The fifth issue of my webzine Flurb goes online today.
Once again, FLURB squeezes the rubber chicken of SF to produce the golden egg of ART!
This issue features a Beat SF story of mine in the form of letters from William Burroughs in Tangiers, excerpts of John Shirley’s lost cyberpunk novel Black Glass, Terry Bisson’s hilarious anti-mundane story “Captain Ordinary,” a Lovecraftian novella by Lavie Tidhar, a mystic travel guide to Upstate New York by Thom Metzger, and amazing pieces by new SF writers Alex Hardison, Brendan Byrne, and Nathaniel Hellerstein.
If you have comments on the issue, please add them to this post. Pleasant comments are especially appreciated, as we do this for no money and only in hopes of making the world a more interesting place, groping for beauty in the dark.
PS, First day out (March 31, 2008) we got boinged and io9ed, with 3,000 visitors.
I added one last tale, a short ghost story by Richard Kadrey, on April 1.
It’s spelled every possible way in the story (Tangier Tangiers Tanger Tangers)…as if part of the point is that there are variants…not just the one Tangier but many Tangiers…many routines…
That’s right, Marc, I did in fact spell Tangier every possible way in the story. Burroughs himself did this in his letters, spelling it all those ways. I chose “Tangiers Routines” for the title because that seemed to look better than “Tangier Routines.”
hi great site 10x
Nathaniel - -
I just read your story/email from “You Know Who” and absolutely loved it.
Awesome work, and congratulations on having your first sci-fi story published
by The Web. Happy little helpers to have.
– shaun
I guess I’d better bow to Rudy’s better knowledge of what’s in Burroughs’ letters so sorry if I annoyed.
I first went to Tangier in 1951 and have been back many many times, though never staying more than a few weeks at a time. Unfortunately I never met Burroughs there, though I did meet up with Paul Bowles. I loved the place back in the fifties and sixties. I was there a couple of years ago and though it has changed a lot in the European part of the city I still found the old town delightful. I usually stay around the Petit Socco and in the old Continental.
But I have never seen or heard anyone there refer to the pace as Tangiers. I guess I’m just quirky about it. Some sense of “personal possession” of the place that an oldtimer like me can get!
I do like your site though Rudy - best regards, Victor
Hey, Victor, thanks for the further info. By now, you’ve just about convinced me to change the title of the piece to “Tangier Routines”. I wish I could go there too some time.
I’ve never been there but I imagine there are many Tangiers reflected off many different people’s eyes who have been there, and in that respect - (despite my laptop’s spell check siding clearly with Victor - it adamantly underscores ‘Tangiers’ in a firm line of red pixels) - Rudy’s pluralization works rather beautifully, suggesting to me shades of Calvino’s Invisible Cities.
We are all explorers of cities that are constantly being lost to some while others are still to discover yet another aspect of their sprawl, for themselves. my 2c.
re cathedrals I liked it so to offer a petty suggestion
the “kids” should maybe catcall
“meat-man meat-man shit-to-live-to-eat-man”
or something such instead
cause catcalls rhyme
only to help ok bye
y’okay flurbists. …
John Shirley, 1st time here but I got to say, after reading cyberpunk since “Mirrorshades” kindly passed to me whilst in-carcerated in juvenile Y.O.I., by a friend, back in 1990/91 in the U.K., I think all the comments given above real relevant, as are your replies-reply’s. The ‘ rent a wife - user programming ‘ description so relevant now/here and at your story’s future I was transfixed. I’ll read again and am looking towards Rudy’s Routines also as not read his yet. By the way, has anybody read 1956 novel by J. B. Priestley called Low Notes on a High Level ? about a character named Dobbs. …
Truly Best Wishes All of You
To Nate Hellerstein: We were lab partners in NN High School Chemistry class. Remember, “The Mole is Coming!!!” You were a generous friend, (i got to copy your lab reports) a big nerd with a pocket protector, who also carried a Texas Instruments pocket calculator strapped to your belt like a six-shooter. We shared many lunches in the cafeteria and I always enjoyed your sharp intellect. It was you who got me to go to the chess club which i enjoyed. I am glad to hear you are living life on the west coast.