Going To the Beach, and uncollected story by Gene Wolfe
Added 2022-08-31 00:34:26 +0000 UTCCraig had an interesting idea that at Shadow of the Con we could also do a reading/discussion of an uncollected Wolfe story (I collect uncollected Wolfe stories).
So I’ll post one and we’ll see if we have takers.
I’ve always liked ‘Going To The Beach’ published in 1973 in Roger Elwood’s “Showcase” (introduction by Jack Dann). I’ve never really felt like I understood it though. If you read it and show up, we’ll talk about it.
Comments
New to the gang, been listening for a month or so though; now ready to dangle a bit in this Wolfe-hole; Wish I could've discussed in person, this story hits on some fave themes of mine, Wolfeaen and otherwise. Below are some points of interest/interpretation after a few reads that i would've contributed IRL :) 1. The Narrator is a writer; a soul gifted (?) with inspiration/creative writing talent in an age of mass-automation (i love the whispered stereotypes of writers in his remembered class on first page) 2. I enjoy his class commentary ("Honorable Income" etc.) and cosmic consciousness ("everything i see, i see with [stars] behind it") elements 3. the Narrator is returning home to work, after a day gathering inspiration for his work: writing (fun to imagine what sort of writing still pays in this future) 4. he eventually is greeted by an android engineer of the Automated Civilization Authority (or some such) that gives him AI generated writing to be edited/analyzed for quality; his job is not yet automated due to AI not being able to write as well as bio-folk, so he would seemingly be helping the AI improve their automatic writing so he could graduate to Honorable Income. 5. second time through I processed how the author does not want automation, and jokes about it with the android engineer; he trembles in fear that the AI has maybe become good at writing, and weighs temptations of Honorable Income life aloud. 6. Love the Wolfeaen element of the Narrator being in/thinking up the story he's writing that he starts at the end and how the title etc.... not sure of terminology for this literary trick (reflexive, circular, active-origination, 7th-wall-break, etc?) 7. I love the jab at automatic living, automated Honorable boring square people or whatever, and how the bohemian writer feels alienated, thinking sometimes he might be the last non-automated profession/person/thinker/etc. You can't be a good writer and just be Going to the Beach! (?)
2022-12-16 18:58:10 +0000 UTCDoesn't look like it (though the oldest issue was August 1974!). I'll keep my eyes open in case I have more of the pile in a box somewhere.
Chris Thompson
2022-08-31 17:31:58 +0000 UTC
