Alice Eleanor Jones's Busy Year

[js_thrill]

Here is Alice Eleanor Jones:

Here are 5 stories she published in 1955:


Life, Incorporated

Created He Them (content warning: domestic abuse)

Miss Quattro

Recruiting Officer

The Happy Clown

Boom

One year, five sci fi stories. And that's it (I think). She has a bunch of other writing that I haven't tracked down yet, but that was her busy year of science fiction and then she was back to journalism and lots of other stuff, but blaow.

Created He Them appears to have been anthologized at least a handful of times. It is not surprising to me. It was a powerful, affecting story, and well written, in my opinion. Having read Life, Incorporated and The Happy Clown, I think Jones also seems to have been interested in themes of anti-conformism and anti-consumerism, which are interesting reactions to a 1950s context. The Happy Clown predates Harrison Bergeron by like 6 years, but has some real presaging of the themes it is known for.

I don't have anything big or summarizing to say here, I just have been really enthused about her as a writer since the book club I am in got to her story (Created He Them), and didn't want forget to record my enthusiasm.

Comments

[carbonel]

I read all five stories, and I wish there were more, even though they're kind of melancholy. (I had read "Created He Them" previously.)

This reminds me of William M. Lee, who has nine stories listed on ISFDB. I've read (and very much liked) three of them in various anthologies (the first three listed, as it happens), but I never thought of searching for the others on Archive.org. I'd been wishing there was a published collection, but I don't think there is.

[js_thrill]

Did you have any particular favorites of Alice Eleanor Jones's?

(I think Created He Them is a stand out, so I see why it gets anthologized, but it's interesting to me how varied they are in theme and tone).

I need to read them again more slowly and carefully, but I think Miss Quatro and the The Happy Clown are the two that jump out at me, though maybe on a re-read I'll have more thoughts about Life, Incorporated and Recruitment Officer.

[carbonel]

"Created He Them" has the most interesting but relatable concept, I think. It is, of course, enmeshed in 1950s morality, since both of the characters would probably be much happier if they weren't forced to live together -- but that's the unspoken assumption that can't be challenged.

"Miss Quatro" is the most likable story of the bunch, I think.

(I tried to find some of the works of William Lee that I hadn't already read on Archive.org, but failed. I need to figure out a better search method.)