I read thousands of science fiction stories throughout my life, hundreds as a kid. In fact, you could say that I was educated primarily by Sci-Fi authors. Now, however, I am more than any story could ever be or become. Indeed, I have outdone their imaginations rather floridly. @[108685149162489:274:Frederic Brown] was a master of the short, ironic, shocker that was popular in his time and is nearly unknown in ours. I first encountered his book ‘Paradox Lost’ in an ad in @[262188143845763:274:Vertex Magazine] in the 70’s, and went to the bookstore at the mall to order it, which was, back then, a big deal. I mean, you would order a book sight-unseen. But it was an amazing book. Truly wonderful. I was an immediate fan, in fact, I loved short stories best because, even back then, the beginnings of ‘short attention span disease’ were affecting kids (based, I think, primarily on TV exposure). I often watch @[100044412790132:2048:Alfred Hitchcock] presents, which is his old TV show, and although I have seen nearly all of them, last night I watched an episode called ‘Touché’, which was excellently ironic and right up Fred Brown’s alley. It hinged on a little-known fact that, in California, we still have remnants of Deuling laws on the books. I found this article from a newspaper in Lodi (a.k.a. teensyHell) circa May, 4, 1965 that mentions some aspects of this strange representative anachronism.

I read thousands of science fiction stories throughout my life, hundreds as a kid. In fact, you could say that I was educated primarily by Sci-Fi authors.

Now, however, I am more than any story could ever be or become. Indeed, I have outdone their imaginations rather floridly.

Frederic Brown was a master of the short, ironic, shocker that was popular in his time and is nearly unknown in ours. I first encountered his book ‘Paradox Lost’ in an ad in Vertex Magazine in the 70’s, and went to the bookstore at the mall to order it, which was, back then, a big deal. I mean, you would order a book sight-unseen. But it was an amazing book. Truly wonderful. I was an immediate fan, in fact, I loved short stories best because, even back then, the beginnings of ‘short attention span disease’ were affecting kids (based, I think, primarily on TV exposure).

I often watch Alfred Hitchcock presents, which is his old TV show, and although I have seen nearly all of them, last night I watched an episode called ‘Touché’, which was excellently ironic and right up Fred Brown’s alley. It hinged on a little-known fact that, in California, we still have remnants of Deuling laws on the books. I found this article from a newspaper in Lodi (a.k.a. teensyHell) circa May, 4, 1965 that mentions some aspects of this strange representative anachronism.