Just found this blog -- way cool!

For me, like Sonya, the winner is "The Lady Who Sailed the Soul." I love so many stories (and C'mell is a longtime fave character) but "Soul" is the one that really haunts me, for the beauty of its concepts and language. "Mention him and others know her; mention her and they knew him . . ." Sheer perfection of meaning and meter. :D

The Lady Who Sailed the Soul.
I loved them all and devoured my father's collection. But that one stands out to me as a very delicate, multifaceted love story. The mother speaking to her daughter, the mother and the spielter, Helen America and Mr. Grey-no-more, the daughter and the spielter, the old and the young generations, the past and the present and the future. It's so simple and realistic, no matter how "otherworldly" the details are. Your father managed to include so much love in his writing.

Norstrilia is widely available, and at a very good discount if you get a used copy. My page on Norstrilia on my main website has links for several ways to get it: see

http://www.cordwainer-smith.com/norstrilia.htm

Oops, sorry. I meant that I can't find it.

I admire them all. But what can I do to read Norstrilia?

Phil, my answer to such questions is almost always, "I dunno." Maybe someone else will have more insight.

My favourite story is "DRUNK BOAT" because it's seems to me it's a real and fantastic adventure happended to the scientifical branch of the US NAVY in 1943 !!
you can easily verify it readind ' Philadelphia Experiment ' by Ch. Berlitz and Moore; the movie is not so interesting.

In second i would place "Scanners Live in Vain" because also it's probably a true story WHERE Paul Myron Linebarger was involved ( !!??!...°); there is question of a planified murder ..of a rebell genius. Who could be Adam Stone for exemple ?? Have you any idea ??
we need more contributions to make all that clearer !

See you again; i will appreciate answers !

Phil

My favorite has always been "On the Storm Planet," which creates a world and characters of almost unbelievable depth and complexity in the space of 20,000 words or so. I remember staying up all night to read it (on a school night!) and finishing it just as the morning light was seeping in through my window; it haunted me the rest of the day, after I'd dragged myself to school. The Vergil Finlay illustrations (in the original GALAXY publication) were great too, particularly the one of T'ruth.

There are so many others that are great, though--"Mother Hittons Littul Kittons," "Alpha Ralpha Boulevard," "A Planet Named Shayol," "The Dead Lady of Clown Town," and a dozen others.

Ok, today, I'd pick Mother Hitton's Littul Kittens. Possibly as I'm more partial to the Norstrilia link, perhaps.

I have to agree with Steve...one favorite? But, if forced, it probably would be "Scanners Live in Vain", as that was the first I read (in the first volume of the wonderful SF Hall of Fame series). Even with that one story (and it was several years before I found more, with the Ballantine Books edition of the "Best of..."), I could tell that there was a wonderfully complex universe behind the tales.

That's one of the things I like best about his stuff (along with the colorful life and career, etc.): each story was filled with hints about the universe behind it, they did not only exist in a vacuum.

Hmmm...do I feel a re-read of the canon coming on?

Favorite? Impossible.

Every single story is an absolutely unique, overpowering, fantastical ride.

My favorite character is C'Mell, followed by Rod (if I had his money I'd probably spend it all for a stamp too).

Great update of the site, btw, and I'm much looking forward to the tales and insites you can personally add.