R. A. Lafferty

[stoutfellow]

I've just started reading Lafferty's Sindbad: The 13th Voyage. (It's one of the books I picked up at Balticon.)

He is so weird. Whenever I read one of his stories, I feel like the straight man in a vaudeville act. ("I don't even know what I'm talking about!")

But he's usually entertaining. I'm looking forward to seeing where he's going with this. There is, of course, a significant probability that I won't, even after I finish the book.

Comments

[hornedhopper.livejournal.com]

Sometimes it's hard for me to enjoy or get into a book if I can't identify with at least one of the characters. Total weirdness without a context I can relate to just ends up being words scattered on paper for me.

The big exception is when the author is using an estrangement technique (Verfremdungseffekt) to deliberately divorce you from the characters or story, forcing you to see some uebermessage being conveyed. I've seen it used more in plays, but it can be seen in books, as well. If I realize early that that's the purpose, then I'll read it. Otherwise, I scratch my head and pick up the next one in the stack!

gender?

[p-o-u-n-c-e-r.livejournal.com]

Why did I ever get the impression R.A. was a "she" ? Or is it possible you may be conveying your impression instead of speaking from direct knowledge?

Re: gender?

[stoutfellow.livejournal.com]

His full name was Raphael Aloysius Lafferty; definitely male.

Re: gender?

[stoutfellow.livejournal.com]

Second thought: it occurs to me that you may be getting some mental crosslinking from R. A. Macavoy, who is a "she".