Michael Libling returns to Asimov’s with “The Placemat at Baldy’s Diner,” in our [March/April issue, on sale now!] In this Q&A, he talks about the process of writing the story, his inspirations, and his continuing interest in UFOs.
Asimov’s Editor: You’ve written SF stories before, but this is the first that appears to focus on the well-worn UFO and alien abduction tropes. Why tackle the subjects now?
Michael Libling: Timing, I suppose. Not in a current events sense, but rather in feeling good about the approach I had finally settled on. Like so many of my published stories, the version in hand was a long time coming. The core concept and accompanying notes go back to the late 90s, with the first draft written only in 2014 during a weeklong writers retreat in North Adams, Massachusetts with fellow writers William Shunn, Paul Witcover, and Rob Ziegler. Several of the story elements were in place from the outset, particularly the setting, but something was missing. My work tends to be character driven, and this one needed heart.
While I’d return to the story often over the years, I could never quite put it to bed. Notably, there were a few stories I had published during this period that contained passing references to alien abductions, oblique nods to the never-ending work in progress.
The other issue I struggled with—a good example of my overthinking—is that UFO and alien visitor stories have been done to death, as your question suggests. There are so many memorable stories and films out there, I didn’t want to go down an overly familiar path. Have I succeeded? I’m guessing those who are better read in the field than I will let me know. Yeah, I’m ducking under my desk as I say this….
Unsurprisingly, at this point, the story came together one Saturday morning in a diner while having breakfast with my wife and a friend. I’d seen the same placemat dozens of times before, but on this particular morning it stared right back, flashed a little neon, and shouted my name. At long last, I knew what needed to be done, right down to the voice that had to tell it.
Despite the years it took, I’m proud to say I adhered to the second of Heinlein’s rules for writing: “Finish what you start.” On the other hand, it might have been a good idea for him to set an actual timeframe, in my case, at least.
AE: Your approach to the story strikes me as deceptive on several levels. At the outset, at least, I wasn’t even sure of the genre. It’s why I said “appears to focus” in my last question. I wonder if there might be some who would debate whether the story truly is science fiction, despite the UFOs and alien content. How would you respond here?
ML: It depends on how you choose to interpret the story. Although I have no doubt it’s SF, I’m open to any label. If you think about it, the execution of the story and the ambiguity built into it mirrors somewhat the divide that follows reports of UFOs, alien visitors, and abductions. Some believe. Some don’t. And some exploit them to the max. The theme is a constant throughout “Baldy’s Diner.” Let’s face it, who wouldn’t want the existence of UFOs and extraterrestrials to be confirmed in their lifetime?
For additional insight, I recommend readers check out George Carlin’s routine UFOs vs God and Gerry Caravan’s essay, “The Truth is Out There: UFO Conspiracy and Science Fiction.” They’re interesting and decidedly different takes, and each can be found online. Apropos to your question, the Caravan essay concludes with these ever-timely words from Philip K. Dick: “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.”
AE: Earlier, you mentioned there were many great stories and films available about alien encounters and invasions, though not necessarily abductions. Which ones come most readily to mind?
ML: I’ll pare it down to one movie and one short story, each of which left a lasting impression.
I can’t recall exactly when I first saw the original version of Invaders from Mars (1953). All I can tell you is, as a kid of probably nine or ten, the movie freaked me out. I kept it to myself, of course. My mother didn’t want me watching science fiction and horror movies to begin with, convinced they’d give me nightmares, and there was no way I was going to prove her right. And that movie, if you’ve never seen it, contained more than enough to scare the crap out of any kid, starting with the opening scene.
Our hero, this boy named Jimmy, wakes up in the middle of the night and witnesses a flying saucer touching down behind his house. After this, any nighttime sound, from car backfiring to thunder to the mewling of a cat, would send me creeping to my bedroom window to check if the inevitable Martian invasion had begun. If I was going to trace my love of science fiction and UFOs to a single moment in time, it would be this scene and this movie. Trust me, the nightmares that proved my mother right were more than worth it.
As for short fiction, I’ve got to go with Robert Sheckley’s “The Monsters.” Read it once and you’ll never forget it. It was a selection in Robert Silverberg’s anthology Worlds of Wonder, later reprinted as Science Fiction 101, which is where I first found it. For a story originally published in a 1953 issue of F&SF, it’s remarkable how well it holds up. As Silverberg says in his notes on the story, “it creates the unfamiliar by turning the familiar upside down.”
AE: “The Placemat at Baldy’s Diner” is a rather distinctive title. Did you settle on this right away or did you consider others?
ML: Titles come and go during the writing process. In the end, I ran four by my usual circle of readers:
“Joy”
“Seacoast Curiosity #4”
“As They Are Now”
“The Placemat at Baldy’s Diner”
The votes were evenly divided between “Seacoast Curiosity #4” and “The Placemat at Baldy’s Diner,” but no one was particularly keen on any title. Despite the feedback, I was leaning towards “As They Are Now,” but then worried it might be a tad déjà vu, while revealing too much. I settled on “Baldy’s Diner,” mostly because I felt it generated interest without giving anything away.
AE: How much or little do current events impact your writing?
ML: My goal is to produce stories that intrigue and entertain. That’s not to say I write without a message or objective in mind, especially those related to the human condition. But standing on a literary soapbox isn’t typically my style. It is, however, only natural that current events would be a factor in most stories, especially in establishing time and place. Current events can also drive a story, which was the case in “Trial by Harry,” my last appearance in Asimov’s. There, the focus was on recent developments and research in dementia. I’d say “Trial by Harry” is more in-your-face in terms of current events than “The Placemat at Baldy’s Diner.” Still, my feelings about the current state of our planet are expressed in snippets here and there, particularly through the character Sonny.
If you think about it, the execution of the story and the ambiguity built into it mirrors somewhat the divide that follows reports of UFOs, alien visitors, and abductions. Some believe. Some don’t.
AE: Have you ever seen an Unidentified Flying Object? Better yet, have any extraterrestrials turned up in your neighborhood?
ML: Ha! I grew up in Trenton, Ontario in the fifties and sixties. At the time, it was home to Canada’s largest Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) base. Accordingly, as kids, we were in the habit of watching the skies. Once, during recess, while gathered in the Dufferin School playground, I remember how all of us stopped whatever we were doing, looked up at the sky, and saw the Avro Arrow flying overhead. It was an Identified Flying Object, but it could just as easily have come from Mars, the awe and wonder it inspired. You probably have to be Canadian to know how the Avro Arrow story ended, and it is not a happy one. But that February day, in that schoolyard, you couldn’t match the thrill of witnessing the craft in flight.
As for extraterrestrials turning up, I’m not aware of coming face to face with any, but that’s likely because they want it this way. For now, anyhow. Then again, there are a few suspect Earthlings who hang out at the gym I go to, and just maybe…it’s possible…hmm…yeah…there’s this one guy in particular…. I’ll let you know how my investigation goes, should I survive it.
AE: Would you call yourself a UFO buff?
ML: I’m as intrigued by every unexplained sighting and encounter as I am by the long list of hoaxes that have served to undermine their credibility. I prefer to think of myself as hoper, rather than a believer. When I was younger, I read everything I could on the subject—Erich von Däniken’s Chariots of the Gods?, Donald Keyhoe’s The Flying Saucers Are Real, and the like. But am I a “buff”? Again, I refer you to George Carlin’s UFOs vs God. He addresses the “buff” aspect far better than I ever could.
AE: What are you reading right now?
ML: I’m bingeing on James Sallis. I was sorry to see he had died recently and realized I had never read any of his longer pieces. I’ve finished Drive and Driven, with Death Will Have Your Eyes up next. I can see how his style might not be to every reader’s taste. I question it myself at times. Yet it is also this aspect I find most compelling. How did he do that? Why’s he doing this?
Murray Leinster is another writer I’ve revisited over the past few weeks. The so-called Masterworks collection is titled after his best-known story, Sidewise in Time. For much of the collection’s content, I really did feel I was traveling back in time, if not quite sidewise.
On the non-fiction side, there was On Writing and Failure: Or, On the Peculiar Perseverance Required to Endure the Life of a Writer by Stephen Marche. It barely breaks a hundred pages and might be a bit of downer for some, though I came away motivated. It’s a quick, interesting read.
Up next, Gayle Feldman’s massive Nothing Random: Bennett Cerf and the Publishing House He Built.
AE: What is something we should know about you that we haven’t thought to ask?
ML: Well, let’s see…. I love peanut butter. If I were pulling a Robinson Crusoe or a Lord of the Flies, I’d be hoping for several dozen cases to wash ashore, preferably with a few loaves of sourdough and a solar-powered toaster.
Oh, yeah, one of my earliest “paid” jobs as a writer was working for a Vancouver-based stock market magazine, despite knowing nothing about the market at the time. It was essentially a tout sheet, and I wrote everything between the covers, including the letters to the editor. I was paid a hundred bucks a week, until the owner shut it down and stiffed me on my last four weeks of pay. I’m guessing, had she hired a writer with at least a passing knowledge of the stock market, she might still be in business.
AE: How can our readers follow you and your writing? (IE: Social media handles, website URL…)
ML: Should anyone have managed to hang in this far, my website is www.michaellibling.com. I am said to blog on occasion, though it’s been some time since I last did. To get in touch with me directly, my website’s contact form makes it quick and easy. This does not apply, however, to scammers offering book marketing services, and to whom I say: “For God’s sake, leave me alone, already!”
As well, I can be found on the following social media platforms:
Twitter and Bluesky: @michaellibling
Instagram: michaelliblingwriter
Facebook, well, just search for me: Michael Libling
If you have questions, comments, or anything else on your mind, feel free to reach out. Likewise, should you be a visitor from another planet who wishes to reveal himself/herself/itself to the world, I will be happy to assist you in this endeavor. Better yet, if you can arrange a tour for me of deep space via the extraterrestrial touring vehicle of your choosing, I will be most grateful. Feel free to contact me either telepathically, subliminally, or by email.
From Earth to the Stars 