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  • (ReacTor) Five Superb SFF Fix-Up Novels

    From James Nicoll@3:633/280.2 to All on Fri Apr 19 02:09:51 2024
    Five Superb SFF Fix-Up Novels

    A celebration of the SFFnal tradition of transforming short works into
    more commercially viable novels.

    https://reactormag.com/five-superb-sff-fix-up-novels/
    --
    My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
    My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/
    My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
    My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll

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  • From Robert Woodward@3:633/280.2 to All on Fri Apr 19 02:42:10 2024
    In article <uvrgkf$h0v$1@reader1.panix.com>,
    jdnicoll@panix.com (James Nicoll) wrote:

    Five Superb SFF Fix-Up Novels

    A celebration of the SFFnal tradition of transforming short works into
    more commercially viable novels.

    https://reactormag.com/five-superb-sff-fix-up-novels/

    I have read four of them (and several short stories that ended up in _Accelerando_).

    --
    "We have advanced to new and surprising levels of bafflement."
    Imperial Auditor Miles Vorkosigan describes progress in _Komarr_. ‹-----------------------------------------------------
    Robert Woodward robertaw@drizzle.com

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  • From Lynn McGuire@3:633/280.2 to All on Fri Apr 19 05:33:55 2024
    On 4/18/2024 11:09 AM, James Nicoll wrote:
    Five Superb SFF Fix-Up Novels

    A celebration of the SFFnal tradition of transforming short works into
    more commercially viable novels.

    https://reactormag.com/five-superb-sff-fix-up-novels/

    "A Canticle For Leibowitz" is pretty good, I have not read the other four.

    I would add "Ender's Game" to this list.

    Lynn


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  • From James Nicoll@3:633/280.2 to All on Fri Apr 19 08:04:31 2024
    In article <uvrsj3$2e3pk$1@dont-email.me>,
    Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:
    On 4/18/2024 11:09 AM, James Nicoll wrote:
    Five Superb SFF Fix-Up Novels

    A celebration of the SFFnal tradition of transforming short works into
    more commercially viable novels.

    https://reactormag.com/five-superb-sff-fix-up-novels/

    "A Canticle For Leibowitz" is pretty good, I have not read the other four.

    I would add "Ender's Game" to this list.

    That's not a fixup. That's an expansion of a single short work into a
    novel, like Flowers for Algernon or Second Game. I cannot offhand
    think of an example where the novel was as good as the novella, although
    I suppose there must be at least one.
    --
    My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
    My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/
    My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
    My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll

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    * Origin: PANIX -- Public Access Networks Corp. (3:633/280.2@fidonet)
  • From William Hyde@3:633/280.2 to All on Fri Apr 19 08:15:27 2024
    James Nicoll wrote:
    In article <uvrsj3$2e3pk$1@dont-email.me>,
    Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:
    On 4/18/2024 11:09 AM, James Nicoll wrote:
    Five Superb SFF Fix-Up Novels

    A celebration of the SFFnal tradition of transforming short works into
    more commercially viable novels.

    https://reactormag.com/five-superb-sff-fix-up-novels/

    "A Canticle For Leibowitz" is pretty good, I have not read the other four. >>
    I would add "Ender's Game" to this list.

    That's not a fixup. That's an expansion of a single short work into a
    novel, like Flowers for Algernon or Second Game. I cannot offhand
    think of an example where the novel was as good as the novella, although
    I suppose there must be at least one.


    I think a case could be made that Dickson's "Soldier, Ask Not" novel is
    as good as the novella. I don't think so myself, but I am glad the
    novel was written.

    William Hyde

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    * Origin: A noiseless patient Spider (3:633/280.2@fidonet)
  • From Tony Nance@3:633/280.2 to All on Fri Apr 19 08:37:33 2024
    On 4/18/24 6:04 PM, James Nicoll wrote:
    In article <uvrsj3$2e3pk$1@dont-email.me>,
    Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:
    On 4/18/2024 11:09 AM, James Nicoll wrote:
    Five Superb SFF Fix-Up Novels

    A celebration of the SFFnal tradition of transforming short works into
    more commercially viable novels.

    https://reactormag.com/five-superb-sff-fix-up-novels/

    "A Canticle For Leibowitz" is pretty good, I have not read the other four. >>
    I would add "Ender's Game" to this list.

    That's not a fixup. That's an expansion of a single short work into a
    novel, like Flowers for Algernon or Second Game. I cannot offhand
    think of an example where the novel was as good as the novella, although
    I suppose there must be at least one.

    Maybe...
    Budrys - Michaelmas and Rogue Moon
    McIntyre - Dreamsnake (unless Dreamsnake is a fix-up?)
    de Camp - Lest Darkness Fall (though I admit I'm less familiar with the shorter version)


    Tony

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    * Origin: A noiseless patient Spider (3:633/280.2@fidonet)
  • From Chris Buckley@3:633/280.2 to All on Fri Apr 19 11:01:15 2024
    On 2024-04-18, James Nicoll <jdnicoll@panix.com> wrote:
    In article <uvrsj3$2e3pk$1@dont-email.me>,
    Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:
    On 4/18/2024 11:09 AM, James Nicoll wrote:
    Five Superb SFF Fix-Up Novels

    A celebration of the SFFnal tradition of transforming short works into
    more commercially viable novels.

    https://reactormag.com/five-superb-sff-fix-up-novels/

    "A Canticle For Leibowitz" is pretty good, I have not read the other four.

    I would add "Ender's Game" to this list.

    That's not a fixup. That's an expansion of a single short work into a
    novel, like Flowers for Algernon or Second Game. I cannot offhand
    think of an example where the novel was as good as the novella, although
    I suppose there must be at least one.

    Depending on your definitions, _Startide Rising_ as an expansion of
    "The Tides of Kithrup". From what I can gather, the longer work was always envisioned with much of it written, but the novella/novelette was
    published two years earlier.

    Again depending on your definitions, there's several Ace doubles that
    were improved when they got expanded later, IMO. You've been reading Brunner;
    I think several of his improved.

    Chris

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  • From Michael F. Stemper@3:633/280.2 to All on Wed Apr 24 23:07:18 2024
    On 18/04/2024 11.09, James Nicoll wrote:
    Five Superb SFF Fix-Up Novels

    A celebration of the SFFnal tradition of transforming short works into
    more commercially viable novels.

    https://reactormag.com/five-superb-sff-fix-up-novels/

    I was glad to see the Nourse, which was my first encounter with fix-ups,
    and for which I've always had a soft spot in my heart.

    Another example is _Masters of the Vortex_ (a/k/a _The Vortex Blaster_). <http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?1203>

    --
    Michael F. Stemper
    There's no "me" in "team". There's no "us" in "team", either.


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    * Origin: A noiseless patient Spider (3:633/280.2@fidonet)
  • From Tony Nance@3:633/280.2 to All on Thu Apr 25 05:24:48 2024
    On 4/24/24 9:07 AM, Michael F. Stemper wrote:
    On 18/04/2024 11.09, James Nicoll wrote:
    Five Superb SFF Fix-Up Novels

    A celebration of the SFFnal tradition of transforming short works into
    more commercially viable novels.

    https://reactormag.com/five-superb-sff-fix-up-novels/

    I was glad to see the Nourse, which was my first encounter with fix-ups,
    and for which I've always had a soft spot in my heart.

    Another example is _Masters of the Vortex_ (a/k/a _The Vortex Blaster_). <http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?1203>


    I forgot about that one!

    While we're on the topic, is Triplanetary a fix-up?
    - Tony


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    * Origin: A noiseless patient Spider (3:633/280.2@fidonet)
  • From Michael F. Stemper@3:633/280.2 to All on Thu Apr 25 05:43:25 2024
    On 24/04/2024 14.24, Tony Nance wrote:
    On 4/24/24 9:07 AM, Michael F. Stemper wrote:
    On 18/04/2024 11.09, James Nicoll wrote:
    Five Superb SFF Fix-Up Novels

    A celebration of the SFFnal tradition of transforming short works into
    more commercially viable novels.

    https://reactormag.com/five-superb-sff-fix-up-novels/

    I was glad to see the Nourse, which was my first encounter with fix-ups,
    and for which I've always had a soft spot in my heart.

    Another example is _Masters of the Vortex_ (a/k/a _The Vortex Blaster_).
    <http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?1203>


    I forgot about that one!

    While we're on the topic, is Triplanetary a fix-up?

    Not really.

    The original novel, or maybe novella, was heavily revised to make it fit
    into the Lensman universe. The "Dawn" and "The World War" sections were
    written specifically to accompany the revised version.


    --
    Michael F. Stemper
    Nostalgia just ain't what it used to be.


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