(Original Review, 1980-08-18)A few years back, I picked up John Sladek's "Mechasm" as part of a special series of "forgotten classics" by some publisher. (this series also included L. Frank Baum's delightful "The Master Key"). "Mechasm" has been reprinted in paperback, so I thought I'd review it her...
When you read the title The Reproductive System: A science fiction novel what immediately springs to mind? If it's machines that can self-replicate then you're spot on. John Sladek has somehow managed to hit on almost every single sci-fi cliché in this one slim book and create a delicious parody tha...
Well, here's a heap of absurdity that both pre-dates and sends up all the nanobot apocalypses of SF history - as well as everything else it can think of, including but not limited to, the military, espionage, government research projects, international politics, the space race (we are talking 1968, ...
Tenalp yawaraf a morf emoc I, stnatibahni htraE olleh. D NT WHSH T DSTR U, JST GV U KNWLDG. CwN www wNDwRSTwND Mw?Sladek's short stories are one crazy ride, you never know what will happen next, as he constantly pulls tricks from the hat like a magician turned into a broken automaton. The bad side o...
Good parodies of the following authors:The Purloined Butter (Edgar Allan Poe)Pemberly’s Start-Afresh Calliope (H.G. Wells)Ralph 4F (Hugo Gernsback)Engineer to the Gods (Robert Heinlein)Broot Force (Isaac Asimov)Joy Ride (Ray Bradbury)The Moon is Sixpence (Arthur C. Clarke)Solar Shoe-Salesman (Philip...
I waffled a little between four and five stars as the writing wasn't always perfect, but there wasn't a moment I wasn't entertained by this wonderfully weird collection so I decided to be generous. Sladek's short stories are just delightful. They're at turns absurd, random, hilarious, poignant and p...
- Hello Roderick.- HELLO MANNY.- Tell me who you are, Roderick.- I AM A ROBOT. I AM THE MAIN CHARACTER IN A NOVEL BY JOHN SLADEK.- Okay, Roderick, and what is the novel about?- IT IS ABOUT ME.- That's true, Roderick, but what else is it about?- IT IS ABOUT HOW MACHINES ARE LIKE PEOPLE AND HOW PEOPLE...
A wonderfully silly parody/homage to Golden Era detective novelists, in particular Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers. Unfortunately, I'm not sure people got the joke. Since the novel is virtually unknown, my guess is that most readers just felt it was ridiculously contrived, peopled entirely with c...
Christy's recent post (message #27 on That's Racist) reminded me of this episode from The Müller-Fokker Effect. The White Supremacist is ranting as usual to his cell-mate:"Now suppose you're doing your laundry? You take your nice white clothes and you put them in the washing machine and you miss a p...
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