So, faithful subscribers, I accidentally sent you all a new post listing again all eight stories in Reawakened Worlds. Oops! Truly thought I hadn’t posted that yet. Hopefully my additional notes about Hayden’s writing style and how well the book is doing were new. But it just goes to show that I went too long between blog posts. Forgive my redundancy! I blame my dead brain on the fact I just married off my youngest daughter!
This past month was a wedding whirlwind up in the Appalachian Mountains of NC, and I was surrounded by five little grandchildren from my other two grown “kids” from WA. So exciting. Home a week ago and now playing catch-up after a week-long nap. I promise my next post will have more new material! Thanks for following me. I have more good stuff to come, including cool details connecting Jack AKA John Hayden Howard with the historic city of St. Augustine, FL, my new playground.
In REAWAKENED WORLDS Vol. One, 1950s university professors & archaeologists, 1940s boxers, and 1960s teen surfers all have mysterious encounters.
Well, I must admit I was thrilled to see Reawakened Worlds was listed on Amazon for nearly a month as the #1 New Release in Classic Science Fiction eBooks! And the hardcover is a beauty to behold.
Would you believe that after my compiling and editing it umpteen times, on receiving the hardcover I sat up all night reading it? Some clever turns of phrases jumped out at me like never before.
I must admit, I’ve become hooked on Hayden.
But before I tell you why, let me give you the list of the eight stories in this book, Vol One. (Vol. Two, releasing next year, will have eight more!) After my Foreword, where I introduce Hayden, in Part One: WHAT IF, is:
The Tragedy of Henry Diddoh: In a university town in a secret laboratory, a Frankenstein-esque experiment enables a professor to be in two places at the same time. Disastrous consequences ensue. Written in St. Augustine, FL, in 1951.
Ten Rounds for the All-Time Champ: A late 1940s boxer goes ten rounds against a stranger, with an even stranger audience, in hopes of remaining the champ. Written in St. Augustine, FL in 1951.
We Specialists: In a large city in the future, everyone takes comfort in their designated roles. That doesn’t end well when the victim, KittyG3, can’t find the right person to call for help. Written in Santa Barbara, CA in 1967.
Part Two: STRANGE ENCOUNTERS ON EARTH
Gremmie’s Reef: A young teen surfing off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, makes an unusual discovery. Written in Santa Barbara, CA and previously published in If, October 1964.
The Butcher: Students working an archaeological dig in the New Mexico find something unearthly. Written in St. Augustine, FL in 1951.
Arctic Invasion: In the Canadian Arctic, a group of indigenous people suspiciously appear to have been taken over by an alien presence. Dr. West, who has been researching them, tries to escape while snow-blinded. Bear attack included. Written in Santa Barbara, CA in 1966. Previously titled “The Eskimo Invasion,” in Galaxy Science Fiction, June 1966, Galaxy Magazine (UK) Jan/Feb 1967, with an Italian translation in 1967. Nominated for a Hugo award. This story later became part of the novel The Eskimo Invasion, nominated for the 1967 Nebula Award: Best Novel.
Part 3: INTERPLANETARY TALES
Haranu: On Mars, an Earthman settler’s innocent dog nearly gets his master killed. The man finds a more peaceful solution with the help of a Martian, but the dog now must choose between two masters. Written in Miami, FL in 1950.
Mutiny in the Orbit of Uranus: In outer space a spaceship crew attempts a takeover, culminating in a massive anti-gravity battle. Written in Santa Barbara, CA in the mid-1950s-60s. A female navigator is the heroine of this story.
AFTERWORD: Hidden Facts About Hayden
John Hayden Howard’s literary style:
What impressed me, while compiling these fiction short stories, was realizing how the author’s writing reaches readers (myself, included) who don’t ordinarily read sci-fi. Perhaps that’s because he had a literary style using clever wordplay with subtlety, humor, vivid descriptions, and unusual, strong characters. I simply enjoy a good story. But I enjoy too the little twists at the end of many of his stories that make me smile. Satisfying endings which often revealed his sense of humor, capping the stories off perfectly.
I also like that his stories make me think. His vocabulary was broader than mine, so I confess to looking up a few words, but am glad to now know them. He also used 1950s and 1960s slang, but not in a forced look-what-I-did way, because he actually wrote the stories in those time periods and likely used that slang himself.
One story in Reawakened Worlds Vol One–The Tragedy of Henry Diddoh–made me think: What might happen if I could actually be two places at the same time? In that story, a literary professor, Henry, tries to accomplish twice what he might otherwise, by sharing his mind with a once-cadaver via a science experiment. His double–dubbed Hank–longs to separate from Henry and be an independent person and even falls in love. But sadly, he is inexorably linked to Henry, for good and bad. Many of Hayden’s stories provoke what-if thoughts and feelings for the characters.
Jack the Pro-Writer
Also impressing me was John Hayden Howard’s stellar level of professionalism as a writer. Even his 1950s manuscripts, typed on a typewriter (so of course retyped, retyped, retyped) were in perfect manuscript format, ready to send his literary agent who placed many of his stories (he sold his works 73 times). Yes: in the 1960s, agents handled short stories, for the many pulp magazines looking for stories before television affected the decline of fiction magazines.
By now, many of you already realize I always knew Hayden simply as “Jack,” who married my mother when I was a young adult. So yes, I loved him for the person he was before I ever knew he wrote so much and so well. But now I’m his fan, too. Heavens, this almost sounds like a book review for Reawakened Worlds. I guess it is, since I didn’t write his stories, can I boast about them. After all, I never would have invested years of time in getting his stories in print now had I not thought they are terrific. I actually have a book of my own I’m also eager to get back to writing, but here I am, raving about Jack.
If you’ve already read stories in this book, I would love to know which ones are your favorites and why, either in a comment here or a review of the book.
If you haven’t read it yet, here’s a link to the Kindle version of Reawakened Worlds (9/7/2023 ranking, today, #164 in Classic Science Fiction eBooks.) It’s also in paperback and hardcover, with the audiobook being released soon with a fantastic narrator.
Out July 25, 2023, for vintage science fiction fans: Reawakened Worlds: Vintage Dystopian and Sci-Fi Stories, VOL 1, by John Hayden Howard.
Reawakened Worlds: Vintage Dystopian and Sci-Fi from a Master Storyteller, by John Hayden Howard
At last! After a year of my sneezing through oodles of John Hayden Howard’s original 1950s-1960s dusty musty manuscripts, choosing the best, digitizing, and editing, the first book in this vintage science fiction collection is now available. Hurray! WildBlue Press has done a fabulous job making Vol. One shine, with Vol. Two scheduled for 2024.
I enjoyed writing the Foreword, describing how I knew Hayden (my stepfather) and ended up with his manuscripts. I also wrote the Afterword, telling of his life after the 1960s.
Those who already know me as an author of inspirational and historical books and articles may be saying, “Whaaaat? Science fiction?” It’s certainly a departure from my usual fare. I’ll soon be back working in my other genres. Then again, this editing project has been great fun–so who knows?
Straightforward, fast-paced, and fun.” —ROBERT SCHERRER, Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Vanderbilt University and Sci-fi Writer, published in ANALOG Science Fiction and Fact
Vol. One of Reawakened Worlds: Vintage Dystopian and Sci-Fi includes these stories:
Part One: WHAT IF
The Tragedy of Henry Diddoh
In a university town in a secret laboratory, a Frankenstein-esque experiment enables a professor to be in two places at the same time. Disastrous consequences ensue. Written in St. Augustine, Florida in 1951.
Ten Rounds for the All-Time Champ A 1950s boxer goes ten rounds against a stranger with an even stranger audience, in hopes of remaining the champ. (Written in St. Augustine, Florida in 1951-52.)
We Specialists: In a large city in the future, everyone takes comfort in their designated roles. That doesn’t end well when the victim can’t find the right person to call for help. (Written in Santa Barbara, CA in 1967.)
Part Two: STRANGE ENCOUNTERS ON EARTH
Gremmie’s Reef A young teen surfing off the coast of Santa Barbara, California makes an unusual discovery. (Written in 1964. Previously published in IF, Worlds of Science Fiction, October 1964.)
The Butcher Students working an archaeological dig in the Southwest discover something unearthly. (Written in St. Augustine, Florida in 1951.)
Arctic Invasion In the Canadian Arctic, a group of indigenous people suspiciously appear to have been taken over by an alien presence. Dr. West, who has been researching them, tries to escape while snow-blinded. Bear attack included. (Written in 1966 in Santa Barbara, California. Previously in Galaxy Science Fiction (under another title) June 1966; Galaxy Magazine (UK) Jan/Feb 1967; Italian translation in 1967. Nominated for a Hugo.
Part 3: INTERPLANETARY TALES
Haranu On Mars, an Earth-man’s innocent dog nearly gets his master killed. The man finds a more peaceful solution with the help of a Martian, but the dog now must choose between two masters. (Written in Miami, Florida in 1950.)
Mutiny in the Orbit of Uranus A spaceship crew attempts a takeover, culminating in a massive anti-gravity battle. (Written in Santa Barbara, California, in the mid-1950’s-60s.)
Note: the only other collections from Hayden Howard currently in print include stories within Public Domain. None of the stories in Reawakened Worlds have been seen for over half a century, so his old fans are in for a brand new treat.
Old family papers may hold hidden historical gems. These documents were from a Seattle woman living in British Raj India, 1926-1933.
Bins of musty papers, inherited from deceased family members, can be a nuisance to deal with. Yet fascinating historical details and stories may be nestled inside.
Just call me Paper Girl. Somehow, through every branch of my family tree, vintage papers from parents, grandparents, even great-great grandparents, trickled their way to my attic. Well, now to my closet–I’ve downsized. That makes it urgent to use, lose, or carefully store them for the next curious generation.
It certainly requires intense curiosity to want to mess with musty old family papers. Other family members have thrown hands up in despair, eager for me to take custody of anything paper.
Thankfully I’m the right person for that, as I’m finding an abundance of historical clues. And as a writer, my imagination is fueled. I’m seeing wonderful details for articles and books — even plots for historical fiction as well as nonfiction.
It’s also helping me decide what papers to save and organize for my own grown kids and grandchildren, to avoid overwhelming them in the future.
Some papers I can digitize. But in a frenzy to digitize everything, we can lose historical significance. We may only see that significance by physically holding a vintage passport or letter in our hands and noting small details. The feel of the paper, the embossing within it.
One story I wrote for Nostalgia Magazine was sparked by an old letter from my great-grandfather to my grandmother. It’s truly a wonder to hold that original letter in my hands! Legacy of a Walla Walla Pioneer: John Martin Gose (1825-1919) describes my great-grandfather’s journey on the Oregon Trail, including how his wife Hannah was a bit overwhelmed juggling five children in their covered wagon. You may enjoy reading that article to see what I did with the information from the letter, coupled with research I did through ancestry.com and newspapers.com. In case you’re curious about how I figured out how old the children were on the Oregon Trail, see my post Calculating Characters in Family History.
My husband shudders when he opens closets with bins of papers threatening to fall out. But here’s what gold I know those closets contain:
Letters from a 19-year-old Marine who fought at Iwo Jima, my husband’s father — and a related WW2 scrapbook and diary.
Documents and photos of a U.S. Consul and Foreign Service officer, working in Embassies around the world, 1920-1943: my paternal grandfather. His father-in-law was also a consul and a reporter who witnessed the Wright Brothers practicing their first flights.
Letters, diaries, passports, photos and even movie reels from a Seattle couple who lived in the jungles and islands of British India between 1923 and 1933: my maternal grandparents. (See my Jungle Diaries page.)
Original manuscripts from a science fiction author popular in the 1950s-1960s: my stepdad. (See my 1960s Sci-Fi: Hayden Howard page. )
Feeling overwhelmed by family papers passed down to you? Don’t be in too much of a hurry to toss them or even digitize all of them. There may be gold in them thar bins. If you’ve found interesting historical tidbits, tell me about them! Encourage others to be curious, too.
