I have made lots of additions to my wish list after watching several of your videos, so maybe my family will get me some interesting books for my birthday.
Hi Steve, I'd like to thank you and Matt from Bookpilled for reawakening my love of SF. I'm currently rebuilding my Silverberg collection, though The Book of Skulls was never in danger of leaving my side. To paraphrase: They're going to have to prize it from my cold, dead hands. I went through an indeterminate phase with The Book of Skulls myself. Although I was an avid Bob fan by the time I saw BofS, having read The World Inside and Tower of Glass, I have no interest in Horror and so I demurred, reading around it. Finally, I remember thinking: "well it's Bob, so it should be interesting." Now if understatement generated gravity instead of mass, that would have created a black hole.
My pleasure! Matt and I are brothers in arms and we are in touch regularly, hopefully we'll meet and collab one day. I never went through an indeterminate phase with 'Skulls' in the sense that I didn't like it - I always loved it: it is its ambiguous genre status that really appeals to me. I went through my second Bob phase- my biggest one- around 21 years ago- and I find I'm falling back into his orbit again, what a man! Thanks for your comment.
Excellent! I’m also trying to talk more about Silverberg on my channel. Book of Skulls is in my top 3 for sure. I just love “Dying Inside” too much, that one to me remains Silverberg at his absolute pinnacle. But these two are definitely his best. The whirlwind of perspective changes in Book of Skulls works so well.
Cheers Tom - I think there's been so much emphasis on PKD (understandably) that people don't realise American New Wave SF in the 60s and 70s produced a number of geniuses- Silverberg, Malzberg, Disch.
PLEASE READ: I have today removed a comment here regarding this video as a regular viewer whom I respect greatly included massive spoilers in his text, which would simply ruin the book for anyone reading it for the first time. If that viewer would repost the gist of his comments sans spoilers, I'll happily respond as he made some excellent points I'd like to address.
The World Inside was my first Silverberg (Thank you Matt from Bookpilled!). I read it in 2 days, which I almost never do, and I was blown away. I loved that the morals and emotions of the characters are given to the reader "as is" and it's the readers responsibility to form their own opinion. Since then I've read Dying Inside, and as I watched this I opened up ebay to buy a copy of The Book of Skulls. I'm loving this channel! Really interesting to hear the opinions of someone who is clearly well read and knows his stuff. Your video "Science Fiction: Gatekeeping, Fandom, and Genre Stagnation" was incredible for me. So many interesting opinions I'd never heard before! Thank you so much for the great SF content! Btw, The world inside reminded me of the emotions I felt reading Ayn Rand's Anthem in high school. I haven't read anthem in over a decade, but they seem to both have that perspective of "a person feeling dissolution with society, yearning to escape, etc..." which, I think after reading The World Inside, is a perspective that's deeply interesting to me. Do you have any recommendations for more great books that touch on those themes? Thank you!!
From sparknotes... Dorian Gray "...Dorian. Lord Henry repeats the idea throughout the novel that interesting people cannot be good artists because artists must give their entire selves over to their work. He sees art as basically a different realm from life itself, suggesting that artists do not relate meaningfully to the world, having invested everything of themselves into their art."
Quite an homage, OB, to Silverberg. Your mention of the contribution of the Jewish authors in this genre (I hope I interpreted you correctly) and elsewhere is on-point, as I feel their positive effect on the greater body of literature is oft-overlooked. I can't imagine what our intellectual landscape would be like without them, and I don't ever want to find out. I wish I could contribute more to the specific discussion but, I feel I don't have the bandwidth! Another gem post, OB. Cheers.
I just finished this a few weeks back, and every Sliverberg I read just seems better than the last one. This one was interesting to me because there was no clear protagonist (in my opinion). All four of the characters were fairly unlikable (even despicable) in their own right but i do think there was redemption of sorts for a few of them..... As someone who only recently came over to SF from crime fiction (Richard Stark, John D Mcdonald) this had a very noir feel to it for me. Is it SF? Is it Noir? is it both? Silverberg just ticks all the boxes for me. Thanks for the great content as always.
Yes, it's amazing, right? As I believe crime fiction to be a subgenre (with subsets within that subgenre) of Realism, I think 'The Book of Skulls' rubs out the lines between Fantasy/SF implied by its premise and presents us with what may be simply Realism: perhaps its a parable on blind faith. The beauty is there are many interpretations, again because of what Bob witholds. 'In my father's house there are any mansions,' as The Bible enigmatically says. In Silverberg's house, there are many skulls, each reflecting facets of singular ideas...
Fascinating video, Stephen; I read The Book Of Skulls some months ago, and it still haunts my mind. I want to read it again. I see this book as akin to John Fowles' The Magus. In the end its indeterminacy and ambiguity, as well as Silverberg's mastery of prose, are what make it a masterpiece. I have to read more Silverberg to be able to determine which of his works is my favorite. The Book Of Skulls is up there definitely. So far I've read of his fiction Tower of Glass and A Time Of Changes, and currently finishing The Man In The Maze. I am also reading The Realm Of Prester John which is fascinating non-fiction and Other Spaces, Other Times, so I guess you can say that I am on a Silverberg binge. Cheers.
Yes, there is something more than akin to 'The Magus'- a book which I've heard described as a 'Godgame'. But where Conchis is the "God" (or is he?" ) in Fowles' book, maybe the only God in 'Skulls' is Silverberg. Love all the titles you cite and funnily enough, I acquired the Prester John book around three days ago....thanks Daniel, your kind of taste and rationalism and insight is what I need right now.
It's relentless pace, glittering sharpness of character and stunning climax for me make it one of the most entertaining and intellectually stimulating books I've ever read- and in a super-accessible package. Silverberg manages with eloquence what Don DeLilio so often gets wrong (compare any of his rich powerful life or death books from the 1960s to something bloated and pretentious like 'ZeroK'). That said, I've read eight DeLillo novels and loved four, loathed the rest.
@@outlawbookselleroriginal I went into it completely cold as well, had no idea what I was letting myself in for, had never read Silverberg before then. Countless years later it still stands as one of the most unique books I've read.
These was a weird one for me. I loved the premise, I didn't particularly enjoy the execution. I read it in one sitting, I have thought about it a lot but I have strangely come to the conclusion that I didn't enjoy it. I think I found the 4 characters internal monologues a bit samey and dull despite the attempt to capture different perspectives. It probably sounds a bit daft to say I didn't enjoy a book I read in one sitting and have thought about for days. 😂. I don't regret reading it at all, I will def read more Silverberg and would recommend it to others. Really enjoying the SF journey you are taking us all on. Cheers.
I think something to say here, Barrie, is that they are all young men, so are still developing and going through analagous experiences, despite their differences: all are self-obsessed and subjective and arrogant in their own ways, but are self-obsessed, subjective and arrogant about different things. I see the elements of confirmation or explanation in the story that are missing (the ones that make it impossible to say what its genre is) as partially metaphoric as the steps they must make toward adulthood and a kind of symbolic immortality. I also think Silverberg is coming down into the 'is the intellectual better than the physical type?' question that clearly divides the characters into two pairs with some affinity, but not a complete one. I;d say the fact you're still thinking about it might prompt a future re-read.....I also suspect it's worth relooking again in the light of other Silverbergs you may read. Thanks for your comment, as ever!
I seem to remember this is a great read - but don't remember much about it. I also had the SF Masterworks edition. Need to dig it out. Thanks for the reminder.
I very much enjoyed this. No one wants to be tainted 😂! Off topic, but what do think about AI in SF over the years? Has it been as unsettling as reality is turning out to be?
This is a MASSIVE topic, Wayne, so I'm afraid I'll have to address it another time. I'll have something to say about this when I do something on 'Neuromancer'. Sorry to let you down, but we'll get there...
Strange coincidence but I finished The Book of Skulls today on a long flight. This year I have been rediscovering Silverberg (a writer I first encountered about 45 years ago). The discussion over whether BoS is Science Fiction or something else might seem odd, but it is central to the reader's understanding of the novel. Much like the debate over Henry James' Turn of The Screw (ghost story or psychological thriller?).
It's a misconception that the point of Schroedinger's cat was to promote the idea of dead-and-alive. He came with this experiment to point out the absurdity of such viewpoint. But I understand what you wanted to say. My first Silverberg novel happened to be The Longest Way Home and it was slightly disappointing. This caused me to skip the rest of his works. I plan to explore his other books this year and it'll probably be Dying Inside or The Book of Skulls. A side question, what would be your preferable way of people buying your 100 Must-read books? Just any listing of new paperbacks on Amazon? Or maybe some specific shop? Cheap shipping to continental Europe would be nice.
'The Longest Way Home' is Silverberg redux, after he took his break from writing and he's never been the same since, but still produced good work- the period from 1967 to 1974 is key, focus on that- check out my Silverberg playlist here. I have no idea of shipping etc, but the book is very small and portable- I make no royalities on used copies of course. I prefer people to buy a hard copy over an ebook - so Amazon is fine- but I am told the kindle formatting is dreadful. Not sure what the non-kindle ebook is like. Thanks!
I recently started reading The Man in the Maze. I love the flow of Silverberg’s writing. I transitioned to the Man in the Maze after giving up on Verner Vinge’s A Fire Upon the Deep. I hardly ever give up on a book but I’m afraid A Fire Upon the Deep will be a DNF for me. I tried. I really did but alas it just wasn’t for me. By the way, I picked up Harlan Ellison’s The Beast That Shouted Love at the Heart of the World. I am really enjoying it. It’s on the side table beside my comfy reading chair and I pick it up and enjoy an Ellison short story when the mood strikes. Thanks for the recommendations.
I think Vinge has good ideas, but as a writer he's horribly overrated- he is a scientist first and foremost rather than a literary figure- 'The Man in the Maze' is an underrated book whose stature is steadily growing. I always say by my four Bob books are 'Dying Inside', 'Skulls', 'Downward to the Earth' and 'A Time of Changes'. Basically, I have a big six these days, with 'Maze' and 'Tower of Glass' added. As for Ellison, a divisive figure- like me, I guess- but at his best impeccable.
This sounds really interesting, I need to add it to my TBR list! I've read Downward to the Earth and the short story collection Unfamiliar Territory, and I have to say Silverberg's creativity is truly astounding!
Would you believe, despite being obsessed by Silverberg's books since my teens (we're talking late 70s), I read The Book of Skulls for the first time last November... I go along with everything you say here, Steve - it is a superb novel that is difficult to categorise. Maybe there are better SF writers, in terms of literary prose, but Silverberg is possibly the only one I would point to as a bona fide genius.
Yes. I've been wavering for years between this, 'A Time of Changes' and 'Dying Inside', but I think now that 'Skulls', with its pedal-to-the-metal adrenochrome drive, represents all the Silverberg elements at their finest, but with a stunning ambiguity that we usually only find in the very best work of Priest. Good to hear from you, Rob.
Well, obviously it comes a long time before DB, but this is something more than a conspiracy thriller- as you say, in a good way- read it and let me know your thoughts, thanks!
Great video Steve and wonderful to hear you speak so eloquently about this book. It's time for a re-read as I don't think I've read it since you recommended it to me nearly 20 years ago. I shall dig out my copy - the very same paperback edition you are holding in this video!
Thanks Simon, good to hear from you mate, hope you three are all well over there- I have you to thank for getting me back into SF when we started working together: without finding your desire to get into the genre stimulating, I wouldn't have been engaged enough with it to write my first book, so I owe you one and then some. Hope to see you before too long. Much love.
@@outlawbookselleroriginal that's lovely to hear! I've still held on to most of my SF masterworks and whenever I dig one out I think of our time at the Waterstones at Bath Uni. Thanks for getting me into so many amazing writers, you were a truly inspiring boss and continue to be as a person and also with your work on this channel. Oh, I'm finally working on new music, I'll send you something soon!
@@hemmingsguitarsandstuff -Thanks for all those kind words mate. It was always a joy working with you too and would love some new music I could use, I love "Libraries of the Ancient World".
@@outlawbookselleroriginal cheers Steve, hoping to get a few more tunes together under the 'Libraries...' banner. I will send them all over as they come together.
I recently read the Book of Skulls after hearing it recommended so highly on your channel and really loved it. The characterization is just incredible. Would love to read more Silverberg, but am a bit paralysed by the amount of choice when confronted with his massive oeuvre. Any suggestions on what to try next after BoS?
Check out my other Silverberg videos- there is one from a month or so ago about 'Tower of Glass', in the Psychedelic SF one posted at the weekend just gone I cover 'A Time of Changes' (watch the lot of the vid, as context is key here), there's a video here about 'Dying Inside' in which I review it alongside Leigh Kennedy's similar and terribly neglected bit of brilliance 'The Journal of Nicholas The American'. There is, in fact a Robert Silverberg playlist here, find it and you're laughing...
Yes and No. I realise that's a perverse-sounding answer, but the climax of the book is a question begged by the plot description which is pasted all over every edition in the blurb. I don't tell you what happens at the end in the review, just outline the scenario based on the blurb which probably hundreds of thousands of readers have read before opening the book- which makes you think 'Wow! I wonder what happens at the end...' straight away. Instead, I discuss the book's fascinating genre status and to a degree why I feel everyone should read it, because I believe it is impossible to genre-define it.
Read this book. Brilliantly written and slightly raw in its evocation of emotional realism. Leaves you thinking for ages.
Yes, brilliant: I love its abrasive, raw quality.
I’ve read The Book of Skulls a few few times over many years. It’s a fantastic novel. I like endings that are ambiguous or indeterminate. 
They are the BEST endings, like the ones in real life, where nothing ever really ends...
I have made lots of additions to my wish list after watching several of your videos, so maybe my family will get me some interesting books for my birthday.
ha ha, I have gone down the same road... the family in my home believe we ave enough books to last three lifetimes now..
Hi Steve, I'd like to thank you and Matt from Bookpilled for reawakening my love of SF. I'm currently rebuilding my Silverberg collection, though The Book of Skulls was never in danger of leaving my side. To paraphrase: They're going to have to prize it from my cold, dead hands.
I went through an indeterminate phase with The Book of Skulls myself. Although I was an avid Bob fan by the time I saw BofS, having read The World Inside and Tower of Glass, I have no interest in Horror and so I demurred, reading around it. Finally, I remember thinking: "well it's Bob, so it should be interesting." Now if understatement generated gravity instead of mass, that would have created a black hole.
My pleasure! Matt and I are brothers in arms and we are in touch regularly, hopefully we'll meet and collab one day.
I never went through an indeterminate phase with 'Skulls' in the sense that I didn't like it - I always loved it: it is its ambiguous genre status that really appeals to me. I went through my second Bob phase- my biggest one- around 21 years ago- and I find I'm falling back into his orbit again, what a man! Thanks for your comment.
Excellent! I’m also trying to talk more about Silverberg on my channel. Book of Skulls is in my top 3 for sure. I just love “Dying Inside” too much, that one to me remains Silverberg at his absolute pinnacle. But these two are definitely his best. The whirlwind of perspective changes in Book of Skulls works so well.
Cheers Tom - I think there's been so much emphasis on PKD (understandably) that people don't realise American New Wave SF in the 60s and 70s produced a number of geniuses- Silverberg, Malzberg, Disch.
Silverberg is such a powerhouse; with him you get both quality and quantity. Nightwings will always be my favorite. Thank you for your insights.
PLEASE READ: I have today removed a comment here regarding this video as a regular viewer whom I respect greatly included massive spoilers in his text, which would simply ruin the book for anyone reading it for the first time.
If that viewer would repost the gist of his comments sans spoilers, I'll happily respond as he made some excellent points I'd like to address.
The World Inside was my first Silverberg (Thank you Matt from Bookpilled!).
I read it in 2 days, which I almost never do, and I was blown away. I loved that the morals and emotions of the characters are given to the reader "as is" and it's the readers responsibility to form their own opinion.
Since then I've read Dying Inside, and as I watched this I opened up ebay to buy a copy of The Book of Skulls.
I'm loving this channel!
Really interesting to hear the opinions of someone who is clearly well read and knows his stuff.
Your video "Science Fiction: Gatekeeping, Fandom, and Genre Stagnation" was incredible for me.
So many interesting opinions I'd never heard before!
Thank you so much for the great SF content!
Btw, The world inside reminded me of the emotions I felt reading Ayn Rand's Anthem in high school. I haven't read anthem in over a decade, but they seem to both have that perspective of "a person feeling dissolution with society, yearning to escape, etc..." which, I think after reading The World Inside, is a perspective that's deeply interesting to me.
Do you have any recommendations for more great books that touch on those themes?
Thank you!!
Let me know what you think of it when you've read the book.
From sparknotes... Dorian Gray
"...Dorian. Lord Henry repeats the idea throughout the novel that interesting people cannot be good artists because artists must give their entire selves over to their work. He sees art as basically a different realm from life itself, suggesting that artists do not relate meaningfully to the world, having invested everything of themselves into their art."
Quite an homage, OB, to Silverberg. Your mention of the contribution of the Jewish authors in this genre (I hope I interpreted you correctly) and elsewhere is on-point, as I feel their positive effect on the greater body of literature is oft-overlooked. I can't imagine what our intellectual landscape would be like without them, and I don't ever want to find out. I wish I could contribute more to the specific discussion but, I feel I don't have the bandwidth! Another gem post, OB. Cheers.
Yes, I'm very enamoured of Jewish SF writers- they've made a massive contribution to the field.
One of the books that changed my mindset as a kid. A real mind blast.
Yes, it shifts the paradigm like no other book, genius.
I just finished this a few weeks back, and every Sliverberg I read just seems better than the last one. This one was interesting to me because there was no clear protagonist (in my opinion). All four of the characters were fairly unlikable (even despicable) in their own right but i do think there was redemption of sorts for a few of them..... As someone who only recently came over to SF from crime fiction (Richard Stark, John D Mcdonald) this had a very noir feel to it for me. Is it SF? Is it Noir? is it both? Silverberg just ticks all the boxes for me. Thanks for the great content as always.
Yes, it's amazing, right? As I believe crime fiction to be a subgenre (with subsets within that subgenre) of Realism, I think 'The Book of Skulls' rubs out the lines between Fantasy/SF implied by its premise and presents us with what may be simply Realism: perhaps its a parable on blind faith. The beauty is there are many interpretations, again because of what Bob witholds. 'In my father's house there are any mansions,' as The Bible enigmatically says. In Silverberg's house, there are many skulls, each reflecting facets of singular ideas...
Fascinating video, Stephen; I read The Book Of Skulls some months ago, and it still haunts my mind. I want to read it again. I see this book as akin to John Fowles' The Magus. In the end its indeterminacy and ambiguity, as well as Silverberg's mastery of prose, are what make it a masterpiece. I have to read more Silverberg to be able to determine which of his works is my favorite. The Book Of Skulls is up there definitely. So far I've read of his fiction Tower of Glass and A Time Of Changes, and currently finishing The Man In The Maze. I am also reading The Realm Of Prester John which is fascinating non-fiction and Other Spaces, Other Times, so I guess you can say that I am on a Silverberg binge. Cheers.
Yes, there is something more than akin to 'The Magus'- a book which I've heard described as a 'Godgame'. But where Conchis is the "God" (or is he?" ) in Fowles' book, maybe the only God in 'Skulls' is Silverberg. Love all the titles you cite and funnily enough, I acquired the Prester John book around three days ago....thanks Daniel, your kind of taste and rationalism and insight is what I need right now.
The movie adaptation of The Magus is the best adaptation I've ever seen. Fowles wrote the screenplay.
I first encountered this in my teens. I got it from Crediton Library in that Gollancz hardcover, was quite an experience.
It's relentless pace, glittering sharpness of character and stunning climax for me make it one of the most entertaining and intellectually stimulating books I've ever read- and in a super-accessible package. Silverberg manages with eloquence what Don DeLilio so often gets wrong (compare any of his rich powerful life or death books from the 1960s to something bloated and pretentious like 'ZeroK'). That said, I've read eight DeLillo novels and loved four, loathed the rest.
@@outlawbookselleroriginal I went into it completely cold as well, had no idea what I was letting myself in for, had never read Silverberg before then. Countless years later it still stands as one of the most unique books I've read.
These was a weird one for me. I loved the premise, I didn't particularly enjoy the execution. I read it in one sitting, I have thought about it a lot but I have strangely come to the conclusion that I didn't enjoy it. I think I found the 4 characters internal monologues a bit samey and dull despite the attempt to capture different perspectives. It probably sounds a bit daft to say I didn't enjoy a book I read in one sitting and have thought about for days. 😂. I don't regret reading it at all, I will def read more Silverberg and would recommend it to others.
Really enjoying the SF journey you are taking us all on. Cheers.
I think something to say here, Barrie, is that they are all young men, so are still developing and going through analagous experiences, despite their differences: all are self-obsessed and subjective and arrogant in their own ways, but are self-obsessed, subjective and arrogant about different things. I see the elements of confirmation or explanation in the story that are missing (the ones that make it impossible to say what its genre is) as partially metaphoric as the steps they must make toward adulthood and a kind of symbolic immortality. I also think Silverberg is coming down into the 'is the intellectual better than the physical type?' question that clearly divides the characters into two pairs with some affinity, but not a complete one. I;d say the fact you're still thinking about it might prompt a future re-read.....I also suspect it's worth relooking again in the light of other Silverbergs you may read. Thanks for your comment, as ever!
I've bought a copy for my dad, my girlfriend; all you have to do is tell people the premise, and they'll want to read it.
I cannot compare The Book of Skulls with any other of Silverberg's work but found it enjoyable to read.
Glad to hear it!
I seem to remember this is a great read - but don't remember much about it. I also had the SF Masterworks edition. Need to dig it out. Thanks for the reminder.
I very much enjoyed this. No one wants to be tainted 😂! Off topic, but what do think about AI in SF over the years? Has it been as unsettling as reality is turning out to be?
This is a MASSIVE topic, Wayne, so I'm afraid I'll have to address it another time. I'll have something to say about this when I do something on 'Neuromancer'. Sorry to let you down, but we'll get there...
GREAT question, Wayne. If anyone can encapsulate it comprehensively, my money is on OB in a future post or series of posts. :) Cheers.
Strange coincidence but I finished The Book of Skulls today on a long flight. This year I have been rediscovering Silverberg (a writer I first encountered about 45 years ago). The discussion over whether BoS is Science Fiction or something else might seem odd, but it is central to the reader's understanding of the novel. Much like the debate over Henry James' Turn of The Screw (ghost story or psychological thriller?).
Absolutely. If this is my fave Silverberg- and I'm still not sure- it is this intentional ambiguity that makes it so for me.
It's a misconception that the point of Schroedinger's cat was to promote the idea of dead-and-alive. He came with this experiment to point out the absurdity of such viewpoint. But I understand what you wanted to say.
My first Silverberg novel happened to be The Longest Way Home and it was slightly disappointing. This caused me to skip the rest of his works. I plan to explore his other books this year and it'll probably be Dying Inside or The Book of Skulls.
A side question, what would be your preferable way of people buying your 100 Must-read books? Just any listing of new paperbacks on Amazon? Or maybe some specific shop? Cheap shipping to continental Europe would be nice.
'The Longest Way Home' is Silverberg redux, after he took his break from writing and he's never been the same since, but still produced good work- the period from 1967 to 1974 is key, focus on that- check out my Silverberg playlist here.
I have no idea of shipping etc, but the book is very small and portable- I make no royalities on used copies of course. I prefer people to buy a hard copy over an ebook - so Amazon is fine- but I am told the kindle formatting is dreadful. Not sure what the non-kindle ebook is like. Thanks!
I recently started reading The Man in the Maze. I love the flow of Silverberg’s writing. I transitioned to the Man in the Maze after giving up on Verner Vinge’s A Fire Upon the Deep. I hardly ever give up on a book but I’m afraid A Fire Upon the Deep will be a DNF for me. I tried. I really did but alas it just wasn’t for me. By the way, I picked up Harlan Ellison’s The Beast That Shouted Love at the Heart of the World. I am really enjoying it. It’s on the side table beside my comfy reading chair and I pick it up and enjoy an Ellison short story when the mood strikes. Thanks for the recommendations.
I think Vinge has good ideas, but as a writer he's horribly overrated- he is a scientist first and foremost rather than a literary figure- 'The Man in the Maze' is an underrated book whose stature is steadily growing. I always say by my four Bob books are 'Dying Inside', 'Skulls', 'Downward to the Earth' and 'A Time of Changes'. Basically, I have a big six these days, with 'Maze' and 'Tower of Glass' added. As for Ellison, a divisive figure- like me, I guess- but at his best impeccable.
Will look out for this. I’m intrigued.
It's an important book and a very entertaining one, easy to read too.
This sounds really interesting, I need to add it to my TBR list! I've read Downward to the Earth and the short story collection Unfamiliar Territory, and I have to say Silverberg's creativity is truly astounding!
I've recently reacquired Unfamiliar Territory myself. I'm so looking forward to reading it again.
He is World Class, should be as famous as PKD, I think.
Nice!
Would you believe, despite being obsessed by Silverberg's books since my teens (we're talking late 70s), I read The Book of Skulls for the first time last November... I go along with everything you say here, Steve - it is a superb novel that is difficult to categorise. Maybe there are better SF writers, in terms of literary prose, but Silverberg is possibly the only one I would point to as a bona fide genius.
I think his understated prose is excellent at its best- I think I talk about this in my clip on 'Tower of Glass'. He's just the man.
Great book. I read it last year.
My favorite Silverberg novel, and I think his best.
Yes. I've been wavering for years between this, 'A Time of Changes' and 'Dying Inside', but I think now that 'Skulls', with its pedal-to-the-metal adrenochrome drive, represents all the Silverberg elements at their finest, but with a stunning ambiguity that we usually only find in the very best work of Priest. Good to hear from you, Rob.
Ha, yes this is the vid i watched that got me to buy skulls. cheers!
Sounds almost Dan Brown-like (and I mean that in a good way)
Dan Brown may be a storyteller of sorts, but Silverberg is a writer.
Well, obviously it comes a long time before DB, but this is something more than a conspiracy thriller- as you say, in a good way- read it and let me know your thoughts, thanks!
Great video Steve and wonderful to hear you speak so eloquently about this book. It's time for a re-read as I don't think I've read it since you recommended it to me nearly 20 years ago. I shall dig out my copy - the very same paperback edition you are holding in this video!
Thanks Simon, good to hear from you mate, hope you three are all well over there- I have you to thank for getting me back into SF when we started working together: without finding your desire to get into the genre stimulating, I wouldn't have been engaged enough with it to write my first book, so I owe you one and then some. Hope to see you before too long. Much love.
@@outlawbookselleroriginal that's lovely to hear! I've still held on to most of my SF masterworks and whenever I dig one out I think of our time at the Waterstones at Bath Uni. Thanks for getting me into so many amazing writers, you were a truly inspiring boss and continue to be as a person and also with your work on this channel. Oh, I'm finally working on new music, I'll send you something soon!
@@hemmingsguitarsandstuff -Thanks for all those kind words mate. It was always a joy working with you too and would love some new music I could use, I love "Libraries of the Ancient World".
@@outlawbookselleroriginal cheers Steve, hoping to get a few more tunes together under the 'Libraries...' banner. I will send them all over as they come together.
I recently read the Book of Skulls after hearing it recommended so highly on your channel and really loved it. The characterization is just incredible. Would love to read more Silverberg, but am a bit paralysed by the amount of choice when confronted with his massive oeuvre. Any suggestions on what to try next after BoS?
Downward to The Earth, Dying Inside, A Time of Changes
Check out my other Silverberg videos- there is one from a month or so ago about 'Tower of Glass', in the Psychedelic SF one posted at the weekend just gone I cover 'A Time of Changes' (watch the lot of the vid, as context is key here), there's a video here about 'Dying Inside' in which I review it alongside Leigh Kennedy's similar and terribly neglected bit of brilliance 'The Journal of Nicholas The American'. There is, in fact a Robert Silverberg playlist here, find it and you're laughing...
Spot on Chris...
@Outlaw Bookseller Ah yes, I remember watching the Tower of Glass video and being intrigued. Right, it's on the to-read-list!
Is this a spoiler free review?
Yes and No. I realise that's a perverse-sounding answer, but the climax of the book is a question begged by the plot description which is pasted all over every edition in the blurb. I don't tell you what happens at the end in the review, just outline the scenario based on the blurb which probably hundreds of thousands of readers have read before opening the book- which makes you think 'Wow! I wonder what happens at the end...' straight away. Instead, I discuss the book's fascinating genre status and to a degree why I feel everyone should read it, because I believe it is impossible to genre-define it.
OK thanks, I'll give it a listen but it is on my 'want to read' list.
@@markkavanagh7377 -It is sublime, you must read it, Mark!