Carl G. Jung, Joseph L. Henderson, Aniela Jaffé, Jolande Jacobi and Marie-Louise von Franz, Man and His Symbols
1964 / Audiobook / 310 pages / Switzerland
***
I was sceptical about Jung's credibility after reading his frivolous synchronicity book, but this collaborative summary of his life's work on dream imagery and mythic archetypes all sounds reasonable, if stretched in the way literature fans appreciate. He could be right about religion being helpful – regardless of whether it's true – for helping people impose meaning on their lives and preventing civilisation at large from going nuts, but not everyone's brain works like that. Especially when we've just been reminded about the variety of mutually incompatible systems out there. Just pick one, I'm sure you'll get it right.
1967 / Ebook / 157 pages / USA
**
The more toxic of PKD's two collaborations, this is the most overlooked of his 60s work, with good reason. What could have been a classic if problematic SF civil rights allegory is derailed by B-movie farce, atypical pew-pew action scenes and requisite perviness. The authors seemed to enjoy it, but they were bad for each other.
1976 / Audiobook / 237 pages / USA
**
I was hoping this would be a light and quirky alternative to the duo's more heavygoing collaborations, but once we're past the good gag of a sceptical SF writer stubbornly trying to rationalise his paranormal experiences in terms he understands, the extended, cliquey homage begins and it's a wearying road.
William Gibson and Bruce Sterling, The Difference Engine
1990 / Audiobook / 383 pages / USA
****
When the pioneers of cyberpunk linked their beige '80s computers across the ocean to collaborate on a novel in green text, few would have expected the dot-matrix-printed result to be a vague Victorian alt-history mystery that would kick off another sub-genre for less imaginative people to ruin.
With every machine-punched detail and tidal ripple obsessed over, the authors introduce a vivid setting that they're too classy to dilute with sequels or satisfactory conclusions. This is the sort of thing I've tried to write before giving in to laziness and insecurity. Better to read the more competent things that already exist.
With every machine-punched detail and tidal ripple obsessed over, the authors introduce a vivid setting that they're too classy to dilute with sequels or satisfactory conclusions. This is the sort of thing I've tried to write before giving in to laziness and insecurity. Better to read the more competent things that already exist.
Doug Dorst and J. J. Abrams, S.
2013 / Ebook / 518 pages / USA
***
A (fictional) cryptic classic with (fictional) handwritten correspondence trying to crack the code and the deeper mysteries of love, this had the potential to be incredible if there was more substance to back up the style. Between the unconvincing 'classic' text with its unsubtle ciphers and the angsty kids who succeed in decoding it while getting tangled up in their own convoluted conspiracy, all conveniently narrated for our benefit, the authentic presentation makes the suspension of disbelief even harder to maintain. The gimmicks wore thin after the first hundred pages or so, but it kept going. Lee and Herring's version was briefer and funnier.
