From: Peter Westlake <peter@harlequin.co.uk>
Subject: Re: (urth) Malacia
Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1999 09:55:12 +0100

At 12:01 1999-04-12 +0000, you wrote:
...
>< Aldiss told
>Charles Platt (in THE DREAM MAKERS) that he was planning a Malacia
>sequel; then Wolfe's Book appeared, and Aldiss did THE HELLICONIA
>TRILOGY instead, as if TBotNS had pre-empted his Malacia scheme, >
>
>Brian once told me that the book simply didn't sell well enough to justify
>the planned sequels.  I wept and tore my garment

A reasonable and considered response. I would do the same, but
it ought to wait till I leave the office, and you lose a lot of
the spontaneity that way. But I shall certainly wail and gnash
my teeth. And growl a lot.

>and swore that it was the
>finest book he'd ever written,

By a long way ...

>and urged him to put art above mere filthy
>lucre, but the man had a family and mansion to support and had to be
>realistic.  The (rather sluggish) coincidence with BOTNS was just that, I
>think.

Helliconia and later works ought to have lined the coffers somewhat.
I wonder if there might be room for a spot of art now or in the future?

SBear.

P.S. On the other paw, _The Malacia Tapestry_ is so good, we
wouldn't want him to spoil it.


*More Wolfe info & archive of this list at http://www.urth.net/urth/