Cordwainer Smith (1913–1966)

The way Cordwainer writes seems to elevate this above most "genre fiction" stereotypes. I enjoyed the prose, the dark wit, and some of the strange imagery. There's a real sense that this story is one of many in a large, complex and mysterious world. The underpeople reminded me a lot of the deformed creatures forced into humanity by Wells' Dr. Moreau.

Where this falls apart for me is the execution of certain scenes and the unfolding of the larger narrative. The strange and cerebral only carry it so far, and some pivotal sequences feel a bit clunky and confusing. I think things are well set up, but it starts to feel rushed as it drives towards the pre-climactic revolution. Conversely, the ending trial is a little indulgent.

In some ways, it feels like a single piece within a larger whole. I imagine reading other of Cordwainer's stories would add valuable context and make it a more rewarding read.… (more)

In a 2013 centennial assessment Cordwainer Smith, The Atlantic called him the “loosest cannon of all” in science fiction. It is not far off to call him science fiction’s William Blake. Like Blake, he created an elaborate grand myth epic that may have been transferring his fantasies and eidetic visions to print. Like Blake, his imagination is visual. Consider this opening to “When the People Fell” that inspired the cove of one of Smith’s collections: “Can you imagine a rain of people through an acid fog?” His underpeople and robots seem made to order for cosplay. His prose is unabashedly poetic. Just listen to some of his titles: “The Lady Who Sailed the Soul,” “Think Blue, Count Two,” “Golden the Ship Was—Oh! Oh! Oh!” “The Dead Lady of Clown Town,” “Alpha Ralpha Boulevard,” and “The Ballad of Lost C’mel.” I am always amused when someone tries to make a coherent future history from his Rediscovery of Man stories. Smith throws years around in the thousands without a care. He is more interested in recasting myths like Heloise and Abelard and Joan of Arc than he is in engineering. He invented future technologies that seem almost magical, but he ultimately rejects them as evolutionary dead ends. His is not usually a world of Blake’s “dark Satanic mills” but his layered, Edenic cities are equally dystopian. 5 stars.… (more)