Jazz and Science Fiction

[Rabshakeh]

Seems to me that there are almost no significant (whosever that term is used) science fiction books or writers that are inspired by, linked to or even feature jazz. That's in sharp contrast to the wider literature and to other areas of genre fiction such as crime. 

Can anyone think of any? 

[Teasing the Korean]

2 hours ago, Rabshakeh said:

Seems to me that there are almost no significant (whosever that term is used) science fiction books or writers that are inspired by, linked to or even feature jazz. That's in sharp contrast to the wider literature and to other areas of genre fiction such as crime. 

Can anyone think of any? 

No but the greatest outer space album ever made was written and arranged by Russ Garcia.

And the second greatest outer space album ever was arranged by Frank Comstock, who was at least on the periphery of jazz.  

 

 

Edited October 4, 2021 by Teasing the Korean

[Rabshakeh]

3 minutes ago, Teasing the Korean said:

the greatest outer space album 

I feel like this is a genre that doesn't get its due.

[Teasing the Korean]

15 minutes ago, Rabshakeh said:

I feel like this is a genre that doesn't get its due.

Agreed, but there is a pretty finite number of albums that really fit the category, not counting some film soundtracks.  I think there is a general consensus that the Garcia and the Comstock are the two best examples.  

[ghost of miles]

5 hours ago, Rabshakeh said:

I feel like this is a genre that doesn't get its due.

Night Lights show that--iirc--TTK may have given me some help with:

Goin' Up: Space Age Jazz

[Rabshakeh]

1 hour ago, ghost of miles said:

Night Lights show that--iirc--TTK may have given me some help with:

Goin' Up: Space Age Jazz

I always love the text that accompanies the web version of the episodes. So much in there.

Thanks.

[Milestones]

Haruki Murakami is apparently a bit of a SF writer.   I can't say too much about him, as I've just read a few short stories, which tend to be in a Kafka or Twilight Zone mode.

But he's clearly a big jazz guy, which accounts for some of my recent interest in his work.

[ghost of miles]

Somewhat related to the topic, though not exacty (I realize you're looking for mentions of or allusions to jazz in books by sci-fi authors)--but Wayne Shorter is quite a sci-fi fan, and his Emanon project is centered around a science-fiction narrative.  

[Rabshakeh]

16 minutes ago, Milestones said:

Haruki Murakami is apparently a bit of a SF writer.   I can't say too much about him, as I've just read a few short stories, which tend to be in a Kafka or Twilight Zone mode.

But he's clearly a big jazz guy, which accounts for some of my recent interest in his work.

That's true. A good shout. The closest that we have got so far to a science fiction writer who even mentions jazz.

It's a weird blank point. Perhaps jazz was not where it was at during the genre's flowering, but I'm still surprised that there's almost noone there in the sci fi firmament who refers to jazz or draws any sort of parallels to improvisation.

[Milestones]

Perhaps "Tunesmith" by Lloyd Biggle, where the title character plays many styles/genres: Classical, early rock, and maybe jazz.

 

[mjazzg]

According to this profile Phillip K. Duck sold Jazz albums

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/books/2008/jun/11/philipkdick

[Rabshakeh]

2 minutes ago, Milestones said:

Perhaps "Tunesmith" by Lloyd Biggle, where the title character plays many styles/genres: Classical, early rock, and maybe jazz.

 

I've never come across it. One to check out.

And I suppose there's not a total blank on improv: there's the Mule and his Visi-Sonor in the Foundation books. But it's not clear how hard he swings, so I'm not sure whether Wynton would have approved.

[Milestones]

Yes, maybe Phillip K. Duck in an alternate universe!  Or is it Philip K. Dick in this one?

[Rabshakeh]

It's weird that there's no jazz at all in Philip K Dick. Plenty of Dowland. No jazz.

[jazzbo]

That's the first I heard PKD worked in a second hand jazz record store. Maybe it's true, maybe not. 

Edited October 5, 2021 by jazzbo

[Guy Berger]

[Quasimado]

 

On 10/4/2021 at 4:43 AM, Milestones said:

Haruki Murakami is apparently a bit of a SF writer.   I can't say too much about him, as I've just read a few short stories, which tend to be in a Kafka or Twilight Zone mode.

But he's clearly a big jazz guy, which accounts for some of my recent interest in his work.

Murakami has a short story on Bird, which is not really sci-fi, but then again, maybe it is. Anyway it’s great, and you can read the whole thing here – it’s short, naturally.

Charlie Parker Plays Bossa Nova: Haruki Murakami

https://penangholiaw.blogspot.com/2020/06/charlie-parker-plays-bossa-nova-by.html

[Teasing the Korean]

4 hours ago, Quasimado said:

Murakami has a short story on Bird, which is not really sci-fi, but then again, maybe it is. Anyway it’s great, and you can read the whole thing here – it’s short, naturally.

Charlie Parker Plays Bossa Nova: Haruki Murakami

https://penangholiaw.blogspot.com/2020/06/charlie-parker-plays-bossa-nova-by.html

That Charlie Parker album is great!  I happen to live in the universe where it was released.  I would have preferred a more interesting song selection, but Jobim tunes tended to be the main focus of those early US Bossa LPs. 

[Quasimado]

Chewy probably has a copy, too ...

[mjazzg]

Murakami owned and ran a Jazz club 'Peter Cat'  in Tokyo.  I've read a number of his novels and don't remember much Jazz featured, possibly in the 'Wind-Up Bird Chronicle'.  not sure that's SF though.

[Rabshakeh]

Norwegian Wood has a lot of jazz in it. But it's one of Mr  Murakami's least science fictiony works.

I'm really surprised at the lack of British and American science fiction writers who were jazz fans or mentioned jazz in their writing at all. Science fiction in the 1950s-1980s was a great place for interesting, experimental and progressive writing. There seems to be an obvious cross over with jazz, which is all those things. Many great science fiction writers frequently touch on music. But no jazz at all.

[JSngry]

15 minutes ago, Rabshakeh said:

Many great science fiction writers frequently touch on music. But no jazz at all.

Prophets that they were, they saw that the future would not need jazz except as an affected lifestyle accessory.

[Teasing the Korean]

Space-age bachelor pad music was much more aligned philosophically to postwar science fiction.  For example, check out Bernie Green's Futura (1961), which asked the musical question, "What will popular music sound like in the year 1970?"

Of course, what Bernie Green imagined was far more interesting and inventive than anything that the hippies playin at Woodstock could have pulled off.  

 

And Attilio Mineo's Man in Space with Sounds (1962), sold at the 1962 Seattle World's Fair, offering a foreboding view of the future, in contrast to the typical World's Fair themes of better living through science.

 

[Rabshakeh]

58 minutes ago, JSngry said:

Prophets that they were, they saw that the future would not need jazz except as an affected lifestyle accessory.

That's true. That's certainly what I use it for.

[Rooster_Ties]

The Newark Flash!!