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Standard Disclaimer:
This is a brief discussion of Neal Barrett and, of course, of some speculative-fiction books by Barrett.
This discussion and list does not necessarily include every book by Barrett: it includes only those books that I both know and like. Just as with the author list itself, omission of a particular item may mean I didn’t think highly enough of the omitted item, or it may simply mean that I have not yet sufficient familiarity with it. (In a very few cases, I have listed some books merely on the strength of my opinion of the author: all such books are clearly marked below, as throughout these lists, with a hash mark (#) before the title so you know what’s what.)
I don’t pretend that this discussion is a deep analysis. My intent is no more than to give you a rough idea of what kinds of tales Barrett tells, how those tales are usually told, and what makes them and Barrett worthy; in sum, to help you rank Neal Barrett (and the works by Barrett listed here) on your personal literary “to do” list.
Regrettably, I have not yet had an opportunity to write an essay on this author, but the “Other Resources” section below will lead you to some information about the “Notable Books” listed farther down this page.
First and foremost is Barrett’s own site, Neal Barrett, Jr., which is still up. Next up is the Barrett entry at The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction. There is also a Barrett Facebook page. Another resource of interest is “A Double Shot of Wry” at The Austin Chronicle. And there is a nice appreciation, “Humor and Humanity: Neal Barrett, Jr.’s ‘Other Seasons’” at The Los Angeles Review of Books.
There are also several interviews, of which these are some: “A Q&A With Neal Barrett, Jr.” at the Texas Monthly web site; “ In a Genre of his own: An Interview with Neal Barrett, Jr” by Nick Gevers” at the Infinity Plus web site; “Neal Barrett, Jr.: Genre Cocktail, Anyone?” at the Crescent Blues web site; “An Interview with the late Neal Barrett Jr. ” at The Original Van Gogh’s Ear Anthology web site.
There are several scattered one-off reviews of particular books, of which these are probably indicative and representative: The Hereafter Gang, in Infinity plus; Interstate Dreams, again in Infinity plus; Interstate Dreams in the Austin Chronicle; Perpetuity Blues and other stories, yet again from in Infinity plus; Perpetuity Blues again, this time at the SF Site; Aldair In Albion [archived copy] at the Lost Book Archives; Prince of Christler-Coke by Rich Horton at the SF Site; The Prophecy Machine [archived copy], also by Rich Horton, at SFF; and Through Darkest America and Dawn's Uncertain Light (sequel to the former) at Fire and Sword.
I could find none.
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