily working my way through his work over the coming year…. 🙂 m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTuk...

submitted 9 days ago • 1 comment

OTD 1964. One of the great ‘lost’ television performances from the superlative Peter Cushing, starring as Detective Elijah Baley in an adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s SF thriller ‘The Caves of Steel’. Sadly, only a handful of clips survive (and very tantalising they are too).

submitted 11 days ago • 1 comment

Began Silverberg’s ‘The Book of Skulls’ this week. An intriguing ‘this isn’t going to end well’ premise, with our protagonists on a quest to discover the truth of a hitherto unknown sect harbouring the secret of immortality. And of course there’s a macabre catch. Only 40 pages in & entirely hooked…

submitted 15 days ago • 0 comments

Well this was a very entertaining read. Niven’s ‘Inconstant Moon’, winner of the 1972 Hugo for best short story, quickly pulls you into the plight of a couple who deduce that the Sun has gone nova - and are therefore determined to make the best of their last night on Earth. Wonderfully paced tale.

submitted 18 days ago • 1 comment

Now reading Aldiss’ ‘Girl and Robot with Flowers’ from 1965. A semi-autobiographical tale whose lightness of touch belies a deeper theme - of fiction as a rationalisation of internal conflicts. Playfully refers to one ‘Jim Ballard’ too. Wished I’d kept my copy of ‘New Worlds’ in which this appeared…

submitted 20 days ago • 0 comments

Selected Philip K. Dick’s ‘Faith of our Fathers’ this weekend, a story first published in Ellison’s ‘Dangerous Visions’ anthology. Sharply written & undoubtedly disturbing, (arguably prefiguring the tone of his work in the 70s), with a setting that harks back to that of ‘The Man in the High Castle’.

submitted 21 days ago • 1 comment

Celebrating Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, born on this day 1859. Absolute master storyteller of course, which is why this old dog-eared and spine cracked favourite continues to get plucked of the shelf and savoured…

submitted 24 days ago • 5 comments

This week’s anthology selection was George R.R. Martin’s ‘Sandkings’, originally published in the August 1979 issue of OMNI. A pacy & unnerving tale, successfully braiding SF elements with ‘Grand Guignol’ horror. Easy to see why this scooped the Hugo, Nebula & Locus award for best novelette.

submitted 25 days ago • 1 comment

This is the fantastic cover of the edition of F&SF that first published J.G. Ballard's The Garden Of Time in Feb 1962 (despite Ballard's name not featuring). The Garden Of Time was a favourite story of Hawkwind's Robert Calvert, and inspired his poem Ode To A Time Flower 1/2

submitted 29 days ago • 2 comments

Embarked on Thomas Disch’s ‘The Genocides’ this week. I’m halfway through and suffice to say it’s already claiming a place as one of the best novels I’ve read this year. Beautifully written, completely involving & at times extremely confronting. An extraordinary feat for a first novel.

submitted 32 days ago • 4 comments