Dark Reflections

[daddytodd]

In the wake of Thomas M. Disch's suicide on July 4, I was reminded that I had an unread Samuel R. Delany novel sitting on my shelf: 2007's Dark Reflections.

I read it over a couple nights late last week, and finished Saturday afternoon. It was one of the saddest books I've ever read. I can't do it any justice by trying to tell you about it, but the profound sense of loneliness Delany evokes in the details of the life of a minor black poet growing old in New York City over the last 50 years or so is another testament to Delany's brilliance as a writer.

If you know Delany for his early science fiction, or his later "Dhalgren," or the "Neveryon" books, this is nothing like any of those. It is, however, one of the most carefully etched novels of character I've ever read.

I'm still assimilating it, but like most of Delany's writings, it has had a profound effect on me.

Comments

[shake-it-up.livejournal.com]

Must be good! I've been reading Delany since about 1970, the newer works hold up better than the earliest (I read "Einstein Intersection" about five times, now I can't get into it). The last one I read was "Mad Man".

He's prolific, and now I see he's got a couple of books out since I last looked. "Phallos", and this. I needed something new to read- thanks!

[daddytodd.livejournal.com]

"Phallos" is really quite amazing. Well worth picking up.

True story

[grimmbear.livejournal.com]

When I was in my early teens I was hooked on Gordon R Dixon's work. I told my Mom that he had a boxed set of older books coming out around Christmas and to put it on my wish list.
Well she got the names confused at the book store and picked up Dhalgren, Triton and Nova in a boxed set. I had never heard of Sams work so I was a little put off by the gift until I read the back cover to Dhalgren. My pubescent energies were stirring and Tak and the Kidd really set the tone for the type of men I wanted to sleep with for years to come.

If my Mom ever found out she lead me down the path to gay erotica.... Well she'd end up where she is not just earlier.

Re: True story

[daddytodd.livejournal.com]

Delany has written some of the most interesting and intense erotica I've ever read. "Hogg" and "The Mad Man" are difficult to read -- because the practices are so extreme ("The Mad Man" might fairly be characterized as The Great American Scat Novel.) But they're brilliant.