The best of Cordwainer Smith
by Paul Myron Anthony Linebarger · first published 1975
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2023–2024first – last mentioned
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…though. I wouldn't even call them ahead of their time, I would call them sui generis. Completely idiosyncratic. One brilliant weirdo's brain. I keep spare copies of The Instrumentality of Mankind and The Best of Cordwainer Smith around, and a couple months ago somebody asked me about them. I hesitated before lending them to him, because it's impossible to guess whether a given person will like them or not.
on “Throngs of Himself: On Paul Linebarger, a.k.a. Cordwainer Smith (2018)” ↗In his introduction to the book, The Best of Cordwainer Smith, J J Pierce recounts a story about Linebarger: "While in Korea, Linebarger masterminded the surrender of thousands of Chinese troops who considered it shameful to give up their arms. He drafted leaflets…
on “A science fiction obsession led me to psychological war” ↗