Product Description
The world is terrified of genetically modified foods, but Baby, you ain't seen nothin' yet!Genetic engineering is a technological infant, barely taking its first tiny steps toward a century of pumpkin houses, flying moving vans, sports cars that run away and go to sea, and garbage disposals that want careers as singers. And that's just the beginning of the future sketched in these stories and the five novels of Tom Easton's "Organic Future." ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

A classic of SF reviews
AJ Budrys had marvelous insight into what made a good book. This collection of his critiques is instructive both to readers and writers. Glad to have it on our bookshelf.

Great books, & great advice for would-be writers
BENCHMARKS is a brilliant book of insightful, incisive, even FUNNY 30-year-old science fiction book reviews originally published in the pages of late, lamented GALAXY magazine. Budrys takes close looks at SF classics like Frank Herbert's DUNE, John Brunner's STAND ON ZANZIBAR, Ursula LeGuin's LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS, Philip K. Dick's THREE STIGMATA OF PALMER ELDRITCH, Larry Niven's RINGWORLD, Roger Zelazny's CREATURES OF LIGHT & DARKNESS, ISLE OF THE DEAD, & LORD OF LIGHT, Samuel R. Delany's EINSTEIN INTERSECTION & NOVA, Harlan Ellison's DANGEROUS VISIONS anthology, & 100's more, plus great overlooked classics -- & shows not only how & why these books succeed (or fail), but passes on priceless advice to would-be SF writers, & snapshots of how it felt 2 B an SF writer 30 years ago. A MUST 4 NE serious SF reader or writer! Budrys was the best book reviewer of his time in the SF magazines of the late 60's, late 70's & early 80s. 2 bad he isn't still reviewing, the modern SF scene could use the input.... ... Read more

Product Description
This volume presents ten examples of Algis Budrys' shorter fiction highlighting his writing from the middle to late 1950s. These stories include famous ones such as "The End of Summer," "The Burning World," "Silent Brother," and "The Executioner" as well as lesser known gems such as "Contact Between Equals," "Never Meet Again," and "Go and Behold Them." Budrys' European upbringing gives his stories a viewpoint not often seen in those of American or British SF writers. A bibliography of Budrys' fiction, non-fiction books, and selected non-fiction articles is included. ... Read more

Product Description
This title has fewer than 24 printed text pages. The Barbarians is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Algis Budrys is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Algis Budrys then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Not Free SF Reader
This collection had a massive influence on me, I think, I still remember some of the stories vividly.

Jenny With Wings, the Truth About Pyecraft, Magic Inc., The White Company, and definitely Not Long Before the End.

Golden Road : Are You Too Late Or Was I Too Early - John Collier
Golden Road : Entire and Perfect Chrysolite - R. A. Lafferty
Golden Road : Jenny with Wings - Kate Wilhelm
Golden Road : The Truth About Pyecraft - H. G. Wells
Golden Road : The Words of Guru - C. M. Kornbluth
Golden Road : Postpaid to Paradise - Robert Arthur
Golden Road : The White People - Arthur Machen
Golden Road : Extract from Captain Stormfield's Visit to Heaven - Mark Twain
Golden Road : Will You Wait? - Alfred Bester
Golden Road : The King of the Cats - Stephen Vincent Benét
Golden Road : The Word of Unbinding - Ursula K. Le Guin
Golden Road : Magic Inc. - Robert A. Heinlein
Golden Road : Anything Box - Zenna Henderson
Golden Road : Artist Unknown - Heywood Broun
Golden Road : The Silence - Bernard McLaughlin
Golden Road : The Weeblies - Algis Budrys
Golden Road : Phantas - Oliver Onions
Golden Road : Not Long Before the End - Larry Niven


Ghosts quieter than mice.

2.5 out of 5


Ship sightings.

3.5 out of 5


A young woman goes to see a doctor about her condition. This is not an illness, but a condition that would let her fill in for The Angel in the X-Men if he had to take a holiday.

The doctor is not just that he seems, either.

4 out of 5


A man needs to get his physics straight when asking for supernatural dieting assistance.

4 out of 5


Planet busting phoneme.

3.5 out of 5


Mailed man.

4 out of 5


Be choosy with literature and statuary.

I think there are quite a few people that will find this rather on the dry side, as the two characters at the start discuss the psychology of evil, and then the story becomes a large passage from an imaginary book. This is quite lacking in paragraphs, so a bit of a pain to read in this book, electronic maybe better here.

3 out of 5


This was in a book I had as a kid that was quite influential. Still remember it vividly, so must be good! Slyly funny satire - angelic life is boring, and you can't talk to dead Germans or cavemen when you don't speak the same language!

4 out of 5


Supernatural lawyer customer service sucks.

3 out of 5


Tail conducting.

3.5 out of 5


Conflict success not much fun for anyone.

4 out of 5


Protection racket repulsing requires lobbying.

4.5 out of 5


Handy to have invisible tv stuff for boring school.

3 out of 5


Incarspiration.

2 out of 5


Watching those that will come, for a long, long time.

1.5 out of 5


Body snatching Tribbles, perhaps.

3.5 out of 5


What ship?

2 out of 5


Once upon a time a swordsman battled a sorcerer. As was fairly de rigeur, really.

To paraphrase Guru Bob, 'a good big barbarian with weapon will always beat a good little sorcerer when the magic goes away.'

4.5 out of 5 ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Fiction / Science Fiction / General; Fiction / Science Fiction / Adventure; ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Strange and not quite enough
Algis Budrys has been hailed as one of the great sf writers of his time.Nominated for several awards, his overall production of fiction, however, was small in comparison to the likes of Asimov, Clarke, or Heinlein.That may be the reason he is not as well known.Yet he is often ranked as their equal.The Amsirs and the Iron Thorn does not seem to live up to that reputation.As another reviewer observed, the story is not coherent, the author seemingly undecided as to what story he wants to tell.

The relationship between Amsirs and humans is at first complicated and full of contradictions.It deteriorates into a king of the hill conflict, then is suddenly over.A new life -- or story -- begins, aided by an instant education machine that gives Jackson, the protagonist, a leap into the truth of everything.It seems a cheat, but is this due to the fiction that has been written and read in the intervening 40 years?

Then the relationship between men and women, male and female, does not show balance or even the tensions between the sexes that existed at the time of the writing of this book.Females exist for the pleasure of the males and for no other reason.But, in truth, none of the characters, nor even the species, exist for any particular reason.Rogue Moon, considered Budrys's best work, is a better read.

Potential Never Met
My impression while reading this book . . . odd . . . the author seems to be jumping around with several ideas none of which he seems able to bring to a satisfying conclusion.

It seemed to me that the author's imagination lost steam past the initial introduction of the story. I think this book could have been so much more if Algis Budry had spent more time developing his characters and the world they inhabited, the potential was there but instead he chose to dive into relativist philosophy and even "art speak". It was a shame he never fully explored the predicaments, pit falls or plusses of human bioengineering and technologies attempts to eek out an existence on the hostile planet of Mars. Perhaps it was just simpler to wave a magic wand and turn the human condition into a fairy land of intellects grand desires.

It was Frank Frazzetta's art work that captured the promise the potential of Algis Budrys novel. For me, Algis Budrys book failed to meet that potential because he chose to go gallivanting off on a philosophical tangent. Life on another world and the human conditions attempt to survive it would have made this a gripping and memorable science fiction novel, but that would take more imagination.

... Read more

Product Description
Your ticket to genuinely exciting new universes!What would you do if . . . by traveling to Mars you could achieve immortality?Suppose . . . you have been hiding on a remote human colony on the rim of the solar system . . . and you were found?Imagine if you will . . . traveling in time and getting lost somewhere in the vast, open galaxy.From the far reaches of space and the limitless edges of the imagination come thirteen original stories, a wonderful mix of spellbinding tales by the best new writers of science fiction and fantasy - all winners of the internationally acclaimed L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future contest.Here is a first-rate collection of works and illustrations providing great entertainment and a chance to escape - if only for a little while - to other distant and different worlds."This has become a major tributary to the new blood in fantastic fiction." - Gregory BenfordSelected by judges who rank among the most famous names in the field of writing: Kevin J. Anderson, Doug Beason, Gregory Benford, Algis Budrys, Eric Kotani, Anne McCaffrey, Larry Niven, Andre Norton, Frederik Pohl, Jerry Pournelle, Tim Powers, Robert Silverberg, Jack Williamson, and Dave Wolverton.Illustrations selected by: Edd Cartier, Leo and Diane Dillon, H.R. van Dongen, Bob Eggleton, Will Eisner, Vincent Di Fate, Frank Frazetta, Frank Kelly-Freas, Laura Brodian Kelly-Freas, Shun Kijima, Ron Lindahn and Val Lakey Lindahn. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Used to promote Scientology and L. Ron Hubbard.
"Presents" L. Ron Hubbard, and the "writers of the future" are secondary. Too bad the talent of these writers ends up being soiled by association with Hubbard's name.

Offers of cash "awards," plus publication, is too much to resist for some. Still, they should have known better.

As advertized
If you are thinking that this is just a collection of stories from the Writers of the Future contest, then you are mistaken.As the cover indicates, there are 13 stories plus 4 essays that are included in this almost 500 page book.As we'd expect from a contest under Hubbard's name, one of the essays is by him.The 13 stories are quite varied and I won't repeat the brief introduction to the plots done by another reviewer.I liked 4 pieces enough to consider finding other writing by their authors."Home Grown" by William Brown, "Like Iron Unicorns" by Paul D. Batteiger, "Guildmaster" by Dan Dysan, and "The Quality of Wetness" by Ilsa J. Bick.I thought these storylines were original but the characters were familiar enough to really hook me. "Atlantis Ohio" by Mark Siegel was a cool idea but the story just goes on and one far too long.So if you like hard science fiction, social fiction, or alternative pasts or presents, there is some story in here you may enjoy.So why only 4 stars?Frankly I think the essays could be left out, the price dropped a bit on the book, and it would be a much better buy overall. People who want insight into the craft or writing and direction toward publication can get a book geared toward that.

Great stories and novellas, with amazing range
What I like best about this annual antho is the diversity of the stories. Many anthologies stick to only one genre, or even one sub-genre, like Hard SF or Historical Fantasy. The "WotF" books always run the gamut, and this year is no exception. Each story packs a wallop and sticks in the reader's mind for days to come.

My personal favorites were:

William Brown's "Home Grown" - a Bradbury-esque, near-future tale about a robotic butler who has the glimmer of emotion, especially for the beautiful Dryad in the garden outside.

Toby Buckell's "In Orbite Mediavil" - An alternate history/fantasy of Columbus' ships taking a crack at an earth that's not quite flat, but not exactly round, either.

Michael Jasper's "Mud and Salt" - A near-future story of three men hunting an alien, it deals unflinchingly with a young man's first contact with an alien.The changes that meeting brings about are subtle, yet well-done.

Melissa Yuan-Innes' "Skin Song" - A deft fantasy edging on horror about a med student who can hear "songs" from simply touching the skin of others. The story gets really interesting when the med student enters the cadaver lab...

Leslie Walker's "As the Crow Flies" - A lyrical ghost story that forces the reader to figure out the rules as he or she reads. Nicely done.

Jeff Rutherford's "Daimon! Daimon!" - A classic horror story of demons and blues music, made even better by its historical context and swamp setting.

Other highlights include Gary Murphy's hard SF tale "Pulling Up Roots," Dan Barlow's time travel/comedy "A Conversation with Schliegelman," and Paul Martens' darkly humorous science fiction story "Your Own Hope." The collection also contains three longer novellas, "Atlantis, Ohio" by Mark Siegel, "Guildmaster" by Dan Dysan, and "The Quality of Wetness" by Ilsa Bick.

Contest rules are also included at the end of the book. I recommend any new writer sending their stories to the contest -- the diversity and the range of the stories make this anthology one to watch for, and the writers in this year's collection will definitely be names we'll all hear from again!

Imaginative and unexpectedly solid writing
The four first place stories alone were worth the price of the book.They were highly creative and fascinating.Easy to believe these authors will be well-known in the SF/F field soon enough.

the future?i hope so!
the only thing these stories have in common is that they're all good.the volume really spans the gamut from fantasy to hard sf, action-adventure to mind-bending logical teasers.there really are no weak stories in this collection. ... Read more