FORGOTTEN BOOKS #369: THE SALIVA TREE By Brian Aldiss

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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.

21 thoughts on “FORGOTTEN BOOKS #369: THE SALIVA TREE By Brian Aldiss

    1. george Post author

      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.

      Reply
  1. Jeff Meyerson

    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.

    Reply
  2. Richard R.

    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.

    Reply
  3. Jerry House

    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.

    Reply
      1. Todd Mason

        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

      2. Todd Mason

        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.

      3. Todd Mason

        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.

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