he concept, format and execution of this singularly focused book is straightforward yet rich in possibilities. Michael Swanwick, himself an award-winning author, sits down with his friend of three decades, Gardner Dozois, best known to most readers as Hugo-conquering editor of Asimov's Magazine, and discusses Dozois' parallel yet obscured career as a writer of fiction. Starting with Dozois' first publication—the never-reprinted "The Empty Man" from Worlds of If in 1966—Swanwick questions his friend about some four dozen stories and two novels, eliciting memories, theories and anecdotes about their composition, impact and meaning. This dialogue is smoothly presented in easy-to-read question-and-answer format, with short interspersed bits of text from each story. And Dozois's oeuvre is examined in strict order of composition, although of course backward and forward references occur during the talk.
What results from this simplistic yet rigorous scheme is akin to what results from the equally simplistic rules applied to the creation of artificial-life organisms. We get deep insights into Dozois' writerly habits, education and development. We are privileged to see dissections of finished stories—as well as some false starts and revisions—that reveal just how good fiction is assembled. We get quasi-autobiographies of both the author and interviewer, as well as some close associates such as Jack Dann, with whom Dozois frequently collaborated. And we chart the ups and downs of SF publishing, its trends and maturation from the heady days of the New Wave through cyberpunk and beyond.
An average of two or three pages of text is devoted to most stories, although pivotal ones—such as "Chains of the Sea," "The City of God" and "Strangers"—receive a proportionately greater share of attention. A third speaker, Dozois' wife, Susan Casper, also pops up when the topic is her two collaborations with her husband, "The Clowns" and "Send No Money."
The writer fans don't see
What could have all too easily under lesser hands become a tedious vanity project has instead blossomed into an essential, captivating, authentically human text, one that will appeal to a large audience. Longtime writers, budding writers and any reader with more than a cursory stake in the SF field will find much matter here for thought and reflection.
What makes this potentially snoresome project a winner? The lion's share of credit goes to the sheer personalities and dedication of the interviewer and interviewee. Both Swanwick and Dozois approach this dialogue with humor, humility, pride and affection. They treat Dozois' stories with just the right mix of respect and irreverence. Dozois is not hesitant to label his early work "pretentious" and claim that it hardly influenced the course of Western civilization—or even the SF field. But on the other hand, this was his craft, this was how he chose to spend his energies and vision, and he is rightfully proud of the high points of his career. Swanwick too—for he appears both as MC and as co-conspirator with Dozois on many stories—exhibits a clear-eyed view of the whole story-writing process, its glory and also its crazy, debilitating aspects.
Most of all, the long friendship between the two men is palpable, and insures that the questions drive immediately to the point, instead of being the half-informed, half-formed irrelevancies perpetrated by many interviewers. Swanwick tirelessly holds Dozois' feet to the fire to elicit the symbolism of his stories, and he formulates a general list of tropes and tricks which Dozois likes to employ, allowing us to appreciate the patterns that span Dozois' career. Also, while the text has undoubtedly been edited to eliminate all the common hesitations and cul-de-sacs of speech, it retains a naturalistic flavor that allows us to eavesdrop with pleasure. Finally, Michael Walsh of Old Earth Books deserves his share of plaudits for bringing such a non-commercial book into print.
The only thing to do upon putting this volume down is to turn to NESFA Press' Strange Days, a giant compilation of Dozois' fiction issued in honor of his appearance as guest of honor at this year's Worldcon. Typical of NESFA Press's generous painstakingness, this book is a fine tribute. Here you'll find more essays by various hands about Dozois and his work, as well as many of the stories discussed above. They span the years 1973 to 1999, include many of the collaborations with Swanwick and Dann and Casper, and prove that all the thought and attention and love devoted to Dozois' writing was not misplaced.
