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Fun With Your New Head (1968)

di Thomas M. Disch

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2374112,544 (3.77)1
He guided LSU to its first football championship in forty-five years. He turned down countless offers from professional teams to stay with the job he loves. Now Nick Saban reveals the secrets that will help you lead and succeed at work and in life. Excellence doesn't happen overnight. It comes from hard work, consistency, the drive to be the best, and a passion for what you do. Few understand this better than Nick Saban, the hottest college football coach in the game. Now, in""How Good Do You Want to Be?, Saban shares his winning philosophy for creating and inspiring success. In more than three decades as a player and coach, Saban has learned much about life and leadership, both on the field and off. Working alongside some of the game's legends, including Super Bowl winner Bill Belichick and coaching legend Jerry Glanville, he saw firsthand how great leaders encourage greatness in others. In this candid, insightful guide, he shares such acquired wisdom as - Organization, Organization, Organization Create an environment where everybody knows his or her responsibilities-and each is responsible to the entire group.- Motivate to DominateUnderstand the psychology of teams and individuals, and use that knowledge to breed success.- No Other Way than RightPractice ethics and values-and demand the same from your team.- Look in the MirrorMaintain an understanding of who you are by knowing your strengths "and" your weaknesses. How Good Do You Want to Be? is more than the story of how Nick Saban motivates his staff and players to excel-it is also the memoir of one of America's most successful coaches. Filled with instructive anecdotes and illuminated by never-before-told stories of his life and career, this is a book that challenges and inspires us all to be our best. "From the Hardcover edition."… (altro)
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My "rating" is an estimate of sorts. I vividly remember taking this out of the library when I was a kid and just bouncing right off it -- I think I knew that Disch was some sort of 'science fiction' writer but my exposure to that genre was limited to golden-age standards like Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov.

Fun With Your New Head *may* have been my first encounter with what I soon learned was called "New Wave" speculative fiction writing -- writing that, in many cases, strove to emulate and/or build on all the established tropes/advances/isms of literary modernism ... only to cause many long-time readers of sf (me included) to stop, shake their heads and stifle a strong "huh?"

I feel like I learned quickly (but kids do), and I'd love to go back and try this one again (as well as that perennial nexus of controversy, Delany's Dhalgren) with my current, sixty-year-old HEAD. ( )
  tungsten_peerts | Mar 23, 2022 |



One of the tops within the world of new wave American science fiction, American author Thomas M. Disch (1940-2008) published many works of fiction and non-fiction, including nearly two dozen novels and eight collections of short stories. An incredible imagination – a writer worth anybody’s time. If you are new to Disch, this collection of seventeen short stories is an excellent place to begin. To provide a modest glimpse of the author's inventiveness, I offer the following commentary on two of my favorites from this collection:

THE SQUIRREL CAGE
Newsflash: After spending five weeks in a small white room alternating running on a rat wheel and reading Thomas M. Disch, Mr. Q. C. Greentree of Newark, New Jersey has discovered the meaning of life. Q. C. plans to write a book recording his experience. Sound plausible? Well, maybe not, but all kidding aside, Q. C. and his rat wheel are not that far removed from events relayed by this tale’s narrator, a man who is trapped in a padded white cell with stool, desk and typewriter.

Is he the last human on the face of the earth? If so, he reasons, then aliens from another planet are the ones watching him and attending to his bodily needs as he sits and pounds the keys of his typewriter. Whatever the context or irrespective of who or what is doing the watching, he has spent hours at the typewriter writing in a variety of forms: poetry, a zoological memoir and a short story about a woman visiting a zoo where one of the caged animals is a man. Then, as if a caged rat running on a metaphorical rat wheel, our author pens multiple variations of what he has previously written.

He reckons maybe what he types out on his typewriter appears on a giant screen like the one in Times Square, New York City, a giant screen where thousands of men and women can read whatever he writes. Perhaps they laugh when he creates comedy and lose interest when he shifts to drama; or, perhaps, it is the other way round: they find drama intriguing but walk away, bored out of their skull, when he attempts to make them laugh. Perhaps the narrator in his room as squirrel cage is none other than Thomas M. Disch. Or, even more likely, anyone of us locked into mindless routine like a rat running on a rat wheel.

To say more about Disch's much anthologized short story would be to say too much - but at least, you must admit, I included a photo of Q. C. Greentree. Look at him go! - unfortunately, thousands upon thousands of men and women across the globe can identify completely with Q.C.'s endless running.

FUN WITH YOUR NEW HEAD
The title story is a three page flash fiction in the form of an extended late-night TV commercial, an all-out frontal assault on individual as consumer. One direct quote will do the trick: “Everyone should have his own HEAD, and now everyone can! Heads are cheaper than ever before. They eat less and take up less space too! So why don’t you buy your new HEAD today?”


( )
  Glenn_Russell | Nov 13, 2018 |



FINAL REVIEW

One of the tops within the genre of science fiction, American author Thomas M. Disch (1940-2008) published many works of fiction and non-fiction, including nearly two dozen novels and eight collections of short stories. An incredible imagination – a writer worth anybody’s time. If you are new to Disch, this collection of seventeen short stories is an excellent place to begin. To provide a modest glimpse of Disch inventiveness, I offer the following comments on two of my favorites:

The Squirrel Cage

NEWSFLASH – MAN DISCOVERS THE MEANING OF LIFE
After spending the last ninety-seven weeks in a small white room alternating reading Thomas M. Disch’s The Squirrel Cage and running on a rat wheel, Mr. Q. C. Greentree of Newark, New Jersey has discovered the meaning of life. He plans to write a book recording his experience. Not that far off from the events relayed by this tale’s narrator, a man who is trapped in a padded white cell with a stool and a typewriter on a desk.

Is he the last human on the face of the earth? If so, then perhaps aliens are the ones watching and attending to his bodily needs as he sits at his typewriter. Whatever, he has written poetry, a zoological memoir and a short story about a woman visiting a zoo with one of the caged animals being a man. What happens? As a caged rat running on a metaphorical rat wheel, our author pens multiple variations.

Maybe what he types out on his typewriter appears on a giant screen like the one in Times Square New York, a giant screen where thousands of men and women can read whatever he writes. Perhaps they laugh when he creates comedy and lose interest when he shifts to drama; or, perhaps, it is the other way round: they find drama interesting but walk away when he attempts to make them laugh. Perhaps the narrator in his squirrel cage is none other than Thomas M. Disch. Or even perhaps anyone who is locked into mindless routine like a rat on a wheel. To say more would be to say too much but at least I included a photo of Q. C. Greentree. Is anybody going to ask me what Q. C. stands for?

The Roaches

Miss Marcia Kenwell, young lady from wholesome Minnesota and currently residing in Manhattan, is horrified by cockroaches. Most unfortunately, she lives in an apartment totally infested with the vermin, prompting poor Marcia to constantly reach for her Black Flag and spray, spray, spray, spray. Darn it all, and she keeps her apartment so immaculately clean; she cannot fathom how many people in this city do not likewise scrub and clean, concluding scathingly, “They must be Puerto Ricans.” Sidebar: Disch doesn’t pass up this opportunity to highlight a prevailing American racial prejudice that links cockroaches with Puerto Ricans.

You may ask: When did she have her first encounter? Answer: down in her employer’s stockroom cellar when Marcia noticed dark spots moving on the side of a sink. She takes several steps for a closer look. Ah! Those spots are big, black insects. She muses on the fact that what repels us humans can simultaneously attract us. And the way these dark insects scatter randomly, their antennae fluttering, appearing to be disturbed over nothing, Marcia wonders if her presence is having a morbid effect on them. Oh, yes, she reflects, these are the very same vile insects her dear Aunt back in Minnesota warned her about - cockroaches. Marcia falls back in a chair and faints.

Not long after this episode, cockroaches invade her apartment for the first time and she initiates ruthless extermination – she scrubs and waxes, spreads pastes and powders, washes and rinses everything in sight. Finally, she reaches the point where any trespassing cockroach makes a hasty retreat. All is well, somewhat, at least, until disaster hits: the Shchapalovs move in the apartment next to her, three Shchapalovs, two men and a woman, all looking as if they are worn by age, as if all three have been put through one of life’s meanest meat grinders. Not only does Marcia discovers these Shchapalovs are all drinkers but they constantly yell at one another and, if you can believe it, they also sing songs together in the evening, a practice Marcia finds particularly distressing. And, to top it off, these Shchapalovs have cockroaches that swarm into her kitchen through the common pipes and plumbing. Egad! Sidebar: A family of Eastern Europeans and their cockroaches, a connection reminding us of both Kafka’s famous tale and America’s longstanding xenophobia.

In her bed at night, Marcia must watch the cockroaches crawl over her walls and ceiling, tracking in Shchapalov filth. One evening when poor Marcia lies in her bed with flu, the roaches are especially bad and she begs them to all go away, to get out of her apartment, begs the cockroaches with the same intensity with which she occasionally prays to God. Strange but true, her prayers are answered – all the cockroaches immediately flee her apartment as fast as their little black legs will carry them. One last cockroach comes down the cupboard. “Stop!” Marcia commands. The cockroach stops. Marcia barks out more commands – Up! Down! Left! Right! The cockroach obeys. At this point, Marcia got out of bed, walked over to the cockroach and orders it to wiggle its antennas. The cockroach antennas obligingly wiggle.

You will have to read for yourself to find out what happens next. I have to admit – the unfolding of this Thomas M. Disch tale ending with a most unexpected twist caught me completely by surprise. With this story and others in this fine collection, I judge the author very much within the spirit of those 19th century French writers of contes cruels (cruel tales), writers like Auguste Villiers de L’lsle-Adam, Octave Mirbeau, Jean Richepin and Maurice Level - and that’s cruel tale as in tale with a cruel, unexpected twist of fate at the end. Also, Disch’s science fiction is so ‘soft’ on the science and technology, I would categorize his work more as weird fiction, very weird fiction. But whatever the label, Thomas M. Disch is one first-rate writer, shaping his tight, well-honed tales with subtlety and nuance, without any words, phrases, images or metaphors wasted. If you are unfamiliar with his books, I highly recommended this batch of brain benders. After all, look how it inspired Q.C. Greentree.


( )
  GlennRussell | Feb 16, 2017 |
Wonderful SF stories by an author I've almost completely lost track of. ( )
  unclebob53703 | Feb 17, 2016 |
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To Jerry Mundis, John Clute, Pamela Zoline, Charles and Patricia Dizenzo
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Miss Marcia Kenwell had a perfect horror of cockroaches.
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Please distinguish this anthology from Thomas Disch's story of the same name. Thank you.
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He guided LSU to its first football championship in forty-five years. He turned down countless offers from professional teams to stay with the job he loves. Now Nick Saban reveals the secrets that will help you lead and succeed at work and in life. Excellence doesn't happen overnight. It comes from hard work, consistency, the drive to be the best, and a passion for what you do. Few understand this better than Nick Saban, the hottest college football coach in the game. Now, in""How Good Do You Want to Be?, Saban shares his winning philosophy for creating and inspiring success. In more than three decades as a player and coach, Saban has learned much about life and leadership, both on the field and off. Working alongside some of the game's legends, including Super Bowl winner Bill Belichick and coaching legend Jerry Glanville, he saw firsthand how great leaders encourage greatness in others. In this candid, insightful guide, he shares such acquired wisdom as - Organization, Organization, Organization Create an environment where everybody knows his or her responsibilities-and each is responsible to the entire group.- Motivate to DominateUnderstand the psychology of teams and individuals, and use that knowledge to breed success.- No Other Way than RightPractice ethics and values-and demand the same from your team.- Look in the MirrorMaintain an understanding of who you are by knowing your strengths "and" your weaknesses. How Good Do You Want to Be? is more than the story of how Nick Saban motivates his staff and players to excel-it is also the memoir of one of America's most successful coaches. Filled with instructive anecdotes and illuminated by never-before-told stories of his life and career, this is a book that challenges and inspires us all to be our best. "From the Hardcover edition."

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