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From: JAROCHA-ERNST@RU-BLUE.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Comments on Colin Wilson
Message-ID: <2643@topaz.ARPA>
Date: Wed, 10-Jul-85 10:42:58 EDT
Article-I.D.: topaz.2643
Posted: Wed Jul 10 10:42:58 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 12-Jul-85 03:03:42 EDT
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Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
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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).  However, he's also very intelligent.  "Philosopher" is as
good a term as any.

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.

Wilson's literary and philosophical concerns have been, ever since THE
OUTSIDER, his 1st book, was published in 1955, those aspects of human
existence that set apart some people from the mainstream of human society.
There's a theme that should be familiar to SF-LOVERS everywhere.  Wilson
concentrates on topics that the mass of society finds "lurid" or
"sensational", most notably, sex, violence, and magic.  His non-fiction
and fiction alike have been attempts to explain why those topics appeal
to some and not to others.  His THE OCCULT is generally considered to be an 
important work about the nature of magic and magicians (i.e., sorcerers).
He considers himself "a novelist of ideas".

Of the three works Mark mentioned, I would agree that THE SPACE VAMPIRES
is the weakest.  If the title (and that of MP) is "lurid", well, that's
part of what he's talking about, isn't it?  I was very surprised to learn
someone had tried to turn this into a film.  As Mark said, the book's
strong point is its ideas, not its plot.  

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

Mark, I'd be interested to know what 48 books came ahead of MIND PARASITES
in your local SF group's discussion, and why.  I consider the book to be one 
of the most important (and enjoyable) I've ever read; I usually reread it 
every few years -- doesn't take more than an evening or two of concentrated
reading.  I originally picked it up because of my interest in Lovecraft.
While he plays fast-and-loose with the Cthulhu Mythos, he certainly uses
it in interesting ways.  And, Mark, if you like stories where magic is
revealed to be unexplained science, you should look up "The Return of the
Lloigor" in TALES OF THE CTHULHU MYTHOS.  Again, it plays fast-and-loose,
but Derleth thought it good enough to include in that collection (even if
it does "reinterpret" one of his own Mythos additions, Lloigor), and it
is in some sense a forerunner of MIND PARASITES.  (While I also enjoyed
PHILOSOPHER'S STONE, it can't be considered a true Mythos story -- it plays
TOO fast-and-loose.)

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.

Chris
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