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Pilot Light
Those two madmen, Powers and Blaylock are back, with a recently unearthed and touched up short story thought lost to the ages. "Pilot Light" is vintage William Ashbless, complex to the point of incoherence, with a good eighteen footnotes added by the poet refuting and clarifying the changes made by Powers and Blaylock to his sacred words. Also included in this small form hardcover chapbook are an introduction by Powers and an afterword by Blaylock.
68 pages, Hardcover
First published November 26, 2007
39 people want to read
About the author
William Ashbless
4Ìýbooks12ÌýfollowersWilliam Ashbless is a fictional poet, invented by fantasy writers James Blaylock and Tim Powers.
Ashbless is best known in his incarnation as a 19th century poet, in which guise he appears in Powers' The Anubis Gates (1983) and as a lesser character in Blaylock's The Digging Leviathan (1984). Neither author was aware that the other's novel contained a William Ashbless until the coincidence was noticed by the editor responsible for both books, who suggested that the two consult one another so that their references would be consistent.
Excerpted from .
Ashbless is best known in his incarnation as a 19th century poet, in which guise he appears in Powers' The Anubis Gates (1983) and as a lesser character in Blaylock's The Digging Leviathan (1984). Neither author was aware that the other's novel contained a William Ashbless until the coincidence was noticed by the editor responsible for both books, who suggested that the two consult one another so that their references would be consistent.
Excerpted from .
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 18, 2011
Where do I start?
Pilot Light is purported to be a story by William Ashbless, the fictitious poet invented by James Blaylock and Tim Powers. As near as I can tell, it's the story about a pilot that's been rebuilt by aliens. From what I gather, it's more the story of the manuscript left behind by Ashbless and cleaned up by Powers and Blaylock. The forward, afterward, and footnotes tell a much more coherent story than the actual text. Sturgeon? Onion? I have no idea what was actually going on with the main text.
On the plus side, the footnotes by Ashbless were hilarious and the Gahan Wilson art was top notch, especially of the Sturgeon.
I feel like I should have more to say but the book's only 68 small pages long. I'd hate to have paid 20 bucks for it. If you're a Powers and Blaylock fan who appreciates post-modern lit, this would be one to pick up. Other than that, you're on your own.
Pilot Light is purported to be a story by William Ashbless, the fictitious poet invented by James Blaylock and Tim Powers. As near as I can tell, it's the story about a pilot that's been rebuilt by aliens. From what I gather, it's more the story of the manuscript left behind by Ashbless and cleaned up by Powers and Blaylock. The forward, afterward, and footnotes tell a much more coherent story than the actual text. Sturgeon? Onion? I have no idea what was actually going on with the main text.
On the plus side, the footnotes by Ashbless were hilarious and the Gahan Wilson art was top notch, especially of the Sturgeon.
I feel like I should have more to say but the book's only 68 small pages long. I'd hate to have paid 20 bucks for it. If you're a Powers and Blaylock fan who appreciates post-modern lit, this would be one to pick up. Other than that, you're on your own.
December 13, 2010
I have utterly no idea how to rate this one, because (in my current migraining state,) I'm not sure if this little volume is absolutely brilliant, but I just don't quite get the joke, or if it's the dumbest thing I've ever read and I'm standing in the street shouting: “You guys! Nekkid Emperor dudes!�
I'm not entirely clear on plot, except that it's some paper from some dead guy, and there are onions. And a sturgeon. Reading this felt a little bit like going for a drink with a co-worker and running into one of his frat brothers. For a few minutes you think it's going to be three people chatting at a bar, but then they start ordering PBR and shots of Jack, and suddenly you're sitting in between two drunk, old, former football players who are laughing and wheezing uncontrollably and saying things like: “Remember that girl? After the... you know, with the THING?!� “F*CK ME, the THING!� “And remember when you, that time, you know!� “HAHAHAHA I TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT THE TIME!!! Dude, why aren't you laughing, this is some funny SHIT!� Whereupon I reply: “Oh yeah, of course, the time, with the thing, at that place... yeah. Haha. Funny shit.�
Exactly like that.
I'm not entirely clear on plot, except that it's some paper from some dead guy, and there are onions. And a sturgeon. Reading this felt a little bit like going for a drink with a co-worker and running into one of his frat brothers. For a few minutes you think it's going to be three people chatting at a bar, but then they start ordering PBR and shots of Jack, and suddenly you're sitting in between two drunk, old, former football players who are laughing and wheezing uncontrollably and saying things like: “Remember that girl? After the... you know, with the THING?!� “F*CK ME, the THING!� “And remember when you, that time, you know!� “HAHAHAHA I TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT THE TIME!!! Dude, why aren't you laughing, this is some funny SHIT!� Whereupon I reply: “Oh yeah, of course, the time, with the thing, at that place... yeah. Haha. Funny shit.�
Exactly like that.
July 7, 2014
This strange and fun little book by Tim Powers and James P. Blaylock authored by their fictional creation of "William Ashbless" is a hoot. It sports a cover by Gahan Wilson and a couple of interior illustrations are by him as well. The books text is in black, white with blue.
You can just imagine Powers and Blaylock sitting around during a bout of drinking and carousing with the brilliant idea of a fake book by an non-existent author along the lines of Kilgore Trout.
Most of the book consists of an introduction by Tim Powers, a Postscript to the introduction by Powers, the story itself (with lots of footnotes by Ashbless clarifying and refuting the changes made by Powers and Blaylock to his sacred words), and the afterword by James P. Blaylock entitled : "afterword: a brief clarification of William Ashbless's Pilot Lite (Which is almost as long as the story itself), A postscript by William Ashbless, and A SPECIAL BONUS FEATURE - a seventeen page interview with William Ashbless by Bill Wylie (including Jimmy the waiter), for which Ashbless wanted forty dollars for gas money.
This is all lots of fun if read in the proper frame of mind.
You can just imagine Powers and Blaylock sitting around during a bout of drinking and carousing with the brilliant idea of a fake book by an non-existent author along the lines of Kilgore Trout.
Most of the book consists of an introduction by Tim Powers, a Postscript to the introduction by Powers, the story itself (with lots of footnotes by Ashbless clarifying and refuting the changes made by Powers and Blaylock to his sacred words), and the afterword by James P. Blaylock entitled : "afterword: a brief clarification of William Ashbless's Pilot Lite (Which is almost as long as the story itself), A postscript by William Ashbless, and A SPECIAL BONUS FEATURE - a seventeen page interview with William Ashbless by Bill Wylie (including Jimmy the waiter), for which Ashbless wanted forty dollars for gas money.
This is all lots of fun if read in the proper frame of mind.
December 16, 2019
A nearly excruciating, baffling bit of literary self-indulgence. At least it was short.
August 13, 2008
A short story with footnotes by Ashbless, introduction by Powers, afterword by Blaylock, and an interrupted interview with Ashbless at the end. Longtime readers of Powers or Blaylock will get the joke -- Ashbless is a fictional character who has appeared in several books by each author, particularly the highly recommended _The Anubis Gates_ by Powers. _Pilot Light_ is funny in places, surreal throughout, but to my tastes not very satisfying. For Ashbless completists and hardcore fans of Tim Powers and James Blaylock only.
February 28, 2023
This is a funny book, in both the funny ha, ha, sense and the funny peculiar sense. It is very short and is just an excuse for the wonderful Powers and Blaylock to have some fun with their fictional author the irascible William Ashbless. Just enjoy it for what it is a running joke, beautifully written.
July 15, 2024
That Ashbless fellow is a genius. Most important writer of the 20th century, I reckon.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
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