Comments on: SFFWRTCHT: SF Grand Master Robert Silverberg on The Majipoor Re-releases, Writing and More (Plus: Cover Reveals!)

By: Bryan Thomas Schmidt

Bryan Thomas Schmidt — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 14:56:24 +0000

Iorq, George RR Martin doesn’t blurb just anyone. And it’s called marketing. And I prefer these to Song of Ice and Fire any day.

By: lorq

lorq — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 00:28:55 +0000

Certainly going for the “Game of Thrones” look with those Majipoor re-releases. Blurb from George R. R. Martin and everything.

By: Bryan Thomas Schmidt

Bryan Thomas Schmidt — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 17:23:01 +0000

Valentine was the same for me. It opened my eyes to authors beyond Tolkien. I was amazed by Majipoor and how detailed Silverberg was. And I’ve waited to do this interview for thirty years.

By: redhead

redhead — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 15:24:48 +0000

Thank you so much for this! Silverberg’s Lord Valentine was one of the first books that originally got me into reading fantasy. He’s one of those authors that I will read anything he writes, in a heartbeat. Even the pulp.

By: Bryan Thomas Schmidt

Bryan Thomas Schmidt — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 23:40:53 +0000

John, I told Silverberg my Majipoor story. I’ll tell you privately sometime. But suffice it to say Lord Valentine’s Castle opened my eyes to whole new worlds and possibilities. He mixes epic fantasy and science fiction in a way I’d never imagine and he brings to life a world like no one since Tolkien had done (at least to that point). You’ll really enjoy them. The second trilogy is stronger, in my opinion, than the latter two books of the first trilogy (in part because Chronicles is really a short story collection) but they are all fascinating reads and so well written. I mean, it is Silverberg. Thanks for reading.

By: John R. Fultz

John R. Fultz — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 21:58:22 +0000

Great interview, Bryan! I’m a HUGE fan of Silverberg’s work. My favorites are NIGHTWINGS, SON OF MAN, STAR OF GYPSIES, and TOM O’BEDLAM, plus every single one of his short story collections. Also, his WORLDS OF WONDER put me on the track to being a fantasy writer back in college–can’t recommend it highly enough. It’s the book where he takes several old-school classic sci-fi stories and analyzes them to see what makes them “tick.” I must admit, though, that the Majipoor series is the gaping hole in my Silverberg experience. I feel the need to remedy that by reading these books!!!

By: Bryan Thomas Schmidt

Bryan Thomas Schmidt — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:56:10 +0000

FYI, Silverberg has 70+ SFF titles but he’s used a lot of pseudonyms over the years and written nonfiction, mysteries, etc. A detective noir novella published in the pulps in 1959 is out in book form for the first time: “Blood On The Mink.” It also features two short stories and an essay about its origins from the author himself. A real find, out from Hard Case Crime at $9.95. Worth checking out for fans of Silverberg and both genres.

By: Slavianka Moundrova

Slavianka Moundrova — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:52:14 +0000

Thank you for sharing this interview! I an a Silverberg fan from Bulgaria and all similar news are very interesting for me.