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Name:	ZNeKn
URL:	http://www.soreplexus.com
Email:	znek@soreplexus.com
Date:	Tuesday, August 17, 1999 at 20:10:45

Hi!
Just as extraordinary as Lafferty is as an SciFi author, SORE PLEXUS is an extraordinary progressive powermetal band telling tales of today - just not as weird as Lafferty ;-)
Hope to see you soon ...

The guestbook entry was hosed for a while, because someone changed the local setup. I hope everything works OK now.

We have relayed the messages for those who inquired, to Mr. Lafferty and he is very thankful. Although he is currently in a state where he needs assistance for those things that the rest of us take for granted in our daily routine, he also seems to be doing quite well. One thing that I thought was humorous that my wife said, was that he would rather be pampered than do some things himself which he IS capable- I suppose this is one of the benefits of age! She also thought it funny that his nickname was the grumpy old man from Tulsa- very appropriate she says, but very nice when he wants to be!

If anyone has good quality first editions of Lafferty books that they're interested in parting with, drop me a line. I have a few of them already, but am missing quite a few. Thanks, bob

I am not familiar with many of Lafferty's books, but I know that the people who post here are, the reason I am posting is because my wife is a nurse who takes care of R.A. Lafferty, here in Broken Arrow, OK in a local nursing home. It was only recently that I began to look into his writings to learn more about him. If there is anything that I might be able to do to help any big fans here, let me know, I will do my best, thanks.

Through Elegant Eyes, and Golden Gate are/were? both available from DreamHaven, $20 each Not to Mention Camels, Does Anyone Else Have Something Further to Add, The Devil is Dead are available from Andomeda Books, UK - £7.99 each (about $11.00) both stores are on the web, but I don't have the URLs to hand

"Mud Violet" was included in the Corroboree Press edition of THROUGH ELEGANT EYES: STORIES OF AUSTRO AND THE MEN WHO KNOW EVERYTHING, published in 1983. It's one of the "Barnaby Sheen" stories, which differ wildly in quality from one to the next. The book also includes my personal favorite Laff story, "Rivers of Damascus." (A real mind-bender!) I should also note that the book I mentioned before as being available at Barnes and Noble is now, unfortunately, only available on special order. (I think I got the last one! Sorry, folks!) P.S.--Why does the "Name" line add an "n" to everything?

I greatly appreciate the existence of this fan page, but speaking as someone who owns much of RAL's work, I must strenuously disagree with the ranking of Fourth Mansions as "lame" and Space Chantey as "excellent". Switching the two ratings would be more accurate, although I'd uprate Space Chantey from "lame" to "OK". Why? In my opinion, Space Chantey is a bunch of unrelated short stories, about at the level of one of his lesser short story collections. Fourth Mansions actually has a coherent plot (something most Lafferty novels lack) in addition to being, well, a Lafferty novel. Finally: Was the short story "Mud Violet" ever collected in a book of Lafferty's work, or does it only appear in Elwood's "Demon Kind" anthology?

Attention all RAL fans who are desperate for more: you may be interested to know that Barnes and Noble's website now has available the Bongo Press edition of RAL's "It's Down the Slippery Cellar Stairs." This is a collection of "essays" (I put that in quotes because, although they are called essays on the cover, we RAL fans know there is not really a concrete word for what these writings are, unless you invent terms of your own. "Meanderings" perhaps?) This is a short but wonderful book of RAL's thoughts on science fiction, writing in general, and his philosophy of storytelling. I ordered it just this week and find it be be everything we'd expect from RAL: funny, bizarre, thought-provoking, and filled with that almost Borgesian blend of reality and fiction that keeps all of us Dukes of Little Egypt searching for more of RAL's work. And it's at a decent price, too--$13.95, or somewhere around there. I know I sound like a sales rep for Barnes and Noble, but I think any RAL fan needs this one in their library. Here's hoping this page grows--along with, hopefully, a rediscovery of RAL's work.

900 Grandmothers contains some of the most original fantasy ever written. Here's another one I'll bet no one has ever heard of: The DaVinci Machine.(I don't remember the author.) One of the stories in this collection is about an alien race that infested the earth. The aliens looked just like 2X4 pieces of lumber. They would hang around a lumber pile,get built into a house, and then feast on the inhabitants. What a classic!

900 Grandmothers contains some of the most original fantasy ever written. Here's another one I'll bet no one has ever heard of: The DaVinci Machine.(I don't remember the author.) One of the stories in this collection is about an alien race that infested the earth. The aliens looked just like 2X4 pieces of lumber. They would hang around a lumber pile,get built into a house, and then feast on the inhabitants. What a classic!

HI! Are there any spanish Lafferty fans out there? I'll be willing to contact them since the only transalated book I could find was 900 grandmothers... All the others I had to read them in English... And it is still a bit too difficult for me to get all the jokes and double meanings... (As you must know, there are MANY!). Un saludo desde tecnofamilia!

This is something that George Gilbert mailed me, which I am putting here. I couldn't access the site, but thats probably because of my cookie avoidance setup

Chapters books just went on-line here in Canada the other day, and here's the bio theyíve presented for R.A. Lafferty:

http://www.chaptersglobe.com/author/authorbio.asp?AUTHID=9289

Hello Lafferty fans! I'd almost forgotten I used to be one until I stumbled into this page (thank you webmaster). My first Lafferty book was Past Master translated in Italian in the 70s, if you believe it. I then proceeded to look for all the RAL books I could find in the original language, a very difficult task in Italy at the time (Laffertian question: how do you know which was the original language of these books !?). I need to do some catching up, and from what I see here, there must be quite a lot: eat your hearts out! so many unread RAL books! I was never able to judge how popular Mr Lafferty's books are in the English speaking countries. Can anybody answer this question? I also believe RAL books do much more than just have you roll on the floor with laughter, this is misleading and reductive: I believe the man deserves more recognition and he is one of not so many SF writers who are just plain GOOD writers. Camels and dromedaries to you all. Fabio

I have two reviews coming up, one for Aurelia with Horns which I liked, and one Alaric (The Fall of Rome), which I don't like at all. I would be very happy if someone would write a review of the latter and send it to me, because it also saddens _me_ to add another entry to the "lame" section...

I strongly disaree with the review assessment of THE DEVIL IS DEAD. Lame indeed. This is a very engaging piece of whimsy although perhaps you need some Irish blood to fully appreciate it. Again, I think Fourth Mansions is one of his best novels and one of his most accessible. I have a hard-cover copy of NOT TO MENTION CAMELS published in 1976 by THE BOBBS-MERRILL COMPANY INC. INDIANAPOLIS/NEW YORK. This book is the most mind-boggling novel Lafferty ever wrote, and that's saying something. It's part James Joyce part Wittgenstein on Acid. The part about THE LORDS OF THE MEDIA seems more prophetic now than when I first read it 20 years ago. I also just flat-out love WHERE HAVE YOU GONE SANDALIOTIS about the private detective investigating the disappearance of a continent! I am a professional writer and I can't understand why Lafferty isn't better known. He's unique and his imagination should be designated a national treasure! I never met him, but I once spoke with the Ottawa fantasist Charles De Lint who had seen him at a science fiction conference. If memory serves, De Lint said something to the effect that Lafferty could easily been mistaken for a rummy. A brilliant fantasist.

sorry about that, i screwed up. Anyway I was asking for help. I have been desperatly seeking a copy of Fourth Mansions (preferably an older copy) for a while now. A copy was lent to me and was stolen I would love to replace it. any one who can help me feel free to e-mail personally Thanks, Jessica

HELP!!!!!

Does anyone know whether "Aurelia" and "To Aurelia with Horns" are two different books or just two titles for the same book ?

Writers like Lafferty? There aren't any. Laffertyphiles will likely enjoy Philip K. Dick, but I doubt that's news to anyone here. Lafferty has a number of affinities with Gene Wolfe, the greatest writer alive today, and Lafferty and Wolfe have said nice things about each other in print. G.K. Chesterton's fiction is worth checking out also, particularly _The Man Who Was Thursday_. Afficianados of woozy realities might find Jack Dann's writing interesting; look for his collection _Timetipping_. I bought my copy of _Iron Tears_ from Chris Drumm Books, a dealer in Iowa City. I don't have the address handy (it should be available in an earlier post on the older message board). Why is it that the best writers are the hardest to find?

Hopefully the problems some people were having with the messageboard have been alleviated. If not please write me and tell me about it.

Hey Lafferty fans, can any one please help me? Over the past year, I have amassed a collection of every book that has either won or been nominated for the Philip K Dick Award. 91 books later, and I am only missing one. The short story collection "Iron Tears", by Lafferty, published by Edgewood Press. Does anyone out there know where I could obtain a copy, or have one they would be willing to part with/sell? I would offer a trade, but the only other Lafferty I have is also part of my collection, "Aurelia", nominated the first year the award was given. That one was pretty hard to find also. So, since I only need one book to complete this obsession I committed myself to, I would probably be willing to pay a fair amount for it. I am just ripe for being taken advantage of! ;) This web page is the first time I've even seen what the cover of the book looks like. Thank you Lafferty fans! Brit

The author most often compared to R.A. Lafferty, at least from what I've heard, is Avram Davidson. I've read a few of his stories, and they are definitely a bit "bent". He was a contemporary of Lafferty, and was quite prolific. Another author with a similar perspective to Lafferty would be Alfred Bester: best known for "The Demolished Man" and "The Stars My Destination". He wrote a number of short stories, as well. The one which I found to be most Lafferty-esk would be "Adam and No Eve". Damon Knight has written a lot of stories, too: some with a similar perspective (i.e. distorted) on life as Lafferty's. His most famous short story -- "To Serve Man" -- was turned into a Twilight Zone episode back in the early 1960s. A.E. Van Vogt's short stories in particular remind me of Lafferty. You might want to check him out, as well. And, of course, there is always Philip K. Dick, who always liked to take his readers on twists and turns, much like Lafferty. Hope this helps a bit! George

I stopped at a used bookstore in Virginia while on vacation a couple of weeks ago and found several Lafferty novels for prices ranging from $.65 to $1.25. I would be happy to send these at cost (plus postage, please) to anyone who wants to read them. The titles are: Arrive at Easterwine (2 copies) Past Master The Devil is Dead (If you've never read a Lafferty novel, this is the one to start with.) Fourth Mansions The Reefs of Earth Annals of Klepsis (2 copies) If you're interested, please email me privately. Sorry, there were no short story collections there. --Don

Ofcourse i know it can't be done. I am aware of the stupid question i am about to ask, but i'll do it anyway: does anybody here know of writers who are comparable to Lafferty? Are there any writers who write in a Lafferty-esque way? If you have any names, please let me know. Friso

[I tried posting the following on your R.A. Lafferty Message Board today, but couldn't -- the page remained blank. Maybe you could re-post it for me? Thanks!] -- (OK :) If anyone has the same problem please email me! I am not aware of any problem)

I just picked up a 1968 copy of R.A. Lafferty's "Space Chantey" from Ace Books, and I found the following quote from Mr. Lafferty in his biography at the beginning. I found the quote to be quite interesting, if not revealing:
"I was a heavy drinker till about eight years ago at which time I cut down on it, beginning my writing attempts about the same time to fill up a certain void."
That would seem to explain the late start in writing (at 45 years of age, right?) as well as, perhaps, his distorted perception of reality. Hey, if Philip K. Dick could turn his drug addictions into "A Scanner Darkly", why couldn't R.A. Lafferty could turn his drinking problem into a writing career? Cheers, George Gilbert

By surfing the web I found that there is an author with the same last name as mine. Can anyone tell me what kind of books R.A. Lafferty has written and is he still alive? I am interested in reading some of his books. Which one's would you fans recommend? Does anyone know any of the biography of R.A. Lafferty? I was wondering if we are related. Thanks Rob Lafferty DVM

The story you're looking for is "Parthen," originally published in 1973 and included in the now out of print collection _Ringing Changes_. I'd like to bring to the attention of the Lafferty faithful here my new website, at http://home.earthlink.net/~cranked, which exists to promote my magazine CRANK!. I've had a couple of Lafferty stories in CRANK!, and published two Lafferty books, both of which are still available, though I'm, starting to run low on LAFFERTY IN ORBIT. I've also posted the beginning of a lengthy critical essay about Lafferty, which I would like to get feedback on. --Bryan

June 4, 1998. Folks, I need some help. YEARS ago I read a Lafferty SS about women who took over the earth by mesmerizing men with their beauty. Rafferty described one lady ... "gothic upsweep of her neck", "her hips made a movement not seen since the days of sailing ships". After reading that, I put the book down and allowed that I'd give body parts to be able to write like that. I've been looking for that story ever since, but I don't have a clue as to the title. Anyone? Thanks. -Al

http://www.angelfire.com/ca2/orghot

My first Lafferty book was "Nine Hundred Grandmothers" was a torn-off-cover copy I found at The Devil's Printer bookshop in Connecticutt. Loaned it to someone. Got my second copy, a brand-spanking-new Ace paperback. Lost it, along with my copy of Apocalypses. So I'm looking for a copy of "Grandmothers". I have a hardback of "Does Anyone Else Have Something Further to Add" to trade. Or I'll pay cash.

Does anyone happen to know the contents of the Pendragon Book "Funnyfingers & Cabrito" ? I got both stories in other collections already, but maybe there are a few more stories contained therein ? Thanks a lot in advance.

For many years, I've known Ray was retired from writing and alive Oklahoma. Technology and family ties will now let me send him the thanks that any aspiring writer who's read Ray's work may know: Art outlives its creators, becoming grist for our grandchildrens' summer dreams. We have a chance, the responsibility to bring forward these wacky, insightful, stories-beyond-genre, if for nothing more than to tell our children that they can dream, and in any color that they choose. Thanks Nat for the Devotional Pages! Anyone, I'm looking for a copy of "Apocalypses". I have "Ringing Changes" and "Nine Hundred Grandmothers". Any short-term trades? ~N~ Kirkland, WA

Hello folks. As I indicated earlier, the R.A. Lafferty Devotional Page will migrate to a new server. I will keep the page at Tripod also also, but the new one will be the one, who gets the updates the earliest. For convenience, bookmark the new address and you'll be rid of the annoying advertisement.
(To get to the new sites main page, klick on the Devotional Page Logo in the left, black vertical bar.) Enjoy the new message board (already running on the new site) and the painless browsing.

This is the new message board. It's nicer to handle for me (the admin) and hopefully nicer for you too!