The Rediscovery of Man by Cordwainer Smith

First of all Cordwainer Smith is a pseudonym Paul Myron Anthony Linebarger used for his science fiction work. He has a few more depending on his work. Now I’m not one to go for any kinda of fiction that easily since my thinking is why not read something where I’ll also learn something at the same time. But after Nick described this book and especially the mind-blowing descriptions… I had to find out for myself.

Boy was I blown away! The way Cordwainer uses descriptions are so original and astounding you have to read them again. My favourite examples – When describing telepaths navigating space he said something like the stars being the pimples in the telepathic mind. Another one: Doleres Oh sighed a dry, ugly sigh, like the crackling of sub-zero winds through frozen twigs. Describing music: Silly, bony words given flesh and blood and entrails by the music which carries them. It’s random but connected! I’m hoping Nick will add some more of his favorites under this post ;o) What a way to paint a picture for our imagination.

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The book started with a timeline and a long fascinating history of the author (wars, languages, countries… he’s been around and know lots). The timeline is a guide for the coming short stories. They all lead into, but are not dependant on, each other. And I dare you to start the first story and not be hooked. Even after reading the book it’s so clear even though we’re missing a few 1000 years between the stories. I’ll tell you one thing… it’s the first book I’ve fallen deeply in love with. I admit it, I was lost in a world of creatures, morbid technology, melancholic happiness… basically it was like life we live here but with different mentalities, rules and lifestyles. I mean people called scanners turned into killing robots, ships with sails million times larger than the planet, travelling space for 40 years when it just seems like months, using telepathic powers to shoot ships in space and the ships have cats that are helping people kill dragons, the planet where a cow-man harvests body parts grown on criminals for the rest of the … Universe. And at the same time these are historical revolutions to change how ‘man’ lives. Instead of death theres cryogenics… hell one story even brought back death and troubles so people we not miserably happy.

I might as well transcribe the book if I’m gonna go on like this. Smith’s writing has the ability to pick you up and put you in the characters shoes, pull you out again and do it for every character involved. So you see the world through so many eyes, you understand their feelings and history. I didn’t understand the relevance of a couple of stories to the ‘rediscovery’ but I was still so ensnared I had to pace myself or I’d finish the book too soon (The cover explained my confusion about one of the stories anyway). And even though all the stories have a sadness you’re not too emotionally moved. There are songs lyrics in the book, poetry, rhymes, historic notes. This man has created a complete world! I think the sadness helps you connect more with the people when they have some kind of emotion between them. Some of his sentences are not grammatically incorrect or misspelt or otherwise but you still get the gist of what is happening… in fact you get a better idea just from the bad english. This guy is so deliberate you want to get in his mind! A definite recommendation man. Superstar big up to Nick for hooking me up.

Contents
– Timeline
– Introduction: Cordwainer Smith – The Shaper of Myths by J. J. Pierce
– Scanners Live in Vain
– The Lady Who Sailed the Soul
– The Game of Rat and Dragon
– The Burning of the Brain
– The Crime and the Glory of Commander Suzdal
– Golden the Ship was – Oh! Oh! Oh!
– The Dead Lady of Clown Town
– Under Old Earth
– Mother Hitton’s Littul Kittons
– Alpha Ralpha Boulevard
– The Ballad of Lost C’mell
– A Planet NAmed Shayol