Comments on: Friday, August 14: Bandersnatches

By: frank paccassi

frank paccassi — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:50:50 +0000

Would anyone out there cxare to see an
‘index’ for Fredric Brown along with scans of the original magazine covers where his stories appeared? No charge.

available at paccassi@candw.lc

By: JLW

JLW — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 02:13:13 +0000

Melville’s use is one of those listed in the OED.

By: Rob Lopresti

Rob Lopresti — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 01:39:13 +0000

“Bally-hoo of blazes” appears in chapter 76 of Melville’s OMOO, published 1850. The context is nautical. An American writer but an Irish sailor speaking. The version I have splits the line after bally so I don’t know if the hyphen is intended or not.

Not as old as James’ finds, alas. Maybe I’ll tell you how I found it.

By: Jeff Baker

Jeff Baker — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 23:53:23 +0000

Good a place as any to mention the fine NESFA Press and their 2000 collection of Brown’s complete Science-Fiction “From These Ashes.” It includes some mysteries and stories that blurr the lines between genres. (I loooooove “Nightmare In Yellow.”) The collection “Homicide Sanitarium” collected some of Brown’s stories from the detective pulps. (1984, Dennis McMillan Publications)This includes the wonky locked-room mystery cum horror story “The Spherical Ghoul.”
I’ll close with this, of my own devising:
“Knock-knock!”
“Who’s there?”
“Fredric Brown”
Silence….

By: John Floyd

John Floyd — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 22:29:30 +0000

Count me in, too, as one of Brown’s devoted fans. Novels and short stories as well.

By: Martin Edwards

Martin Edwards — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 20:31:27 +0000

I haven’t read The Dead Ringer, but I too am a fan of Brown’s writing. Very clever, both in novels such as The Screaming Mimi and short stories like Don’t Look Behind You.

By: Steve Steinbock

Steve Steinbock — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 17:41:53 +0000

Just as I surmised. Many of the explanations of the origins of “ballyhoo” are a bunch of bally-hooey.