(urth) short story project so far

Marc Aramini marcaramini at gmail.com
Thu Jul 31 10:36:38 PDT 2014


Well, I am about 33 percent done with Wolfe's published stories after this
next one, "The Doctor of Death Island" ... I plan on skipping two numbers
and returning to "The Eyeflash Miracles" and "Seven American Nights" after
I consider them a bit more.

I would really like to tear through the 80s more quickly than the 70s, and
it should be possible since Wolfe's time on long novels and series vastly
reduced the length and allusive depth of his short fiction. ... However, I
feel that 7 American Nights and probably Cabin on the Coast in the early
80s marked a shift away from SF tropes to more fantastic ones, which are a
bit less easy to mark "objectively" - some stories might actually have
unresolvable mysteries, though I don't think anything written before 1980
actually does.

The write-ups I feel are least satisfactory are "The Green Wall Said", "The
Blue Mouse",  "Paul's Treehouse" - though I think the garment district
uprising in "A Criminal Proceeding" and mentioned briefly in "Operation
ARES" can explain who is actually rioting in that story, "Hour of Trust"
(what is the name of the company running everything, whose symbol is gold
stamped instruments? That write up gave me more problems than you would
think) "The Island of Doctor Death an Other Stories", and perhaps the Thag
stories.

I am most satisfied with "The Changeling", "Many Mansions" - (those houses
are luring people in and are merely dressed up as familiar, tempting human
houses with mimicry, and might even be planting something, human-alien
symbiotic style, inside people through the strong drink), "The HORARS of
War", and "Trip, Trap" write ups.

I already know exactly what type of essays I will be finishing up on Long
Sun, Latro, and Home Fires, but the rest will take some time and I might
not return to New Sun until the majority of the short fiction and shorter
novels are done.

All considered the project might be close to 2,000 pages or so when I am
done.
Of course it would need hefty revision and citation, but lately I have
considered perhaps trying to publish it upon completion - short essays on
the long fiction in front which would be my own thesis based developments,
not comprehensive looks at all, and the story analysis section after that.
A traditional publisher would never touch it, I imagine, and it would be
far too big for a small or university press, but perhaps an ebook would
work.  Anyone think that would be viable?  Should I even, say, try to split
it in half?  Just thought I would see what you guys thought, as this has
been a WHOLE lot of work, even though I love it.
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