Assuming it’s not a hoax or scam, the estates of R. A. Lafferty is being auctioned off, including the rights to all his novels and short stories, etc. The ad says the current bid is $70,000.
How much is the lafferty estate worth? Artistically, millions. Lafferty was perhaps the greatest, most original writer science fiction (and the world) ever knew. Financially? Harder to say. I have been noticing that his rarest books (Tales of Chicago, etc.) have all but disappeared off the collector’s market, so maybe a Lafferty revival is in the offing.
Maybe some rich fan should buy the estate and work top bring it all back into print. Anyone know if Paul Allen is an R. A. Lafferty fan?
(Hat tip: SF Signal.)
About Lawrence Person
Lawrence Person is a science fiction writer living in Austin, Texas. His short fiction has appeared in Asimov's, Analog, Postscripts, Jim Baen's Universe, Fear, and several anthologies. He also edits the Hugo-nominated SF critical magazine Nova Express, and runs the Turkey City Writer's Workshop. His non-fiction has appeared in National Review, Reason, Whole Earth Review, The Freeman, The World & I, Science Fiction Eye, The New York Review of Science Fiction, and Slashdot.org. He owns such a large library (mostly science fiction first editions) he had to buy a two-story house to put it in, and then adopted a golden retriever to drag him out of his house on a regular basis. He also makes a mean batch of salsa.
Severely neglected. Just rereard Strange Doings-not his best collection, that would be 900 Grandmothers. Someone(Subterranean Press?) needs to do a nice new affordable collection. Narrow Valley is probably one of the top ten all time favorite short stories of mine.
Pingback: So THAT’S Who’s Buying the Lafferty Estate « Lawrence Person's Futuramen