Another great author has left us.
I swear, there was a time in the 70's where you couldn't approach a shelf of new titles without seeing at least three new Malzberg books there. The man was prolific as hell – and more often than not, said books were worth your time.Barry N Malzberg is best known for three particular novels. each one essential for any serious serious student of SF.
One of Malzberg's obsessions was the mental health of astronauts, of people who spent far too much time traveling through space and what it might do to them psychologically – and BEYOND APOLLO is his definitive statement on that matter. That was his breakthrough novel, the one that got him noticed. It's a bit of a tough read, to be honest, but well thought-out and exceedingly original for its time.
HEROVIT'S WORLD was an extremely cynical parody of SF writers and fandom. It is brutal and yet darkly comedic. It was the first book by Malzberg I ever read and I was mesmerized by how flawlessly he could depict clinical depression [if not an outright nervous breakdown] on the page. It was probably the first book I ever read that made me wonder if the author was okay and needed a hug.
But it was GALAXIES that was his magnum opus. It's not so much of a novel as it was "a series of notes towards one" that took place in the 40th century – an era so remote from our own that there was no possible way to convey it properly through our own 20th century perspective. GALAXIES was more like an essay that broke down how to write 'hard SF' but also dared ask the question 'why would you want to?' It is a work of sheer genius. If you don't read anything else by the man, you should at least read this.
I'm also partial to his best book of short stories [there were many] called OUT FROM GANYMEDE – which is a great introduction as to if you can handle his unique & singular style of prose or not.
Malzberg was unique. There was nobody like him [although Joseph Heller comes close] and although most don't realize it, we just lost one of the most individualistic and intelligent voices in the medium.
by kiyote76