Status Updates From The Magic Man and Other Sci...

3* for "The Monster Show" for it's trite attempts at futuristic slang and for type of Twilight Zone ending that makes folks roll their eyes. But it gets points for predicting damn near every mind-numbing development in 21st century television "entertainment."

5* for "The Vanishing American." Not only does it show Beaumont's skill at writing a character's inner dialogue, and how he blends horror with wish-fulfillment, but it's also a story that's equal parts psychology and sociology.

5* for "The New People." The end twist was predictable, but not really 'til darn near the end. And, it had a lot to say about mid-1950s AnySuburb, USA.

4* for "The Last Caper" for writing a sci-fi noir story which gave me the pleasure of finding those typos that really weren't typos like, "...I dodged and grabbed her leg. Then I grabbed her other leg. Then I grabbed her other leg."

5* for "Mrs. Gentilbelle." Now I know why it's such a legendary story. For something published in 1957, this is some f'ed up shit. Then again, it's not like my generation invented this type of stuff.

Just read Ray Bradbury's introduction, where he remembers Beaumont taking Bradbury's advice of, literally, writing 1 short story per week. Makes me feel like a slacker, especially considering that by the time Beaumont was my age, he'd already been dead a year. :s