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Beyond the Outposts: Essays on SF and Fantasy 1955-1996
by Algis Budrys
• 378 pages; 211,000 words; 97 footnotes

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Contents

Introduction: David Langford

Introduction to Outposts: Algis Budrys
Or Thwim
Two Novels of Science
About Something Truly Wonderful
On Rogue Moon
On Budrys’ Inferno
“Most Scrutinized SF Writer”
Comment on “Contact Between Equals”
Foreword to “Twilight” (John W. Campbell)
Foundation and Asimov
On Writing: The Locus Columns
On Being a Bit of a Legend
Science Fiction in the Marketplace
Short Takes 1979-1981
Memoir – Galaxy Book Shelf
Memoir – Spilled Milk
Asimov’s Autobiography
Two Sketches: Damon Knight and Robert Silverberg
Paradise Charted
Stephen King in the 1980s
The Empire Talks Back
Tom Reamy: A Rare & Masterful Fantasist
Scanners Writhe in Pain
Obstacles and Ironies in Science-Fiction Criticism
The Ideas of Mary McCarthy
What Did 1980 Mean?
Pulp!
1981 and Counting
Gene Wolfe
Introducing Lloyd Arthur Eshbach
Non-Literary Influences on Science Fiction
Bridges to Verity
The Revenge of the Empire
Clarifying Clarion
Literatures of Milieux
Reviewing Heinlein
1984, Nineteen Eighty-Four, and Other SF Novels, Signs, and Portents
Pop Lit: Reviews
Memoir – “The Man Who Tasted Ashes”
What Was 1985 That We Were Mindful of It?
1986, Reduced from 2000
New World in the Morning
Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy
Introducing Theodore R. Cogswell and PITFCS
Beyond Rayguns and Godzilla

Some Notes
Acknowledgements
Original Appearances
Index

Original Appearances

  • “1981 and Counting” – Nebula Award Stories Seventeen (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, August 1983) edited by Joe Haldeman.
  • “1984, Nineteen Eighty-Four, and Other SF Novels, Signs, and Portents” – The Science Fiction Yearbook (New York: Baen Books, September 1985) edited by Jim Baen, John F. Carr and Jerry Pournelle.
  • “1986, Reduced from 2000” – Nebula Awards 22 (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, April 1988) edited by George Zebrowski.
  • “About Something Truly Wonderful” – The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, November 1961, edited by Joseph W. Ferman.
  • “Asimov’s Autobiography” – In Memory Yet Green from Des Moines IA Register, 25 March 1979*; In Joy Still Felt from Manhattan KS Mercury, 27 April 1980*.
  • “Beyond Rayguns and Godzilla” – Outposts: Literatures of Milieux (San Bernardino, California: The Borgo Press; dated 1996, published 1997) by Algis Budrys.
  • “Bridges to Verity” – Fantasy Review #64, January 1984, edited by Robert A. Collins.
  • “Clarifying Clarion” – Asimov’s SF, June 1984, edited by Shawna McCarthy.
  • “Comment on ‘Contact Between Equals’” – SF: Authors’ Choice 2 (New York: Berkley Medallion, 1970) edited by Harry Harrison.
  • “The Empire Talks Back” – Asimov’s SF, November 1980, edited by George Scithers.
  • “Foreword to ‘Twilight’ (John W. Campbell)” – The Mirror of Infinity: A Critic’s Anthology of Science Fiction (New York: Harper and Row, May 1970) edited by Robert Silverberg.
  • “Foundation and Asimov” – as “The Reference Library: Foundation and Asimov” in Analog, July 1975, edited by Ben Bova.
  • “Gene Wolfe” – World Fantasy 1983: Sixty Years of Weird Tales, October 1983, edited by Robert Weinberg (1983 World Fantasy Convention souvenir book).
  • “The Ideas of Mary McCarthy” – as “Books” in Omni, October 1981, edited by Dick Teresi.
  • “Introducing Lloyd Arthur Eshbach” – as “Introduction” in Over My Shoulder: Reflections on a Science Fiction Era by Lloyd Arthur Eshbach (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Oswald Train, October 1983).
  • “Introducing Theodore R. Cogswell and PITFCS” – as “Introduction” in PITFCS: Proceedings of the Institute for Twenty-First Century Studies edited by Theodore R. Cogswell (Chicago, Illinois: Advent:Publishers, December 1992).
  • “Introduction to Outposts” – as “Introduction” in Outposts: Literatures of Milieux (San Bernardino, California: The Borgo Press: dated 1996, published 1997) by Algis Budrys.
  • “Literatures of Milieux” – Foundation: The Review of Science Fiction #31, July 1984, edited by David Pringle. A shorter version also appeared in The Missouri Review, Winter 1984, edited by Speer Morgan.
  • “Memoir – Galaxy Book Shelf” – Galaxy: Thirty Years of Innovative Science Fiction (New York: Playboy Press, March 1980) edited by Frederik Pohl, Martin H. Greenberg and Joseph D. Olander; includes edited Galaxy Book Shelf from Galaxy, September 1969, edited by Ejler Jakobsson.
  • “Memoir – Spilled Milk” – Galaxy: Thirty Years of Innovative Science Fiction (New York: Playboy Press, March 1980) edited by Frederik Pohl, Martin H. Greenberg and Joseph D. Olander.
  • “Memoir – ‘The Man Who Tasted Ashes’” – Worlds of If: A Retrospective Anthology (New York: Bluejay Books, September 1986) edited by Frederik Pohl, Martin Harry Greenberg and Joseph D. Olander.
  • “Most Scrutinized SF Writer” – contribution to “Heinlein: After 30 Years” symposium in Speculation #24, September/October 1969, edited by Peter Weston.
  • “New World in the Morning” – Pulphouse: The Hardback Magazine, Winter (December) 1988, edited by Kristine Kathryn Rusch.
  • “Non-Literary Influences on Science Fiction” – Polk City, Iowa: Chris Drumm chapbook, 1983. Original copyright notice: “This essay, appearing here for the first time in its complete form, is copyright © 1983 by Algis Budrys. All rights reserved. An earlier version, in edited form, appeared in Science Fiction Dialogues (Gary K. Wolfe, editor; Academy Chicago), copyright © 1982 by The Science Fiction Research Association.”
  • “Obstacles and Ironies in Science-Fiction Criticism” – The Patchin Review #2, September 1981, edited by Charles Platt.
  • “On Being a Bit of a Legend” – Science Fiction Review #24, February 1978, edited by Richard E. Geis.
  • “On Budrys’ Inferno” – as “Introduction” to Budrys’ Inferno (New York: Berkley Medallion, July 1963) by Algis Budrys, reissued as The Furious Future (London: Panther Books, 1966). Bonus “Comment on ‘Walk to the World’” from First Flight: Maiden Voyages in Space and Time (New York: Lancer Books, August 1963) edited by Damon Knight.
  • “On Rogue Moon” – as “Algis Budrys Replies” [to Gordon Dickson] in Proceedings of the Institute for Twenty-First Century Studies Special Series #141, November 1961, edited by Theodore R. Cogswell.
  • “On Writing” columns – Locus #201, May 1977 [1]; #202, July 1977 [2]; #203, August 1977 [3]; #205, October 1977 [4]; #206, November 1977 [5]; #207, December 1977 [6]; #208, January/February 1978 [7]; #209, March 1978 [8]; #210, April 1978 [9]; #212, July 1978 [10]; #213, August 1978 [11]; #214, September 1978 [12]; #215, October 1978 [13]; #216, November 1978 [14]; #218, January 1979 [15]; #222, June 1979 [16]; and #223, July/August 1979 [17]. All edited by Charles N. Brown.
  • “Or Thwim” – Inside #10, July 1955, edited by Ron Smith.
  • “Paradise Charted” – TriQuarterly #49, Fall 1980, guest-edited by David G. Hartwell.
  • “Pop Lit” – Chicago Sun-Times reviews, usually for the Pop Lit department: Angels of September, 15 January 1986; The Bourne Supremacy, 2 March 1986; Koko and The Silence of the Lambs, 21 August 1988; Wyvern, 9 October 1988; Red Army and The Negotiator, 30 April 1989; The Bourne Ultimatum, 4 March 1990.
  • “Pulp!” – Science Fiction Review #45, Winter (November) 1982, edited by Richard E. Geis.
  • “The Revenge of the Empire” – Amazing Stories, March 1984, edited by George Scithers.
  • “Reviewing Heinlein” – from “Interview: Algis Budrys” by Mark Berry in Science Fiction Review #53, Winter (November) 1984, edited by Richard E. Geis.
  • “Scanners Writhe in Pain” – Asimov’s SF, August 1981, edited by George Scithers.
  • “Science Fiction in the Marketplace” – Nebula Winners Twelve (New York: Harper and Row, February 1978) edited by Gordon Dickson.
  • “Short Takes 1979-1981” – “Stardance” as “Sci fi writers get out of closet” in Madison WI Capital Times, 3 May 1979*; “The Pleasure Tube” from “Science Fiction: A Way To Say Something New” in Cincinnati Enquirer, 27 May 1979*; “Soviet SF” as “SCIENCE FICTION: American ‘screenplays’ and Soviet ‘stage plays’” in San Francisco Examiner (California), 16 July 1979*; “James Blish” as “Late science-fiction writer now seen as top author” in Binghamton NY Press and Sun-Bulletin, 16 September 1979*; “Genre and Mainstream” from “Lessing bombs in sci-fi genre” in The Medicine Hat News (Alberta, Canada), 22 October 1979*; “Working with Students” from Focus on Writing, undated ?1979, edited by David A. Sohn for District 65 Evanston, IL, Elementary Schools; “SF in the 1970s” as “SF was changed by ’70s” in Colorado Springs Gazette, 19 January 1980*; “SF Detective Stories” from “Science Fiction Detective Stories” in Lincoln NE Journal and Star, 3 August 1980*; “The Number of the Beast” from “Science Fiction Offerings” in Huntsville AL Times, 7 September 1980*; “Dream Makers” from “It’s Great Time of Year To Buy Mystery Thrillers” in Huntsville AL Times, 14 December 1980*; “Expanded Universe” from “Some sci-fi to make you angry” in Butte MT Montana Standard, 5 May 1981*; “The Mind Reels” from the differently edited versions “Sci-fi novels make mind reel” in Colorado Springs Gazette, 26 September 1981*, and “New science fiction offerings filled with intrigue, adventure” in Madison WI Capital Times, 15 October 1981*; “The Human Zero” as “Sci fi by E.S. Gardner” in Lincoln NE Journal and Star, 10 October 1981*.
  • “Stephen King in the 1980s” – reviews of Firestarter from Mobile AL Press-Register, 28 September 1980*; Different Seasons from Odessa TX American, 12 August 1982*; Christine from Vancouver BC (Canada) Sun, 15 April 1983; It from Chicago Sun-Times, 24 August 1986; Misery from Chicago Sun-Times, 21 June 1987.
  • “Tom Reamy: A Rare & Masterful Fantasist” – Trumpet #12, Summer 1981, edited by Ken Keller.
  • “Two Novels of Science” – Science-Fiction Five-Yearly #3, November/December 1961, edited by Lee Hoffman.
  • “Two Sketches: Damon Knight and Robert Silverberg” – from “Damon Knight: Two Sketches” (the other being by Robert A.W. Lowndes) and “Robert Silverberg: Two Sketches” (the other being by Terry Carr) in the Noreascon Two Souvenir Book (Cambridge, Massachusetts, August 1980).
  • “What Did 1980 Mean?” – Nebula Award Stories Sixteen (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, August 1982) edited by Jerry Pournelle and John F. Carr.
  • “What Was 1985 That We Were Mindful of It?” – Nebula Awards 21 (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, December 1986) edited by George Zebrowski.
  • “Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy” – New Destinies #7, Spring 1989, edited by Jim Baen (with a 1988 copyright date given for this essay only); Eugene, Oregon: Pulphouse Publishing chapbook reissue, 1990.

* The starred items from various US and Canadian newspapers are all syndicated articles with original publication credits to the Chicago Sun-Times.

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