logoalt Hacker News

pavlovlast Monday at 3:52 PM2 repliesview on HN

I had the same experience at age 13.

I'd read the American classics like Asimov and Clarke, but Varley's short stories were the first time I encountered science fiction where society is genuinely something completely different than just post-WWII America projected into space.

John Varley and Stanislaw Lem changed my worldview completely as a teenager. In my mind they are the two greats of science fiction. I'm also grateful somebody translated and published their books in my small European language.


Replies

ryantgtglast Monday at 8:26 PM

I had a city college teacher who knew I liked sci-fi, so she printed me out the short story Equinoctial. Great little story, and from there I devoured everything by him.

The relatively recent Irontown Blues reminded me how great the Eight Worlds is, and how entertaining he is.

jjthebluntlast Monday at 5:48 PM

out of curiosity, what language is it (asking from thousands of miles of english and spanish around me, but longing for german and polish and italian)

show 1 reply