It's JUNE! Let's talk books. (well, that is what the Blog is about)

We're back from Victoria. Bonnie is getting copious eye drops. Clyde is so happy to be back in his home. Jo is at work. I'm doing some chores and watching Deadline: White House. So while I'm so occupied, let's do my first update of June.

Just Finished

1. Interfaces by Virginia Kidd / Ursula K. Le Guin (1980).

"I've enjoyed the work of Ursula K. Le Guin for quite a long time, probably back to my university days when I first read The Left Hand of Darkness. To be fair, it took me awhile to get into her other stories as I seemed to keep rereading Left Hand. At any rate, over the past few years, I've begun to explore her other works; getting into her Earthsea fantasy series, her poetry, short stories, a book of interviews, etc. I've also started tracking down her other books. I found Interfaces when she mentioned it, either in one of her interviews, or in the foreword of another book I read. Ramble, ramble, ramble... Get to the point, Bill!

Interfaces is a collection of short stories. Le Guin didn't write any. It was a project conceived with her publisher, Virginia Kidd. They approached Sci-Fi / speculative fiction authors and asked them to submit short stories; no theme, no restrictions, just submit stories. And from that beginning, put together Interfaces.

In this collection are 19 stories (two are actually poems, but hey) from authors such as John Crowley, Vonda McIntyre, Philippa Maddern, Edward Bryant, James Tiptree, etc. It's an eclectic, intriguing collection, some I enjoyed more than others. Short stories always present the same problems for me; how do you get into the plot quickly, introducing characters, settings, stories and then close it off as successfully. And to my mediocre mind, that was a 'problem' here, but not an important one. I say that because no matter what, these people can write. They present wonderful pictures, draw you in, then, even if it's not all wrapped up tidy and succinctly, leave you thinking... What the hey?

There is so much variety in this selection, it's difficult to find a particular favorite. I find that the stories blend together in some ways; was this story about this, or that? Yes, I'm copping out somewhat. You do really have to read this collection yourself. OK, a couple of examples. In Earth and Stone by Robert Holdstock, John Farrell travels back in time to a prehistoric settlement as part of a scientific experiment. He's partly looking for another traveler, also trying to get away from his own time. There is a mystery here, involving vampire type peoples?? A Short History of the Bicycle by Michael Bishop.. OK, this one was strange. Praeger is on the planet Drasienne watching / writing about bicycle creatures. Are they created because of the dreams or realities on Earth or is it an actual planet of bicycles???? Precession by Edward Bryant... Time seems to be in free flow here. At one point it's winter, then when the protagonist wakes, it's summer, he has to get to the university where he is teaching.... Keep track, it moves around..... Slow Music, the final story by James Tiptree, Jr. It seems like Earth as we know it is finished. People have gone to the River (what is it? An alien creation?) Jacko is heading home to see his father after visiting the Cities, abandoned pretty well, and meets Peachthief, a young girl trying to get pregnant. She doesn't want to go to the River. She wants to stay on Earth, raise children.. a battle of wills between Jacko and Peachthief.. 

Of course, I'm not laying these stories out very well. Basically, they are an intriguing, interesting collection, that it's worth checking out. More about the creation of a short story than any particular Sci-Fi / speculative fiction theme, but it's there too... Try it is all I can really say. (4.0 stars)"

2. The Lottery by Shirley Jackson / Miles Hyman (2017). This is a graphic version of the classic short story by Jackson.

"Aim #1. Make this review shorter than the short story / graphic adaptation that it's about..

OK, there is no Aim #2, well, maybe not to give away the complete story. 

Back in 2014, I discovered The Lottery, a short story by Shirley Jackson. The Lottery was published in 1949, after her first novel. It's a simple, terrifying in its simplicity, story. It's been turned into at least two movies and now her grandson, Miles Hyman has adapted it into a graphic novel. (As an aside, Jackson also wrote six novels during her life; I've read 3 and enjoyed each one)

I won't get into the plot too much as it's short, succinct and gets to the point in a quick, effective, terrifying way. Basically, every year, the town (and it seems every town) gets together to conduct the lottery. One person in the town families is selected in this lottery. It's been happening for years and will continue to happen for years (although it appears that some towns may have given it up). What is the Lottery for? That's for you to find out.

Hyman's adaptation turns the town into a sort of American Gothic setting. The drawings are stark and detailed. The characters are drawn and colored wonderfully and he gets the original story and presents it in all its detail. Read it. (Did I meet Aim #1?) Oh well. (3.5 stars)"

Currently Reading

1. Casebook of the Black Widowers by Isaac Asimov (Black Widowers #3 / 1980). I've enjoyed this mystery series so far.

"Twelve Cunningly Fashioned Detective Stories

Once a month the Black Widowers club meets to enjoy good food, fine wine, convivial company - and to entertain a guest.

Each month the guest provides them with a conundrum - a mystery which has so far proved completely baffling.

And so the Black Widowers set to work on the problem - aided and abetted by Henry, their perspicacious waiter, whose powers of deduction never fail to astonish..."

2. Run Towards the Danger: Confrontations with a Body of Memory by Sarah Polley (2022). I've enjoyed movies that Canadian actor / director Polley has acted in or directed. This sounded interesting.

"Oscar-nominated screenwriter, director, and actor Sarah Polley's Run Towards the Danger explores memory and the dialogue between her past and her present

These are the most dangerous stories of my life. The ones I have avoided, the ones I haven't told, the ones that have kept me awake on countless nights. As these stories found echoes in my adult life, and then went another, better way than they did in childhood, they became lighter and easier to carry.

Sarah Polley's work as an actor, screenwriter, and director is celebrated for its honesty, complexity, and deep humanity. She brings all those qualities, along with her exquisite storytelling chops, to these six essays. Each one captures a piece of Polley's life as she remembers it, while at the same time examining the fallibility of memory, the mutability of reality in the mind, and the possibility of experiencing the past anew, as the person she is now but was not then. As Polley writes, the past and present are in a "reciprocal pressure dance."

Polley contemplates stories from her own life ranging from stage fright to high-risk childbirth to endangerment and more. After struggling with the aftermath of a concussion, Polley met a specialist who gave her wholly new advice: to recover from a traumatic injury, she had to retrain her mind to strength by charging towards the very activities that triggered her symptoms. With riveting clarity, she shows the power of applying that same advice to other areas of her life in order to find a path forward, a way through. Rather than live in a protective crouch, she had to run towards the danger.

In this extraordinary book, Polley explores what it is to live in one's body, in a constant state of becoming, learning, and changing."

New Books

(Two new books in the mail, both by authors I've been exploring)

1. Death of a Nymph (originally published as The Motive) by Evelyn Piper (1950). I've previously enjoyed Bunny Lake is Missing (both the book and the movie) and The Nanny (also both the book and the movie). My previous focus on Evelyn Piper is at this link.

"Shirley Kolp was not an easy person to understand. Someone really had to know her to want to murder her.

Evidently, someone did.

But who?... And why?"

2. Vanish in an Instant by Margaret Millar (1952). Canadian mystery writer Margaret Millar has become not only one of my favorite mystery authors but just plain authors. She always spins a great tale. Check out a previous article I had on her work.

"Virginia Barkeley is a nice, well brought-up girl. So what is she doing wandering through a snow storm in the middle of the night, blind drunk and covered in someone else's blood?

When Claude Margolis' body is found a quarter of a mile away with half-a-dozen stab wounds to the neck, suddenly Virginia doesn't seem such a nice girl after all. Her only hope is Meecham, the cynical small-town lawyer hired as her defence. But how can he believe in Virginia's innocence when even she can't be sure what happened that night? And when the answer seems to fall into his lap, why won't he just walk away?"

Women Authors Whose Work I Am Enjoying - Jean Potts

Jean Potts

American mystery writer Jean Potts lived from 1910 - 1999. She was not a prolific writer, only writing 7 books from 1954 - 1968. I have read two of these books thus far and enjoyed them very much. My reviews are below.

1. The Man with the Cane (1957).

"The Man With the Cane, published originally in 1957, was the first book I've read by Jean Potts. It was a different story. For the most part I had no idea where it was going. The ending was also reasonably satisfying.

Val, the father of Annabelle, and ex-husband of Doris, is finally getting a chance to spend time with his daughter after Doris and Monroe's (her current husband) move back from California. Annabelle tells him about the man with the cane, who had bushy eyebrows and a cane and played with her. When he brings it up with Doris and Monroe it starts a strange chain of events. Also part of the story are Doris' mother, Maudie and Barbara, ex-sister-in -law of Doris. Add Hen, who moves into Val's apartment building and Clyde, Doris's brother, and you've got an interesting, suspicious cast of characters.

Val and Hen find the body of a man after going out for dinner; a man with bushy eyebrows and a cane. The coincidence with Annabelle's story, starts Val and Hen investigating who he might be and also if the others have any connection with the 'man with the cane.'

There is a side story involving poisoned pen letters and it's possible that some of the characters might be involved in some way. The story moves along very nicely and is fun to read. In some ways, it reminds me of the one mystery I've read by Dorothy Salisbury Davis, who wrote during the same time period. I don't think it's a classic mystery but it's still enjoyable and I'm glad to have been exposed to Potts's writing. I'll check out others of her books. (3 stars)"

2. Death of a Stray Cat (1955).

"Death of a Stray Cat by Jean Potts was a perfect little mystery. I'd previously read one of her other books, The Man with the Cane, which was an entertaining spy story. This one was excellent.

It's a relatively simple, short story but at the same time, a rich, entertaining page turner. It starts off with a murder, of a young lady trying to find someone, Alex, at his summer cottage. Alex and his wife, Gen, along with two friends are heading to the cottage as well, and the two friends, Vanda and Theobold. While Alex and Gen stop at the local pub for dinner, Vanda and Theobold head to the house and discover the body.

Thus starts an interesting investigation with nicely crafted characters. You've got the slightly overweight, local sheriff, sympathetic and homespun, moving from possible suspect to suspect. It turns out Marcella, the victim had a brief relationship with Alex and another suspect. There is marital friction between Alex and Gen because of it. The peripheral characters, Vanda and Theobold, as well as best friends Brad and Dwayne are all excellent. 

The plot builds nicely and while I had my suspects in mind, I kept changing my mind as I got more into the story. I would say that ultimately I was correct but then again, my final suspect came out in the last page, so maybe I'm just pretending that I knew who it was. The ultimate resolution was as satisfying as the story itself. It's an excellent, entertaining mystery and I enjoyed it so much. Nice to read a well-crafted mystery like this. In some ways it reminded me of books I've enjoyed by Margaret Millar and Hillary Waugh. I highly recommend and I'll definitely search for other books by Potts (5 stars)"

There you go. The complete listing is below:

1. Go, Lovely Rose (1954)

2. Death of a Stray Cat (1955)

3. The Man with the Cane (1957)

4. The Evil Wish (1962)

5. The Only Good Secretary (1965)

6. The Footsteps on the Stairs (1966)

7. The Little Lie (1968)

Enjoy the rest of your week.