Airplane Angst - Near Future Science Fiction: Ballard, Priest, Wells & More

Steve visits Cotswold Airport to meditate on aerofoil imagery in SF, looking at the work of two New Wave masters, Wells and others, crossing over into Literary Fiction too...
Music: The Occupier (C)
#bookcollecting #fictionbooks #booktube #sciencefiction #airport

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

If you enjoy this video, there is a 'no voiceover, just airplanes, no bookcovers' version on my other channel, 'Walking Bookseller'. This video was filmed at Cotswold Airport, Kemble, Gloucestershire- Britain's largest private airport. Admission is free and the cafe is great- outdoor seating for planespotting- but visiting on weekdays out of school holidays is recommended. This video is dedicated to the memory of my friend Christopher Priest.

[@salty-walt]

❤️

[@OXyShow]

You are the Most important Man in SF BookTube 🖖

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

You're too kind, chum, I'm VERY flattered indeed.

[@vintagesf]

Beautiful script and voice over delivery. A meditation on gravity defying literature.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Cheers Richard!

[@victorrodley9099]

Excellent essay Steve,Your best yet!

[@waltera13]

A valuable essay and book list; well gathered and contextualized. I feel as though it should be written somewhere as well.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

If I wrote it down, it would be far more eloquent. Maybe one day....

[@MCSFREECANADIAN]

SPECTACULAR FEATURE. You overviews and verbal essays never cease to amaze me.

[@afroscifizianzcomix7836]

Good video 👌

[@RandomHandle77]

Stephen, that was superb. More like this would be most welcome!

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Thanks for that, but it's my worst-performing video in over a month and was the most work intensive, so I am discouraged from producing anything similar again at this point, even though I'm pleased with it. Sadly, only around 10% of subscribers here have deigned to even click the thumbnail and watch even a few seconds of the video. It seems many people just want the same old clickbait.

[@RandomHandle77]

@@outlawbookselleroriginal That's a pity, but look at it this way, the people who did watch the video enjoyed it and, judging by the comments, really appreciate the effort you've put into the production. I don't think of any of your videos as clickbait!

[@spiraldaddy]

Makes me think of the Mystery Airships of 1896

[@myanaloglife9450]

I want to thank you for introducing me to Peter watts “blindside”, social media is a space where many complain, sometimes filled with negativity, yet many appreciate you, including myself…ignore the negative, know that your efforts are appreciated…

[@victorrodley9099]

Thanks!

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Many, many thanks, Victor- much appreciated. ST makes all the diff here, pleased you liked this one, it was a labour of love. Have a great day.

[@anthonyparkinson4517]

A striking melange of sound and vision OB.You're a natural filmmaker. Ballard and Priest would've approved.

[@ubik2388]

An excellent video essay.

[@silex9837]

Haunting and beautifully done! Thank you.

[@Wanderlustus]

Absolutely wonderful, Stephen. Thanks so much for this.

[@stefangieck2914]

Brilliant!

[@danieldelvalle5004]

This is a haunting video and a poem to SF and aviation, flight. As a child I dreamed of being a pilot, of flying a spitfire during the Battle of Britain. Later I learned that my poor eyesight would prevent me from becoming a pilot. I have aviation daydreams still. Your creativity as expressed in this video is more fuel for my dreams of flight.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Thanks Daniel- it was great filming the exteriors for this and I'm pleased how it looks- but the audio recording, editing and all the other work took up most of a day- it was a bit much, really!

[@danieldelvalle5004]

@@outlawbookselleroriginal you did a fantastic job on the video, top quality. That's why I never tire watching your videos. Sometimes I watch them multiple times, like rereading.

[@CliveSnowden-fx8fp]

This rounds off my weekend perfectly. Beautifully filmed, well-scripted, superbly narrated, and with perfect use of The Occupier's music. As always, there's much to think about here.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Thanks mate.

[@rickkearn7100]

The script for this narrative is stunning, Mr. Andrews. And tying together all of the excellent works by these authors into a cohesive presentation that explores the whys and wherefores, the literary imagery and so expertly done was a pleasure to experience. Multidimensional and keenly insightful, it stands as a testament to your unique and interesting view of the universe, especially where SF is concerned. One cannot help being moved by your dedication for this episode to Christopher Priest as well. Outstanding, sir. Cheers!

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Thanks Rick, but it's my worst-performing video in over a month and was the most work intensive, so I am discouraged from producing anything similar again at this point, even though I'm pleased with it. Sadly, only around 10% of subscribers here have deigned to even click the thumbnail and watch even a few seconds of the video. It seems many people just want the same old clickbait.

[@bad_brains_horror3613]

I am reading and thoroughly enjoying Ballard’s Empire of the Sun thanks to your recommendation in one of your Ballard videos. Thanks! Great video!

[@kennyrh9269]

Hi Stephen. Good gawd !! I almost missed this and would have had I not seen your post about lack of views. My youtube algorithm seems to be screwed up of late. Also missing comments on other people's vids - don't know what the heck's going on. Anyway less of that, I've been totally fascinated by aircraft since a very early age. Made every Airfix kit in their catalogue so I think it was an obsession for a while. I was never away from the Imperial War Museum when I lived in London and seeing a Messerchmitt Me 163 "Komet," the first rocket-powered aircraft is one of those days that lives long in my memory. As you point out in your documentary aircraft have very much cemented themselves in the sf literary consciousness despite the overbearing presence of spacecraft, rocketships etc. The Dresden images in Slaughterhouse Five, for instance, overshadow any fictional references to atomic devices or rayguns and the huge spacecraft that proliferate in many an SF tale of planetary genocide. To name but one instance. An altogether smashing video mate and bugger the views - more of this please.

[@grassstaggers8560]

My favourite type of your videos- I imagine they take some putting together so thanks for the effort!

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

It's the voiceovers that take forever. It took me around 6 hrs yesterday to record them, edit them, dub them on and upload the video. And then it's my worst performing effort in a month. Also, of course, the journey, the filming the initial edit and adding of music, the writing of the voiceover -so at least a day's work. I'm very pleased with it, but when a huge number of my subs only watch the clickbait, it's a tad soul destroying. Glad you liked it, Grass, good to hear from you as always.

[@grassstaggers8560]

@@outlawbookselleroriginal It is a huge effort. It’s a shame these kinds of videos don’t get more views, I think they are unique on KZbin. Glad you’re keeping on keeping on. Looking forward to your Paris videos. Fly straight!

[@themojocorpse1290]

Another great video, beautifully filmed and narrated feels very ballardian. I have wondered if Chris priest books writing as Donald Mackenzie are worth reading ? The hunters by James salters is another book recommendation that sounds great

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

I enjoyed the Mackenzie books- they are straightforward but muscular and their connections to his SF were very enjoyable for me as a major fan. 'The Hunters' is one of the best books I've read this century, a video is coming up on it here very soon- later this week, in fact.

[@leakybootpress9699]

Nicely done, Steve. "My Dream of Flying to Wake Island" is a Ballard story that sticks in my mind, and his collection "Low Flying Aircraft" has a great dustwrapper on the first edition, even if not all the stories are about flight.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

I wanted to fit more in, but I shoot first, edit the footage down, then write the voiceover- I thought I'd get to more stuff, but there you go. I love that hardcover LFA, it's a beauty, cheers Jim !

[@damiencole8001]

I also thought of this story. Ballard is merciless in his portrayal of unachievable ambition - it is crushing

[@erikpaterson1404]

A superb start to a Monday evening after an otherwise weird day at the office. Cheers, Stephen, top class as always.

[@nigelwillits7818]

Nice work! My introduction to literary flight was probably the books of Richard Bach like 'Jonathan Livingstone Seagull' and 'Illusions: the adventures of a reluctant messiah'. The freedom of physical flight as metaphor for freedom of thought. Loved them as a teenager and they opened my mind to a livelong interest in flight, philosophy and imaginative fiction. I soon afterwards found myself getting into SF and fantasy, as well as Hawkwind (outer space as metaphor for inner space).

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

When people ask me what Hawkwind are about, I always say 'flight' first- meaning the various interpretations of the word.

[@8bitsnkboy472]

After reading your comment this past weekend, I've decided to no longer remain a passive watcher of your videos. Your thoughts and comments are greatly appreciated by myself and many others, I'm sure. Your knowledge and love of the genre are obvious. Let the detractors whine. I will try to at least give every one of your video's a thumbs-up going forwards, as you have provided me with so many hours of informative and thought-provoking information. Cheers!!

[@benjaminnoys4773]

If you haven't read it, David Edgerton's history book England and the Aeroplane is interesting on the centrality of airpower to post-war Britain, and makes a lot of sense of Ballard (and Rex Warner)

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Sounds good- I didn't include the Warner even though I shot some unused hanger footage for this, maybe in the future....

[@salty-walt]

Just started watching your video, 15 minutes after you dropped it, then my sweetie came in to "discuss our plans for the day". I hope to watch it later.

[@keithdixon6595]

Ha, synchronicity! Today I bought from my local English bookseller here in France an old Triad Panther edition of Low-Flying Aircraft (copyright page torn out) and Priest's The Affirmation. I just finished Ballard's Cocaine Nights, very weird but full of beautiful writing. Be good to get back to his real SF. Nice video, incidentally, very contemplative.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Thanks Keith- it will get very few views and took ages to edit and voiceover, but I'm pleased with it, glad you like it.

[@classicsfwithandyjohnson]

Interesting stuff! Of course also (as you will know) Bob Shaw worked in aircraft design. I'm glad you got a mention in for the helicopter, a technology which fascinates me and has many both unsettling (e.g. terror and repression) and inspiring (e.g. rescue and firefighting) applications.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Yes, I knew that- and of course it comes across in Alban's discovery of slow glass in 'Other Days,...'

[@TauZeroSF]

What a fantastic video essay! Both informative and hypnotic. I’ve written down the titles mentioned. Absolutely love your work! Cheers

[@TheRetroEngine]

daaaamn, what a great presentation. It never occurred to me Priest wrote so many stories with planes in. The one that stands out for me and is most memorable is the Dream Archipelago vortex. Written so well, so many secrets and unknowns in it, yet perfectly explained.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

There are others I had no time to mention as well...Chris was a big planes and films guy.

[@mlmattin]

Great stuff! Only 65 years between the Wright brothers first flight and the moon landing! Wow. I mean I knew the dates roughly for each event, but I've never heard it stated like that. Such a huge leap in technology in a relatively short period of time.

[@AlienBigCat23]

Great stuff, Steve. Thanks. Wells wasn't prophetic, he knew the Globalists' plans through his connection / membership of the Fabian Society (IngSoc), as did Orwell (& Bertrand Russell, amongst others). Huxley too was an Insider. "It's a big club and you aint in it.." -- George Carlin

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Yeah, you have a point there- I did write a section about this and how the quasi-Totalitarian ideas annoyed Orwell, but couldn't fit it in....

[@bad_brains_horror3613]

Band suggestion: King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard from Australia. Their 26th record in ten years is flight themed entitled Flight b741. They are my favorite band and am going to see 3-hour gig next month. They cover many genres. Hope you enjoy! When worlds collide!

[@athoszubiaur2144]

how providential (sort of!). i'm just finishing disch's on wings of songs ;)

[@damiencole8001]

Superb oration. 'The Terminal Beach ' is one of my favourite short stories. I expect you have read the WW2 aviation novel Piece Of Cake by Derek Robinson - one that has stuck with me although I read it years ago

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Always meant to never got around to it. It goes in and out of print every five years, first sold it in 1984!

[@paulcampbell6003]

Superb! 😍 Easily your best written voiceover. 👍

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

You wouldn't believe how long this took, I hate doing voiceovers, but the results are pleasing. Another one coming like this in a few weeks.

[@ChrisBadenoch]

Your other channel should be called Outdoor Bookseller!

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Yes, Salty Walt suggested this ages ago and it is good- thing is, with YT, you have to think carefully about words and what audiences search for 'walk' and 'walking' are popular terms and as that's part of the focus of the channel, to get it to the point where it can bring in revenue to support this channel- it's main raison d'etre- one has to be direct to get the views. But one day, I'll change it to that, when it's more established....will email you soon, promise, snowed under.

[@SlowDazzle11]

Quite wonderful pursuit of the flight theme through a variety of genres. I must follow this flight arc through the books you mention which is fascinating. It would be interesting to extend it into modern music, say Peter Hammill's "Flight" which I think might be influenced by Ballard's TUDC. Once again, well done.

[@AlienBigCat23]

Aha! 1st again!

[@davea136]

I am shocked you have not yet been asked to do a show every week for BBC Radio. I guess broadcast really is dead.

[@outlawbookselleroriginal]

Over the years I've appeared on BBC Radio 4 'Open Book' (the UK's biggest book show), BBC Asian Network, BBC Radio Bristol and other smaller indie radio stations.