Larry McCaffery

Most of these interviews are dryly academic, as McCaffrey tries to relate this diverse group of SF authors into (or out of) the recently acceptable literary schools (mainly post modernism). There is some action–Bruce Sterling for most of his interview, Thomas Disch on certain other authors–and McCaffrey doesn’t always stay with the academic format, but most of the pages are such snoozers. In every interview there is the inevitable “who are you reading” and “who are your influences” questions, which are interview cliches, but still prove to illuminate something about each author, if only “how” they answer these interminable questions. I enjoyed the Sterling, Gene Wolfe, Samuel Delany, and Octavia Butler interviews the most. Gregory Benford was an incredible bore, and William S. Burroughs walks all over the feigning McCaffrey.… (more)