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Great Science-Fiction & Fantasy Works
Science-fiction & fantasy literature: a critical list with discussions.
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This is a brief discussion of Stella Benson and, of course, of some speculative-fiction books by Benson.
This discussion and list does not necessarily include every book by Benson: 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 Benson tells, how those tales are usually told, and what makes them and Benson worthy; in sum, to help you rank Stella Benson (and the works by Benson listed here) on your personal literary “to do” list.
A Few Words About Stella Benson
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.
Even in her time, Stella Benson tended to be somewhat overlooked, though at her death one reviewer classed her as one of the four great female writers of the century (up to 1933), on a par with Virginia Woolf (with whom she was personally acquainted) and well ahead of Willa Cather. Sic transit gloria mundis. There are today only two decent articles on her: “Unearthing Stella Benson” (at The Imaginary Museum); and Benson, Stella at the ever-useful Encyclopedia of Svience Fiction. There are a few other scanty pages with no information beyond what is in the cited pages, and not even any competent reviews of her best-known (or best-surviving today) work, Living Alone. About all else worth seeing is on the page The Diaries of Stella Benson, which is just some comments on and some brief extracts from her extensive travel diaries (said to be wonderful reading themselves, though now apparently impossible to find for sale).
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