The Einstein Intersection by Samuel R. Delany

It amazes me that Delany was published in a pulp fiction market.

Delany is definitely not for everyone, but the novel includes some wonderfully lyrical writing, and the story is quite satisfying if you’re able to immerse yourself in his world-vision. I think in this short novel Delany is showing off (or he was a heck of a lot smarter than I was at the tender age of twenty-three), but if the reader can struggle through the confusing patches there are delights to be had. Fortunately, after reading Dhalgren, The Einstein Intersection is a walk in the park. So I thought I’d try The Einstein Intersection (a novel that is reputedly difficult), and I’m glad I didn’t read it when I was younger it would have been too different. I recently read SiMPLGoS and enjoyed it immensely (it is now my favourite Delany novel), and I even managed to struggle through Dahlgren, learning to appreciate its brilliance (although it is not a novel to be taken lightly: a steadfast immersion is required).

I had enjoyed Babel-17, Nova, and Triton (aka Trouble on Triton: An Ambiguous Heterotopia) but, when I got bored in the middle of Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand ( SiMPLGoS), I turned to Dhalgren, whereupon I gave up on the author for over twenty years. When I was younger, a couple of Samuel R. Delany’s novels eventually discouraged me from reading any more of his works. Will our stories outlive us and, if so, how will we be perceived when they are discovered?

The Einstein Intersection by Samuel R. Delany