Friday, August 31, 2007

New obsessions

The Allman Brothers Live From Fillmore East and Alfred Bester's science fiction from the 1950s: The Demolished Man and The Stars My Destination.

I can't say that I've listened to Duane Allman's playing before now. Sure, I've heard it; now, I'm listening, and I'm hearing genius wrapped up in passion. It's fire, like you don't find very much in popular music these days.

Alfred Bester's writing is also incendiary. Lots of writers play with typography now. Bester did it first, and I haven't seen where, 50 years later, anyone has caught up to him. As for his characters and his stories, well, I'm simply blown away. This is the guy whose SF should be part of the American literary canon. Forget Ray Bradbury, Philip K. Dick, and William Gibson. Alfred Bester is a titan; these others are dwarves.