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San Diego Lightfoot Sue and Other Stories
A thirteen year old girl unleashes a murderous nightmare on a small Kansas town.
A Hollywood policeman sacrifices a strange and beautiful young man for his own dark needs but finds himself the victim.
Horror comes to a sheltered mountain village - but from within, in the form of its own savage children who attack and devour in swarms.
The last people on Earth are mature at 5, bear children at 8, and are usually dead by 30.
These and other haunting visions come from the imagination of John W Campbell Award winner Tom Reamy. A transplanted Texan who lived in Kansas City (and later Independence, Missouri) before his premature death in November, 1977, Tom sent the science fiction and fantasy world reeling with such tales as "Twilla", "Under the Hollywood Sign", "Beyond the Cleft", "Dinosaurs", and the unforgettable Nebula Award-winning "San Diego Lightfoot Sue."
He was a writer with an extraordinary understanding of the dark things that walk in daytime as well as the light that shines despite deepening shadows. Whether he was writing about a young man's coming of age or life at the end of the world, he brought not only a sense of realism to his stories but a transcendent beauty and sensitivity. Within these pages you will find terror and love, desire and innocence, dreams and death, as only Tom Reamy could present them.
A Hollywood policeman sacrifices a strange and beautiful young man for his own dark needs but finds himself the victim.
Horror comes to a sheltered mountain village - but from within, in the form of its own savage children who attack and devour in swarms.
The last people on Earth are mature at 5, bear children at 8, and are usually dead by 30.
These and other haunting visions come from the imagination of John W Campbell Award winner Tom Reamy. A transplanted Texan who lived in Kansas City (and later Independence, Missouri) before his premature death in November, 1977, Tom sent the science fiction and fantasy world reeling with such tales as "Twilla", "Under the Hollywood Sign", "Beyond the Cleft", "Dinosaurs", and the unforgettable Nebula Award-winning "San Diego Lightfoot Sue."
He was a writer with an extraordinary understanding of the dark things that walk in daytime as well as the light that shines despite deepening shadows. Whether he was writing about a young man's coming of age or life at the end of the world, he brought not only a sense of realism to his stories but a transcendent beauty and sensitivity. Within these pages you will find terror and love, desire and innocence, dreams and death, as only Tom Reamy could present them.
237 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 1979
4 people are currently reading
247 people want to read
About the author
Tom Reamy
45 books17 followersThomas Earl Reamy was an American science fiction and fantasy author and a key figure in 1960s and 1970s science fiction fandom. He died prior to the publication of his first novel; his work is primarily dark fantasy.
His books include one novel, Blind Voices (published posthumously), and a collection of short stories, San Diego Lightfoot Sue and Other Stories. He was the winner of the 1976 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer.
His books include one novel, Blind Voices (published posthumously), and a collection of short stories, San Diego Lightfoot Sue and Other Stories. He was the winner of the 1976 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
October 11, 2019
Who knows what wonders Tom Reamy could have provided the world if he hadn't died early of a heart attack, found literally over his typewriter working on a new story. He went from fanboy to convention organizer to published author, and left us with two works: the novel Blind Voices and this collection of stories and novellas.
The book bursts with talent, fully formed. Reamy was a lover of genre fiction and it shows: the pieces here range from the horror noir of "Under the Hollywood Sign" and "The Detweiler Boy" to the strange post-apocalyptic science fiction of "Dinosaurs" to the cheeky, Vonnegut-esque "The Sweetwater Factor" to the wistful urban fantasy of the title story to the wonderfully creaky Old Dark House-ness of "Insects in Amber" to the rural, small town dark fantasy of "Beyond the Cleft" and "Twilla". An embarrassment of genre riches are between the pages of this collection.
A bit more about some of the stories:
"Twilla" was super fun - a dark kind of fun, but fun nonetheless: a thrilling battle between an elderly schoolteacher, living out her days in a dusty small town, and a vicious little witch, trapped in a schoolgirl's body and armed with spells, homunculi, and and an enslaved djinn. That horrific, demonic, rape-happy djinn is the story's biggest character, in all definitions of the word, but what I loved in particular was how Reamy fully invests in his brave heroine - still virginal after all her years, but still an intrepid maverick who knows how people think and who knows exactly how to take care of business.
"Beyond the Cleft" and "Dinosaurs" are about the end of things: in the first, the end of human life as we know it in a small town (and perhaps everywhere) and the beginning of something terrible and new to take its place; in the second, the end of human life on our earth and the beginning of something new and perhaps not so terrible, ready to take our place. The first story was pitch dark, deadpan horror; the second was incredibly imaginative science fiction that is at ease in depicting completely alien cultures - human and otherwise - with a bleak and mournful tone. Sad and memorable stories depicting sad, terrible things. Ah, the sad, terrible cycle of life!
I had so much fun reading the slightly amateurish "Insects in Amber" - and the feeling I had of this story being written by an excited writer just developing his skills actually added to the fun. It was slapdash and speedy and I smiled constantly. The plot: a number of strangers find that a storm has trapped them all in an old dark mansion, one that comes complete with an eerie, elderly mistress, her sinister servant, a strange supernatural force, psychic powers galore, and a couple memorable deaths. What's not to love? I have literally just described everything I'm interested in when it comes to old dark mansions.
The cynical, snarky appeal of urban noir that stars police detectives and private detectives is fully present in "Under the Hollywood Sign" and "Detweiler Boy". The careful putting together of clues, the stubborn protagonists, the untrustworthy suspects, the sudden plunge into a bleak existential darkness - all there, alongside a rich vein of disturbing, surreal fantasy that involves inexplicable angels (the winged kind) and a mysterious twin (the bloodthirsty kind). And mixed in with all of that is what felt like a kind of homoeroticism, one not curdled with any sort of loathing, self- or otherwise. I'm not sure what the sexuality of the author was, but the feel I get is that of a person not just completely at ease with their own sexuality, but open and nonjudgmental of the spectrum of sexuality itself. That was a good feeling and a surprising thing to find.
That openness is certainly present in the highly regarded and awarded title story, which has a sweet, very naive teen from a small town, new to Los Angeles, taken in by two very flaming and, much more importantly, very kind queens. I completely loved that the depiction of these two embraced both the stereotypes and how genuine and nurturing they are. Reamy was certainly not an author who Othered those outside the mainstream. The boy falls in love with the much older prostitute-painter next door; tragedy soon follows. The story is actually barely even genre fiction - outside of the opening and the tragic closing, this is more of a coming of age tale featuring a remarkable and very sympathetic cast.
The collection does have its non-starters, of course. Reamy was at the beginning of his career, and despite his incredible skills, there are a few not so great items included: the feminist but half-baked deconstruction of female roles and the gothic novel of "The Mistress of Windhaven"; the very romantic sorta-ghost story, also half-baked, of "Waiting for Billy Star"; and what looks like a not-even-baked draft for a post-apocalyptic adventure tale along the lines of "A Boy and His Dog" that the author hoped would also be sold as a movie: "2076: Blue Eyes". I'm not sure why any of those pieces were even included.
I read the mass market paperback edition - not the hardcover that this review is under (I just really prefer the cover of this edition!) - and it includes a no doubt laudatory but probably still fairly critical introduction by the esteemed Harlan Ellison. However, since I am absolutely not a fan of Ellison's voice when it comes to his appraisal of other authors, I skipped it.
But I don't want to end on a critical note. The book is fabulous! All lovers of buried treasure and the darker side of genre fiction will be well-rewarded if they seek it out.
The book bursts with talent, fully formed. Reamy was a lover of genre fiction and it shows: the pieces here range from the horror noir of "Under the Hollywood Sign" and "The Detweiler Boy" to the strange post-apocalyptic science fiction of "Dinosaurs" to the cheeky, Vonnegut-esque "The Sweetwater Factor" to the wistful urban fantasy of the title story to the wonderfully creaky Old Dark House-ness of "Insects in Amber" to the rural, small town dark fantasy of "Beyond the Cleft" and "Twilla". An embarrassment of genre riches are between the pages of this collection.
A bit more about some of the stories:
"Twilla" was super fun - a dark kind of fun, but fun nonetheless: a thrilling battle between an elderly schoolteacher, living out her days in a dusty small town, and a vicious little witch, trapped in a schoolgirl's body and armed with spells, homunculi, and and an enslaved djinn. That horrific, demonic, rape-happy djinn is the story's biggest character, in all definitions of the word, but what I loved in particular was how Reamy fully invests in his brave heroine - still virginal after all her years, but still an intrepid maverick who knows how people think and who knows exactly how to take care of business.
"Beyond the Cleft" and "Dinosaurs" are about the end of things: in the first, the end of human life as we know it in a small town (and perhaps everywhere) and the beginning of something terrible and new to take its place; in the second, the end of human life on our earth and the beginning of something new and perhaps not so terrible, ready to take our place. The first story was pitch dark, deadpan horror; the second was incredibly imaginative science fiction that is at ease in depicting completely alien cultures - human and otherwise - with a bleak and mournful tone. Sad and memorable stories depicting sad, terrible things. Ah, the sad, terrible cycle of life!
I had so much fun reading the slightly amateurish "Insects in Amber" - and the feeling I had of this story being written by an excited writer just developing his skills actually added to the fun. It was slapdash and speedy and I smiled constantly. The plot: a number of strangers find that a storm has trapped them all in an old dark mansion, one that comes complete with an eerie, elderly mistress, her sinister servant, a strange supernatural force, psychic powers galore, and a couple memorable deaths. What's not to love? I have literally just described everything I'm interested in when it comes to old dark mansions.
The cynical, snarky appeal of urban noir that stars police detectives and private detectives is fully present in "Under the Hollywood Sign" and "Detweiler Boy". The careful putting together of clues, the stubborn protagonists, the untrustworthy suspects, the sudden plunge into a bleak existential darkness - all there, alongside a rich vein of disturbing, surreal fantasy that involves inexplicable angels (the winged kind) and a mysterious twin (the bloodthirsty kind). And mixed in with all of that is what felt like a kind of homoeroticism, one not curdled with any sort of loathing, self- or otherwise. I'm not sure what the sexuality of the author was, but the feel I get is that of a person not just completely at ease with their own sexuality, but open and nonjudgmental of the spectrum of sexuality itself. That was a good feeling and a surprising thing to find.
That openness is certainly present in the highly regarded and awarded title story, which has a sweet, very naive teen from a small town, new to Los Angeles, taken in by two very flaming and, much more importantly, very kind queens. I completely loved that the depiction of these two embraced both the stereotypes and how genuine and nurturing they are. Reamy was certainly not an author who Othered those outside the mainstream. The boy falls in love with the much older prostitute-painter next door; tragedy soon follows. The story is actually barely even genre fiction - outside of the opening and the tragic closing, this is more of a coming of age tale featuring a remarkable and very sympathetic cast.
The collection does have its non-starters, of course. Reamy was at the beginning of his career, and despite his incredible skills, there are a few not so great items included: the feminist but half-baked deconstruction of female roles and the gothic novel of "The Mistress of Windhaven"; the very romantic sorta-ghost story, also half-baked, of "Waiting for Billy Star"; and what looks like a not-even-baked draft for a post-apocalyptic adventure tale along the lines of "A Boy and His Dog" that the author hoped would also be sold as a movie: "2076: Blue Eyes". I'm not sure why any of those pieces were even included.
I read the mass market paperback edition - not the hardcover that this review is under (I just really prefer the cover of this edition!) - and it includes a no doubt laudatory but probably still fairly critical introduction by the esteemed Harlan Ellison. However, since I am absolutely not a fan of Ellison's voice when it comes to his appraisal of other authors, I skipped it.
But I don't want to end on a critical note. The book is fabulous! All lovers of buried treasure and the darker side of genre fiction will be well-rewarded if they seek it out.
December 13, 2013
San Diego Lightfoot Sue
By Tom Reamy, 1976 Nebula Award
It was the Silver Age of Science Fiction, the 1970s were. Or was it golden? Isaac said gold was the 1950s, but. The 70s had Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, Robert Heinlein, Robert Silverberg, Isaac hisself, Frederik Pohl, A. E. Van Vogt, Roger Zelazny, Ursula Le Guin, Frank Herbert, Jack L. Chalker, Larry Niven, Ben Bova, C. J. Cherryh, Spider Robinson, Theodore Sturgeon, and many others were at the top of their game. Maybe Isaac meant that many, like himself got started with the whole genre in the 1950s. Pick up Dune, or The Weapon Shops of Isher, or even the Callahan Bar stories. You might find the now in them. Don't leave out the Nathan Brazil books, them that were written long before The Matrix ever was thought of.
San Diego Lightfoot Sue is a love story from that time in the middle of the 20th Century when there was no Internet, and Kansas and Los Angeles were still different places that were still a bit mysterious to each other's inhabitants. People could actually travel between the two without papers then, to document their own place in the bipolar America of the 21st Century, lest they forget who they are and why what they believe is the only truth for all. The story is only a tiny bit science fiction, only maybe 1%. The other 99% is people. An innocent kid from the heartland that loses that jewel that we all ultimately must surrender when time and life force it from our grasp. It has gay people before gay rights and tells them as just people. Maybe that is the seeing the future that science fiction often has in it. There is an old prostitute in it, before they were "sex workers" or something to trot out on the local news to titillate at 11. She is an artist, not to give away the story, human too. And there is love in the story, forbidden love of a kind, but real in its portrayal.
It is well worth a read. Who knows, you may see the future - and the past in it. Those are the best kind, after all. http://www.syeopub.com/archives/573
July 19, 2013
Tom Reamy died early in his promising career, having produced a single short novel and the works collected here. The titular story ranks as something of a minor classic, but several of the other selections are very good, too, and show flashes of promise that was sadly unrealized. Harlan Ellison's introduction is poignant. Reamy could have been one of the giants in the field.
March 28, 2014
This is a collection of some of the weirdest fiction I've read. The weird lives naturally and believably in the next duplex over and it's ok. Or not.
The entire collection is worth reading. Although if this is your first read, per usual, skip the Ellison intro until after you've read the stories. I'm just going to hit a few highlights and encourage you to head in yourself.
"San Diego Lightfoot Sue"
This story seems like a deliberate subversion of the disney princes theme. Except here the princess is a young man from rural Kansas headed into the wilds of San Francisco. He acquires a couple fairy godmothers who are allowed to be people first and gay second, which is an accomplishment now, let alone in the 70's when this was written. Our prince is an ex-hooker turned artist, and she also gets to subvert how Disney deals with happy endings.
"Beyond the Cleft"
This is almost a zombie apocalypse story, yet (a delight to modern readers, I'm sure) free of zombies. It manages to find its own direction and shine a light into the crevices of our societal shadows to have a nice visceral impact.
"Dinosaurs"
What a weird, fully-invested, post-apocalyptic future.
"The Detweiler Boy"
This is not a vampire story. It is so much weirder.
The entire collection is worth reading. Although if this is your first read, per usual, skip the Ellison intro until after you've read the stories. I'm just going to hit a few highlights and encourage you to head in yourself.
"San Diego Lightfoot Sue"
This story seems like a deliberate subversion of the disney princes theme. Except here the princess is a young man from rural Kansas headed into the wilds of San Francisco. He acquires a couple fairy godmothers who are allowed to be people first and gay second, which is an accomplishment now, let alone in the 70's when this was written. Our prince is an ex-hooker turned artist, and she also gets to subvert how Disney deals with happy endings.
"Beyond the Cleft"
This is almost a zombie apocalypse story, yet (a delight to modern readers, I'm sure) free of zombies. It manages to find its own direction and shine a light into the crevices of our societal shadows to have a nice visceral impact.
"Dinosaurs"
What a weird, fully-invested, post-apocalyptic future.
"The Detweiler Boy"
This is not a vampire story. It is so much weirder.
June 12, 2012
Tom Reamy is one of those authors who died too soon and left only a handful of writings; a separately published novel and these short stories which are collected in this handsomely bound book. The standout is the wonderfully bittersweet "San Diego Lightfoot Sue". It is a quiet classic of dark fantasy. Unfortunately the rest of the stories pale in comparison. "Insects in Amber" is downright painful, featuring a small unbelievable child to whom foreword writer Harlan Ellison described as "the kind of kid I'd like to dropkick." The real mystery here is whether Ton Reamy could ever have reached the heights of "San Diego Lightfoot Sue" again. Due to his untimely death, we will never know. Instead. we get a five star short masterpiece dropped into a bunch of 2 and 3 star stories. So I'll give it three stars, with a recommendation to seek out SDLS and read it.
November 6, 2021
Questo libro mancava dagli scaffali da quasi quarant'anni.
Forse la morte prematura del suo autore, che non lo vide mai in volume, o forse l'audacia dei temi, l'immaginario aggressivo ed esplicito, che a tratti sfiora l'osceno, hanno contribuito al suo oblio rapido e totale.
Qualche mese fa, Edizioni Hypnos ha riesumato e pubblicato "San Diego Lighfoot Sue", per la prima volta dal 1983 e per la prima volta in italiano. Oggi, resta l'unica edizione disponibile sul mercato mondiale.
E' una notizia buona e allo stesso tempo amara, perché un libro come questo non dovrebbe restare in silenzio così a lungo.
Scritto prima del 1975, sembra un compendio di ciò che l'immaginario fantastico ci avrebbe donato nei quindici-vent'anni a venire: si riconosce quello che potrebbe essere il prototipo di "Rawhead Rex" di Barker e di altri elementi della sua poetica, dei "Bambini del Grano" di King e di alcuni episodi storici di "X-Files".
Trascinati dallo stile di Reamy, dalla sua scrittura asciutta, quotidiana e sempre brillante, passiamo dalla provincia americana profonda, che anticipa le Derry e le Salem's Lot con cui presto King avrebbe colonizzato il nostro immaginario, a una Hollywood che sembra uscita dai film di Friedkin, così sporca e malata che leggendo si può sentire il ronzio delle mosche, a una Los Angeles allo stesso tempo ostile e salvifica, un luogo di umanità luminosa e sogni infranti.
Ciò che tiene insieme queste cartoline sparse, frammenti di un immaginario che purtroppo non conosceremo nella sua interezza, è l'umanità sanguigna e calorosa di Reamy, la sua onestà dolorosa, la sua solidale vicinanza al lettore, la sua conoscenza profonda di luce e oscurità.
E anche solo per la luce che si nasconde nel cuore di questo libro, e che talvolta trapela abbagliante attraverso le sue storie spezzate e i suoi orrori, la sua esistenza è un dono per chiunque voglia dargli una possibilità.
Forse la morte prematura del suo autore, che non lo vide mai in volume, o forse l'audacia dei temi, l'immaginario aggressivo ed esplicito, che a tratti sfiora l'osceno, hanno contribuito al suo oblio rapido e totale.
Qualche mese fa, Edizioni Hypnos ha riesumato e pubblicato "San Diego Lighfoot Sue", per la prima volta dal 1983 e per la prima volta in italiano. Oggi, resta l'unica edizione disponibile sul mercato mondiale.
E' una notizia buona e allo stesso tempo amara, perché un libro come questo non dovrebbe restare in silenzio così a lungo.
Scritto prima del 1975, sembra un compendio di ciò che l'immaginario fantastico ci avrebbe donato nei quindici-vent'anni a venire: si riconosce quello che potrebbe essere il prototipo di "Rawhead Rex" di Barker e di altri elementi della sua poetica, dei "Bambini del Grano" di King e di alcuni episodi storici di "X-Files".
Trascinati dallo stile di Reamy, dalla sua scrittura asciutta, quotidiana e sempre brillante, passiamo dalla provincia americana profonda, che anticipa le Derry e le Salem's Lot con cui presto King avrebbe colonizzato il nostro immaginario, a una Hollywood che sembra uscita dai film di Friedkin, così sporca e malata che leggendo si può sentire il ronzio delle mosche, a una Los Angeles allo stesso tempo ostile e salvifica, un luogo di umanità luminosa e sogni infranti.
Ciò che tiene insieme queste cartoline sparse, frammenti di un immaginario che purtroppo non conosceremo nella sua interezza, è l'umanità sanguigna e calorosa di Reamy, la sua onestà dolorosa, la sua solidale vicinanza al lettore, la sua conoscenza profonda di luce e oscurità.
E anche solo per la luce che si nasconde nel cuore di questo libro, e che talvolta trapela abbagliante attraverso le sue storie spezzate e i suoi orrori, la sua esistenza è un dono per chiunque voglia dargli una possibilità.
December 2, 2009
Tom Reamy died in 1977, leaving this collection of stories, and a novel, BLIND VOICES, as his legacy. This collection should still be in print; and Reamy should be better known as a master of dark fantasy. Well worth searching for a copy.
February 16, 2016
Even as weird, genre-defying books go, this is a strange collection. For as many recurring themes as there are in a lot of these stories (gay men, underage sex, Oedipal issues, loss of innocence, Kansas vs. California, etc.) these dark fantasy tales just feel irregular. I have to admit that even though the quality of them varied, even the weakest of the stories were very endearing; Reamy had a style that was familiar, yet all his own. Harlan Ellison's introduction, though curmudgeonly, is pretty accurate & well-intentioned. It is strange that some stories that are seem nearly incomplete or missing crucial details, which may lead you to think that these were hastily gathered in the wake of his untimely death. However, you can instead consider that it adds an extra dimension that shows he was getting the reader to fill in the blanks, and was able to experiment with his writing style without losing much of his effectiveness. My personal favorite was "Dinosaurs", which is beautiful in the simplicity of its craft work. But every story in here has a bizarre staying power, whether you like it or not; they will stick with you and nibble at you at odd times in your life, when you least expect it. I guess that's as good a legacy to leave as anything else.
August 2, 2009
I read Reamy's Blind Voices and thought it was a masterpiece. I immediately set out to find everything he'd written, but found that he was dead and the only other work he had was this collection of short stories. They are good, no doubt about it, but much weaker than Blind Voices.
December 7, 2014
Not sure how to comment on this book other than to say the short stories it contained felt "unfinished" to me.
April 12, 2021
Great Science Fiction with an introduction by my favorite author Harlan Ellison ! Very Very Good read !!!
July 6, 2021
Su 11 racconti, 3 li ritengo capolavori, 2 molto vicini al capolavoro, 5 buoni racconti e solo uno non mi ha convinto fino in fondo.
Reamy spazia nei suoi racconti dalla fantascienza al weird, all'horror e molto spesso i protagonisti sono adolescenti che vivono delle esperienze (a volte sessuali, a volte no) che li portano verso l'età adulta. Il tutto viene fatto con uno stile fluido, semplice, ma ricco di dettagli ed emozioni.
La mia esperienza con questo autore è del molto positiva e lo consiglio vivamente se vi piace il genere.
COSA MI È PIACIUTO
- elementi fantastici spiccati
- spesso il mostro non è un mostro
- personaggi e atmosfere
COSA NON MI È PIACIUTO
- solo in tre casi c'è un forte elemento weird
Qui i dettagli sui singoli racconti (spoiler free)
Reamy spazia nei suoi racconti dalla fantascienza al weird, all'horror e molto spesso i protagonisti sono adolescenti che vivono delle esperienze (a volte sessuali, a volte no) che li portano verso l'età adulta. Il tutto viene fatto con uno stile fluido, semplice, ma ricco di dettagli ed emozioni.
La mia esperienza con questo autore è del molto positiva e lo consiglio vivamente se vi piace il genere.
COSA MI È PIACIUTO
- elementi fantastici spiccati
- spesso il mostro non è un mostro
- personaggi e atmosfere
COSA NON MI È PIACIUTO
- solo in tre casi c'è un forte elemento weird
Qui i dettagli sui singoli racconti (spoiler free)
March 31, 2024
Quasi tutti i racconti della raccolta sono di un livello molto alto e riescono ad affascinare il lettore.
Mentre procedevo nella lettura due erano i pensieri in sottofondo che mi accompagnavano: il primo, che Tom Reamy era un narratore sublime; il secondo, quanto fosse triste che uno scrittore di questo talento sia morto giovane, a 42 anni, lasciando in eredità solo questa raccolta e un unico romanzo e privando i lettori di tantissime altre storie fantastiche.
I racconti sono 11:
TWILLA-Una strana ragazzina inizia a frequentare ad anno in corso la scuola di una piccola cittadina del Kansas e la sua insegnante comincia a indagare su di lei e sullo strano ascendente che dimostra di avere nei confronti dei compagni di classe.
SOTTO LA SCRITTA DI HOLLYWOOD-Un poliziotto scopre che sul luogo di tremendi incidenti, tra la folla è sempre presente un bellissimo ragazzo dai capelli rossi.
OLTRE LA GOLA-In una cittadina isolata dal resto del mondo, qualcosa di strano comincia a interessare i bambini della comunità.
SAN DIEGO LIGHTFOOT SUE-Un adolescente rimasto orfano lascia il Kansas e si trasferisce a Los Angeles. Nella grande città colpirà tutti con la sua ingenuità, incontrando una miriade di personaggi bizzarri e pure l'amore.
DINOSAURI-Una storia fantascientifica, ambientata in un futuro inospitale, dove a ogni cambio stagione l'uomo deve trasferirsi a nord o a sud per sopravvivere.
IL FATTORE SWEETWATER-Una storia bizzarra e surreale, forse il racconto meno robusto del lotto.
LA SIGNORA DI WINDRAVEN-Una storia misteriosa, una scrittrice dei giorni nostri che scrive un romanzo gotico.
IL GOVANE DETWEILER-Una gustosa storia hard boiled, il classico investigatore privato, in una Los Angeles sporca e cattiva, scopre che ogni tre giorni una persona muore nelle vicinanze dove a soggiornato un bellissimo giovane affetto da una evidente deformità.
INSETTI NELL'AMBRA-Ritorna la location di Twilla, la cittadina del Kansas, un gruppo di persone prigioniere in una casa stregata e strani episodi di telecinesi.
ASPETTANDO BILLY STAR-La storia di un amore inspiegabile che sconvolge la tavola calda di una cittadina desolata del Texas.
2076 BLUE EYES-Racconto incompleto, un mondo sterminato dagli alieni in cui è sopravvissuto solo l'1% della popolazione che i è riorganizzata in clan di pellerossa.
Tranne un paio di storie, tutti i racconti sono di un livello alto. Cinque sono poi di un livello altissimo.
Il racconto che da il titolo alla raccolta da solo merita l'acquisto dell'antologia. Il giovane Detweiler lettura gustosissima come non mi succedeva da parecchio. Aspettando Billy Star racconto molto breve ma intimamente suggestivo e malinconico.
Capolavoro della letteratura di genere.
Voto: 9 abbondante(quasi un 10)
Mentre procedevo nella lettura due erano i pensieri in sottofondo che mi accompagnavano: il primo, che Tom Reamy era un narratore sublime; il secondo, quanto fosse triste che uno scrittore di questo talento sia morto giovane, a 42 anni, lasciando in eredità solo questa raccolta e un unico romanzo e privando i lettori di tantissime altre storie fantastiche.
I racconti sono 11:
TWILLA-Una strana ragazzina inizia a frequentare ad anno in corso la scuola di una piccola cittadina del Kansas e la sua insegnante comincia a indagare su di lei e sullo strano ascendente che dimostra di avere nei confronti dei compagni di classe.
SOTTO LA SCRITTA DI HOLLYWOOD-Un poliziotto scopre che sul luogo di tremendi incidenti, tra la folla è sempre presente un bellissimo ragazzo dai capelli rossi.
OLTRE LA GOLA-In una cittadina isolata dal resto del mondo, qualcosa di strano comincia a interessare i bambini della comunità.
SAN DIEGO LIGHTFOOT SUE-Un adolescente rimasto orfano lascia il Kansas e si trasferisce a Los Angeles. Nella grande città colpirà tutti con la sua ingenuità, incontrando una miriade di personaggi bizzarri e pure l'amore.
DINOSAURI-Una storia fantascientifica, ambientata in un futuro inospitale, dove a ogni cambio stagione l'uomo deve trasferirsi a nord o a sud per sopravvivere.
IL FATTORE SWEETWATER-Una storia bizzarra e surreale, forse il racconto meno robusto del lotto.
LA SIGNORA DI WINDRAVEN-Una storia misteriosa, una scrittrice dei giorni nostri che scrive un romanzo gotico.
IL GOVANE DETWEILER-Una gustosa storia hard boiled, il classico investigatore privato, in una Los Angeles sporca e cattiva, scopre che ogni tre giorni una persona muore nelle vicinanze dove a soggiornato un bellissimo giovane affetto da una evidente deformità.
INSETTI NELL'AMBRA-Ritorna la location di Twilla, la cittadina del Kansas, un gruppo di persone prigioniere in una casa stregata e strani episodi di telecinesi.
ASPETTANDO BILLY STAR-La storia di un amore inspiegabile che sconvolge la tavola calda di una cittadina desolata del Texas.
2076 BLUE EYES-Racconto incompleto, un mondo sterminato dagli alieni in cui è sopravvissuto solo l'1% della popolazione che i è riorganizzata in clan di pellerossa.
Tranne un paio di storie, tutti i racconti sono di un livello alto. Cinque sono poi di un livello altissimo.
Il racconto che da il titolo alla raccolta da solo merita l'acquisto dell'antologia. Il giovane Detweiler lettura gustosissima come non mi succedeva da parecchio. Aspettando Billy Star racconto molto breve ma intimamente suggestivo e malinconico.
Capolavoro della letteratura di genere.
Voto: 9 abbondante(quasi un 10)
February 22, 2023
Very dated. The title short story is terrific, and perhaps an inspiration for 'Boogie Nights', or a Boogie Nights with a touch of the paranormal.
The rest of the stories range between 'okay' to 'awful' . Most read like movie synopsis', perhaps not surprising in that Reamy wrote most of his stories set in California, notably Los Angeles and its environs. 'Insects in Amber' is perhaps the most obvious, a sort of precursor to 'Stranger Things'.
The final story though '2076: Blue Eyes' is fabulously poor, though it does emphasise just how good Patrick Tilley was at writing of a post-apocalyptic world with a Native American resurgence.
Reamy died a proper authors death; a cardiac arrest at the typewriter. He never really got into his stride, leaving this collection and the novel 'Blind Voices'. There was potential, but it was never realised.
There's an introduction by the late, great Harlan Ellison, who writes about his favourite subject...Harlan Ellison.
The rest of the stories range between 'okay' to 'awful' . Most read like movie synopsis', perhaps not surprising in that Reamy wrote most of his stories set in California, notably Los Angeles and its environs. 'Insects in Amber' is perhaps the most obvious, a sort of precursor to 'Stranger Things'.
The final story though '2076: Blue Eyes' is fabulously poor, though it does emphasise just how good Patrick Tilley was at writing of a post-apocalyptic world with a Native American resurgence.
Reamy died a proper authors death; a cardiac arrest at the typewriter. He never really got into his stride, leaving this collection and the novel 'Blind Voices'. There was potential, but it was never realised.
There's an introduction by the late, great Harlan Ellison, who writes about his favourite subject...Harlan Ellison.
June 23, 2022
Un libro veramente imprevedibile e originale, difficile da classificare... A tratti il lettore si trova spaesato, a tratti contagiato da una strisciante inquietudine (ma non mancano momenti di puro terrore). Il tutto supportato da uno stile magistrale e sempre coinvolgente. Unico fil rouge, forse, il sesso, sia esso adolescenziale, violento, omosessuale, pura energia riproduttiva... con questo non sto dicendo che sono racconti erotici, ma che la fascinazione del sesso connette le 11 storie in intricati labirinti difficili da dimenticare. Un viaggio fra weird, horror, fantascienza, fantastico e molto, molto altro. Bella sorpresa.
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August 24, 2022back in my compulsive sf paperback-buying days, I had an informal rule: if the book contained an approving blurb or introduction by Harlan Ellison, I would pick up the book. I preferred short fiction to novels and good cover art could always sucker punch me. so, this book checked all the boxes. (Tom Reamy himself could create artwork of high quality himself, though not for this collection. he had died by then.) I did not regret the purchase.
decades later, I can still remember the stories presented here and I can't think of a single one which I did like.
decades later, I can still remember the stories presented here and I can't think of a single one which I did like.
April 26, 2023
This was fun -- I remembered reading one of Tom Reamy's stories in a Fantasy and Science Fiction magazine when I was a kid, then found that same story on a recent(ish) podcast in audio form. Looking up his bibliography, he only has this collection and one novel out. Great intro and afterword -- this was published posthumously as the author died in his mid-forties (a heart attack at his typewriter). The stories vary a bit in quality but they all have a great voice and some good description, several of them are about the counter-culture with some fantastic elements.
October 8, 2017
Odlicne price, svaka je posebna. Ima prica koje su kao spin offovi njegovog jedinog romana Blind Voices.
Ali price kao San Diego Lightfoot Sue, Wayting for Billy Star su medju najljepsima koje sam ikada procitao.
Nazalost autor je iza sebe ostavio jako malo prica i jedan roman. Predivan pisac definitivno
Ali price kao San Diego Lightfoot Sue, Wayting for Billy Star su medju najljepsima koje sam ikada procitao.
Nazalost autor je iza sebe ostavio jako malo prica i jedan roman. Predivan pisac definitivno
September 27, 2018
I'm giving this a three as there were some good stories that stick with me like Beyond the Cleft and the story of people in the future slowly going extinct. But some stories just left me cold, such as Under the Hollywood sign and the last story in the book on people becoming tribal. The tital piece was unfullfilling in the resolution for me. So, it was a mixed bag.
December 12, 2018
I read this as a kid and remembered really liking it. I found it again as an adult and I'm super shocked I forgot how incredibly DARK it is. There's a lot of really creepy stories in here that are going to stick with me, and if you don't mind some grosser stuff, totally give this anthology a go!
December 21, 2021
Really weird. Reamy's talent for prose is undeniable, but what he chooses to focus on and write about is gross, disturbing, and perverse.
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June 3, 2021Specific Comments
San Diego Lightfoot Sue - 4.5 out of 5
Under the Hollywood Sign - 3.25 out of 5
San Diego Lightfoot Sue - 4.5 out of 5
A coming-of-age tale which evokes the writings of Bradbury, who Reamy clearly admired. The characters and their emotions ring very true in this one. The fantasy elements are wisely underplayed - almost to the point of non-existence - but its inclusion is warranted as it amplifies the themes. Some of the content may be uncomfortable (the exploitation of an underage boy), but it is handled with surprising sensitivity. This is simply good storytelling.
Under the Hollywood Sign - 3.25 out of 5
If Reamy's Blind Voices was a dark ode to Bradybury's Something Wicked This Way Comes, then this is his dark ode to Bradybury's The Crowd. The premise and general arc of the two stories are the same, but Reamy decides to add kidnapping, rape, and murder into mix which sours the entire experience. One cannot deny the effectiveness of his prose with some keen observations (such as how he describes the "Hollywood" sign) but he lacks that graceful touch he had with San Diego Lightfoot Sue.
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August 14, 2020Location 357
And now the pages turn brown. And now the glue that binds the covers begins to consume the endpapers. And now the spine cracks. And now the fragile triangles of the corners fall. And now the story ends.
It is dark where I sit writing. One light above the lover with which I share my dreams, this machine like Tom’s machine, intended for the spinning of webs beautiful and terrible beyond any telling. Over such a machine he spent his last moments. And now the story ends, and now the words run out. And now, shadows, you can go.
Location 1986
It was either Los Angeles or St. Louis and the Los Angeles bus came first.
Location 2038
this slob can get covered in spaghetti sauce eatin’ jelly beans!
Location 2179
“You’re not old.“
“I stood on the shore and chunked rocks at the Mayflower.“
And now the pages turn brown. And now the glue that binds the covers begins to consume the endpapers. And now the spine cracks. And now the fragile triangles of the corners fall. And now the story ends.
It is dark where I sit writing. One light above the lover with which I share my dreams, this machine like Tom’s machine, intended for the spinning of webs beautiful and terrible beyond any telling. Over such a machine he spent his last moments. And now the story ends, and now the words run out. And now, shadows, you can go.
Location 1986
It was either Los Angeles or St. Louis and the Los Angeles bus came first.
Location 2038
this slob can get covered in spaghetti sauce eatin’ jelly beans!
Location 2179
“You’re not old.“
“I stood on the shore and chunked rocks at the Mayflower.“
May 25, 2008
Excellent short story collection by an author who died too young (only this and a novel were completed). A wonderful story teller with a great imagination.
January 5, 2011
San Diego Lightfoot Sue was a great story, but the rest are a mixed bag. Twilla is just plain wrong, and the title is really the only thing going for Insects in Amber.
February 20, 2013
I loved the stories in this book, a great little sci-fi read
September 21, 2015
An interesting collection of short stories, each with a surprise supernatural twist. A lot of unexpected stuff in this collection. The author really kept me guessing.
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