Themes Samuel R. Delany

delany @ reading in 2015.

recurring themes in delany s work include mythology, memory, language, sexuality, , perception. class, position in society, , ability move 1 social stratum motifs touched on in earlier work , became more significant in later fiction , non-fiction, both. many of delany s later (mid-1980s , beyond) works have bodies of water (mostly oceans , rivers) common theme, mentioned delany in polymath. though not theme, coffee, more other beverage, mentioned , in many of delany s fictions.

writing (both prose , poetry) repeated theme: several of characters — geo in jewels of aptor, vol nonik in fall of towers, rydra wong in babel-17, ni ty lee in empire star, katin crawford in nova, kid, ernest newboy, , william in dhalgren, arnold hawley in dark reflections, john marr , timothy hasler in mad man, , osudh in phallos – writers or poets of sort.

delany makes use of repeated imagery: several characters (hogg, kid, , sensory-syrynx player, mouse, in nova; roger in .. move on rigorous line ) known wearing 1 shoe; , nail biting along rough, calloused (and veiny) hands characteristics given individuals in number of fictions. names reused: bellona name of city in both dhalgren , triton, denny character in both dhalgren , hogg (which written concurrently despite being published 2 decades apart; , there danny in .. move on rigorous line ), , name hawk used 5 different characters in 4 separate stories – hogg, story time considered helix of semi-precious stones , novella einstein intersection , , short story cage of brass, character called pig appears.

jewels, reflection, , refraction – not imagery reflection , refraction of text , concepts – strong themes , metaphors in delany s work: titles such jewels of aptor, jewel-hinged jaw, time considered helix of semi-precious stones , driftglass, , dark reflections along optic chain of prisms, mirrors, , lenses worn several characters in dhalgren few examples of this; in (..) move on rigorous line ring obsessively described @ every twist , turn of plot. reflection , refraction in narrative explored in dhalgren , take center stage in return nevèrÿon series.

following 1968 publication of nova, there not large gap in delany s published work (after releasing 8 novels , novella between 1962 , 1968, delany s published output virtually stopped until 1973), there notable addition themes found in stories published after time. @ point delany began dealing sexual themes extent equaled in serious writing. dhalgren , stars in pocket grains of sand include several sexually explicit passages, , several of books such equinox (originally published tides of lust, title delany not endorse), mad man, hogg and, phallos can considered pornography, label delany himself endorses.

novels such triton , thousand-plus pages making four-volume return nevèrÿon series explored in detail how sexuality , sexual attitudes relate socioeconomic underpinnings of primitive – or, in triton s case, futuristic – society. in works no science fiction or fantasy content speak of, such atlantis: 3 tales, mad man, , hogg, delany pursued these questions creating vivid pictures of new york city, in jazz age, in first decade of aids epidemic, private schools in 1950s, greece , europe in 1960s, and – in hogg – generalized small-town america. phallos details quest happiness , security gay man island of syracuse in second-century reign of emperor hadrian. dark reflections contemporary novel, dealing themes of repression, old age, , writer s unrewarded life.

the mad man, phallos, , dark reflections linked in minor ways. beast mentioned @ beginning of mad man graces cover of phallos. in dark reflections learn novel s protagonist, arnold hawley, actual anonymous author of fictive phallos (the non-existent novel of same name delany s novella quotes , discusses @ length). additionally, delany s 2012 novel through valley of nest of spiders contains several scenes statue of beast mad man. finally, encapsulating outer frame story of phallos of 1 adrian rome, life partner named shoat rumblin. shoat rumblin name of yet of delany s forthcoming works, excerpt of appeared in volume 24, number 2 of callaloo .

delany has published several books of literary criticism, emphasis on issues in science fiction , other paraliterary genres, comparative literature, , queer studies. delany has commented believes omit sexual practices portrays in writing limits dialog children , adults can have themselves, , lack of knowledge can kill people.