alt.books.ghost-fiction

rbadac  (March 27, 1998)

['Smoke Ghost']

Anybody here notice the connection between Leiber's 'Smoke Ghost' and T.E.D. Klein's 'Nadelman's God'?  Both stories deal with the same essential subject, with Klein's adding the extra dimension of what might happen should someone actually WANT such an entity to come into being.

rbadac

oOo

 
 

William Allison  (March 28, 1998)

Now you've done it!  I'm going to have to dig out my copy of DARK GODS and re-read "Nadelman's God".  Oddly, I can remember "Petey", "Children of the Kingdom" and "Black Man with a Horn" vividly, but not "Nadleman".  I have  this same problem with Aickman, I love the stories but can't remember them.  But I can remember the horrid nightmares the stories induced...

Bill

oOo

 
 

Robert Suggs  (March 29, 1998)

Welcome.  Do we have to call you rbadac?  That's a pretty badac thing to do to us typists.  Are we wired now?  Does "hotmail" imply hot merchandise?  "Nadelman's God" was my favorite story in that book.  While I liked all the stories, I'm the only reader in North America that didn't clutch Dark Gods to my breast as one of the great works of modern lit.  I suppose it's like anything in which you hear all the hype before sampling it yourself.  But I thought "NG" was pretty brilliant on many levels, as a study of fame and groupies, literary pretensions, and a pretty allegorical beastie--constructed of all that garbage.  I'll have to think about how it compares to "Smoke Ghost," which I'm still due for a re-read.  You've got mail.
Rob oOo

 
 

Bill Barnett  (March 29, 1998)

rbadac wrote:
> Anybody here notice the connection between Leiber's 'Smoke Ghost' and T.E.D.
> Klein's 'Nadelman's God'? Both stories deal with the same essential subject,
> with Klein's adding the extra dimension of what might happen should someone
> actually WANT such an entity to come into being.

I'll buy that, cadbury... I mean, abracadabra... er,badac...  Anyway, yes, there's the common theme of the detritus of society congealing and achieving some bastard child of consciousness.  My own favorite bastard child of "Smoke Ghost" is Joe Lansdale's "The Dump".

Bill B.

oOo

 
 

Randy Money  (April 9, 1998)

Hi, folks.

I can't recall who mentioned having trouble with Dejanews, but the search engine is a bit difficult -- for instance, Smoke Ghost without the "Re:" and the single quotes didn't find anything.

Oh, well.  At least under the Power Search option they offer the chance to search by date.

When this note came across the list, I found my copy of _Dark Gods_ and read "Nadelman's God".  I hadn't read it before and was quite pleased to finally do so, and yes, I do believe it derives from "Smoke Ghost" and also somewhat less so from Theodore Sturgeon's, "It".  I was impressed with Klein's wealth of detail, and his quiet, sure pacing.  It seems to me that many writers rush to a conclusion, and he doesn't.  Instead, he lets the detail build until he finally arrives at his inevitable conclusion.

Good story.  Thanks for suggesting it, rbadac.

Now, to go dig out _Foundations of Fear_ and have at the Durrell ...

Randy Money

ooOoo