Comments on: Is Rod McBan a Stranger in a Strange Land? http://cordwainer-smith.com/blog/is-rod-mcban-a-stranger-in-a-strange-land.html About his science fiction and his life, run by his daughter Rosana Wed, 16 Jun 2010 08:58:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Trying To Catch Up While Running In Place (with IMPORTANT stuff) | The Crotchety Old Fan http://cordwainer-smith.com/blog/is-rod-mcban-a-stranger-in-a-strange-land.html/comment-page-1#comment-5593 Trying To Catch Up While Running In Place (with IMPORTANT stuff) | The Crotchety Old Fan Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:04:24 +0000 http://cordwainer-smith.com/blog/?p=134#comment-5593 [...] you might want to consider nominating me: there’s my contributions to the Cordwainer Smith blog, my contributions to several SFSignal Mind Melds (particularly apt example as the question [...] [...] you might want to consider nominating me: there’s my contributions to the Cordwainer Smith blog, my contributions to several SFSignal Mind Melds (particularly apt example as the question [...]

]]> By: steve davidson http://cordwainer-smith.com/blog/is-rod-mcban-a-stranger-in-a-strange-land.html/comment-page-1#comment-4257 steve davidson Sat, 12 Sep 2009 11:40:38 +0000 http://cordwainer-smith.com/blog/?p=134#comment-4257 I think what is really going on with Norstrillia is that Smith tapped into the 'UR' tale (in a unique and refreshing way), which makes us able to find close comparisons between his novel and many others. I was struck the other day by the closeness of many aspects of the Instrumentality (as a concept realized both through the novel and other stories) to Fritz Lang's Metropolis... I think what is really going on with Norstrillia is that Smith tapped into the ‘UR’ tale (in a unique and refreshing way), which makes us able to find close comparisons between his novel and many others.

I was struck the other day by the closeness of many aspects of the Instrumentality (as a concept realized both through the novel and other stories) to Fritz Lang’s Metropolis…

]]> By: Cordwainersdaughter http://cordwainer-smith.com/blog/is-rod-mcban-a-stranger-in-a-strange-land.html/comment-page-1#comment-4247 Cordwainersdaughter Fri, 11 Sep 2009 23:37:24 +0000 http://cordwainer-smith.com/blog/?p=134#comment-4247 Search dune in the search box for a lot more about this, granule. Search dune in the search box for a lot more about this, granule.

]]> By: Granule http://cordwainer-smith.com/blog/is-rod-mcban-a-stranger-in-a-strange-land.html/comment-page-1#comment-3812 Granule Fri, 21 Aug 2009 02:40:26 +0000 http://cordwainer-smith.com/blog/?p=134#comment-3812 Is it possible that Dune has taken ideas from C. Smith? Norstilia is like Dune, with 'stroon' which is like 'spice'. Of course Dune is also a planet with a monoploly on a necessary resource like the Arabian desert with oil as it's critical resource. I guess many have noticed that manshonyagger is similar to meshuggener (crazy fool). Anyway thank you for reading this and give us readers hints as to other leads to follow if you have time. Is it possible that Dune has taken ideas from C. Smith? Norstilia is like Dune, with ’stroon’ which is like ’spice’. Of course Dune is also a planet with a monoploly on a necessary resource like the Arabian desert with oil as it’s critical resource.

I guess many have noticed that manshonyagger is similar to meshuggener (crazy fool). Anyway thank you for reading this and give us readers hints as to other leads to follow if you have time.

]]> By: steve davidson http://cordwainer-smith.com/blog/is-rod-mcban-a-stranger-in-a-strange-land.html/comment-page-1#comment-2803 steve davidson Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:28:29 +0000 http://cordwainer-smith.com/blog/?p=134#comment-2803 I'd hardly call VMS's road the path to exemplary humanness - after all, he was stoned to death by the very society that defined that term. I don't think I made a case for them being interchangeable either in my piece; in fact, if (as the contention goes) The Planet Buyer WAS an "answer" to SIASL, Rod would more likely be the opposite of VMS or a foil to VMS. Neither is Rod just an "entertaining protagonist"; he grows to a man throughout the entire novel and the Heart's Desire shop scene is nothing if not metaphor for that entire journey. Indeed - significantly - once he has matured, he no longer needs Earth - just as VMS no longer needs corporate existence there. Both will be going on to manipulate and influence events on the homeworld, using arcane and mystical abilities, from a great distance... I’d hardly call VMS’s road the path to exemplary humanness – after all, he was stoned to death by the very society that defined that term.

I don’t think I made a case for them being interchangeable either in my piece; in fact, if (as the contention goes) The Planet Buyer WAS an “answer” to SIASL, Rod would more likely be the opposite of VMS or a foil to VMS.

Neither is Rod just an “entertaining protagonist”; he grows to a man throughout the entire novel and the Heart’s Desire shop scene is nothing if not metaphor for that entire journey.

Indeed – significantly – once he has matured, he no longer needs Earth – just as VMS no longer needs corporate existence there. Both will be going on to manipulate and influence events on the homeworld, using arcane and mystical abilities, from a great distance…

]]> By: Vance P. Frickey http://cordwainer-smith.com/blog/is-rod-mcban-a-stranger-in-a-strange-land.html/comment-page-1#comment-2797 Vance P. Frickey Thu, 25 Jun 2009 05:17:03 +0000 http://cordwainer-smith.com/blog/?p=134#comment-2797 I don't believe that Rod McBan and Valentine Michael Smith are interchangeable entities. Valentine Michael Smith is set up to be an exemplary person as he matures into Earthly adulthood; Rod McBan is simply an entertaining protagonist who is a fish out of water on Earth. You can look in vain for more than glancing parallels between the two characters or their adventures in Norstrilia versus Stranger in a Strange Land. No, the only thing the books have in common is that they are both fables in an science-fictional setting. And, of course, that they are both superlative works of fiction. I don’t believe that Rod McBan and Valentine Michael Smith are interchangeable entities. Valentine Michael Smith is set up to be an exemplary person as he matures into Earthly adulthood; Rod McBan is simply an entertaining protagonist who is a fish out of water on Earth. You can look in vain for more than glancing parallels between the two characters or their adventures in Norstrilia versus Stranger in a Strange Land.

No, the only thing the books have in common is that they are both fables in an science-fictional setting. And, of course, that they are both superlative works of fiction.

]]> By: Cordwainersdaughter http://cordwainer-smith.com/blog/is-rod-mcban-a-stranger-in-a-strange-land.html/comment-page-1#comment-2790 Cordwainersdaughter Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:26:09 +0000 http://cordwainer-smith.com/blog/?p=134#comment-2790 Thanks, Harry! Thanks, Harry!

]]> By: Harry H.-Buerkett http://cordwainer-smith.com/blog/is-rod-mcban-a-stranger-in-a-strange-land.html/comment-page-1#comment-2789 Harry H.-Buerkett Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:40:23 +0000 http://cordwainer-smith.com/blog/?p=134#comment-2789 Please Google "norstrilia and dune" or go to eFanzines.com and look up Bruce Gillespie's STEAM ENGINE TIME #5. My article "Of Haggis & Hagiography: The Uncanny provenance of Norstrilia and Dune" lays out a point-by-point concurrence of the plot structure, setting, and poetics including nearly identical dialogue of the two novels. Please Google “norstrilia and dune” or go to eFanzines.com and look up Bruce Gillespie’s STEAM ENGINE TIME #5.

My article “Of Haggis & Hagiography: The Uncanny provenance of Norstrilia and Dune” lays out a point-by-point concurrence of the plot structure, setting, and poetics including nearly identical dialogue of the two novels.

]]> By: Cordwainersdaughter http://cordwainer-smith.com/blog/is-rod-mcban-a-stranger-in-a-strange-land.html/comment-page-1#comment-1157 Cordwainersdaughter Thu, 05 Mar 2009 00:02:15 +0000 http://cordwainer-smith.com/blog/?p=134#comment-1157 OOPS! I was thinking Dune, not Stranger in a Strange Land! Rosana OOPS! I was thinking Dune, not Stranger in a Strange Land!

Rosana

]]> By: Cordwainersdaughter http://cordwainer-smith.com/blog/is-rod-mcban-a-stranger-in-a-strange-land.html/comment-page-1#comment-1101 Cordwainersdaughter Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:04:50 +0000 http://cordwainer-smith.com/blog/?p=134#comment-1101 There's an article in the blog from last summer about this same general topic that may interest some of you: http://cordwainer-smith.com/blog/norstrilia-and-dune.html In it, CS scholar Alan Elms comments that he doesn't think either work is a response to the other, and says why. There’s an article in the blog from last summer about this same general topic that may interest some of you:

http://cordwainer-smith.com/blog/norstrilia-and-dune.html

In it, CS scholar Alan Elms comments that he doesn’t think either work is a response to the other, and says why.

]]> By: New Post on the Cordwainer Smith Blog | The Crotchety Old Fan http://cordwainer-smith.com/blog/is-rod-mcban-a-stranger-in-a-strange-land.html/comment-page-1#comment-1099 New Post on the Cordwainer Smith Blog | The Crotchety Old Fan Wed, 25 Feb 2009 08:31:19 +0000 http://cordwainer-smith.com/blog/?p=134#comment-1099 [...] visit the Cordwainer Smith blog and check it [...] [...] visit the Cordwainer Smith blog and check it [...]

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