Future Revisitations

Cover of the ‘Science Fiction Hall of Fame’ anthology, over which the story title (‘Scanners live in Vain’) and author (Cordwainer Smith) have been overlayed.

This has long been on my ‘must read’ list & it certainly didn’t disappoint. Cordwainer Smith’s ‘Scanners Live In Vain‘, feels so far ahead of its time (particularly given the proto-cybernetics on show), it’s hard to think of this as being conceived in 1945.
I’ll definitely be seeking out more.

Wishing you best of luck for future finds 👍

Nice collection there. I’m also considering Vol 2 in the SF Hall of Fame series (which I gather focuses on novellas).

Many thanks for those recommendations - appreciated. I see that there’s a fine volume of his collected stories (‘The Rediscovery of Man’) still in print, so that’ll definitely be a purchase early in the new year 👍

Cover of the ‘Science Fiction Hall of Fame’ anthology, over which the story title (‘Scanners live in Vain’) and author (Cordwainer Smith) have been overlayed.

This has long been on my ‘must read’ list & it certainly didn’t disappoint. Cordwainer Smith’s ‘Scanners Live In Vain‘, feels so far ahead of its time (particularly given the proto-cybernetics on show), it’s hard to think of this as being conceived in 1945.
I’ll definitely be seeking out more.

Roberts was certainly hitting his stride here - looking more closely I can see how he’s woven in a few key symbols from the story too.

Cover of the October 1965 issue of the British fiction magazine ‘Science Fantasy’. Cover illustration is by Keith Roberts, showing a very stylised (quasi-abstract) head and shoulders depiction of a king with a crown.

Today’s pick from ‘The Brian Aldiss Collection’ was ‘The Day of the Doomed King’, first published in this 1965 issue of ‘Science Fantasy’ (with a rather striking Keith Roberts cover). A lyrical & evocative fantasy tale, foreshadowing the likes of ‘The Malacia Tapestry’ a decade later.

Yes, definitely have this in my sights - long out of print I believe, but will certainly track down a 2nd hand copy 👍

Those 70s Peter Lord covers are amongst my favourites, although admittedly his cover for The Chrysalids bears little (if any) resemblance to the content of the novel (unless it’s representing what the settlement dwellers believe to exist in the forbidden ‘badlands‘)

I know what you mean - not fond of these either. I have The Kraken Wakes in the same style and it seems such a far remove from the spirit and intent of the novel. Much prefer the earlier Penguin releases.

Cover of the Penguin edition of John Wyndhams ‘The Midwich Cuckoos’ - image depicts a head and shoulder shot of a male child as if fallen on the ground, with a cuckoo bird sitting on the head of the child.

Finished this today.
I recall reading a review of Wyndham‘s legacy which began with the sentence: “Reputations are rarely unfounded…”, and I can think of no better example to apply this to just now than this superb novel.
Little wonder it’s never been out of print since 1957. Fabulous.

12. OTD 1966. The next ‘Out of the Unknown’ play was also by Larry Eisenberg, the darkly humorous ’Too Many Cooks’. The title plays on the story’s central conceit, in which scientist Andrew Cook is duplicated by a machine of his devising.
Sadly, another episode of which no copies are known to exist.

Close shot of Ronald Lewis as Dr Max Harris and John Gabriel as Smiffershon - a screencap from the 1965 Out of the Unknown episode ‘Some Lapse of Time’.

Cover of a 1963 issue of the British SF magazine ‘Science Fantasy’, with John Brunner’s ‘Some Lapse of Time’ featured as the main story. Cover image is unrelated to Brunner's story - it appears to feature a cloaked figure riding a unicorn type animal, with a smaller bear type creature in the background.

13. OTD 1965. One of the finest ‘Out of the Unknown’ episodes, a brilliant adaptation of John Brunner’s ’Some Lapse of Time’, published just a few years previously in a 1963 edition of ‘Science Fantasy’. Tightly directed, with a wonderful radiophonic soundtrack.
Thankfully this one still exists 🙂.

Title caption of the BBC4 documentary ‘John Wyndham - The Invisible Man of Science Fiction’. Title is overlayed on a set representing John Wyndham’s writing desk.

Close-up of writer John Wyndham from a 1960 television interview.

Given this week‘s reading of ‘The Midwich Cuckoos‘, I thought it would be timely to revisit the 2005 documentary ‘John Wyndham: The Invisible Man of Science Fiction’. I get something new out of each revisit, & it’s always a bonus to see a clip of that rare 1960 interview with the great man himself.

I’ll certainly be checking out the Ballard adaptation - thanks for the heads-up on this 👍

Likewise looking forward to reading those two books by Messrs Priest and Budrys - they’ve been on my radar for some time and early(ish) 2026 is the latest estimation (no doubt subject to change as my wandering eye catches something else on the shelves of equal interest 🙂)

Ah, did good ol’ Pigbin Josh take a tumble into an icy river here? (during those freak weather conditions of course 🙂)

You’re welcome 👍
Very fond of ‘Dimension of Miracles‘ too - although ‘Mindswap’ is a treat I’ve yet to experience!

While I’m on the subject, I certainly regret that the *very* loose adaptation that was ‘Freejack’ doesnt do justice to the novel.
Unfortunate also that the BBC version (1968) no longer exists. However, here’s a short reconstruction of a scene from this production using a surviving audio clip 👇

Just caught up with this excellent discussion on one of my favourite Robert Sheckley novels. An informative deep-dive delivered with great enthusiasm - in fact the kind of discussion which makes me want to pick up the novel and read it through all over again 🙂
Recommended.

James Maxwell and Ed Begley in the 1966 Out of the Unknown episode ‘The Fastest Draw’.

11. OTD 1966. This week’s entry was Larry Eisenberg‘s ’The Fastest Draw‘, in which a bemused engineer is summoned to the estate of the eccentric Amos Handsworthy. Obsessed with the Wild West, Amos is seeking to repair his prized mechanical gunslinger, a project that will have tragic consequences.

Nice cover illustration here (unsure of artist) from the second volume of Robert Aickman’s ‘Fontana Ghost Stories series’ series (where I first read this story).

Celebrating Ridley Scott, 88 today.
Justly praised for the likes of ‘Blade Runner’ of course, but as this montage of shots from a 1966 episode of the cult TV series ‘Adam Adamant Lives!’ shows, as a fledgling TV director Scott was already bringing an eye-catching visual flair to his productions… 🙂

12. OTD 1965. An excellent adaptation of Kate Wilhelm’s 1963 social satire ‘Andover and the Android’.
A firm favourite of producer Irene Shubik, it also proved to be one of the most popular with viewers (leading to a rare repeat showing for the era). Sadly it is now missing from the BBC archives.

Pleased to see Wyndham’ still getting some love, as well as Priest‘s ‘Inverted World’ collecting some well deserved points. I confess I read the latter after I submitted my ratings, otherwise it would have been *very* high up on my own list! 🙂
Great video - nicely paced & informative, thank you 👍

A brilliant novel - one of the best things I’ve read this year. 👍

Copies of the Penguin Classic editions (paperback ) of the John Wyndham novels ‘The Chrysalids’, ‘The Day of the Triffids’ and ‘The Midwich Cuckoos’.

On to John Wyndham’s ‘The Midwich Cuckoos’ this weekend. I absolutely loved ‘The Day of the Triffids’ and (earlier this year) ‘The Chrysalids‘, and I just know I’ll find this novel equally engaging.
Quality comfort reading of the highest order… 🙂

Yet to read his two earliest (and most famous) novels, but his short stories are a delight. ‘The Demolished Man’ is definitely on the TBR list for early 2026 though 🙂

I always admire the sheer unpredictability of Alfred Bester’s plots. ‘Hobson’s Choice‘ is a fine case in point. It begins with a statistician tracing the source of a mysterious rise in population growth to a small town in Kansas, which then forms the backdrop to a satisfyingly quirky run of events.

Currently reading ‘The Merchants of Venus’ (and enjoying this a great deal) which I see you’ve covered on your site too 👍