Science Fiction Saturday: Clifford D. Simak

Clifford D. Simak was one of the greats of 1950's and 1960's science fiction. He wrote many fine novels, marked by a pastoral tone and a contemplative attitude toward humanity's future. Some of the best are City, Way Station, Time Is the Simplest Thing and Why Call  Them Back from Heaven. Most are available in inexpensive kindle editions.

Perhaps the most famous of his books was City, which was always one of my personal favorites:

The novel describes a legend consisting of eight tales the pastoral and pacifist Dogs recite as they pass down an oral legend of a creature known as Man. Each tale is preceded by doggish notes and learned discussion.

An editor's preface notes that after each telling of the legend the pups ask many questions:

"What is Man?" they'll ask.

Or perhaps: "What is a city?"

Or: "What is a war?

There is no positive answer to any of these questions."

From the mouths of pups.....