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Cosmocopia
Frank Lazorg, the dean of fantasy illustrators, has gone mad. His art fails him, his mistress spurns him, and younger rivals threaten to eclipse him. Is it any wonder he eagerly takes a new drug that promises to reinvigorate him, as both man and artist? He is plunged into a world inhabited by monstrous parodies of humanity, living in a culture that bears a skewed resemblance to his own world.
- GenresScience FictionFantasy
ebook
First published January 1, 2008
About the author
Paul Di Filippo
480 books173 followersPaul Di Filippo is the author of hundreds of short stories, some of which have been collected in these widely-praised collections: The Steampunk Trilogy, Ribofunk, Fractal Paisleys, Lost Pages, Little Doors, Strange Trades, Babylon Sisters, and his multiple-award-nominated novella, A Year in the Linear City. Another earlier collection, Destroy All Brains, was published by Pirate Writings, but is quite rare because of the extremely short print run (if you see one, buy it!).
The popularity of Di Filippo’s short stories sometimes distracts from the impact of his mindbending, utterly unclassifiable novels: Ciphers, Joe’s Liver, Fuzzy Dice, A Mouthful of Tongues, and Spondulix. Paul’s offbeat sensibility, soulful characterizations, exquisite-yet-compact prose, and laugh-out-loud dialogue give his work a charmingly unique voice that is both compelling and addictive. He has been a finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, BSFA, Philip K. Dick, Wired Magazine, and World Fantasy awards.
Despite his dilatory ways, Paul affirms that the sequel to A Year in the Linear City, to be titled A Princess of the Linear Jungle, will get written in 2008. He has two books forthcoming from PS Publications: the collection entitled Harsh Oases and the novel titled Roadside Bodhisattva. His 2008 novel Cosmocopia is graced by Jim Woodring illustrations.
Paul lives in Providence, Rhode Island.
The popularity of Di Filippo’s short stories sometimes distracts from the impact of his mindbending, utterly unclassifiable novels: Ciphers, Joe’s Liver, Fuzzy Dice, A Mouthful of Tongues, and Spondulix. Paul’s offbeat sensibility, soulful characterizations, exquisite-yet-compact prose, and laugh-out-loud dialogue give his work a charmingly unique voice that is both compelling and addictive. He has been a finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, BSFA, Philip K. Dick, Wired Magazine, and World Fantasy awards.
Despite his dilatory ways, Paul affirms that the sequel to A Year in the Linear City, to be titled A Princess of the Linear Jungle, will get written in 2008. He has two books forthcoming from PS Publications: the collection entitled Harsh Oases and the novel titled Roadside Bodhisattva. His 2008 novel Cosmocopia is graced by Jim Woodring illustrations.
Paul lives in Providence, Rhode Island.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
January 19, 2019
This publication is numbered 215 of 500 produced and is signed by Paul Di Filippo and artist Jim Woodring.
I had to purchase this book/puzzle from the publisher. New (at the time) it cost $65. It's quite a production.
In the book itself, "Cosmocopia", Mr. Di Filippo tells the story of Frank Lazorg, an artist who rose from a pulp illustrator in the 1940s to become a famous artist in his own right. Lazorg is a creature of pure ego, and every time you think he's going to see something beyond himself, he reverts to type. Now an old man, he's suffered a stroke that's left him unable to paint... until a mysterious benefactor sends him a crimson block of crushed scarabs to use as pigment. Lazorg eats the scarab paste instead, and becomes reinvigorated, seeing the world anew through the crimson haze.
I had to purchase this book/puzzle from the publisher. New (at the time) it cost $65. It's quite a production.
In the book itself, "Cosmocopia", Mr. Di Filippo tells the story of Frank Lazorg, an artist who rose from a pulp illustrator in the 1940s to become a famous artist in his own right. Lazorg is a creature of pure ego, and every time you think he's going to see something beyond himself, he reverts to type. Now an old man, he's suffered a stroke that's left him unable to paint... until a mysterious benefactor sends him a crimson block of crushed scarabs to use as pigment. Lazorg eats the scarab paste instead, and becomes reinvigorated, seeing the world anew through the crimson haze.
September 28, 2014
I have no earthly idea of what to compare this novel to, apart from China Miéville's New Crobuzon books. There's something akin in the worldbuilding, in the weirdnesses. But where other people are comparing this to an acid trip and whatever, well, I've never taken drugs in my life and even feverish dreams aren't this bizarre but at the same time carefully drawn.
I wasn't particularly engaged by the first third of the story, but I loved the second part. The world created was so different from almost anything I know of, and yet still Di Filippo managed to create characters and stakes that you could care about.
The last part was... almost an anticlimax. It was still weird, but I didn't care so much for it, and despite covering more time/space, it paled compared to the second part. I don't know how I wanted the story to end, but perhaps I wanted it to surprise me again -- and this didn't, somehow. It seemed almost half-hearted, really, like the important part of the story was the central part and the rest, eh.
Despite all that, it's not difficult to read at all, and is straight-forward to follow. It's the ideas that are bizarre, not the execution. Still, if you prefer a good solid novel that goes from A to B -- more Neil Gaiman than China Miéville -- then it probably won't be for you. On the other hand, I'd have said that before reading this, and it got under my skin.
I wasn't particularly engaged by the first third of the story, but I loved the second part. The world created was so different from almost anything I know of, and yet still Di Filippo managed to create characters and stakes that you could care about.
The last part was... almost an anticlimax. It was still weird, but I didn't care so much for it, and despite covering more time/space, it paled compared to the second part. I don't know how I wanted the story to end, but perhaps I wanted it to surprise me again -- and this didn't, somehow. It seemed almost half-hearted, really, like the important part of the story was the central part and the rest, eh.
Despite all that, it's not difficult to read at all, and is straight-forward to follow. It's the ideas that are bizarre, not the execution. Still, if you prefer a good solid novel that goes from A to B -- more Neil Gaiman than China Miéville -- then it probably won't be for you. On the other hand, I'd have said that before reading this, and it got under my skin.
September 7, 2014
reviews.metaphorosis.com
3.5 stars
After a stroke, an aging painter finds his creative energy faded.The arrival of a mysterious new pigment base launches him on a bizarre journey.
Cosmocopia is at once strikingly original and faintly familiar. I don't recall reading anything else by Di Filippo, and this book was originally published in 2008. I can't pin down another story along these lines, so the familiarity is a mystery. The more I think about it, the more I think I've read something similar, though.
Our painter-protagonist travels to another universe, and Di Filippo does a great job of establishing a world that's just similar enough to be a credible next-door dimension, but just distant enough to be bizarre and curious. He establishes the environment beautifully, making weird creatures and culture credible and suggesting a fully realized background. It works perfectly for his story, the bulk of which takes place in this secondary world.
The ending of the book is weaker. While the final segment starts out well, it devolves into a an ending that doesn't make a great deal of sense, and hints at a cop-out. Di Filippo finesses this a bit by focusing more on the characters than on the grand mystery the story presents, but I still found the resolution to be a let down.
All in all, an original and interesting story well worth a read.
NB: Received free copy from Net Galley.
September 26, 2014
“Cosmocopia” was published in 2014 and was written by Paul Di Filippo (http://paul-di-filippo.com/). This is Mr. Di Filippo’s third science fiction novel.
I obtained a galley of this novel for review through https://www.netgalley.com. I would categorize this novel as ‘R’ as there are Mature Situations. The novel is written in the third person and is set in the contemporary world as well as in an alternative dimension. The primary characters are Frank Lazorg and Crutchsup.
Frank is an artist that is in his final days. He has been successful, but now he is slowly recovering from a stroke. He has yet to pick up his brushes to paint again. He tries a drug to help him get back to his art, and he accidentally falls through an inter-dimensional crack.
Crutchsup is the female that finds Frank in the other dimension. She takes him under her wing and helps him adjust to his new world. Over time, they develop an unusual physical relationship.
This is the second book of Mr. Di Filippo’s that I have read, and it will probably be the last for me. The plot and characters were strange but OK. The story was all too weird for my tastes. I did spend a full four hours to complete reading the book, but I did not like it. I give this novel a 3 out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at http://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
I obtained a galley of this novel for review through https://www.netgalley.com. I would categorize this novel as ‘R’ as there are Mature Situations. The novel is written in the third person and is set in the contemporary world as well as in an alternative dimension. The primary characters are Frank Lazorg and Crutchsup.
Frank is an artist that is in his final days. He has been successful, but now he is slowly recovering from a stroke. He has yet to pick up his brushes to paint again. He tries a drug to help him get back to his art, and he accidentally falls through an inter-dimensional crack.
Crutchsup is the female that finds Frank in the other dimension. She takes him under her wing and helps him adjust to his new world. Over time, they develop an unusual physical relationship.
This is the second book of Mr. Di Filippo’s that I have read, and it will probably be the last for me. The plot and characters were strange but OK. The story was all too weird for my tastes. I did spend a full four hours to complete reading the book, but I did not like it. I give this novel a 3 out of 5.
Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at http://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.
September 3, 2014
I really enjoyed reading Mr. Di Filippo's novel. He is an excellent writer and is a refreshing change from the current trend of unnecessary, flabby fluff in popular modern fiction. Every sentence is meaningful!
The protagonists are well done, and their relationship is interesting. different and yet hauntingly familiar.
The ending was unexpected which I thrilled me. A very original and entertaining work which is accessible to all.
The protagonists are well done, and their relationship is interesting. different and yet hauntingly familiar.
The ending was unexpected which I thrilled me. A very original and entertaining work which is accessible to all.
June 20, 2017
Surreal, self indulgent and colorful
Where do I get those beetles? Wildly fluid narrative in a unique multiverse with intense world building and characterization that exploded in new colors, creatures and sentients. A great speculative read.
Where do I get those beetles? Wildly fluid narrative in a unique multiverse with intense world building and characterization that exploded in new colors, creatures and sentients. A great speculative read.
January 27, 2021
This was a weird one, to be sure. I don’t think I was ever truly understanding what was happening, especially with the rather verbose vocabulary being used. However, I was happy to go along for the ride.
3.5 trending up.
3.5 trending up.
September 14, 2014
In Paul Di Filippo’s review column in last month’s issue of Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine he mentioned his novella Cosmocopia as an example of ‘posthumous fantasy’, a subgenre description that I hadn’t heard before, though I have certainly read. Stephen R. Donaldson’s Chronicles of Thomas Covenant come to mind. With the novella length, Di Filippo effectively focuses his exploration into a few basic themes that the genre can embody.
Frank Lazorg is a former talented fantasy illustrator whose artistic productivity and physical vitality have vanished from a stroke in his old age. His desire to achieve one last glorious creation prior to death seem within grasp, however, when a friends sends him a pigment extract for his paints that turns out to also be a potent, reinvigorating drug. Unable to resist the potential it provides, Lazorg takes the addictive, mind-altering drug. Augmenting the emotional turmoil of his past memories, and the fragility of his present, the drug pushes Lazorg into madness and tragic violence that ends up shattering his reality. Lazorg awakes, perhaps transferred, perhaps reborn, in a place familiar yet bizarrely different in biology and physics, perhaps with another chance at life.
The characters and the behavior of physical reality in the universe where Lazorg finds himself are vividly, imaginatively written by Di Filippo. Lazorg is forced to discover this familiar – though foreign – world along with the reader, and stumbling through his new life as he attempts to discover and outlet for his talents and rekindle the artistic creation he yearns for. And the reader begins to increasingly sympathize with Lazorg, who despite his monstrous actions, you want to see find personal redemption in his new lease on life. Despite his mistakes and selfishness, you see the touching love and devotion of those he now finds himself among, and how that has the potential at least to change him into something redeemed.
At the core, Di Filippo uses this posthumous fantasy set-up to explore those basic issues of life and death: Where do we go when we die? Is there an afterlife? Are we reborn? Are there other universes out there? Do we migrate life after life, closer and closer to some ultimate meaning, to a cosmic truth? Is there someone in control and if so do they deserve our respect, or our ire?
This novella isn’t about answering any of those questions, it is just about providing a weird journey that addresses some of these in a narrative to get you thinking about them. I don’t want to say too much about what happens to Lazorg in his new environment, or where he goes from there. I don’t want to reveal what the new world appears to be, because that would ruin the fun of reading this, or of coming up with your own interpretations. I personally found the ending to be perfect, perfectly ironic. If you missed out on this when it was first released as I had, I do recommend picking up this newly available ebook version to discover this.
Disclaimer: I received a free advanced electronic reading copy of this from Open Road Media via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Review originally appeared on http://reading1000lives.com/
Frank Lazorg is a former talented fantasy illustrator whose artistic productivity and physical vitality have vanished from a stroke in his old age. His desire to achieve one last glorious creation prior to death seem within grasp, however, when a friends sends him a pigment extract for his paints that turns out to also be a potent, reinvigorating drug. Unable to resist the potential it provides, Lazorg takes the addictive, mind-altering drug. Augmenting the emotional turmoil of his past memories, and the fragility of his present, the drug pushes Lazorg into madness and tragic violence that ends up shattering his reality. Lazorg awakes, perhaps transferred, perhaps reborn, in a place familiar yet bizarrely different in biology and physics, perhaps with another chance at life.
The characters and the behavior of physical reality in the universe where Lazorg finds himself are vividly, imaginatively written by Di Filippo. Lazorg is forced to discover this familiar – though foreign – world along with the reader, and stumbling through his new life as he attempts to discover and outlet for his talents and rekindle the artistic creation he yearns for. And the reader begins to increasingly sympathize with Lazorg, who despite his monstrous actions, you want to see find personal redemption in his new lease on life. Despite his mistakes and selfishness, you see the touching love and devotion of those he now finds himself among, and how that has the potential at least to change him into something redeemed.
At the core, Di Filippo uses this posthumous fantasy set-up to explore those basic issues of life and death: Where do we go when we die? Is there an afterlife? Are we reborn? Are there other universes out there? Do we migrate life after life, closer and closer to some ultimate meaning, to a cosmic truth? Is there someone in control and if so do they deserve our respect, or our ire?
This novella isn’t about answering any of those questions, it is just about providing a weird journey that addresses some of these in a narrative to get you thinking about them. I don’t want to say too much about what happens to Lazorg in his new environment, or where he goes from there. I don’t want to reveal what the new world appears to be, because that would ruin the fun of reading this, or of coming up with your own interpretations. I personally found the ending to be perfect, perfectly ironic. If you missed out on this when it was first released as I had, I do recommend picking up this newly available ebook version to discover this.
Disclaimer: I received a free advanced electronic reading copy of this from Open Road Media via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Review originally appeared on http://reading1000lives.com/
May 23, 2016
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 4.0 of 5
Aging artist Frank Lazorg starts using a new pigment that was sent to him mysteriously. But the pigment has the effect of a psychotic drug and Lazorg, after inviting back one of his favorite models to be painted, he commits a horrible act and finds himself falling through a woman-shaped hole and into an alternate reality. Here, things are more different that one can possibly imagine. Fortunately for Lazorg, he is taken in and cared for by Crutchsump, a bone scavenger, and taught the way of life. When Lazorg settles in and realizes that he's probably in this strange land to stay he begins to think how he might be able to contribute to Crutchsump's household and to society. It makes sense to him, of course, to return to his profession of art. There's only one problem. Art doesn't exist here. The concept of something representing something else is a concept Crutchsump understands, but painting is beyond his ken. For, "There’s simply no way to make something of lesser dimensions stand in for something of higher dimensions. Every child knows that." But even when Lazorg tries to make his own paints and canvas, he finds that in this reality, art simply doesn't adhere to the canvas and he can't even see shapes and colors when he tries to create.
But instead of art, this reality has "ideation" - best described as a form of sculpture in which the ideator pulls material out of another dimension to shape and create the representation of a thing. Lazorg asks to apprentice to a local ideator and takes the form to a new level, creating portraits of people in this reality.
This book (novella?) is one of the most creative works I've read in a long time. In addition to writing about a world that doesn't have and can't comprehend the idea of art, author Paul Di Filippo also tackles the idea of sexual congress in a very foreign manner. It makes for a wild ride.
I mentioned that this was a very creative work. I don't think I've ever read anything by Di Filippo before, but I certainly would again. This reminded me of Harlan Ellison, or Thomas Disch, or Norman Spinrad. That's some great company to be compared to!
But it wasn't quite tight enough for a full five-star review. The ending felt rushed (as though any more would take it out of the novella category). And the first two portions of the book were so vastly different that they don't really tie together. And there are questions that remain unanswered after the ending. Still, this was good crazy and I'm really glad I read it.
Looking for a good book? Cosmocpia, by Paul Di Filippo, is a trippy tale that comes from another dimension and shows that the "New Wave" science fiction movement is still alive.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Aging artist Frank Lazorg starts using a new pigment that was sent to him mysteriously. But the pigment has the effect of a psychotic drug and Lazorg, after inviting back one of his favorite models to be painted, he commits a horrible act and finds himself falling through a woman-shaped hole and into an alternate reality. Here, things are more different that one can possibly imagine. Fortunately for Lazorg, he is taken in and cared for by Crutchsump, a bone scavenger, and taught the way of life. When Lazorg settles in and realizes that he's probably in this strange land to stay he begins to think how he might be able to contribute to Crutchsump's household and to society. It makes sense to him, of course, to return to his profession of art. There's only one problem. Art doesn't exist here. The concept of something representing something else is a concept Crutchsump understands, but painting is beyond his ken. For, "There’s simply no way to make something of lesser dimensions stand in for something of higher dimensions. Every child knows that." But even when Lazorg tries to make his own paints and canvas, he finds that in this reality, art simply doesn't adhere to the canvas and he can't even see shapes and colors when he tries to create.
But instead of art, this reality has "ideation" - best described as a form of sculpture in which the ideator pulls material out of another dimension to shape and create the representation of a thing. Lazorg asks to apprentice to a local ideator and takes the form to a new level, creating portraits of people in this reality.
This book (novella?) is one of the most creative works I've read in a long time. In addition to writing about a world that doesn't have and can't comprehend the idea of art, author Paul Di Filippo also tackles the idea of sexual congress in a very foreign manner. It makes for a wild ride.
I mentioned that this was a very creative work. I don't think I've ever read anything by Di Filippo before, but I certainly would again. This reminded me of Harlan Ellison, or Thomas Disch, or Norman Spinrad. That's some great company to be compared to!
But it wasn't quite tight enough for a full five-star review. The ending felt rushed (as though any more would take it out of the novella category). And the first two portions of the book were so vastly different that they don't really tie together. And there are questions that remain unanswered after the ending. Still, this was good crazy and I'm really glad I read it.
Looking for a good book? Cosmocpia, by Paul Di Filippo, is a trippy tale that comes from another dimension and shows that the "New Wave" science fiction movement is still alive.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
October 26, 2014
Erm – Okay!
I could leave it right there.
Present a story character acting impulsively and immorally for non sympathetic reasons in any story and for the most part the author will show them getting their comeuppance at some later juncture. Revenge of the reader, your average person’s moral compass expects this even subconsciously demands it in fact. Unless, of course, you are the reader who actually managed to graduate magna cum laude from psychopath school. If so you probably won’t give sznit. Personally that was my hook, and reader revenge was my mission.
Do I get my desired revenge?
Cosmocopia, this weird multi-layered, multi-universe novel touches the capitalised base of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Bizarro
Consider the rich, successful and celebrated artist Frank Lazorg in his last days, recently having suffered a stroke, he can no longer paint, he is weak, weary and lonely. However, his arrogance, and his jealously of rival painter Rokesby Marrs are undiminished. Add in one unexpected gift from an old friend, with unforeseen restorative properties and his dream to finish that one last great masterpiece starts to grow.
This is when the story really kicks in, and weirdness follows like some sort of mad LSD-like ride, but is it to purgatory, heaven or hell?
The most likeable character that we come across in this mind bending universe has to be the utterly devoted and benevolent Crutchsump, who not only takes pity on the mournful alien monster from the Shulgin Mudflats, but deems it worthy enough to give up her own bed and sustenance to the creature. Crutchsump adds the solid emotional depth that pulls the story along. Crutchsump provides both the reader and the Mudflat monster that tiny bit of normality to cling to in this alien world.
The last third of this story would have greatly benefited from just a little more detail, and a lot more adventure in my opinion and this is what lets the story down; the author introduces a significant new character in the final act and then gives him absolutely nothing to do but age. Poor Slug he really never got a chance to get up to much at all.
The writing is highly stylised and may be alienating to some at first, but this is a story worth pursuing, especially if you are an old school science fiction fan.
Even though it was possibly, probably written prior to The Steampunk Trilogy, which I reviewed back in August, it is by far the superior of the two publications, more of this and less of that please Mr Di Filippo.
It appears to have several editions as per Goodreads.
Did I get my desired revenge?
The ultimate resolution was more than a little surprising, you certainly won’t see this one coming at all.
Received from the publisher for an honest review.
Urthwild
I could leave it right there.
Present a story character acting impulsively and immorally for non sympathetic reasons in any story and for the most part the author will show them getting their comeuppance at some later juncture. Revenge of the reader, your average person’s moral compass expects this even subconsciously demands it in fact. Unless, of course, you are the reader who actually managed to graduate magna cum laude from psychopath school. If so you probably won’t give sznit. Personally that was my hook, and reader revenge was my mission.
Do I get my desired revenge?
Cosmocopia, this weird multi-layered, multi-universe novel touches the capitalised base of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Bizarro
Consider the rich, successful and celebrated artist Frank Lazorg in his last days, recently having suffered a stroke, he can no longer paint, he is weak, weary and lonely. However, his arrogance, and his jealously of rival painter Rokesby Marrs are undiminished. Add in one unexpected gift from an old friend, with unforeseen restorative properties and his dream to finish that one last great masterpiece starts to grow.
This is when the story really kicks in, and weirdness follows like some sort of mad LSD-like ride, but is it to purgatory, heaven or hell?
The most likeable character that we come across in this mind bending universe has to be the utterly devoted and benevolent Crutchsump, who not only takes pity on the mournful alien monster from the Shulgin Mudflats, but deems it worthy enough to give up her own bed and sustenance to the creature. Crutchsump adds the solid emotional depth that pulls the story along. Crutchsump provides both the reader and the Mudflat monster that tiny bit of normality to cling to in this alien world.
The last third of this story would have greatly benefited from just a little more detail, and a lot more adventure in my opinion and this is what lets the story down; the author introduces a significant new character in the final act and then gives him absolutely nothing to do but age. Poor Slug he really never got a chance to get up to much at all.
The writing is highly stylised and may be alienating to some at first, but this is a story worth pursuing, especially if you are an old school science fiction fan.
Even though it was possibly, probably written prior to The Steampunk Trilogy, which I reviewed back in August, it is by far the superior of the two publications, more of this and less of that please Mr Di Filippo.
It appears to have several editions as per Goodreads.
Did I get my desired revenge?
The ultimate resolution was more than a little surprising, you certainly won’t see this one coming at all.
Received from the publisher for an honest review.
Urthwild
February 23, 2015
This review and others are available on my blog.
Cosmocopia is a strange twisting journey through Paul Di Filippo's fertile imagination. Originally published as a limited edition novella, Cosmocopia follows Frank Lazorg, an aging fantasy illustrator and painter who is recovering from a stroke and has lost the will and energy to paint. A mysterious package filled with a vibrant new paint and drug, reawakens Lazorg's ambitions and jealousy and leads him on a violent, dangerous, surreal path into new and stranger dimensions.
As always, Di Filippo brings a great deal of depth and imagination to his subject. Lazorg's twilight years—shunned by his muse, tended by indifferent caregivers, plagued by younger rivals and reporters—are intimately and poignantly rendered. Lazorg was never a kind or loving man, but in his bitterness he feels desperately real and that desperation leads him to a terrible act.
The second part is a masterpiece of world building. Lazorg finds himself in a new world, closer to the Conceptus—the beginning of the multiverse or cosmocopia. Here physics and concepts are different. There is no writing or painting, the very ideas are foreign. Crutchsump, the bone-scavenger who takes Lazorg in, however, is an instantly familiar character, for all her physical strangeness. In her own way she is as desperate and lonely as Lazorg was, and that desperation leads her to her own terrible and irreparable decisions. The choice to largely tell the story of a new world from the perspective of someone who has always lived there pays dividends. Lazorg becomes the monstrous alien thing, despite being the readers' most familiar point.
The final section is the shortest and most metaphysical and surreal. The sense of character and world building that sustained the first two parts is largely dropped. This is a deliberately stripped down world, a grey desert void between realities, that ultimately results in a final confrontation. Unfortunately, Lazorg who was a strong presence in the first part and slightly less so in the second, becomes less a character than an observer in the final section, his motives and personality largely fading.
Cosmocopia is a delightfully surreal novella with a pair of lonely desperate characters at its heart, and a wealth of interesting concepts about the nature of the universe, and, indeed, art. The ending, however, feels rushed and half-formed, understandable in a novella, and Lazorg, while ostensibly the main character, looses focus over the three sections. Nevertheless, this was an engaging and fascinating read.
**Received copy from NetGalley for Review
Cosmocopia is a strange twisting journey through Paul Di Filippo's fertile imagination. Originally published as a limited edition novella, Cosmocopia follows Frank Lazorg, an aging fantasy illustrator and painter who is recovering from a stroke and has lost the will and energy to paint. A mysterious package filled with a vibrant new paint and drug, reawakens Lazorg's ambitions and jealousy and leads him on a violent, dangerous, surreal path into new and stranger dimensions.
As always, Di Filippo brings a great deal of depth and imagination to his subject. Lazorg's twilight years—shunned by his muse, tended by indifferent caregivers, plagued by younger rivals and reporters—are intimately and poignantly rendered. Lazorg was never a kind or loving man, but in his bitterness he feels desperately real and that desperation leads him to a terrible act.
The second part is a masterpiece of world building. Lazorg finds himself in a new world, closer to the Conceptus—the beginning of the multiverse or cosmocopia. Here physics and concepts are different. There is no writing or painting, the very ideas are foreign. Crutchsump, the bone-scavenger who takes Lazorg in, however, is an instantly familiar character, for all her physical strangeness. In her own way she is as desperate and lonely as Lazorg was, and that desperation leads her to her own terrible and irreparable decisions. The choice to largely tell the story of a new world from the perspective of someone who has always lived there pays dividends. Lazorg becomes the monstrous alien thing, despite being the readers' most familiar point.
The final section is the shortest and most metaphysical and surreal. The sense of character and world building that sustained the first two parts is largely dropped. This is a deliberately stripped down world, a grey desert void between realities, that ultimately results in a final confrontation. Unfortunately, Lazorg who was a strong presence in the first part and slightly less so in the second, becomes less a character than an observer in the final section, his motives and personality largely fading.
Cosmocopia is a delightfully surreal novella with a pair of lonely desperate characters at its heart, and a wealth of interesting concepts about the nature of the universe, and, indeed, art. The ending, however, feels rushed and half-formed, understandable in a novella, and Lazorg, while ostensibly the main character, looses focus over the three sections. Nevertheless, this was an engaging and fascinating read.
**Received copy from NetGalley for Review
September 6, 2014
I got this book from netgalley.
Well I'll start with the good points. Wow. What a ride this book was. Highly original, great concepts and once it got going was really entertaining. Also, I loved the way art was explored in this book. The thought of being in another universe where art as you know it no longer exists and having to find a completely new and foreign way to express yourself was compelling.
I think this book as a whole though, left something to be desired. I liked the sci-fi aspect, but being thrown into this other universe with completely new words, phrases etc. and no real explanation of them was kind of like being thrown in the deep end of a pool and just learning to swim. It was a bit disorienting and kept me from connecting. Also things didn't really start to pick up until about 65% of the way in when I was wondering whether to continue.
I'm glad I did continue however, the second half of this story was way better. I flew through it. I loved how the ending flowed.
* spoiler*
I didn't however like the whole "I hate God and literally want to fight him for all the unfair things that have happened to me" thing. I mean, did he forget that he bludgeoned the last woman he loved? So what happened didn't seem all that unfair.
Anyway! All in all a good book. Somewhere between Sci-fi and Bizzaro. Definitely worth a read. Not everyone's cup of tea, but if you ever want to say "fuck tea I'll have absinthe!" then this might be nice change
Well I'll start with the good points. Wow. What a ride this book was. Highly original, great concepts and once it got going was really entertaining. Also, I loved the way art was explored in this book. The thought of being in another universe where art as you know it no longer exists and having to find a completely new and foreign way to express yourself was compelling.
I think this book as a whole though, left something to be desired. I liked the sci-fi aspect, but being thrown into this other universe with completely new words, phrases etc. and no real explanation of them was kind of like being thrown in the deep end of a pool and just learning to swim. It was a bit disorienting and kept me from connecting. Also things didn't really start to pick up until about 65% of the way in when I was wondering whether to continue.
I'm glad I did continue however, the second half of this story was way better. I flew through it. I loved how the ending flowed.
* spoiler*
I didn't however like the whole "I hate God and literally want to fight him for all the unfair things that have happened to me" thing. I mean, did he forget that he bludgeoned the last woman he loved? So what happened didn't seem all that unfair.
Anyway! All in all a good book. Somewhere between Sci-fi and Bizzaro. Definitely worth a read. Not everyone's cup of tea, but if you ever want to say "fuck tea I'll have absinthe!" then this might be nice change
April 16, 2020
This was a weird one. The first part starts in the middle of an interview with an aging artist with some scattered thought processes.
A mysterious package arrives which leads the ill old man into experimentation with an apparently pharmacopial substance with unknown but interestingly observable properties, and leads through obsession to a gruesome outcome.
The second part might have been a little too abstract for me. It was about a bone collector and a monster in the shape of a man, but I had no idea what was supposed to be going on through most of it or why collecting bones should be profitable. A connection to the first part becomes apparent eventually. We're expected to follow strange events and circumstances that we presume to be normal, yet are very different from any world that we know. It's an alternate world that doesn't quite seem to make sense, where we learn a few nonsense words and try to keep up with what an introciptor might be and where we've heard of a creature called a wurzel. This world is populated by strange creatures who hide their genitalia on their heads under a caul.
None of the characters were particularly endearing and there was no one that most people would identify with. It's interesting in a sort of old science fiction meets psychedelic drugs sort of way, but I can't say that I felt any real connection to the story.
All things considered, this one was just a little too 'out there' for my taste.
A mysterious package arrives which leads the ill old man into experimentation with an apparently pharmacopial substance with unknown but interestingly observable properties, and leads through obsession to a gruesome outcome.
The second part might have been a little too abstract for me. It was about a bone collector and a monster in the shape of a man, but I had no idea what was supposed to be going on through most of it or why collecting bones should be profitable. A connection to the first part becomes apparent eventually. We're expected to follow strange events and circumstances that we presume to be normal, yet are very different from any world that we know. It's an alternate world that doesn't quite seem to make sense, where we learn a few nonsense words and try to keep up with what an introciptor might be and where we've heard of a creature called a wurzel. This world is populated by strange creatures who hide their genitalia on their heads under a caul.
None of the characters were particularly endearing and there was no one that most people would identify with. It's interesting in a sort of old science fiction meets psychedelic drugs sort of way, but I can't say that I felt any real connection to the story.
All things considered, this one was just a little too 'out there' for my taste.
August 23, 2014
Cosmocopia is what I imagine an inspiring acid trip to be like; everything is alien, yet you feel strangely engaged with and emboldened against the foreign elements.
It all starts rather normal, within the dimensions humans of this Earth recognize all to well: ailing self-centered painter, beautiful and cruel muse/love interest, a budding substance abuse problem… And then Di Filippo does what he does, and our painter is thrown into a strange parallel universe, where his daily vocabulary is put to the test, where there are no paintings and ghosts are not what he knows. Here, the search for the true self starts anew, and perhaps inevitably, the painter retraces his previous life in this strange new world. Each time the painter settles down to his success, he embarks on a new journey, one that will take him closer to his maker.
Di Filippo’s language is fluid and engaging, and successful in creating separate emotional vernaculars for the characters that belong to different worlds. There is love, sex, and art intertwined throughout the journey, but ultimately the story is of birth and rebirth and origins of self.
Highly recommended for those who like pets, sculpture, and psychedelic trips.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
It all starts rather normal, within the dimensions humans of this Earth recognize all to well: ailing self-centered painter, beautiful and cruel muse/love interest, a budding substance abuse problem… And then Di Filippo does what he does, and our painter is thrown into a strange parallel universe, where his daily vocabulary is put to the test, where there are no paintings and ghosts are not what he knows. Here, the search for the true self starts anew, and perhaps inevitably, the painter retraces his previous life in this strange new world. Each time the painter settles down to his success, he embarks on a new journey, one that will take him closer to his maker.
Di Filippo’s language is fluid and engaging, and successful in creating separate emotional vernaculars for the characters that belong to different worlds. There is love, sex, and art intertwined throughout the journey, but ultimately the story is of birth and rebirth and origins of self.
Highly recommended for those who like pets, sculpture, and psychedelic trips.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
August 24, 2014
Originally published in book form in 2008, this is the first eBook edition. Like many Science Fiction books, this one is almost impossible to summarize in a succinct manner or actually in any manner.
An artist named Lazorg has grown old and feeble. He dreams of one more painting that will be his crowning achievement. One day he receives a package, inside of which is a powder of red paint. The note inside says that it’s made from a rare South American beetle. For whatever reason Lazorg tastes the powder and finds that he has more strength in his body. The more he takes the stronger he feels, until he finds the strength to begin painting again. From here things get strange.
He ends up in another world where he is told that the universe is made like a cornucopia and the closer to the beginning you get the closer to God (the Conceptus) you get. After his mate/friend dies he decides to confront the Conceptus to find out why people die.
The story could of course be put off as a drug dream from the red paste powder. On the other hand it reads like “Cloud Atlas” written by Kafka in the style of Nietzsche. Ok, by that I mean that there’s a lot of philosophizing without any true resolution. The best I can say is read it and decide whether it’s great or garbage for yourself.
Zeb Kantrowitz zworstblog.blogspot.com
An artist named Lazorg has grown old and feeble. He dreams of one more painting that will be his crowning achievement. One day he receives a package, inside of which is a powder of red paint. The note inside says that it’s made from a rare South American beetle. For whatever reason Lazorg tastes the powder and finds that he has more strength in his body. The more he takes the stronger he feels, until he finds the strength to begin painting again. From here things get strange.
He ends up in another world where he is told that the universe is made like a cornucopia and the closer to the beginning you get the closer to God (the Conceptus) you get. After his mate/friend dies he decides to confront the Conceptus to find out why people die.
The story could of course be put off as a drug dream from the red paste powder. On the other hand it reads like “Cloud Atlas” written by Kafka in the style of Nietzsche. Ok, by that I mean that there’s a lot of philosophizing without any true resolution. The best I can say is read it and decide whether it’s great or garbage for yourself.
Zeb Kantrowitz zworstblog.blogspot.com
September 2, 2014
This was a very inventive story of a much lauded, but tortured artist who jumps between planes of existence and learns to exist and even thrive in alien environments. The alien environment and behaviors were very original and the story tackled some complex human aspects. The story jumps between planes in unexpected ways that reminded me of Slaughterhouse Five, though the story not all told from the perspective of the artist, so it eases the transitions somewhat.
I did have a problem with the rushed feeling of the final act. It's a short book, but through the first few parts the author takes moments to develop the story. Enter the final act and it's like he ran out of gas. One minute, the artist wins back his household from his nemesis (with no real explanation of why this is necessary). Next thing, he's an old man facing the creator upon who he set out to get his revenge. And then he just decides to make all his mistakes right and it's over. I don't really have a problem with how it ended. Just that it took 4 pages to finish it where I was really hoping for 40.
I did have a problem with the rushed feeling of the final act. It's a short book, but through the first few parts the author takes moments to develop the story. Enter the final act and it's like he ran out of gas. One minute, the artist wins back his household from his nemesis (with no real explanation of why this is necessary). Next thing, he's an old man facing the creator upon who he set out to get his revenge. And then he just decides to make all his mistakes right and it's over. I don't really have a problem with how it ended. Just that it took 4 pages to finish it where I was really hoping for 40.
October 17, 2014
'Cosmocopia' falls squarely into the genre of weird SF. Strange like Philip Jose Farmer, which is a compliment in this case.
When aging artist Frank Lazorg is sent a new ingredient to use as pigment, it leads to strange new things when he starts ingesting it as a drug. This leads him to commit an unforgiveable act and he ends up accidentally escaping to another world. The inhabitants of this new world are unusual, but Frank finds himself able to understand them. He is taken in and learns their ways, but he is not content to just exist, and he yearns to create again, but can his notion of art be accepted in a world so strange?
It's strange and reminded me of the psychedelic era of SF in the early 1970s. I like the way Paul DiFilippo spins a story. I felt like the ending was a bit rushed, but I liked it overall.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Open Road Integrated Media and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
When aging artist Frank Lazorg is sent a new ingredient to use as pigment, it leads to strange new things when he starts ingesting it as a drug. This leads him to commit an unforgiveable act and he ends up accidentally escaping to another world. The inhabitants of this new world are unusual, but Frank finds himself able to understand them. He is taken in and learns their ways, but he is not content to just exist, and he yearns to create again, but can his notion of art be accepted in a world so strange?
It's strange and reminded me of the psychedelic era of SF in the early 1970s. I like the way Paul DiFilippo spins a story. I felt like the ending was a bit rushed, but I liked it overall.
I received a review copy of this ebook from Open Road Integrated Media and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
September 13, 2014
I received a free galley of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I found this book a little difficult to follow after the first turn, but then so did the protagonist. I enjoy the authors complex story line and external view of the ego driven artist who is the protagonist of the story. While I found some of the other characters far more likable, I believe that was the point.
This story is a wild ride through the imagination incorporating fantastical worlds, spirituality, cosmology and many other ologies. You definitely have to think for a bit when you finish it. Always the mark of a good book.
I found this book a little difficult to follow after the first turn, but then so did the protagonist. I enjoy the authors complex story line and external view of the ego driven artist who is the protagonist of the story. While I found some of the other characters far more likable, I believe that was the point.
This story is a wild ride through the imagination incorporating fantastical worlds, spirituality, cosmology and many other ologies. You definitely have to think for a bit when you finish it. Always the mark of a good book.
September 5, 2014
I want to thank Open Media and Netgalley for the opportunity for this trip to Cosmocopia.
Lazorg the king of fantasy illustrating takes a strange new drug that spirals him into a world of pure bizarre. Naked and know idea what to do he finds love.
Love follows him through Cosmocopia
This strange novel reminds me why Paul Di Filippo is one of my favorite authors. The man who wrote one of my top ten favorites "Fuzzy Dice"
Lazorg the king of fantasy illustrating takes a strange new drug that spirals him into a world of pure bizarre. Naked and know idea what to do he finds love.
Love follows him through Cosmocopia
This strange novel reminds me why Paul Di Filippo is one of my favorite authors. The man who wrote one of my top ten favorites "Fuzzy Dice"
September 10, 2014
REVIEW: COSMOCOPIA by Paul Di Filippo
Not just science fiction but science fiction inlaid with fantasy, COSMOCOPIA is the definition of "a wild ride." Originally published with illustrations, art print, and jigsaw, it must have been mind-boggling then, and reading it as a novella still is. This is the kind of story which ought to come with a caution notice: "Strap in and prepare for the involuntary expansion of your Mind."
Not just science fiction but science fiction inlaid with fantasy, COSMOCOPIA is the definition of "a wild ride." Originally published with illustrations, art print, and jigsaw, it must have been mind-boggling then, and reading it as a novella still is. This is the kind of story which ought to come with a caution notice: "Strap in and prepare for the involuntary expansion of your Mind."
September 3, 2014
Untrod Territory of the Mind, September 3, 2014
I found Di Filippo's Cosmocopia from the start somewhat disturbing which from him is almost a given. Very original premise about multiple realities, good thoughts about art and sacrifice, erotic in a twisted way. Worth the read, especially for his fans.
I found Di Filippo's Cosmocopia from the start somewhat disturbing which from him is almost a given. Very original premise about multiple realities, good thoughts about art and sacrifice, erotic in a twisted way. Worth the read, especially for his fans.
December 16, 2014
Una historia un poco psicodélica sobre el proceso de creación, en la que el autor crea un fantástico nuevo universo al cual no acaba de sacar provecho. Muy extraña.
http://dreamsofelvex.blogspot.com/201...
http://dreamsofelvex.blogspot.com/201...
September 13, 2014
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