Clifford D. Simak, while known well enough within the circle of science fiction by serious fans, is still not the kind of author typically cited as among the best, or an author who wrote a number of classics, or an author on the top of a number of recommendation lists. This is a shame, since, from what I've read about him and of his stories, he should be a big deal. After reading "Huddling Place", I was eager to see more, and also had "The Big Front Yard", both of which are stories featured in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame collections (which are stories gathered based on the idea of honoring stories released before the founding of the Nebula awards, so it's not like Simak never obtains recognition).
But there's not much for me to say about "Huddling Place" other than, "It was awesome, check it out." For me to say enough about it otherwise, I'd definitely have to spoil it and I don't want to do that to such a wonderful story with a great twist at the end, and would rather just tell people to read it and see how great it is for themselves. So I'll say a bit about "The Big Front Yard" instead.
"The Big Front Yard" has no surprises or twists, but is nonetheless a captivating story about a man whose home is transformed into a gateway to another plane with gateways to other worlds. This concept alone, while basic, has massive potential, and just on this alone I couldn't help but read on with such wonder at the possibilities and am amazed at the detail Simak forged into such beautiful worlds; Simak seems to have a great talent at transforming words into imagery, he is one of the few artists I could read world-building all day. He could plaster words onto a canvas and display them in a museum for many to stare in awe. And, to boot, he is also a fantastic story-teller and judgment of character. He seems to me to be an all-around excellent author.
It's just a shame "The Big Front Yard" ends. And I mean that in the sense that I wanted to read more, sure, but I also mean that in the sense that it just ends, pretty much out of nowhere. It reads like a story that wasn't finished but was finished anyway. There's a deal going on and there's more world and character-building and the line "It's a big front yard," is said and that's it. I would've loved to have seen this story published as a novel, and I'm quite sure it never was. I don't know why this happened, either, like if it was a conscious decision by Simak to inspire the reader's own wild ideas, or because he was short on time before publishing. While I still recommend this story as it's a thoroughly entertaining read, I just feel like there's a void left by the gateway that needs filled, and Simak never really got around to filling it (to my knowledge anyway).
However, inter-dimensional travel seems to be a common theme to Simak's work, so I suppose if one wanted to fill that void, they could just read his other stories. If they could find them anyway; seems a number of popular bookstores don't carry his stories and even in used book stores I've visited, I can't find much. This is such an unfortunate revelation, because I believe Simak deserves more public exposure. For further argument on my stance, to convince more of my absent readers, I will let the man write for himself, in quote:
"Overall, I have written in a quiet manner; there is little violence in my work. My focus has been on people, not on events. More often than not I have struck a hopeful note... I have, on occasions, tried to speak out for decency and compassion, for understanding, not only in the human, but in the cosmic sense. I have tried at times to place humans in perspective against the vastness of universal time and space. I have been concerned where we, as a race, may be going, and what may be our purpose in the universal scheme—if we have a purpose. In general, I believe we do, and perhaps an important one."
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