The Complete Short Stories: The 1960s. Brian Aldiss
when one awakens in a strange room that one cannot momentarily identify
SHAK ALE MAN The struggle that takes place in the night between the urge to urinate and the urge to continue sleeping
SHAK LA MAN GRA When the urge to urinate takes precedence over the urge to continue sleeping
SHAK LO MUN GRAM When the urge to continue sleeping takes
precedence over all things
SHEAN DORL Gazing at one’s reflection for reasons other than vanity
SHE EAN MIK Performing prohibited postures before a mirror
SHEM A slight cold afflicting only one nostril; the thoughts that pass when one shakes hands with a politician
SHUK TACK The shortening in life-stature a man incurs from a
seemingly benevolent machine
SOBI A reverie lasting less than twenty years on cosmological themes; a nickel
SODI DORL One machine making way for another; decadence,
particularly in the Cold Continents
SODI IN PIT Any epithet which does not accurately convey what it
intends, such as ‘Sober as a judge’, ‘Silly nit’, ‘He swims like a fish’, ‘He’s only half-alive’, and so on
STAINI RACK NUSVIODON Experiencing Staini Rack Nuul and then realising that one must continue in the same outworn fashion because the alternatives are too frightening, or because one is too weak to change; wearing a suit of clothes at which one sees strangers looking askance
STAINI RACK NUUL Introspection (sometimes prompted by birthdays) that one is not living as one determined to live when one was very young; or, on the other hand, realising that one is living in a mode decided upon when one was very young and which is now no longer applicable or appropriate
STAIN TOK I The awareness that one is helplessly living a role
STA SODON The worst feelings which do not even lead to suicide
SU SODA VALKUS A sudden realisation that one’s spirit is not pure, overcoming one on Mount Rinvlak (in the Southern Continent)
TI Civilised aggression
TIG GAG The creature most like man in the Southern Continent which smiles as it sleeps
TIPY LAP KIN Laughter that one recognises though the laughter is
unseen; one’s own laughter in a crisis
TOK AN Suddenly divining the nature and imminence of old age in one’s thirty-first year
TUAN BOLO A class of people one only meets at weddings; the pleasure of feeling rather pale
TU KI TOK Moments of genuine joy captured in a play or charade about joy; the experience of youthful delight in old age
TUZ PAT MAIN (Obs.) The determination to eat one’s maternal
grandfather
U (Obs.) The amount of time it takes for a lizard to turn into a bird; love
UBI A girl who lifts her skirts at the very moment you wish she would
UDI KAL The clothes of the woman one loves
UDI UKAL The body of the woman one loves
UES WE TEL DA Love between a male and female politician
UGI SLO GU The love that needs a little coaxing
UMI RIN TOSIT The sensations a woman experiences when she does not know how she feels about a man
UMY RIN RU The new dimensions that take on illusory existence when the body of the loved woman is first revealed
UNIMGAG BU Love of oneself that passes understanding; a machine’s dream
UNK TAK An out-of-date guide book; the skin shed by the snake that predicts rain
UPANG PLA Consciousness that one’s agonised actions undertaken for love would look rather funny to one’s friends
UPANG PLAP Consciousness that while one’s agonised actions undertaken for love are on the whole rather funny to oneself, they might even look heroic to one’s friends; a play with a cast of three or less
U RI RHI Two lovers drunk together
USANA NUTO A novel all about love, written by a computer
USAN I NUT Dying for love
USAN I ZUN BI Living for love; a tropical hurricane arriving from over the sea, generally at dawn
UZ Two very large people marrying after the prime of life
UZ TO KARDIN The realisation in childhood that one is the issue of two very large people who married after the prime of life
WE FAAK A park or a college closed for seemingly good reasons; a city where one wishes one could live
YA GAG Too much education; a digestive upset during travel
YA GAG LEE Apologies offered by a hostess for a bad meal
YA GA TUZ Bad meat; (Obs.) dirty fingernails
YAG ORN A president
YATUZ PATI (Obs.) The ceremony of eating one’s maternal grandfather
YATUZ SHAK SHAK NAPANG HOLI NUN Lying with one’s maternal grandmother; when hens devour their young
YE FLIC TOT A group of men smiling and congratulating each other
YE FLU GAN Philosophical thoughts that don’t amount to much;
graffiti in a place of worship
YON TORN A paper tiger; two children with one toy
YON U SAN The hesitation a boy experiences before first kissing his first girl
YOR KIN BE A house; a circumlocution; a waterproof hat; the smile of a slightly imperfect wife
YUP PA A book in which everything is understandable except the author’s purpose in writing it
YUPPA GA Stomach ache masquerading as eyestrain; a book in which nothing is understandable except the author’s purpose in writing it
YUTH MOD The assumed bonhomie of visitors and strangers
ZO ZO CON A woman in another field
Mickie Houston was strikingly self-centred. But with his looks, his voice and his style – and his wife – he had gone far. And meant to go further.
Rickie Houston was strikingly beautiful. She looked even more lovely than usual as she said to her husband, ‘Don’t take the time-travel drug, darling. I have a terrible feeling it will kill you!’
Mickie Houston kissed her and said, ‘And I have a terrific feeling it may make me immortal!’
The exchange was overheard by a gossip columnist, and soon became famous. Not only was the controversy over the new time-travel drug raging (for this was in 1969), but Rickie and Mickie were the toasts of the switched-on pop world, the duo who finally knocked the groups from the charts.
The extra publicity encouraged Mickie to go ahead with his idea. He went to the famous London clinic where the drug was being administered to the few who were reckless or rich enough to pay for the injection.
The specialist shook his head and said gravely, ‘The effects of LSKK, the so-called time-travel drug, are very strange, Mr Houston. It’s not an experience to be undertaken lightly. We have a duty to warn any potential time-travellers that they take their life in their hands when they undergo the injection.’
‘Yeah, I heard all that jazz from my wife.’
‘Really? What your wife may not have told you is