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For those that don't know Cordwainer Smith (and maybe even some that only know him for his beautifully weird stories) in real life was Paul M. A. Linebarger, on
by huxley 11y ago
For those that don't know Cordwainer Smith (and maybe even some that only know him for his beautifully weird stories) in real life was Paul M. A. Linebarger, one of the pioneers of psychological warfare and wrote one of the classics in the field, "Psychological Warfare"(1948).
His father was a lawyer and activist that supported the 1911 Chinese Revolution, and had such strong connections with the revolution that Cordwainer Smith's god-father was Sun Yat-sen, the first Provisional President of the Republic of China (Jan-Mar 1912), then Premier of the Kuomintang of China (Oct 1919 - March 1925).
"As a Far East specialist [Linebarger] was involved in the formation of the Office of War Information and of the Operation Planning and Intelligence Board. He also helped organize the Army's first psychological warfare section." - John J. Pierce, Science Fiction critic/historian
- Nursie 11y agoCertainly an interesting chap, as he managed all that, and then in his spare time came up with quite a number of short stories (and one novel) set along a time-line he had mapped out several millenia into the future. The stories themselves tend to centre around events and people and only illustrate the larger/longer universe incidentally. I love it, personally, though it is all very weird and often quite funny (see "From Gustible's Planet").
- JoeAltmaier 11y agoHis complete works fit in one fat volume. I recommend Buy it. One of the finest collections ever written.
- Nursie 11y agoDoes said fat-volume usually contain the novel "Norstrilia" ? I had to buy that one separately. But yes, go buy it!