Barry N. Malzberg has published over 500 short stories from 1970 to 2022. Many have been assembled in several of Malzberg’s short story collections over the years. But some stories have been orphans until this new Stark House book, Collecting Myself: The uncollected Stories of Barry N. Malzberg. In his Introduction, Malzberg writes about how he shifted his writing focus from literary magazines to Science Fiction and Mystery magazines.
As Malzberg told a young Gardner Dozois: “Put a rocket or a robot into a quality lit story and You can get away with the damnedest stuff.” Take “Terminus Est” for example. A pilot near retirement has a run-in with a couple on the Moon. The incident turns violent and reveals a stark future.
Or take “Close-Up Photos Reveal JFK Skull on Moon!” which features one of Malzberg’s persistent preoccupations–the Kennedy Assassination–and, of course, the Moon. “Richard Nixon Saved From Drowning” and “The Terminal Villa” have J. G. Ballard vibes.
If you’re a fan of Barry N. Malzberg, Collecting Myself is a must-buy. If you’re curious about Malzberg’s writing, Collecting Myself would be a good place to start your investigation. GRADE: B+
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction — 9
Terminus Est — 15
Making Titan –19
Exploration — 27
Conquest — 30
Two Odysseys into the Center — 35
Dreaming and Conversations: Two Rules by Which to Live — 44
Conversations at Lothar’s –51
Triptych — 54
The Wonderful, All-Purpose Transmogrifier –62
Revelation in Seven Stages — 69
There the Lovelies Bleeding — 72
1984 — 75
Johann Sebastian Brahms — 76
The Queen of Lower Saigon — 83
Ambition — 89
No Hearts, No Flowers — 92
Safety Zone — 100
One Ten Three — 106
Dumbarton Oaks — 111
Gotterdammerung — 115
Is This the Presidential Palace — 120
Of Dust and Fire and the Night — 123
It Came From Nothing — 128
Sinfonia Expansiva — 132
Close-Up Photos Reveal JFK’s Skull on Moon! — 136
Getting There — 141
The Third Part — 144
Crossing the Border — 150
These, the Inheritors — 153
The Passion of Azalea — 157
Why We Talk to Ourselves — 167
Richard Nixon Saved From Drowning — 172
Terminal Villa — 176
The Phantom Gentleman — 178
January 2018 — 180
Bibliography — 182
Even by title, I suspect “Richard Nixon…” has more Donald Barthelme vibes…as one of his most famous early stories is “Robert Kennedy Saved from Drowning” (published before RFK’s murder, but sparked by Barthelme, a former or perhaps still a museum curator. being present while Bobby K made snide comments about an artwork to his buddies with the artist present and within earshot…and, of course, well before Ted K.’s escape from drowning himself, with Kopechne not so fortunate).
I just became aware of this one today…sorry Barry didn’t include his 1978 vignette “Prowl”, but I like it better than he does. It might not be happiest account of intergenerational relations in metaphoric terms, and hence it might be easier for someone without children to enjoy guilt-free.It probably also helped that I first read it when I was 13 yo and was feeling the vibe.
Todd, I’ll have to reread “Prowl.”
There’s just too much to read!
My collection contains aroun d 20 of Barry’s novels and several anthoogies which he edited.
And I have the titles of some “porn SF” he wrote – but I don’t know the contents.
Anybody can help?
Well, some of his erotica has nothing to do with sf or fantasy, beyond sexual fantasy. But such novels as SCREEN involve fantasies of entering the reality of the characters the protagonist is watching in theaters, and having relations (including but not restricted to sexual) with the characters/actresses involved. I suspect you’ll like them if you like Barry’s sf, fantasy, crime fiction and other work.
You cam get copies of new editions of those Barry likes the best among his work thus (such as SCREEN) in volumes from Stark House, as is this one…
Todd, I’ve always considered Barry N. Malzberg to be an underrated writer. Rereading his work as Stark House continues to reprint the Malzberg oeuvre only reenforces that view.
Wolf, you must be aware Barry N. Malzberg wrote “The Long Wolf” series under the pseudonym of “Mike Barry.” Stark House is reprinting a lot of Malzberg’s oeuvre.
I’m neither a long Wolf nor a lone Wolf!
And family and friends call me Wolfi!
For Brits it’s Wolfe (got several books signed to him) and for Jewish people Wolfie.
This does sound liske a “must buy” to me. I recently read another of his collections, one with several of his collaborations with Bill Pronzini included.
Jeff, Stark House published a dozen of Malzberg’s books and then published the entire “Lone Wolf” series. Great news for Malzberg fans!