I read this story sometime in the 70's I think, in my early teens. It was part of an anthology somewhere and didn't come with illustrations. I was quite perturbed coming across this illustration in Gutenberg, it didn't match my mind's eye concept of Gzann at all.
I don't think I've read any other Evelyn E. Smith, I wonder if there's any more out there.
I do have Laughing Space, but I had read it much earlier. My late Dad frequented many second hand bookstores, and got a lot of yellowing paperback anthologies, but I'm dashed if I could tell you which one it was in. Unless I'm completely misremembering.
Gotta say the Saturn bit makes this more a comedy of manners than SF: even in the pulpier, planetary-romance-retaining 1930s, Saturn having an earth-like environment was a bit of a stretch[1].
I recall being a bit taken at the notion of moth-antennaed teddy bears from space (this was before the Hoka series ruined that for all time :) )and imagined the unseen enemy the aliens in the "V" series were fighting were philosophical teddy bears (if not from Saturn).
I'm also familiar with that cover, again I'm not sure from where. Interestingly, the hair dressing robots look far more practical than the standard for robots at the time. And those shoes look terrifyingly contemporary. I'm I'm not quite sure why that guy is looking at his wrist though.
I feel like I saw it in an article about retrofuture ideas about beauty salons, and a Google image search found a Pinterest - whatever they're called (link? page? worthless dead end?) - with keywords mentioning the retro-futurism LJ.
That cover periodically pops up on social media, it's a fave of people who like to celebrate kicky pulp-era aesthetic. So it's entirely possible you saw it lately with no particular context attached.
Back when I was still teaching a wristwatch was essential to stay on track; phone use during class was forbidden. Is the phone ban still in effect for undergrads these days?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
james_davis_nicoll) wrote2020-08-25 09:23 am
no subject
I read this story sometime in the 70's I think, in my early teens. It was part of an anthology somewhere and didn't come with illustrations. I was quite perturbed coming across this illustration in Gutenberg, it didn't match my mind's eye concept of Gzann at all.
I don't think I've read any other Evelyn E. Smith, I wonder if there's any more out there.
no subject
Could it have been this 1982 collection? http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?328711
That's where I encountered it.
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
I recall being a bit taken at the notion of moth-antennaed teddy bears from space (this was before the Hoka series ruined that for all time :) )and imagined the unseen enemy the aliens in the "V" series were fighting were philosophical teddy bears (if not from Saturn).
[1] http://www.frankwu.com/Paul-102.html
no subject
no subject
or
http://www.isfdb.org/wiki/images/3/3b/THTHRDGLXR1960.jpg
no subject
no subject
(Anonymous) 2020-08-25 03:31 pm (UTC)(link)no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
Are you making a joke about the death of the wristwatch? There are various mockable things going on there.
no subject
no subject
no subject
no subject
I assume that the guy looking at his watch is based on the trope of "we're running late, and my wife is taking forever to get ready for the party".
no subject
More E.E. Smiths who are/were SF authors?
no subject