David "PiperFan" Johnson  01-27-2019
23:35 UT
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~
Dave Eden wrote:
> But outside the Fuzzies in the Terro-Human future, my
> favourite is probably Four-Day Planet.
Yeah, that's a good one. Being a "juvenile" it's a good entry point for younger readers too.
> I think I've read all the Paratime stories except Kalvan,
> which I'm in the middle of. I really liked Gunpowder God, so
> I imagine I'll feel the same way about Kalvan after I finish
> reading the complete, extended dance mix version of
> Gunpowder God.
How cool that the ~Lord Kalvan~ experience is so new for you! It's one of Beam's best novels.
> Among the others: Murder in the Gunroom. It is so vivid, I
> feel like I'm there in the countryside and towns, getting
> rained on and following Jeff Rand around.
There
are some wonderful yarns among Beam's non-Paratime and non-Terro-human
Future History work . . . and there are some real clunkers. Thing is
many of us come down in very different places here.
> I only know one other Piper fan, through Twitter, and I
> think he's older than me.
Well now you know many others! ;)
> I'm thinking more of the mundane details of maintenance
> shops, etc. The nature of the tools and equipment would
> change, but Piper is projecting an imagined future where
> industrial workshops have a similar feel.
Yep. Seems Beam put all that time spent wandering around the rail-yards at night to good use!
Cheers,
David
--
"Ideas
for science fiction stories like ideas for anything else, are where you
find them, usually in the most unlikely places. The only reliable
source is a mind which asks itself a question like, 'What would happen
if--?' or, 'Now what would this develop into, in a few centuries?' Or,
'How would so-and-so happen?' Anything at all, can trigger such a
question, in your field if not in mine." - H. Beam Piper, "Double: Bill
Symposium" interview
~
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Dave Eden 01-22-2019
01:46 UT
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Thank you for the welcomes, everyone.
> So, what's your favorite Terro-human Future History yarn, now? Favorite Paratime yarn? Favorite from the rest?
The
first Fuzzy book, hands down. But outside the Fuzzies in the
Terro-Human future, my favourite is probably Four-Day Planet. I think
I've read all the Paratime stories except Kalvan, which I'm in the
middle of. I really liked Gunpowder God, so I imagine I'll feel the same
way about Kalvan after I finish reading the complete, extended dance
mix version of Gunpowder God. Among the others: Murder in the Gunroom.
It is so vivid, I feel like I'm there in the countryside and towns,
getting rained on and following Jeff Rand around.
> We've
talked about this a bit here before (except for the tone--I love that
insight). These days, it's one of the things that makes > his
settings seem "alien" to contemporary readers. It's the same sort of
reason why Matthew Weiner described ~Mad Men~ as
> "science-fiction."
That's
very interesting. I didn't know that some contemporary readers thought
that, but I haven't met any contemporary readers other than my son who
has read the Fuzzy books. I only know one other Piper fan, through
Twitter, and I think he's older than me.
> You're right
that this sort of detail makes for good writing, but isn't this sort of
thing in say, those scenes in Port Carpenter on > Koshchei, part of
what makes some of Beam's work seem "old fashioned" these days? All
those conveyor belts and spools of wire and
> aerial antennas. . .
. Wonderful, concrete detail but not what I imagine a future automated
factory would like. (Ghu, not even what > one looks like today, more
than half a century into Beam's future.)
Indeed, Port Carpenter
and Koschei are part of what I had in mind. Yes, it's true that some
details seem "old fashioned". Tapes are for recordings are another good
example. I'm thinking more of the mundane details of maintenance shops,
etc. The nature of the tools and equipment would change, but Piper is
projecting an imagined future where industrial workshops have a similar
feel. Of course we don't know how accurate this will end up being, but I
really like the way it "looks" in his stories.
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Jon Crocker 01-19-2019
16:57 UT
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Welcome Dave!
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David "PiperFan" Johnson 01-19-2019
05:17 UT
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~
Dave Eden wrote:
> Hello everyone, just joining the forum.
Welcome, Dave. Always good to "e-meet" a new Piper fan.
> I've been a Piper fan since I was a teenager in the late 80s,
> when working at a book store I noticed an interesting slim
> volume on the shelf with a cute fuzzy creature and a tough
> looking gentleman with a white moustache.
That Michael Whelan; his cover illustrations brought so many folks to Beam's work!
> I stayed just a Fuzzy fan until recently. I had re-read the
> Fuzzy series a few times over the years and thoroughly
> enjoyed it, but never got around to Piper's other work.
> Now that I have, I'm hooked, and am systematically
> reading his entire corpus.
So, what's your favorite Terro-human Future History yarn, now? Favorite Paratime yarn? Favorite from the rest?
> I particularly enjoyed John Carr's biography as well.
John efforts to share parts of Beam's writing and life have been a wonderful gift.
> I like "ground based" sci-fi, written from the perspective
> of someone who knows and enjoys hiking, camping and
> hunting. Piper does that very well, and this is perhaps why
> his work "ages" well.
That's
an interesting point, that is obvious now that you mention it but never
seemed to occur to me before. It's there in the Fuzzy yarns,
obviously, but also in yarns like "Naudsonce" and "Omnilingual."
"Police Operation" and "Temple Trouble" too.
(And, I've just
realized, in my own "The Satchel" and "Grandfather Encounter," though,
being a city-kid, likely not nearly as well done as by Beam.)
> I also love how Piper, immersed as we all are in the
> culture of his day, projects a future where everyone
> smokes, cocktail hour is an unchanging sacred rite, and
> everyone speaks with the mature tone you only hear
> in classic movies.
We've
talked about this a bit here before (except for the tone--I love that
insight). These days, it's one of the things that makes his settings
seem "alien" to contemporary readers. It's the same sort of reason why
Matthew Weiner described ~Mad Men~ as "science-fiction."
> Another detail I really enjoy is how he describes
> industrial environments, something he knew at least
> as well as the Pennsylvania countryside. The details
> about workshops and warehouses, I don't recall seeing
> that anywhere else, and it really helps bring his settings
> to life.
You're
right that this sort of detail makes for good writing, but isn't this
sort of thing in say, those scenes in Port Carpenter on Koshchei, part
of what makes some of Beam's work seem "old fashioned" these days? All
those conveyor belts and spools of wire and aerial antennas. . . .
Wonderful, concrete detail but not what I imagine a future automated
factory would like. (Ghu, not even what one looks like today, more than
half a century into Beam's future.)
> Lastly, I love how he works in his knowledge and
> appreciation of firearms, in a way that satisfies fellow
> connoisseurs but doesn't intrude on the story.
With
something as simple as a "Mars Consolidated" pistol Beam showed his
storytelling mastery, telling us something about the settlement of the
Solar system and the economy of the early (first) Federation with with
just a couple of words. . . .
Thanks for sharing a bit of what you find interesting in Beam's work.
Cheers,
David
--
"Let's see yours. Draw--soul! Inspection--soul!" - Foxx Travis (H. Beam Piper), "Oomphel in the Sky"
~
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Lord Kalvan 01-19-2019
03:45 UT
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David, welcome to the Piper mailing list. In answer to your question,
this years Irregular's Muster will be held on Saturday, May 18, 2019. We
will be meeting at the Waffle Shop on North Atherton at 10:00 a.m. All
Piper fans are welcome. I will be there along with Dennis Frank, our
guide. This year we will be visiting some of the sites mentioned in
Great Kings' War, as well as the usual Piper sites.
John Carr
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Lord Kalvan 01-18-2019
20:58 UT
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The new "Paratime Police Chronicles" hardcover is now available from
the Hostigos.com website and Amazon. For some reason, I'm having trouble
putting up the e-book on Kindle -- Sigh. However, as of today, the
e-books (mobi and e-put) editions are available at the Shop at
Hostigos.com.
John
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jimmyjoejangles 01-18-2019
20:25 UT
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Welcome aboard.
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Dave Eden 01-18-2019
17:00 UT
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If someone can please share the date of this year's Irregulars' Muster,
I'd greatly appreciate it. I'd love to attend, and I'll probably need to
book a day or two off work and would like some lead time. Thank you.
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Dave Eden 01-18-2019
17:00 UT
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Hello everyone, just joining the forum. I've been a Piper fan since I
was a teenager in the late 80s, when working at a book store I noticed
an interesting slim volume on the shelf with a cute fuzzy creature and a
tough looking gentleman with a white moustache.
I stayed just a
Fuzzy fan until recently. I had re-read the Fuzzy series a few times
over the years and thoroughly enjoyed it, but never got around to
Piper's other work. Now that I have, I'm hooked, and am systematically
reading his entire corpus. I particularly enjoyed John Carr's biography
as well.
What do I like about Piper? More generally, his writing
is direct and readable, but not dumbed down. In terms of specifics, I'll
try to summarize a few. I like "ground based" sci-fi, written from the
perspective of someone who knows and enjoys hiking, camping and hunting.
Piper does that very well, and this is perhaps why his work "ages"
well. Conceptions of starship combat may not survive as well over the
decades (although I suspect David Weber's Honorverse will fare pretty
well, but that's another topic). I also love how Piper, immersed as we
all are in the culture of his day, projects a future where everyone
smokes, cocktail hour is an unchanging sacred rite, and everyone speaks
with the mature tone you only hear in classic movies. Another detail I
really enjoy is how he describes industrial environments, something he
knew at least as well as the Pennsylvania countryside. The details about
workshops and warehouses, I don't recall seeing that anywhere else, and
it really helps bring his settings to life. Lastly, I love how he works
in his knowledge and appreciation of firearms, in a way that satisfies
fellow connoisseurs but doesn't intrude on the story.
I look forward to discussing Piper with you all.
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David "PiperFan" Johnson 01-17-2019
02:32 UT
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~
~The Paratime Police Chronicles~
I've just received the
latest Paratime book, John Carr's new anthology, which includes three of
Beam's Paratime Police yarns and four new Paratime yarns by John, along
with an introductory essay by Eric Fisher.
It's a beautiful book with a dust jacket by artist Sean Bodley, a newcomer to Piper's work:
https://seanbodley.com/about/
You can get your copy at Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Paratime-Police-Chr...-Vol/dp/0937912727/
And
perhaps the very best part is that this is "Volume 1," with another
book, which will include Beam's Piper novellas and more Kalvan work from
John, on its way soon.
Down Styphon!
David
--
"Why, you--You parapeeper!" -- Morvan Kara (H. Beam Piper), "Police Operation"
~
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