The Best of R. A. Lafferty

 

The Best of R. A. Lafferty by R. A. Lafferty (2019 Gollancz paperback 448pp)

 

R. A. Lafferty (1914 – 2002) was something of a writer’s writer, many in the field of speculative fiction list him as an inspiration and guide. He started writing in his forties and never really made it as a household name during his lifetime. I personally only really heard about him when he died and there was a little more publicity a few years ago when this collection of short stories was first published. I’ve never knowingly read anything by him before picking this book up. Everyone calls him a master of the short story form and this volume contains 22 examples of his short pieces.

Each story is proceeded by a little introduction from a luminary in the SF field, some of them written for this volume and some being lifted from previous collections. I gave up reading these intros a few stories in as they tended to give away plot details and surprises before you had even started the story.

Although most of the stories have a science fiction setting or facade and mix in SF tropes, in reality they are mainly old-fashion ‘tall tales’ with morals to tell and lessons to teach. Repeated themes include Native American traditions, magic vs science and the downfall/humiliation of self-proclaimed experts. Colonialization and the impact of ‘first contact’ are also a frequent topic. He reuses characters or at least certain character names between stories so it’s often easy to tell who he’d like us once again to hold in scorn.

I enjoyed some of the shorter, more surreal stories in this book and found some of the longer ones outlived their welcome once a certain point had been made. The ever-present feeling of whimsy and wackiness also started to grate against me half-way through the selection of stories and I found it was a much better experience to just dip in and out of the book reading one or two stories at a time.

There is a certain magic to many of these stories that stays with you for a long time after you finish reading them. Some are a welcome short, sharp mind-bender whilst others just meander and suddenly stop. I enjoyed the majority of what’s contained in this collection although I felt some went over my head after I was all whimsy-ed out. Most of the stories are only 15-20 pages long so if one doesn’t spark a reaction with you the next is never far away.

Now I know what the Lafferty fuss was all about.