The Valor of Cappen Varra – Poul Anderson
“Let little Cappen go,” they shouted. “Maybe he can sing the trolls to sleep—”
Message from Space – Patrick Abbott
First encounter tales, especially with language being an issue, intrigue me because of the cultural exchange angle. Here, communication and interpretation are key, leaving the reader to decide what the message is and if it is a good or bad thing (Patrick Abbott)
One Faith
On the Art of Reading
Short interview: Wole Talabi
“Goodbye, Martian!” (1962) – R. Yarov
In this Russian story, a boy's nighttime forest journey sparks an improbable encounter (or so it seems).
On the future of SFSS
As you may have read earlier, I've taken a break. Today, I'm ready to relaunch SFSS in a new direction. I don't feel like publishing Western stories anymore, so I'm looking elsewhere.
The Game of Rat and Dragon (1955) – Cordwainer Smith
Among other things, Paul Linebarger (aka Cordwainer Smith) was heavily involved in developing psychological warfare techniques for the US military. He was also a close adviser to Chiang Kai-shek and the godson of Sun Yat-sen, the first leader of the Kuomintang (Wikipedia)
Some news
So, I'm quiet right now: it's because I've lost my best friend and my father in quick succession. I'm not dropping SFSS, just taking a break.
Old Rambling House (1958) – Frank Herbert
Wherein we learn that when you cheat, you'd better be careful and think of everything before cheating (I'm not talking about cheating on your partner, of course).