R.A.Lafferty

[Joe Varo]

On Thu, 27 Mar 1997, Craig Clark wrote:

> I've been trying for years to get hold of R.A. Lafferty's stuff, with 
> no luck. Other SF writers who might be of interest include Gene Wolfe 
> (not as witty but comparably erudite and complex); James Blaylock and 
> John Sladek (also mentioned by Jminnich).

I read Wolfe's "Book of the New Sun" series many years ago, when I was
still reading a good bit of SF/Sword&Sorcery stuff now and again.  After
seeing so many here commend that series, I decided to give it a re-read
after I finished my latest re-read of GR. 

I got about two-thirds of the way through the first book and just couldn't
go any further.  Just couldn't get into it.  In fact, though I used to be
an avid reader of SF/Fantasy in my teens and early twenties, I just
haven't been able to get into it much since then.

I still enjoy a good SF movie, but for the most part, I just find reading
the stuff to be rather tedious.

The only reason I can come up with for this change in taste is that in
college I became more acquainted with the "good stuff" and developed the
(perhaps snobbish) opinion that most SF authors really aren't all that
skilled at writing.  (I'll allow for the possibility that I just wasn't
reading the right SF authors.) They may have some really interesting ideas
to write about, but the writing just isn't compelling enough to keep my
interest any more. 

If I recall, the SF book to put the final nail in the coffin for me was a
Poul Anderson work..."The Ship of a Million Years" or something like that.
I recall getting about 50 or so pages into it and thinking, "this is real
crap."

Anybody else out there feel that they kind of "outgrew" SF?

Joe