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From: leeper@mtgzz.UUCP (m.r.leeper)
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: Comments on Colin Wilson
Message-ID: <936@mtgzz.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 16-Jul-85 23:16:16 EDT
Article-I.D.: mtgzz.936
Posted: Tue Jul 16 23:16:16 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 18-Jul-85 05:18:20 EDT
References: <2643@topaz.ARPA>
Organization: AT&T Information Systems Labs, Middletown NJ
Lines: 67


 >From: Chris Jarocha-Ernst 
 >
 >I suppose I'm one of the "avid fans" of Colin Wilson's works
 >that Mark Leeper mentioned.  While I like his work, I don't
 >think he's the greatest  thing since indoor plumbing or
 >whatever.  He has his flaws: he's  opinionated, sexist,
 >elitist (or, at least, he comes across that way in his
 >books). 

That covers my opinion.

 >So, a few corrections from someone who (thinks he) knows
 >better:
 >
 >Wilson and August Derleth weren't friends until AFTER Wilson
 >wrote THE MIND PARASITES.  Mark was right about the
 >"Outsider"/OUTSIDER connection.  Wilson wrote a book (THE
 >STRENGTH TO DREAM: LITERATURE AND THE IMAGINATION), in one
 >chapter of which he took Lovecraft to task for HPL's own
 >literary failings.  Derleth read this and then asked Wilson
 >if he thought he could do a  better job with the Cthulhu
 >Mythos.  Wilson responded with THE MIND PARASITES, which
 >Derleth's Arkham House published.

That is my bad memory again.  You are right.  I went back to the intro
to MIND PARASITES and discovered I had combined the host and the
challenger into a single person.  Sorry.

 >
 >BTW, when was Kirlian photography discredited?  On what
 >grounds?

Don't quote me.  My memory got me into trouble once already this
article, but I think that I heard the effect had something to do with
moisture or water vapor.  In any case, the effects should be easily
reproducible and hence could studied in the laboratory and I think we
would have heard if there really was anything to this sort of spirit
photography.

 >
 >Mark, I'd be interested to know what 48 books came ahead of
 >MIND PARASITES in your local SF group's discussion, and why.

Well, the list is, I think, lost at this point, but it was many from
the list of most popular that showed up recently on the net.

 >I consider the book to be one  of the most important 
 
Interesting word.  Why "important?"
 
 >(and enjoyable) I've ever read; 
 
I certainly agree with enjoyable.  Though few enough seem to agree with
me.
 
 >
 >I cannot recommend Wilson to many (those "specialized
 >tastes", I guess).  Certainly, those readers who prefer
 >outright escapism or books sans self- critical protagonists
 >won't like him.  But if you like sex, violence, magic, AND
 >intelligent philosophy, give him a try.

Well said.

				Mark Leeper
				...ihnp4!mtgzz!leeper