tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post3877601441482362824..comments2024-03-28T16:17:20.965-05:00Comments on Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine: Forgotten Books: WE ALL KILLED GRANDMA -- Fredric Brownmybillcriderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02350478005243505108noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post-65811486614422380572009-12-02T15:51:25.153-06:002009-12-02T15:51:25.153-06:00My intro to Brown was through the SF stories, too....My intro to Brown was through the SF stories, too. And that was long, long ago. Great stories, though, then and now.mybillcriderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02350478005243505108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post-9546490054630467412009-12-02T15:49:29.571-06:002009-12-02T15:49:29.571-06:00I've just read We All Killed Grandma myself. C...I've just read We All Killed Grandma myself. Certainly not his best, but when it comes to Brown, I think he can make a shopping list an interesting read.<br /><br />I should point out that my initial introduction to Brown was his science fiction works, especially the short stories. But those proved to be so good that when I learned he had a large mystery bibliography as well, I immediately sought those out as well.<br /><br />Thanks for the great review!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13548488385273487791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post-63593785938560668062009-11-08T13:42:40.652-06:002009-11-08T13:42:40.652-06:00I seem to remember liking THE LENIENT BEAST.I seem to remember liking THE LENIENT BEAST.Jurihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03021010310386744591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post-91355303798919131112009-11-07T07:18:39.530-06:002009-11-07T07:18:39.530-06:00I read The Office years ago and enjoyed it very mu...I read The Office years ago and enjoyed it very much - a potboiler, but a good one. Too bad it never had a paperback edition. Although a dated mainstream novel, it did have a crime. Perhaps Hard Case might consider it sometime in the future. Meanwhile, you can probably read a copy through Interlibrary Loan.<br /><br />Grandma is minor Brown, but The Lights in Sky Are Stars is a major work - one that I'd rate just below The Far Cry.Jerry Housenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post-8881139898595247622009-11-06T21:43:32.702-06:002009-11-06T21:43:32.702-06:00I've never seen a copy of The Office. The Wen...I've never seen a copy of <i>The Office</i>. <i>The Wench is Dead</i> is probably my favorite of the ones I've read.mybillcriderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02350478005243505108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post-41042917400020410062009-11-06T21:22:58.231-06:002009-11-06T21:22:58.231-06:00I've read most of Brown's novels. Of the ...I've read most of Brown's novels. Of the mysteries, I agree that <i>Grandma</i> is pretty bad; I think <i>Five-Day Nightmare</i> is even worse. I agree with Richard Heft that <i>Night of the Jabberwock</i> is essentially a shaggy dog story, but I think it's a very good shaggy dog story. My other favorites are <i>Madball</i> and <i>The Wench Is Dead</i>. <br /><br />Has anybody read Brown's non-genre novel, <i>The Office</i>? I've heard good things about it but all the copies I've seen for sale have been very expensive.SteveHLhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01745665231586422220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post-17392568634749298882009-11-06T20:16:05.963-06:002009-11-06T20:16:05.963-06:00Yes, after THE FAR CRY, Bill, but I think you'...Yes, after THE FAR CRY, Bill, but I think you're being rather hard on THE MIND THING and THE LIGHTS IN THE SKIES ARE STARS, Richard. (Haven't read THE LENIENT BEAST yet.) But, not only is he growing more ill (rather a theme for my blog writing today, it seems), but as a guy doing his damnedest to get some work in while he can, the economics of writing the novels (better money upfront but then the slog...that was a Jim Thomspon title, wasn't it?) did perhaps tell too often, moreso than it did in the shorter work.Todd Masonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01815516018079824802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post-37454286973649084172009-11-06T17:28:12.975-06:002009-11-06T17:28:12.975-06:00I've really liked most of the Brown novels I&#...I've really liked most of the Brown novels I've read, including the excellent Night of the Jabberwock.Martin Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16082485795280777670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post-2906290554939832942009-11-06T14:23:36.229-06:002009-11-06T14:23:36.229-06:00Didn't GRANDMA come right after THE FAR CRY? A...Didn't GRANDMA come right after THE FAR CRY? A big drop-off between those two.mybillcriderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02350478005243505108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post-52933923267275319782009-11-06T13:44:16.205-06:002009-11-06T13:44:16.205-06:00This may be heresy, but i just think that Brown wa...This may be heresy, but i just think that Brown was a spectacularly gifted short story writer and a modestly gifted novelist. His novels after WE ALL KILLED GRANDMA aren't much better (THE LENIENT BEAST, THE MIND THING, and THE LIGHTS IN THE SKY ARE STARS are all duds, if I recall correctly). A lot of his earlier books are shaggy dog stories stretched out to novel length (NIGHT OF THE JABBERWOCK, MARTIANS GO HOME) and the Ed and Am series declines in quality immediately after THE FABULOUS CLIPJOINT. I have read a TON of Brown (I think I own every paperback he published during his lifetime) and love his work and am a little bitter that I can't afford a complete run of the Dennis McMillan collection, but his novels decline precipitously in quality as the Fifties roll on.Richard Heftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post-73242701175084902602009-11-06T12:20:47.598-06:002009-11-06T12:20:47.598-06:00Every writer has to have a lesser book. Someone wi...Every writer has to have a lesser book. Someone with so many great ones even.pattinase (abbott)https://www.blogger.com/profile/02916037185235335846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post-58846447243981467512009-11-06T10:51:21.067-06:002009-11-06T10:51:21.067-06:00I read Brown's THE LATE LAMENTED earlier this ...I read Brown's THE LATE LAMENTED earlier this year and had a similar reaction. A good short-story plot stretched out to 180 pages. But I thinkn Brown was having health problems at that time.Graham Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01775285782385634486noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post-41794097261898003122009-11-06T10:07:08.952-06:002009-11-06T10:07:08.952-06:00Probably written on spec. I've read that Brown...Probably written on spec. I've read that Brown was fast, when he wanted to be, so he could knock out something like this in a few days.<br /><br />Your review makes it easy to understand why it wasn't reprinted and was truly "forgotten".Richard Robinsonhttp://brokenbullhorn.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post-34636872719100980642009-11-06T09:55:45.740-06:002009-11-06T09:55:45.740-06:00From what I've read, I think it was the latter...From what I've read, I think it was the latter.mybillcriderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02350478005243505108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3668066.post-73321858606572862922009-11-06T09:55:01.542-06:002009-11-06T09:55:01.542-06:00Wow...considering how much other work Brown was br...Wow...considering how much other work Brown was bringing to the market in and around 1953, I wonder if this was a trunk novel, or just one of those things that just never quite gelled for him.Todd Masonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01815516018079824802noreply@blogger.com