|
Post by dem bones on Dec 1, 2009 19:54:49 GMT
Kingsley Amis - New Maps Of Hell (Four Square/ NEL, 1962) CONTENTS STARTING POINTS: Definitions; beginnings; Verne and Wells THE SITUATION TODAY: Fantasy and space-opera; the magazines; readership; mass outlets NEW LIGHT ON THE UNCONSCIOUS: Sex; horror; insecurity; rural nostalgia; activism; science and art; religion and religiosity UTOPIAS I: Sex, colonialism; politics and conformism UTOPIAS 2: The dangers of technology; comic infernos; the science-fiction character; deflation PROSPECTS: Cosmic disasters; idea as hero; puzzles; limitations; possibilities Index Of Names & Titles.Blurb: NEW MAPS OF HELL A voyage, with Kingsley Amis as guide, through the fantastic world of science fiction — past, present and future. He surveys the magnificent panorama of this world of fantasy and science fiction, of Jules Verne and H. G. Wells, of madly ingenious inventions and cosmic disaster, of bug-eyed monsters and credible human experiments, of revolutionary inventions and awesome transformations, of exploration of the outer reaches of space, and of strange worlds within the universe. With characteristic humour, acute analysis and superb writing, he provides the general public with a fascinating explanation of this vast field of literature, and the enthusiast with new insights into his favourite reading."I might remark here that nothing differentiates the addict from the inquirer more than the readiness of the former, and the understandable reluctance of the latter, to finish a story of this kind. Even I myself feel I should have read a little more really unreadable stuff in preparation for this publication."That's Kingsley Amis having just endured Donald Wandrei's The Monster From Nowhere, ( Argosy, Nov 23, 1935). As much as he loudly disapproves, still you can't help but sense that Amis was thoroughly enjoying himself writing about these supposedly 'bad' examples of SF. Henry Slesar's Legacy Of Terror( Amazing Stories, November, 1958) and Super Science Fiction magazine in it's entirety come in for a similar pasting, in particular the latter's The Horror In The Attic which, from the synopsis provided, sounds to me like an overlooked classic. I suspect Amis is way out on a limb anyway, as soon afterward he's laying into Charles G. Finney's The Circus Of Dr. Lao ("we are offered flagellation and rape in chief, with bestiality, pederasty and voyeurism thrown in, plus a good deal of sweat and musk and that kind of thing" - he'd have us believe it was Chris Miller's The Magic Show!), Nigel Kneale's The Pond, even Ray Bradbury's The Man Upstairs and Skeleton. And then there are the "sinister" advertisements in Astounding Science Fiction, everything from Royal Jelly to replica Army Hand Grenades or, "if your interests differ slightly, what about a 'Stuffed Girl's Head' for only $2.98." Could be I just dipped into the right chapters and the above may not be representative of New Maps In Hell. I don't remember his essay on horrors - it's reprinted in Haining's original The Dracula Scrapbook - being anything like as much fun.
|
|
|
Post by Craig Herbertson on Dec 1, 2009 21:01:49 GMT
I think the big thing about Amis was writing it at all. This kind of thing was seen as far more puerile than it is now (How difficult is that to imagine?) By even putting out a paperback with allusions to this dreadful stuff gave it a touch of dignity. It could have been a threat to his legitimate career in the serious work of mostly boring literature
|
|
|
Post by dem bones on Dec 1, 2009 21:17:42 GMT
He was either being incredibly subversive or just plain snobbish, but either way, I'm sure he attracted new readers to the genre. Having read his mini-reviews, am fair desperate to track down a number myself. And, as mentioned, he does seem to be enjoying himself. "I do not want to suggest that it is somehow undesirable to read or write about frogs stuffing old people or people being turned into jellyfish. But the impression lingers that a good look through the mailing lists of the fantasy magazines would amply repay anybody setting up business as an analyst". If I get time, will dig out his essay on Dracula, Frankenstein, Sons & Co. later, because if he worries that SF & Fantasy fans might be a little odd ....
|
|