Throughout my life, my two main interests were music and Science Fiction. I was a keen reader of just about anything from an early age and a library member to ensure a steady supply of reads. I started reading SF around the age of 11. I recall taking out a book by Captain W.E. JOHNS from the library in Ladybrand called “Kings of Space”. Johns was better known for his Biggles character about whom he wrote a never-ending stream of boys’ books so Kings of Space was his first foray into SF. There were around ten books in the series but I managed to find only two or three. I took that same book out at least twice more, it so fired my imagination and although I’d probably class it as rubbish today, I’d give much to lay my hands on a copy for my collection.
There was no more SF in the children’s section of the library so I graduated to grown-up fiction. Gollancz was a publisher which specialized in SF I soon discovered. Their distinctive plain yellow dustjackets made them easy to find in the bookshelves and for several years, I read little else. SF has always been strong on short stories and there have been many anthologies published of a wide selection of authors and styles. From the short tales which took my fancy, I was able to compile a list of readable authors and then I really got into the novels. Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Fred Pohl, Arthur C. Clarke, Brian Aldiss etc – I devoured their work like a locust in a field of wheat.
Once I started working, I started buying paperbacks and before long my shelves started filling up. In Sterkspruit I had bookshelves which were simple planks on bricks but they served me well. Whenever I took leave, I would take off and go exploring in my old Beetle and I discovered most little towns had at least one secondhand bookshop and shelves with small quantities of SF. I would buy armfuls of books. My taste expanded continuously and fantasy became an interest alongside the hardcore SF. I discovered the late great Jack Vance who became my all time favourite author.
While in Sterkspruit we had a visit from our Regional General Manager at the time, Mr Colin Barby. Mr Barby insisted on inspecting the premises, including my flat and when he reached my bookshelf, he exclaimed to himself and started looking more closely at what I had. Turned out he was also an SF reader and he commented on the fact that I had so little by an author, E.E. DOC SMITH, his own personal favourite. Smith wrote space opera in a style somewhat out of fashion so I had not actively tried to find his books. Imagine my surprise and delight when a week or two later, a parcel turned up which contained no less than 5 brand new paperbacks by Smith. A note read, “To help you while away the lonely hours in Sterkspruit. Colin Barby”
When I finally left Sterkspruit, I bought a trailer in which I could store and move my record and book collections. I only towed it for a short while as it was prohibitively heavy and a strain on my Beetle so I parked it in my parents’ backyard where it stood until I retired. It was admirable storage space, being essentially weatherproof.
My audit duties took me to lots of places where there were secondhand bookshops and I haunted such treasure troves wherever I went. With paperbacks selling at around 30 cents apiece, I could afford to buy whatever took my fancy. I would accumulate my finds until I had a decent boxful which I would then post home to my Mom, for storage in the trailer. After some years, the trailer was chock full and I had to buy yet another 6 footer. By the time I neared retirement, I had a trailer full of books and a second full of LP records. I should mention that I had not had time to read most of the books I had but that I was looking ahead to my retirement, when I would have lots of time to read and probably little money to spare for books.
My book trailer became a lending library to a couple of fellow SF readers. One was a young Roman Catholic brother from a seminary across the border at Maseru. He would arrive and Mom would give him a key to the trailer and he would file back the books he was returning and take out another batch. Once he turned up with several of his fellows from the seminary, all in cassocks. We never found out what the neighbours made of it. Perhaps they thought they were a proselytizing team of Catholics, hell bent on saving the Lyle souls. He was eventually sent out to a mission somewhere in Africa, so I lost a library supporter.
Soon a fellow banker, Paul Pape who was manager at nearby Wepener at the time, started borrowing books. He belonged to an Afrikaans church which had no premises in Wepener, so they had to attend their church in Ladybrand. Paul drew books from my trailer for years and was eventually joined by his daughter who also read SF. She had a special affinity for the stories of Zenna Henderson and she confessed to borrowing the books on several occasions to re-read, as Zenna’s output was quite small. Paul was transferred from Wepener eventually and I lost touch with him. Only recently did I find him again, living quite near to where I now stay and I thought I’d give him the good news that his “library” is available once again, but alas, Paul’s eyes have deteriorated to the point where he can no longer read and thus he will not be able to see what a magnificent sight my library now is.
My daughter Debbie, when she brought us down here, turned a corner of the oversized dining room into a library by installing beautiful wooden shelves, upon which I can now display every book I’ve ever owned in one place. Since arriving here in Bellville I have been steadily reading my way through that mountain of books, all the while blessing my foresight for having gathered it all together, before the price of books went through the roof. The same brand new book I might have paid R1-20 for 30 years ago, now costs R120 and up – if you can find a copy. Today the book dealers are selling more and more electronic versions for reading on Kindles and suchlike. But I still prefer actual books and I have enough to see me through to the time when either my eyes or all of me pack up. I still mourn deeply, the loss of good radio such as we used to have in a station like Springbok Radio – I really don’t want to say goodbye to books too.
For the record, my favourite author at present is ALAN DEAN FOSTER. He has an easy to read, flowing style and seems to be endlessly creative. His worlds are often strange as can be, yet believable. Action never flags and it is hard to put one of his books down once started. His “Flinx and Pip” series is a delight, book after book. Also a favourite fantasy writer is the late David Eddings.
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