Quite a few noteworthy sci fi authors were born in August: James Tiptree, Brian Aldiss, even Gene Roddenberry! Our last installment for the year will introduce you to Greg Bear and one of my all-time favorites, H.P. Lovecraft.
Although his formal education didn’t include science, Greg Bear’s writings can be regarded as “hard sci fi,” dealing with, for example, time travel (City at the Edge of Time) and evolution (Darwin’s Radio). Bear’s stories are well-written and gripping.
H. P. (Howard Phillips) Lovecraft died in 1937 at the age of 47, but “is now recognized as one of the seminal figures in the development of the science fiction genre… Forging a unique niche within the horror genre, he created… stories containing a distinctive blend of dreamlike imagery, Gothic terror, and elaborate concocted mythology.” (Brown University H.P. Lovecraft collection).
One of Lovecraft’s most eldritch (he had a distinctive vocabulary) creatures was Cthulhu, who once inhabited the earth (and may again). And the Necronomicon, a fiendish book of demonology and spells, has been known to drive readers insane. (Okay, the book is fictitious, but still scares the heck out of me.)
We have plenty of books by and about Lovecraft, and here are samplings of some of his stories. All I can say is, don’t read any of his tales after dark.
Thanks for the links, Sue–I am bookmarking Le Guin’s website.
As foor the Laundry series, it sounds fun actually; I am curious to read them and discover what kind of apps you can add to a necronomipod! Charlie Stross seems to be an interesting author, a computer guy and pharmacist writing books with a tooth against Apple…It can be pleasant or unpleasant, but not boring!
The protagonist in the book, (The Fuller Memorandum) Bob Howard (Charlie loves these kind of homages), doesn’t want it either – it is kind of foisted upon him. The Laundry books are a kind of mashup of Lovecraft/British Secret Agency done very humorously. Hollywood would love them. (BTW the way there is also a very strange musical instrument involved).
Uh-oh, Rich – I don’t even want to *know* what that is. I just hope that none of my friends or family buys one.
Charlie Stross has an NecronomIpod in his latest “Laundry” book!
You’re absolutely right; LeGuin is a legend.
And you’re also right that she wasn’t born in August – she was born in May, so I made sure to include her in the May installment of this series: http://blogs.wpshared.library.jhu.edu/?p=3628.
Your post reminds me that I need to reread some of her stuff. Thanks!
I know she was not born in August, but I would like to mention Ursula Le Guin. I just enjoyed very much her book The Left Hand of Darkness, and the library has about 40 other titles by this author. Worth reading!