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Publisher's Weekly Book Review and Forecast Nelson Bond, Arkham, $34.95 (423p) ISBN 0-87054-180-3 This collection of 29 stories, Bond's second Arkham collection after Nightmares and Daydreams (1968), stands as a sparkling tribute to one of the greats, now 93 years old, of SF and fantasy. Bond says that he prefers the latter, because "fantasy is tongue-in-cheek, but there's nothing funny about hardware!" Humor, not surprisingly, is the keynote of these tales, which are divided into five thematic sections, each with a brief introduction by the author (one wishes these intros were longer). The section entitled "Family Circle" features Bond's favorite series characters: Lancelot Biggs, Pat Pending, Squaredeal Sam McGhee and the incomparable Lobblies (two invisible creatures who accompany Henry Mergenthwirker and correctly predict the future with unpredictable results). Nearly all of the stories date from the WWII era, and since Bond has chosen not to do any rewriting, the book, like one of his typical time-travel yarns, serves as a nostalgic trip to the past. The Dodgers still play baseball (badly) in Brooklyn in "Herman and the Mermaid"; the old Pennsylvania Station, even in ruins, awes the "Jinnian" travelers from a postapocalyptic future in "Magic City." The quintessential Virginia gentleman, Bond is at heart a New Yorker, and he nicely capture's the city's accent. Edd Cartiler's illustration from Unknown Worlds for the concluding story, "Occupation Demigod," makes the perfect frontispiece. An earlier, more wholesome America lovingly emerges from these pages (Apr.) Forecast: Having basically stopped writing fiction circa 1960 with the demise of the pulp magazines, Bond has been overlooked when it's come time to hand out awards to the surviving masters of the pulp era. One hopes that he will be well enought to attend this year's World Fantasy Convention in Minneapolis as the con's guest of honor - where he may at last receive a Life Achievement Award.
More from Ben Indick! as seen in "Ben's Beat 66" and "Ibid 118"
The Far Side of Nowhere. Nelson Bond. Arkham House. Sounds like a voice out of yesterday, huh? You younger members who appear to be the bulk of the apa nowadays may not even recognize the name of this master of fantasy and science fiction of the past, but old-timers will know it at once, and I can recommend this latest collection of Bond's short stories from the late 30s, 40s, and 50s (none previously collected) to all of you. The book, 423 pgs, $34.95, has 29 stories, and this straightforward writing is welcome indeed in these times of trying reading. It apparently originated when Peter Ruber was editing "Arkham's Masters of Horror", an excellent collection including a Bond story, "The Master of Cotswold:. Ruber worked with Bond two years to collect the new volume, none of whose stories have been collected in the others of Bond's books. One of Bond's chief characteristics is his humor and there is more than enough here, as well as intriguing notions, time travel, fantasy, etc. Primarily he wrote for Blue Book (long decades gone now, but a fine magazine in its day, large size, of assorted fiction, a step up from the general pulps, as well as paying much better) but his work appeared in all the SF pulps and at least one (he says) or a few times (I think) in Unknown.
One of Edd Cartier's illustrations for a story by Bond serves appropriately as the frontispiece, a fine companion for two men of genius who both quit the genre in the early 60's, for lack of adequate recompense, as well as the gradual disappearance of venues. About five of Bond's books, including one prior collection from Arkham House, and a few novels, appeared some years back, as well as various printings of his plays. (Wildside Press, John Betancourt, is also reprinting his books.) He was very active, beginning as a writer of sports and regional stories, (esp. Nova Scotia), gradually switching to fiction. In the late 30's his "Lobblies" stories (of which there is one in his new book) achieved popularity and were dramatized (by other hands) on radio, and when he heard them he knew he could dramatize them himself. He did so, for radio and television and at last fro Broadway. In addition, he collected them and rounded them into a self-contained novel, MR. MERGENTHWIRKER'S LOBBLIES, a hilarious story of two invisible creatures who could foretell the future but when they did the results were disconcerting to all hands. For this edition, the 93 year old, still very active Bond elected not to edit or update anything, and the result is a very good picture, past the comedy and often Runyonesque speech patterns, of the period before and during World War II, of the attitudes of the people, beyond the stereotypes you see and hear in old newsreels and films. As one who was a young man then. I can attest to this, as it is sometimes eerily like being back there! Take my advice, get this delightful book. It's a dilly. | |||||||||||||||||
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THE
FAR SIDE OF NOWHERE