As Steve pointed out in a comment to last week’s FFB, The Color Out of Time by Michael Shea, Brian Aldiss wrote a version of H. P. Lovecraft’s “The Colour Out of Space.” The Aldiss story is set in England where a meteor falls into a pond and strange occurrences follow. Like the Lovecraft story, the farmer and his family all under the strange spell of the aliens. Unlike the Loveraft story, Aldiss provides a variant ending. If you haven’t read The Saliva Tree you’re missing one of Brian Aldiss’s best stories.
I think i have this in a Lovecraft anthology actually – I think … must go check – hang on … nope, it is Brian Lumly instead! OK, must seek out, thanks George.
Sergio, there are several editions of THE SALIVA TREE. I have the TOR Books edition, but I’ve see the Corgi edition (same cover), and there’s a Penguin edition, too.
Lot o fun from Aldiss. Well worth the read.
Steve, it was fun reading THE SALIVA TREE after Michael Shea’s THE COLOR OUT OF TIME.
No, I haven’t read this one. Don’t think I even knew about it. Love the cover. Some of the British paperback covers put ours to shame. (And yes, others are awful. Some of the terrible photo covers on some mystery series are an embarrassment.) I haven’t read a lot of Aldiss, more his non-fiction than his fiction.
Jeff, I’ve had Aldiss’s Helliconia trilogy on my shelf for years. I’m hoping to read them this Summer.
Aldiss is another of those underrated Brits. Btw he’s still alive (at 90 years) and here’s an interview from 2013 in my favourite English newspaper:
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/dec/13/brian-aldiss-science-fiction-author-review
The wiki on him is also quite interesting – like many Brits he spent WW2 in the East (Burma) and his experience there is reflected in some of his books.
Wolf, thanks for the link! You’re right about Aldiss: every underrated.
I have found some of his work “difficult” to read. Wether it’s his language, structure or wordiness, I’m not sure, as it’s been a while. This novel may not be that way; I’ve not read it.
Rick, I also have found Aldiss rough going. But THE SALIVA TREE doesn’t present any of those stylistic problem.
George, Aldiss has never been one to rest on his laurels — always experimenting, always evolving. I, too, have his Helliconia trilogy waiting in the wings on my Readrealsoon Pile (which, from the size of the pile, means sometime in the next five years). Sadly, he does not plan to write any more novels. “The Saliva Tree” won a well-deserved Nebula award in 1964.
65, but, yeah. A striking Bert Tanner cover for the F&SF appearance:
http://www.isfdb.org/wiki/images/7/71/FSFSEP65.jpg
In fact, that was a particularly brilliant issue of F&SF: http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?61427
4 • The Saliva Tree • novella by Brian W. Aldiss
55 • Cartoon: “Marsha, you’re tending to lead again! • interior artwork by Gahan Wilson
56 • Kearny’s Last Case • [Max Kearny] • shortstory by Ron Goulart
66 • Books (F&SF, September 1965) • [Books (F&SF)] • essay by Judith Merril
69 • Review: Not with a Bang by Chapman Pincher • review by Judith Merril
70 • Review: Dare by Philip José Farmer • review by Judith Merril
70 • Review: The Possessors by John Christopher • review by Judith Merril
70 • Review: Galactic Diplomat by Keith Laumer • review by Judith Merril
71 • Review: Natives of Space by Hal Clement • review by Judith Merril
72 • Review: Sleeping Planet by William R. Burkett, Jr. • review by Judith Merril
72 • Review: City Under the Sea by Paul W. Fairman • review by Judith Merril
72 • Review: Subspace Explorers by Edward E. Smith • review by Judith Merril
72 • Review: To Worlds Beyond by Robert Silverberg • review by Judith Merril
72 • Review: Analog 3 by John W. Campbell, Jr. • review by Judith Merril
72 • Review: Exiles of Time by Nelson Bond • review by Judith Merril
72 • Review: Memoirs of Robert-Houdin, King of the Conjurors by Robert-Houdin • review by Judith Merril
73 • Review: Hawthorne’s Fiction: The Light and the Dark by Richard Harter Fogle • review by Judith Merril
74 • The Great Cosmic Donut of Life • shortstory by Ray Nelson
93 • Lunar Landing • [The Science Springboard] • essay by Theodore L. Thomas
95 • Hog-Belly Honey • shortstory by R. A. Lafferty
103 • Turning Point • shortstory by Arthur Porges
109 • Death in the Laboratory • [Asimov’s Essays: F&SF] • essay by Isaac Asimov
119 • Sea Bright • shortstory by Hal R. Moore
Tood, you’re right! What a wonderful issue! Plenty of quality writing.
Todd, I love those F&SF author covers. My favorite is the one with Harlan Ellison.
Oh, this wasn’t an Aldiss special issue…it’s just a brilliant Tanner painting.
Sadly, they never did an Aldiss special. I understand the All-British issue Ferman tried sold rather poor, which is odd.
Todd, I’m sure F&SF sold out of the Harlan Ellison special issue!
Poorly, that is.
The Asimov and King special issues probably moved rather steadily in back-issue sales, as well. Too bad they didn’t do a Bloch issue. Nor a Davidson. Nor more women (I was very happy about the Wilhelm, among those I picked up new).
And I do enjoy that Fritz Leiber had special issues of fantasy magazines devoted to him and his work in decade increments: FANTASTIC in 1959, F&SF in 1969 and WHISPERS in 1979. Pity it didn’t work out that, say, WEIRD TALES could do a Leiber issue in 1989.
Todd, I did have a special issue of Fritz Leiber. It now resides at SUNY at Buffalo.
Jerry, I’ve had those Helliconia books waiting to be read for decades. Time to read them this Summer!