Of Solids and Surds

Notes for Noël Sturgeon, Marilyn Hacker, Josh Lukin, Mia Wolff, Bill Stribling, and Bob White (The Why I Write Series, Book 4)

By: Samuel R. Delany

Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki, Gabrielle de Cuir

In the fourth volume in the Why I Write series, the iconic Samuel Delany remembers 50 years of writing and shaping the world of speculative fiction.

Science fiction dwells mostly in the realm of possibility, where mysteries proliferate nevertheless, meaning is never static, and “time and history have convinced us that things are not as they seem”. So, too, does all language, argues Samuel Delany, in his vigorous justification for the writing life.

Chronicling his struggle with dyslexia, the evolution of his gay and Black identity during the AIDS crisis, and his experiences and relationships through five decades as a writer of fiction and nonfiction, Delany is a longtime observer of language’s inner workings. For Delany, the reasons to write are inextricably linked with the habits of reading. Like the number of galaxies in the multiverse, the possibilities are endless, but in the last analysis, we write to discover our own worlds in the worlds of others - and to promote an illusion of their sharing.

©2021 Samuel R. Delany (P)2021 Blackstone Publishing

This is a fine audiobook

This is a fine audiobook even if you aren't a Samuel Delany fan. This is a volume in a series about why certain famous writers write. "Why do I write?" is the overarching question he answers throughout the book. You don't need to know anything about him or his work to enjoy this little conversational book about his life-time writing process. Throughout the interview he tells stories about his life to provide concrete examples of what he is talking about. Without exception the entire book is interesting and pleasant. But, if you are a Delany fan you are going to love it. Stefan Rudnicki, the reading talent is the same person who reads Delany's fiction and does an excellent job. I don't know what Delany's voice sounds like. But this reader's performances has become Delany's voice for me.