Samuel R. Delany's Journals Are Being Crowdfunded

You’ll soon be able to read the journals of one of science fiction’s most respected authors.

Samuel R. Delany’s work in science fiction is astounding. In his lifetime, he’s written intricately deep works that touch on class politics, social issues, sexuality and mythology, just to name a few; Dhalgren remains one of the greatest novels our eyes have touched. Beyond his written work, he’s also noted for being one of the first prominent black science fiction authors, as well as the first openly out one. He kicks ass, basically.

As BoingBoing reports, Kenneth James—a scholar of Delany’s work—is currently editing the author’s journals by decade. They’re slated to be published by Wesleyan University Press. Says James, “I have recently completed the first volume, In Search of Silence; this volume is now in the final stages of production at Wesleyan and is slated to appear at the end of this year. It covers the period from Delany’s teenage years in the late 1950s to the end of the 1960s, during which time Delany established himself as a major figure in what came to be called New Wave science fiction. The second volume, Autumnal City, will present Delany’s journals from the 1970s, during which time he wrote the bulk of what many consider the pivotal work of his career, Dhalgren (1975), as well as Trouble on Triton (1976), the first volume of the Nevèrÿon tetralogy (Tales of Nevèrÿon [1979]), and many works of criticism.”

The series will run at least 5 volumes and is available for pre-order. We highly recommend picking them up; they’re sure to be fascinating reads. They’re even endorsed by the great Neil Gaiman—what other recommendation do you need?

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