Raphael Aloisius Lafferty’s most interesting work, however, takes place on the distant planet Camiroi and is titled “Primary Education of the Camiroi” (1970). A group of Earth teachers visit to study the school system. Informality rules Camiroi (“any citizen of Camiroi competent to perform any task on the planet”), and to form a Parents-Teachers Association, the Earthlings must randomly select the first passers-by. Once the Association is formed, they tour the schools (privat

The main challenge for a newcomer wishing to visit the "reactor" is the regimen. The event lasts three days. The organizers recommend preparing for around-the-clock work, just like in science fiction writer Raphael Lafferty's short story "The Long Night From Tuesday to Wednesday." The goal of the all-night vigil is the same as in the story—to live several lives in one night. At the same time, the designers of the "knowledge reactor" immediately disclaimed responsibility for t

Philippe Curval: Haven’t you noticed, on the other hand, that a large number of works appearing in general literature collections claim to be science fiction but are absolutely not? Pierre Versins: It is indeed a new phenomenon. Science fiction novels have always been published everywhere. In the past, people would say: this is a philosophical tale, not science fiction, don’t be fooled; now, they try to make people believe the opposite. Except for people like Dino Buzzati or

This might be a rather far-fetched analogy, but Lafferty’s style is somewhat similar to that of Seabozu, the ghost monster that appeared in episode 35 of the tokusatsu drama Ultraman (the original series), titled “Monster Graveyard” (directed by Akio Jissoji, written by Mamoru Sasaki). As anyone who has seen this episode knows, Seabozu is a monster with a grotesque appearance, with its exposed skeleton, and is known as a “ghost monster.” However, Seabozu did not appear on Ear