[Ah]
[The dog-chimeras will be culled—Our perfection is safe]
[If we command all scavengers how could this one defile our perfection]
[We Champions command only as many scavengers as are needed for our tasks—We only discovered that this one had no soul after he had defiled our cubs with dog essence]
[If we are perfect how did we miss him]
[Because we are perfect we discovered him]
[Ah]
* * * *
Once all we Champions were outside, I made the echospeaker play out the act of finding her alpha dead. She called their keepers of order with her voice machine. Although they arrived quickly in metal birds, there was nothing to be done. The echospeaker told her story many times over.
"He sent me out to the parking lot to look for a datastick,” she said as an authority scavenger pointed an echo machine at her. “He said he dropped it in his SUV, he said take as long as I liked. When I got back he was dead."
"Right in the middle of loading all that incriminating shit into this computer,” said a keeper of order.
"I just can't believe he had a heart attack, just like that."
"I've seen it happen. Guys sometimes get off while doing a crime."
"You're kidding! You mean they get a hard-on?"
"Some do, yeah. Others get hyper-excited, like they're running a really hard race. There're stats on the number of people who have come home to discover a burglar dead of a heart attack or paralysed by a stroke."
"And he was trying to frame Mike for the genetically engineered cheetahs! Sort of lucky, in a weird way."
* * * *
Lying on my branch, listening to my collar, I heard it all. That afternoon I did not hunt, for I had much to amuse me. The metal birds came and went, and yet more scavengers arrived in shelter engines. Many captured echo images of me, which was only to be expected for I am perfect, and thus pleasing. Watcher of Prey lay on the grass below my branch.
[Speaker of Shapes—May I speak]
[Speak]
[His soul must have been weak—I felt nothing of it]
[His soul did not exist]
Watcher of Prey did not reply at once, for my words were almost beyond comprehension. A scavenger did not have a soul, thus he had no empathy for Champions. Without a soul he could not be commanded. Scavengers are our tools. What was a tool that could not be used? It was true that we seldom used more than one scavenger in a hundred thousand. Most scavengers lived and died without ever feeling the caress of our command.
Sometime, somewhere, a scavenger had been born without a soul. It had lived and died unnoticed by any champion, but it had bred. Now its descendants had to be culled.
[Speaker of Shapes—You could have commanded the echospeaker to stab her alpha in a mating rage—You could have had the Eyes of Champions command some other scavenger to kill him without even bringing him here]
[Yes]
[But you did not]
[No]
[Why]
[I wished to chase his mind until he died from the terror of the chase]
[Why]
[It was a challenge—It amused me]
For a time Watcher of Prey said nothing, but I knew what he was thinking. We are all the Overself.
[May I have a mind to chase]
[Why]
[It will amuse me]
[Then you may have one]
Copyright © 2009 Sean Mcmullen
[Back to Table of Contents]
BOOK ZONE—Paul Di Filippo & Jim Woodring interviewed, Various Book Reviews
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COSMOCOPIA
Paul Di Filippo
Artwork by Jim Woodring
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Review & Interviews by Peter Loftus
Cosmocopia, the latest from stalwart of the surreal Paul Di Filippo, tells the story of artist-in-decline Frank Lazorg. Once the foremost fantastic painter of his day, Lazorg is now a shadow of his former self. His ability to create has been destroyed by a stroke and his paramour and muse is in the arms of his greatest rival. It seems that all is lost until Lazorg receives a mysterious package from an old acquaintance. The parcel contains an organic substance that revitalises Lazorg, allowing him to paint once again. It is not long before the addictive powder takes control, and the aging artist finds himself drawn into a world stranger than anything he has ever imagined. There, he is taken in by local ‘girl’ Cruthsump and finds a new outlet for his prodigious creative talents.
The adventures of Lazorg from this point take on a dreamlike quality, an effect that grows stronger as the story progresses. One gets the sense that Di Filippo has allowed the story to flow from his unconscious with a minimum of interference and perhaps even of interpretation. Instead, his role has been to shape and guide, much as Lazorg creates his ‘ideations'. This approach has enabled the symbolic, metaphorical aspects of the story to remain as pure and vivid as possible. At no stage does the reader become unmoored by the bizarre settings or the metaphysical aspects of the story. Di Filippo has a particular gift for anchoring the reader, so that even in the interstices between worlds, a sense of place can always be found. However unexpected events are, however unusual characters and settings are, it is one of the greatest triumphs of Cosmocopia that it always feels real and relevant.
Cosmocopia is as much a puzzle as the jigsaw that accompanies it, but one where the pieces are interchangeable, constructed so that there are different permutations and solutions. Plot and themes are so smoothly patterned and layered, that at the conclusion, one feels like one has read the literary equivalent of Escher. As a novella, Cosmocopia is an unqualified success, and fans of this type of writing will have difficulty finding a more stimulating and enjoyable read.
Overall, the project is beautifully produced. The cover, jigsaw and colour print by Woodring make an excellent accompaniment to Di Filippo's story. While the book as object oozes class, some may feel surprised and disappointed that it hasn't been illustrated throughout. It should go without saying that Di Filippo doesn't need help communicating his vision, but when one recalls Dickens’ novels illustrated by Phiz, or Pauline Baynes’ work for C.S. Lewis, one can't help wishing the powers that be had taken the same approach in this instance. Woodring is a talented and extremely versatile artist, and while his work and exposure on this project will undoubtedly gain him new fans, it seems a shame that so little of what he can actually do has been revealed through this undertaking.
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PAUL DI FILIPPO & JIM WOODRING:
How did you come to work together on this project?
PDF: I am an immense fan of Jim's brilliant work. When Payseur & Schmidt asked me to do a project with them, they also asked what my dream project would be. I instantly replied, “A book illustrated by Jim Woodring!” Jacob McMurray, one half of P&S, replied, “Oh, sure, I know Jim! We'll make it happen!” God bless their souls, they were both agreeable and true to their word!
JW: Then I got the call and said, “Oh boy, sure!"
Were you familiar with each other's work?
PDF: I've counted Jim and his wonderful wife Mary as pals for a number of years prior to the project, so we were always invested in each other's stuff.
JW: I'd read Paul's books and been amazed at his ability to conjure up worlds, as they say. Working with him was prestigious for me.
Jim, how does literature feed your work as an artist?
JW: Mostly by showing me how great human artistry can be. When I read a great book I'm never unaware of the fact that it is a performance, sometimes an amazing, unbelievable performance by someone who is pouring themselves into the task of making their vision clear to others. It's glorious.
Paul, how do the graphic arts influence your work as a writer?
PDF: I draw tons of inspiration from talented visual artists, having done fiction inspired by the work of Chris Mars and Todd Schorr among others. Their art inspires me to try
to seek prose equivalents that will convey some of the same frissons.
What was the best book (novel, graphic novel, comic) of 2008?
PDF: I certainly did not read everything that came out in 2008, but my heart nonetheless always goes out to Los Bros Hernandez, so I'd nominate Love & Rockets New Stories #1.
JW: Cosmocopia.
What next?
PDF: At the moment, I'm working on a story for Jonathan Strahan's Eclipse #3, an alternate history piece titled ‘Yes We Have No Bananas'. Then comes my long-delayed (because of inertia and other real-world circumstances) sequel to A Year in the Linear City.
JW: I'm working on a 96-page Frank story called ‘Weathercraft'.
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Payseur & Schmidt (payseurand schmidt.com) are not your average publisher. They focus on high quality, deluxe editions and ephemera. They specialise in numbered, signed editions, often boxed to allow for the inclusion of such curiosities as postcards, posters and other ‘Payseur & Schmidt awesomeness'. The contents of the Cosmocopia set include a hardcover copy of the novella, a 513-piece jigsaw puzzle, and The Artist's Eye, a colour print by Jim Woodring. Limited to 500 numbered copies, the package is bound by a numbered sash signed by Di Filippo and Woodring.
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PAUL DI FILIPPO:
There are times when the artist Lazorg is either unable or unwilling to produce. Do you ever feel the same way?
I never did until the past year and a half. Starting in August 2007, my fiction output dropped dramatically, as I wrestled with questions about what 25 years as a writer meant. Then my dad died in November 2007 and that was a major kick in the pants. Since that period, I've been writing every day, but generally just reviews. Fiction writing requires a more creative aspect of the mind, an aspect that can be upset by doubts and radical changes.
Cosmocopia comes with an actual jigsaw. To what extent is the novella itself a jigsaw?
I tried in the writing of the book to offer ‘pieces’ of plot and story that needed to be ‘assembled’ without a lot of authorial hand-holding and guidance. So to that extent the story itself is a jigsaw. But in another sense, it's all very linear and pre-connected, so maybe the metaphor only goes so far.
Nia asks Lazorg if he ever got to the heart of his artistic quest—how close have you come?
I can see my literary grail shining in the distance, but it retreats one pace for every step I take! I think this is probably all for the best: no triumph short of death. It would be awfully boring to have reached all your goals by age thirty!
What (if anything) gives you a sense of community as a writer?
Print magazines. The internet. Conventions. And the work of my peers.
How has the internet contributed to your life as a writer?
I did a guest editorial for Postscripts magazine which goes into that matter in detail. The interested reader can find the text ‘reprinted’ on my blog (community.livejournal.com/theinferior4). Basically, it all comes down to a greater sense of community, easier research, more authenticity in one's fiction, and lots of naked people to pass the hours when inspiration fails!
How healthy is SF today?
SF is like a college athlete who thought he would always stay at the peak of physical shape just from having played good sports in his youth, and then neglected to exercise daily into adulthood. Probably pretty well toned, but with some flab around the middle. You can't get lazy, as a genre or individual, but need to keep pushing to stay honed and at the top of your game. Always look to cut the flab, as a genre or individual artist. And this metaphor is brought to you by someone who hates all forms of sport, so take it for what it's worth!
You profess to reading several newspapers a day. Is it a search for ideas or good old-fashioned work avoidance?
Oh, definitely ideas! Slices of life, breaking science news, political chicanery, strange names—it's all in the newspapers. Who could invent a Bernie Madoff? Better to read about him, then freely adapt the character.
You quizzed J.G. Ballard on Thomas Pynchon's observation “Surrealism [is in part] combining inside the same frame elements not normally found together, to produce illogical and startling effects...” How does this statement stand in relation to your work, Cosmocopia in particular?
I tend to think Cosmocopia is less surreal than estranging. It's an exercise in alien world-building where everything is equally strange, without any landmarks to signal the surreal. For instance, if a fisherman in a bucolic setting drops his line into a pond and pulls out a locomotive, that's surreal. But if, as in Zelazny's ‘Doors of His Mouth...’ a fisherman on another planet becomes the bait for a monster, that's just plain weird!
I noticed a few parallels between Cosmocopia and Michael Bishop's No Enemy But Time (mostly concerning the protagonists’ choice of mate and subsequent developments on the familial front). Most of our readers know that you are in close contact with Bishop (he came up with the title for Cosmocopia). Had either of you noticed the similarity? Was it intentional?
Wow! Good catch! Amazing! Those parallels have not been seen or spoken of by either me or Mike! I read No Enemy But Time when it came out, decades ago, and not since. But it was probably at the back of my mind. Very curious. Of course, two models I consciously held in mind were Gardner Dozois’ Strangers and PJ Farmer's The Lovers.
If you could improve one aspect of your game as a writer...
More emotional effects, rather than a sometimes distanced stance.
Cyberpunk, Steampunk, Ribofunk ... Whatever next?
Well, shall I predict a new movement for the whole field, or just a new path for myself? I have long wanted to write a kind of ‘clockpunk’ (not my coinage) story about Bishop Berkeley, but the amount of research needed is daunting. Maybe I'll get rich, and be freed to live in libraries for a while...
The Payseur & Schmidt edition of Cosmocopia is limited to 500 copies. Are there any plans for a wider release?
I understand that these turbulent economic times make anyone hesitate to drop $65 on a single book, and so I would love to see a less expensive edition come out. So, yes, I'm indeed trying to interest other publishers in a reprint. Alas, no luck thus far. So the P&S edition is the only source at the moment.
It looks like you both really enjoyed working on this project together. Do you have any plans to work together in the future?
Nothing would give me greater pleasure! But Jim and I have not discussed any future projects yet. Maybe in fifty years I could train myself to draw one-tenth as well as Jim, and we could do a ZAP-comix-style jam!
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JIM WOODRING:
How relevant do you feel the picture of Frank Lazorg as an artist is?
Relevant? You mean to real life? Well, the aging artist is a type of character that has real resonance with me, and I wonder what those last disintegrating years will be like when they finally come. I like the idea that there are adventures, even ones as appalling as the ones Lazorg endures, always at hand.
You have a character called Frank too ... Could you tell us a little bit about him?
Frank is a generic anthropomorph who is ineducable, ignoble and innocent. He makes things happen and things also happen to him. He lives in a place called the Unifactor and he has all kinds of fun there.
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Jim Woodring (jimwoodring.com) is a Seattle-based artist, author, comic creator and toy designer specialising in the surreal and bizarre and downright unusual, all with a touch of humour thrown in. He is best known for his work for Fantagraphics, and his charming and deranged Frank cartoons. His various toys and oddities have delighted collectors for years, from newt capsule toys to kits designed to leave JW fingerprints all over the owner's house. It has been said that his dreams are haunted by frogs but he remains in good spirits, regardless.
Copyright © 2009 Peter Loftus
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GREEN
Jay Lake
Reviewed by Maureen Kincaid Speller
Green opens with an extraordinarily arresting image—the first memory of Green, or Girl as we first know her. She is following her father's ox, Endurance, as her grandmother's body is taken for burial, and her focus is on the ‘silk’ in which her grandmother's body is wrapped, sewn as it is with a small bell for every day of her life, a custom among Girl's people, so that ‘her soul will be carried out of this life on the music of twenty-five thousand bells', markers of her life. This image will remain important throughout the novel, so much of which is centred on Green's attempts to hold on to her sense of self as those around her try to bend her to their purposes.
The attempts begin when she is taken from her home and parents at a very early age—sold, as she later realises—and travels with Federo, the ‘maggot man', to Copper Downs, city of the immortal Duke. Here she is taken into a secluded ‘Court', to be ‘trained’ for the Duke's purposes—either he will take her into his bed, or she will be given to someone else as a favour—and acquires a range of skills considered suitable for a noblewoman, which strikingly reflect the limited expectations for such women. Set against this is a very different, clandestine education provided by the Dancing Mistress, one focused on action and survival, suggesting that someone has another purpose in mind for Green.
We might be in familiar territory, with Green perhaps as the unrecognised last scion of a once noble house, being secretly trained to recover her destiny, but Lake doesn't take the easy road. Instead, the novel focuses as much on Green's intense desire to preserve her sense of self and find a future of her own choosing, as it does on the story's broader action. Rather than following a traditional pattern of quest, discovery and resolution, significant parts of the story are driven by Green's attempts to find her own way, using the distorted set of skills she has acquired, and then twisted by a need for her to respond to the failures of other. People plot but they don't plan; they achieve goals but don't consider the consequences of doing so, and Green is wrenched from the path she is attempting to follow, having trained to become a Blade of the Lily Temple, to once again become part of someone else's scheme. One of the striking features of this novel is its low-key but persistent emphasis on how difficult it is for women to live in this world as individuals.
Interzone Science Fiction and Fantasy Magazine #222 Page 13
