David Drake

THE ANGRY PLANET by John Keir Cross

I was fascinated by SF from a very early age–I’m not sure why–but there wasn’t very much real science fiction available for kids during the 1950s. I made do with books like Miss Pickerell Goes to Mars and dreamed of the day I’d turn 13 and could check out books from the adult section of the library. (In fact the librarians at the Clinton Public Library gave me–unasked, bless their hearts–an adult card when I turned 12, but that was still a long time coming.)

In 1955 when I was ten years old I found The Angry Planet in the children’s section. I think it may at least have shaped–I won’t quite say changed–my life. continue reading…

THE CHICKENS

Dave on his second birthday, with a glass of milk and his favorite food.

My parents read to me before I was able to read for myself. One of the books they read–and there were many–was The Big Golden Book of Poetry. The first edition was published in 1947 when I would’ve been two years old, and I suspect they got a copy hot off the presses.

In the collection was an anonymous poem titled The Chickens. It was toward the back of the volume and didn’t have the color illustrations that more important poems got. There’s no obvious reason why it should’ve appealed to me. continue reading…