Amazon.com
The Avram Davidson Treasury may be the most satisfyingshort-story collection of the decade. Davidson (1923-1993), one of science fiction and fantasy's greatest writers, was "a master shaper of small stories," writes Alan Dean Foster in his introduction to "Or the Grasses Grow." Foster is joined in introducing the stories by dozens of extraordinary authors, including Ursula K. Le Guin, Gene Wolfe, William Gibson, Poul Anderson, and many others. Davidson was clearly adored, and often emulated, despite his reputation for being somewhat curmudgeonly. His mastery of language was exquisite, and his stories glittered like diamonds. Each of the 38 tales in this collection spanning five decades is a self-contained wonderland. One of the most famous (and most often plagiarized) short stories in science fiction appears here: "Or All the Seas with Oysters," tells of slightly sinister safety pin pupae, coat hanger larvae, and bicycle adults in a world where machines are more than they seem.

Of "Dagon," John Clute writes, "It is as vicious as the world of a fish, and wise. It is masterly.... it cannot be read. It can only be re-read." On the surface, this is the story of an American military officer in Peking in 1945, but lurking underneath are ancient gods, Chinese magicians, and the obscene torpor of hell. As Ray Bradbury writes in his afterword, "Many of these stories are complete mysteries, puzzles. Avram Davidson starts us in a fog and lets us orient ourselves slowly.... His knack for a proper pace is that of a true teller of tales." But all of Davidson's stories aren't dark--far from it. He was a satirical genius, able to poke fun at sacred cows and turn a comic phrase with the best of them. Some of these stories will make you laugh out loud.

To the fan of great literary short fiction: Don't skip over this deeply fulfilling treasury because Avram Davidson was "only" a science fiction author. He's been compared to Rudyard Kipling, Saki, John Collier, and G.K. Chesterton, if you need a literary excuse.

And to the science fiction or fantasy fan: This amazing and creative Hugo, Edgar, and World Fantasy Award winner, nominated for seven Nebula Awards by his fellow writers, will astound and amaze you.--Therese LittletonBook Description
Avram Davidson was erudite, cranky, Jewish, wildly creative, and sold most of his wonderful stories to obscure pulp magazines. Now his estate and his friends have brought together a definitive collection of his finest work, each story introduced by an SF luminary: writers like Ursula K. Le Guin, William Gibson, and dozens of others.Download Description
Containing 38 of Davidson's best pieces of short fiction and story-introductory tributes to him by nearly that many of his colleagues. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Priceless
When I read a particularly good short story I look back and try to imprint the author's name on my memory (nowadays with mixed results).As far as science fiction & fantasy goes, the first time this happened was with a story by Avram Davidson, many years ago.As time went by I would notice his name on several memorable works.To say he had a style all his own is not quite right, since he actually had several styles, all fascinating.What I didn't know until fairly recently was that AD was surprisingly obscure, considering his amazing talent and prolificacy (try searching for his work on Amazon).

This collection brings together much of his finest short stories.Each one is chosen and introduced by another writer - Avram was evidently an author's author.While I probably would have made a few different choices, I was grateful to be able to experience many excellent works that I had never seen before.Chances are, even if you're an old Davidson fan, you'll find a few stories that are new to you as well.You would have to search far and wide - and at great expense - to replicate this compilation.

The collection is too long and varied to elaborate on the individual pieces, but suffice it to say, reading Davidson is a real joy.The quality of the story and the effortless technique are something you will see very rarely.The downside of reading a collection like this (are there any like this?) is that it spoils you.Afterwards, most other writers seem flat and uninspired by comparison.

A writer writers will never read, alas
I hate some of the stories in this book; the remainder leave me gibbering with awestruck, overwhelmed delight. The specific stories a reader might revile or adore (or both) will vary. It's a huge, manifold collection of shorts by one of the best writers in English from...

OK, I'm hesitant to say, "the last century" or "the century recently passed", partly because that's awfully goofy, and partly because I'm not near well-read enough to make such claims with authority. I'm gonna say it anyway. I stumbled upon a copy of a long out of print and svelter collection of Davidson's work (Or All The Seas With Oysters...) at fourteen and I've never been quite the same. He's not the writer whose works I wish I could have written: he is the writer whose works I would have wished I could have written had I been the writer I wished I could have been.

(we see why a writer I am not, Yoda knowingly says)

Davidson had a dear whimsy, a weariness, and a bite that was, dare I say it, very Jewish. When I (re)read his stories I feel as if I (an agnostic Gentile) have magically been allowed to understand & overhear the Yiddish folk yarns the kindly, crusty grandfather spins for the kids while the middle generation shouts in the background.

Davidson wrote as well as Singer. Perhaps better, at his best. No small praise; I know what I am claiming. Do not allow my muddy writing dissuade any reader from buying and luxuriating in this important collection.

Avram Davidson Treasury is readers delight.
As a long-term reader of science fiction and an admirer of the writings of Avram Davidson the publication of this particular book was, for me, a noteworthy event. I was able to renew my acquaintance with some of the delightful stories I had first read ten to twenty-five years ago. Each story is preceded by a thoughtful introduction by author friends of the late Mr. Davidson. I found these short essays generally very helpful since most of the writers maintained a correspondence with AD and could provide personal insights and biographical data related to the stories. The 38 stories are grouped chronologically by the decade in which they were published; Fifties to Nineties. I noticed that the excellent Ray Bradbury afterward had been used as an introduction to another out-of-print AD collection, Strange Seas and Shores, Doubleday, 1971. My only grouse is that I wish the editors had included a listing of the titles of AD books, novels and short story collections. Thank you editors Silverberg and Davis, a beautiful book and a fitting tribute to "one of the finest short story writers ever to use the English language"...Robert Silverberg.

Quirky, lovely, some of the best short fantasy ever
Avram Davidson died in 1993. He was, as so often said, one of the great originals. His writing was elegant and complex: always adapted to the voices of his narrators and characters, always at some level humorous even when telling a dark story. He was one of those writers whose stories were always enjoyable just for wallowing in the prose: for its sprung rhythms and fine, out of the way, images. And his stories were enjoyable for wallowing in the atmosphere: for its evocation of exotic place-times, whether it be late '50s New York City or early '70s Belize or turn of the century Scythia-Pannonia-Transbalkania or far future Barnum's Planet, and for its evocation of exotic world-views, and the packing and repacking of wondrous, seemingly inconsequential (though rarely truly so) tidbits of history and unhistory into the backgrounds. And his best stories took these characteristics and harnessed them in the service of well-honed themes or (sometimes) clever plots.

This collection is organized as a retrospective, with the selections placed in order of first appearance. This is, I think, an excellent choice for any collection of this magnitude in that it allows the interested reader to try to track evolutions in the writer's style and thematic concerns over time. (I would suggest, perhaps, that the older Davidson was more prone to explorations of esoterica than the younger, and less often openly angry. Throughout his career he was ready with the comic touch, even in the midst of a darker context. His style was always special, but perhaps grew more involved as he grew older.)

Another feature of this collection is the introductions, by many of Davidson's friends: mostly fellow authors and editors, but also his bibliographer, Henry Wessels, and his son. This represent a significant chunk of "value added": they include some personal reminiscences, some analyses of the work, some elegiac passages. I'll add that the book is nicely and elegantly put together, and that editors Robert Silverberg and Grania Davis (as well as Tor in-house editor Teresa Nielsen Hayden) deserve thanks and applause for working to bring us this book.

But, of course, there is no Avram Davidson Treasury without the stories Avram Davidson wrote, of which 38 are assembled here. And the stories are the only real reason to buy and exult in this book. I'm a big Davidson fan, make no mistake: I come to this review not at all objective, and having reading all but a few of the stories already, many of them several times. At least one, "The Sources of the Nile", is firmly on my personal list of the best SF stories of all time.

There is not space to discuss the delightful stories herein contained. Suffice it to say that this collection is big enough, and varied enough, to whet the appetite of any reader whose ear can be tuned to catch the strains of Davidson's voice. And even this large collection inevitably leaves out many fine stories (the other Eszterhazy and Limekiller stories, "The Lord of Central Park", many more), to say nothing of his engaging collection of essays, Adventures in Unhistory, in which he discusses at length many obscure legends, and their possible bases in fact. So buy it and read it, and very likely you will find yourself searching out the out of print and small press books which house the rest of his work (for now), and very likely too you will be hoping with the rest of us Davidson lovers for a few more treasures to be dug from his papers.

much better than Stephen King
Still targets a squarely middle brow audience. Also, seems very dated,rooted in the '50's.

Most of the stories are of the "TwilightZone"/"Alfred Hitchcock Presents" form and structure. I.e.,creepy setting, followed by twist ending. And this is more of a fantasy andsupernatural book than science fiction.

There is a lot of erudition ondisplay here, but it is the fussy, showy kind often displayed by theautodidact. The pace and economy of some of the stories suffer becauseunnecessary erudition is packed in with everything else. ... Read more

Book Description
With The Other Nineteenth Century, we offer a new collection focussing on Avram Davidsons distinctive historical fantasies, tales of strange Mitteleuropas, and of magic in Victorian England and on the American frontier. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent strange stories of a 19th century that never was
The Other Nineteenth Century is the third recent hardcover collection of a selection of Avram Davidson's short fiction, after The Avram Davidson Treasury (1998) and The Investigations of Avram Davidson (1999).Needless to say this is very welcome -- perhaps a reissue of the complete Eszterhazy stories (rumoured to be in the works), and a first collection of the complete Limekiller stories, and maybe one more collection of excellent leftover pieces would be nice. This collection is theoretically of stories set in some version or other of the 19th Century, though a few stories are actually set in the 20th Century, and one or two may be set in the 18th or earlier.But no point quibbling.

The collection is marvelous. It displays Davidson's trademark wonderfully discursive prose, and his autodidact-style erudition, and his deep interest in the nooks and crannies of history. The stories span pretty much Davidson's whole career. Among the best: "What Strange Stars and Skies", about a virtuous do-gooder woman ministering to people in the slums of London who runs afoul of "that unspeakably evil Eurasian, Motilal Smith". "The Lineaments of Gratified Desire" aka "The Price of a Charm", about a man in the early part of this century deciding whether to buy a love charm or a hunting charm -- with significant results."The Montavarde Camera" is a spooky story about a man with a nagging wife who buys the title camera only to learn its terrible power.The rather late "Twenty-Three", in which we slowly learn the horrible secret of an old family.Another late story, "El Vilvoy de las Islas", about a strange man living on a remote South African island.One of the last (perhaps it was the last) Eszterhazy stories, "The Odd Old Bird", more of a jape than anyhing."Dragon Skin Drum", a dark story about two American servicemen in China, and Mao's revolution, and the ignorance of Westerners.And so on, and so on ... excellent excellent stuff.

Wishing for more
Davidson's quirky stories are a delight to read and reread.Well worth the investment and a worthy supplement to The Avram Davidson Treasury & The Avram Davidson Investigations.One hopes that the Jake Limekiller stories will be collected soon and that an expanded volume of Adventures In Unhistory is next on the list of publication. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Avram Davidson published 15 novels under his own name plus 218 short stories before he died at the age of 70 in 1993. And even though he was better known as a prizewinning creator of fantasies and science fiction, he was equally gifted as a mystery writer--as this collection of short pieces, lovingly compiled by Richard A. Lupoff and Davidson's widow, Grania Davis, amply proves.

We know that writers of short stories need different sets of muscles to work their magic, which probably explains why Davidson never published a full-length mystery under his own name (although he ghosted several under the ubiquitous Ellery Queen byline). But stories in this volume such as "ThouStill Unravished Bride" (which Hitchcock made into a TV episode) and "The Cost of Kent Castwell" are perfectly contained worlds in miniature, richer than most novels.

"With a mere handful of syllables he could transport a reader to the deck of an ancient sailing vessel as it plied the waves of the sun-dappled Mediterranean, to a musty and mysterious little shop in a shadowy byway of Victorian London," Lupoff points out in his introduction. Another writer with similar talents was Arthur Conan Doyle, one of Davidson's heroes. Other examples of Avram's artistry available in paperback include The Avram Davidson Treasury and the Holmes-like The Adventures of Doctor Eszterhazy.--Dick AdlerBook Description
Like Bernard Malamud and Shirley Jackson, Avram Davidson brought a unique brand of charm, wit, and intrigue to the short-story form.His widow, author Grania Davis, and his longtime friend and admirer, noted mystery author Richard A. Lupoff, have compiled and introduced this loving tribute.

Collected here for the first time are Davidson's remarkable mystery tales, including:

-The 1840s murder investigations of New York's chief constable, Jacob Hays
-A sinister lesson in New England drift
-A bride who disappears on her wedding day
-A slavetrader and a deal gone terribly wrong
-Treachery in a nursing home
-A greedy antiquarian repents his ways
-Expatriates who will kill for a little peace and quiet
-And much ado about an exiled earl, Albanian Trotskyites, the Mafia, New Amsterdam river pirates, and the aspiring hooligans known as the Nafia (who "control all the gumball and India nut machines south of Vesey Street")

Davidson's unparalleled crime stories will thrill you like no other.This book is your invitation to explore the imagination of a rare talent. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Cross between O'Henry and Ellery Queen
Avram Davidson, who is better known as the author of speculative fiction with a comedic bent, spent many years publishing short mystery stories.At one point in his career, he was a ghost writer for "Ellery Queen".

Most of these collected stories have been collected before, but this is the first time that all of them are together in one volume.What makes this such a satisfying collection of stories to read, is that most if not all have a twist at the end.The twist in each story is not just to surprise the reader. Once you finish the story, you can see where Davidson had "telegraphed" the ending somewhere prior in the story.It's just that it's almost impossible to guess the ending before you finish the story.

For those who enjoyed Davidson's SciFi, this is a great addition to his collective works with a different style.It just goes to show how good a writer he really was.

A Nice Collection
Davidson is best known for his work in the sci-fi and fantasy genres, but his 200+ published short stories included many mysteries. This volume collects thirteen of his best, most of which appeared in the pages of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine between 1956-86. As with a lot of collections, the quality of the plotting varies (some of the stories are a little to obvious or gimmicky), but the prose is very good, and Davidson does a remarkable job of setting scenes with very few words. Moods and places other writers would take pages to create are accomplished here in a mere paragraph or two. Similarly impressive is the range of material, as Davidson displays an impressive ability to translate his erudition into compelling material.

"The Necessity of His Condition" is a clever little piece about a slave broker in pre-Civil War America who ends up hoisted by his own petard. The kind of piece one might imagine as an episode of the Twilight Zone or some similar series. The next story, "Thou Still Unravished Bride", was made into an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents and takes place in a modern small American city. This tale of a bride to be gone missing doesn't hold up as well to the test of time -- most readers will have it figured out from the start. However, "The Cost of Kent Castwell" holds up quite well, and still packs a nice punch of dark humor. It's the story of what happens when a nasty man from the big city moves to a small town in New England and upsets the order of things. It falls squarely into the tradition of folklore in which a disruptive outsider is firmly dealt with by seemingly placid locals.

The next story ("The Ikon of Elijah") moves the action overseas, to Cyprus, where a greedy passel of antiquarians vie for possession of a priceless icon held at a monastary. Here, the mystery is perhaps less interesting than the scene-setting, as pre-partition Nicosia is drawn in vivid detail. The ending does pack a nice little bite though, again, in a Twilight Zonesque style. "The Cobblestones of Saratoga Street" returns to Davidson's native New York, where forces of civic modernization threaten to destroy the last cobblestone street in the city. It isn't really clear why this story is in a mystery anthology until the final page, and the reveal is pretty slick and funny. Perhaps the weakest story in the book is "Captain Pasharooney", about a boy at boarding school and a rare appearance by his father. Kind of tepid and never really goes anywhere, with a pretty obvious twist at the end. "The Third Sacred Well of the Temple", although set in a small expatriate community in a bucolic Mexican village, is basically the same story as "The Cost of Kent Castwell", albeit with a travel writer as status quo upsetter.

"Murder is Murder" is a brief riff on Crime and Punishment, fun but disposable. "The Deed of the Deft-Footed Dragon" is a Chinese-set story with local color drawn from Davidson's time in China at the end of World War II. Again, his ability to get the small details right is more interesting that the actual plot. "A Quiet Room with A View" is rather like the two earlier stories in which established order is threatened. Here, however, the setting is an upscale nursing home, and the killer seeks not only to protect something, but gain something else. "Mr. Folsom Feels Fine" is a slight piece about a man seeking to live off a meager pension. It was inspired by Davidson's own battles with the Veteran's Administration, and lacks the spark and imagination of the better stories.

Two of the stories weigh in at about 40 pages (double the length of the rest of the pieces) and their high quality definitely whets one's appetite for trying one of Davidson's novels. "The Lord of Central Park" and has a much different feel from the rest of the book. It begins with separate plotlines following an eccentric English peer in exile, a family of Dutch subterranean river pirates, a Miss Lonelyhearts, New York Mafia Dons, a bunch of small time hoods, and a sinister plot. It's a kind of breathtakingly madcap romp in which everything converges and is terrifically enjoyable. "The Importance of Trifles" is a very well done tale set in 1840s New York, with Chief Constable Jacob Hays as its hero. It's a meticulous historical procedural revolving around murder and stolen goods, and alas, the only in what was to be a series of stories starring Hays.

All in all, a nice collection for fans of short mysteries and one that will doubtless drive many to seek out more of Davidson's work. A little dated and contrived at times, but generally fufills the thirst for a good yarn before bedtime.

delicacies from a well-stocked pantry
The late Avram Davidson is well-represented by this collection edited by his former wife, Grania Davis, and Richard Lupoff.I have previously read and thought of Davidson as a science fiction writer, but this book demonstrates that he was a master of the mystery as well.In fact, these stories transcend their genre and desearve to be praised in the broader context of short story literature.The 13 stories were originally published between 1964 and 1992.

While the primary locale for the stories is his native New York City, Davidson also uses New England, Memphis, Cyprus, "La Banana" and Mexico. They range back in time as far as the 1840's. More remarkable than their diverse settings, though, is how economically Davidson creates a sense of time, place, and mood -- with a just a handful of descriptive wordstrokes. The heat in a chinese laundry becomes palpable when Davidson describes a washman wiping his hands and bare torso before he folds an ironed shirt so that his persperation won't drip on the garment.

Few of the stories' twists are predictable -- even for an old mystery hand. I finished each story smiling at the inventiveness of the plot and enriched by the esoteric pieces of information (like the origins of and differences between sea island and nanking cotton) that dot Davidson's writing like raisins in a scone. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (5)

Glad to see it
If I had the gift of resurrection the first author whom I would restore to life would be the great American fantasist Avram Davidson. No one brought more learning, wisdom or humor to the genre and we are all poorer for his passing. How good it is then to see the reissue of this collection of his musings on the stuff of legends. Those familiar with The Master's work will see here the fruit that his researches bore in his fiction. It's an entertaining book to read on its own but it should also entice readers to pick up something more from the Davidson canon. "The Phoenix and the Mirror" is a good place to start.

Rambling, pompous and a bit tedious . . .
I bought this book because I like his short stories and I was prompted by the other reviews.I was disappointed.The book is organized as stream-of-conscious lectures that draw links between fantasy tales and ancient classical accounts or early history. It's not half as funny as the author thinks it is . . . I am finding it sufficiently tedious that I am likely not to get through it.

Finally, an affordable edition of this masterpiece!

I am so thrilled to see some of Avram Davidson's work coming back into print! I sincerely hope that this author finds new readers thanks to the work of publishers like this one keeping his work alive. I first stumbled upon a story of his in an anthology (from the '70's), and his story stood out as the most creative and intriguing piece in the book. Since then, I've sought out and found his stories in many anthologies dating from the 60's to hisdeath in the early 90's, as well as several of his novels, and incredible story collections. Although he has written some masterful novels such as 'Phoenix and the Mirror', I prefer his style in the short form. He has a unique imagination and an encyclopedic knowledge of obscure history, world literature, & mythology, all on full display in this wonderful book.

This is a fascinating collection of essays and quasi-historical entries, assembled in a somewhat encyclopedic format, a reference book for bizarre literature. It chronicles the missing parts of history, the strange bits that should have happened. There are entries and essays about mysterious and fantastic creatures, mythical lands, bizarre psudo-scientific discoveries, and other rather dubious information about a broad variety of obscure subjects. I think this particular book reads a bit like the labyrynthine works of Borges if he had written while on hallucinogens...This book may have inspired the form of the recent 'Thackerey T. Lambshead pocket guide to ... diseases,' or at least I feel that these two books go together well. Davidson is an absolutely unique talent, but I think this book should appeal to fans of Jeff VanderMeer and the Leviathan anthologies, Kelly Link, Neil Gaiman (who has mentioned his admiration for Davidson), Jeffrey Ford, Gene Wolfe, & R. A. Lafferty (another slightly obscure writer whose oddball work I love).

I have been hoping for years for a publisher to re-print this book so I could round out my Davidson collection. 'Adventures in Unhistory' was originally released in 1993, only in a limited collector's edition, which has gone on to become this author's most sought-after work, selling for many hundreds of dollars when it rarely does exchange hands... It has obtained a some-what legendary status, particularly among other authors of speculative fiction who occasionally cite it as a reference or influence, or just let slip in interviews that they own a coveted copy. An essay from this book inspired the idea behind Vonda MacIntyre's novel 'The Sun and the Moon.' Peter Beagle (who introduces this edition) has listed this as a favorite book, and Neil Gaiman has mentioned it on his blog. The original publisher, Owlswick, published a companion volume, 'The Adventures of Dr. Esztehazy,' which also first came out in a limited edition, as well as a cheaper HC edition, also illustrated by George Barr. I highly recommend seeking out this companion book as well, if you like this volume.

If this happens to be your first exposure to Davidson's work, and you want more (you will), or you are looking for a more general introduction to his writing, I highly recommend the 'Avram Davidson Treasury', which is a generous collection of stories from every period and genre which he worked in, including work from this volume, with appreciative essays by the greats of speculative (fantasy) fiction. That collection provides a great overview of his short work. I recommend these great story collections to any reader interested in imaginative fiction.

So, in case I wasn't clear: buy this book!

Also mentioned in this review, and worth seeking out:

'The Adventures of Dr. Eszterhazy' Avram Davidson, Owlswick press, HC

'The Avram Davidson Treasury' Grania Davis, Orb, PB

'Pheonix & the Mirror' novel, Avram Davidson

'The Thackery T. Lambshead Guide to Eccentric and Discredited Diseases, 83rd Edition' Jeff Vandermeer, et al., collection

almost any story collection by R.A. Lafferty

superb "fantasy" essays
This is a reprint of a book released in 1993 just before the author died.In it Mr. Davidson provides fifteen essays on a variety of mythological and supernatural characters in which he uses what is considered fact supplemented by conjecture to explain the legends of dragons, Sinbad as well as werewolves, and unicorns, etc.Each entry is written to excite the reader who learns what led to the formation of a particular legend to include who Aleister Crowley, and what is the Secret of Hyperborea.Tis work is well written with terrific small black and white illustrations by George Barr that enhance the text and these fifteen discussions feel more like short stories than ancient historical treatises.Fantasy fans will find this delightful charming collection fascinating as the audience will agree with Mr. Davidson assertion that a wombat is real and a dragon is not; but people can describe a dragon; how many can describe a wombat?

Harriet Klausner

Back in print at last!!!
It's incredibly good news for the legions of Avram Davidson fans that this book is finally appearing in an easily accessible and, more importantly, *inexpensive* edition.Originally published in 1993 in fewer than 1,000 copies (of which I've been lucky to own one), it has been out of print for years.When used copies turn up they go for hundreds of dollars.And they seldom come up.

As the seller of one of two copies of the 1993 edition available at this writing says in his description of the book:"The last book by Avram Davidson published during his lifetime,a collection of erudite and digressive essays on mermaids, phoenixes, silk, dragons, and similar topics."That pretty much sums it up, except to add that it's a great read.George Barr's accompanying illustrations sprinkled throughout the text are a delight, too. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Unusual Avram
This story has a writing style that is unusual for Avram. The characters remind you of how Assimov's main characters always are(not to down play assimov here): intellectual, "good show old boy"ish. Its a bizarre story, but not the kind that creeps you out or assults your sense of reality. It does deal with a different reality, sure, but you don't get sucked into that particular part fo the book. What sucks you in is the rapid change from character to character that makes an increadibly large idea somewhat understandable. The only short coming of the book is that it has this expansive idea of the maze and what its connected to(to not ruin anything for you), but its a short book. Avram could have written A LOT more and dazzled us. Regardless its still a story that brings you into its world and makes you forget yours.

AMAZING MAZE !!!
I recently dug up an old 1976 paperback copy of this slim 158 page book. WOW!!! This book has time travel, parallel universes, other dimensions, aliens, true and obscure historical facts, secret societies, religion, philosophy, PHEW!!! Although I have been aware of Avram Davidson since the 60's, it has taken me all this time to really discover and appreciate this writer. You actually have to take the time to read every word and sentence and paragraph to follow a Davidson story and don't feel bad if you have to go back to reread sections. I regret that he has passed away but I am grateful there is so much of his work available to us. You can't really classify Avram Davidson's work, it is unique. Davidson is one of those writers with the ability to induce an altered state of consciousness in the reader through the power of words and the use of language. "Masters of the Maze" does just that. As the book opened, I didn't know what was going on or who the protagonist even was. I was drawn into the subtle and cleverly woven tapestry of this novel in spite of myself and continuously surprised. No cliches here. If you want to give your gray cells a workout, this one is a delight! ... Read more

Amazon.com
This invaluable collection of Avram Davidson's resonant, witty short stories describes some incidents in the career of many-times-Doctor Engelbert Eszterhazy, loyal subject of the Triune Monarchy of Scythia- Pannonia-Transbalkania, located in a nineteenth-century Europe whose political landscape will be, after a little reflection, familiar to most fantasy readers. Enquire with Doctor Eszterhazy into curious matters--- the lurley; the old woman who lived with a bear; gingerbread men; dancing goats; and more. NB: Read the stories in the order written, beginning with "Polly Charms", and turning back to read the later stories at the front. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The unrivaled master of historical myth
Long before the words "magical realism" ever cropped up in literary criticism, Avram Davidson was quietly creating a spectacular body of erudite, eloquent, evocative history-as-myth.The Dr. Eszterhazy stories, along with the Vergil novels and "Adventures in Unhistory", are the pinnacle of his accomplishment.

No one has ever had a better ear for dialect, a better sense of the self-importance of minor officials, a better notion of how Balkan politics play out in the back-alleys of minor capitals.And certainly no one has ever had such a perfect (and reverent) sense of the ridiculous, when it comes to the probable behavior of the Vicar-at-Large of the Unreconciled Zwinglians, or the demands of the Frores for an independent Bureau of Weights and Measures, or the universal value of a glass of shnopps, wudky, or St. Martin's.

If you do not love these stories, you're probably just not ready for them yet.

The more you know about European history, the funnier!
Each of the "short stories" is long enough for a meaningful theme.The elderly Catholic titular queen of Carinthia's summary of the history of the Reformation alone is worth the price of the book, as Dr. Calvin flees from France to Germany, changes his name to Luther, is thrown out by the local ruler, goes to Switzerland, changes his name to Zwingli, and that's why the Switzers have to come to France to be confirmed.

Imagine if phrenology, alchemy, etc., were real sciences
Avram Davidson imagines a world where science is slightly skewed: alchemy works, phrenology (studying the bumps on a skull to determine personality) is a real science, etc. The author takes each "scientific" dead end of the late 19th century (and earlier centuries) and builds witty, cohesive stories around each one. His characters are great and all his plots neatly resolve. The more you know about European history, the more fun you'll get out of his books (Mr. Davidson is, I believe, a professor of an arcane branch of European history). ... Read more

Book Description
Word count: 3273. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Through the Looking Glass
This is one of those rare small volumes, which, over time, have become cult classics.Avram Davidson never enjoyed the great popularity of some of his peers, but it should be noted that he enjoys much popularity among his peers.In other words, he is very much a writer's writer.By which I mean that his writing creates even more possibilities than it fulfills.

This book develops the medieval myth that Vergil was not simply a great poet, but a master mage living in the time of Augustus Caesar.Davidson's Vergil has the kind of inquisitive mind that has a knack for leading him into trouble.So, it is no surprise that, when he is rescued from being hunted by manticores, his rescuer, Cornelia of Carsus, promptly traps him into agreeing to create a speculum majorum - a mirror made entirely of the purest materials that, on its first use, will reveal whatever the user wishes it to see.Unfortunately, such mirrors are almost impossible to make, requiring raw materials that will send Vergil on a magical quest through the Roman Empire.Eventually the task will lead the mage to Phoenixes, Cyclops, things horrible and beautiful, and finally, to love.

What makes this small novel more than just a quaint, entertaining story is the depth of understanding Davidson has of this imaginary world.Not the world of the Roman Empire itself, but the world of the Roman Empire as it was imagined by medieval Europeans.Odd but useful creatures, distant lands with strange names, alchemists and astrologers all abound between these covers.There is no page upon which something arcane and unique is not revealed.In addition, the description of the making of the mirror is precise and accurate for the imaginary world of Hermes Trismegistis and the great works of alchemy.

The book is as much a resource for anyone interested in setting a fantasy in this world of the imaginary empire, as it is a jewel-like entertainment in which knowledge is an important part of the action.It is sad to see it always wobbling on the edges of being gone forever as publishers try more and more to substitute adrenalin for writing skills.Hopefully, you will find a copy and love it, and then be led to investigate Davidson's other works.Of such are pleasant hours made.

Vergil and his adventures
In the middle ages a legend sprouted that Vergil (yes, the ld roman) was a great magician. Davidson wrote this novel within this old fantasy setting. Minotaurs and witches abound, but so does a frightfully accurate knowlege of the ancient world. Quite a good read for those who like their historical fiction to be both well grounded and full of fanciful flights.

Excellent: Puts the Magic Back In Fantasy
A mage (in a Rennaissance Earth quite similar to ours) is hired to make a magical item. The plot is OK, but the richness of detail in his many labors to construct the item is absolutely mesmerizing. Highly recommended, especially for fantasy role-players ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The man knew his history
If you liked, or think you would like Eco's Baudolino, I recommend this little book as well. Very funny but insiteful portrait of the dying roman empire. Just delightful.

Wordy? Yes, gloriously so!A delight!
Avram Davidson was one of the SF field's true greats, a strikingly original writer of heady and eccentric prose. His virtues were most apparent at shorter lengths: his novels sometimes fall apart structurally, and sometimes show signs of having been written rapidly to rather pulpish models, though even in the weakest novels enough of his odd vision is present to make them worth reading.

One of his most accessible novels is Peregrine Primus, originally published in 1971. It's the first part of a projected trilogy, and the second book, Peregrine Secundus, appeared in 1981, but the third book was never written. Lack of closure is not a problem: the joys of these books are not to be found in the working out of the plot, but in the individual, very funny incidents, and in luxurious sentence after intoxicating sentence. Davidson's voice is addictive, and in these books it is developed to the utmost.

The story is set in an alternate history. Peregrine is the younger son of "the last pagan King in lower Europe". When he reaches his majority, his father reluctantly exiles him, in order to prevent trouble with the Crown Prince. So begin Peregrine's, er, peregrinations. Accompanied by a faithful page and an aging sorcerer, he roams about "lower Europe", encountering the remnants of an eccentric Roman Empire, a wide variety of mutually heretical Christians, and many other wonders. A glorious book - and most any other Davidson you can find will reward the purchase as well.

Don't bother
Wordy and totally devoidof a plot; somehow I got through 3/4 of it, and decided it was not worth it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Different Sort of Fantasy
This book is fantasy of the type sometimes sub-categorized as "magic realism." Jack Limekiller is a former Canadian, who has moved to the small country of British Hidalgo in Central America for a change of scene (to a scene that involves no snow). He stars in a series of short stories that were written between 1976 and 1993. The best part of all of these stories is the atmosphere, the way that Davidson catches the dialect of the people and the feeling of the land, down to the heat and wind and mosquitoes. Davidson himself lived in the country that would become Belize for quite some time, so truly knows whereof he speaks.

These stories barely have plots, and what plots they do have mostly involve ghost stories of some nature. However there isn't much sense of horror or mortal peril. They are almost treated as everyday or only slightly out-of-the-ordinary occurances. They seem incidental somehow to the overall flow of the stories, which deal with Limekiller trying to make a living and get some loving.

The writing style of the stories can best be described as stream-of-consciousness, which I personally can only take in small doses. And if you have trouble reading patois, that might cause you some trouble. However, the stories and the characters really grew on me over time. I found all the stories interesting, and I also enjoyed the inclusion of some non-fiction that Davidson wrote about Belize from when he lived there. The introductory material was informative, but was the hardest part of the whole book to slog through (introductions by Grania Davis, Lucius Shepard and Peter S. Beagle) and you can skip them if you'd like.

Overall, this is not the sort of thing that I usually read, but I really came to enjoy it.

Mystery/Occult in Imaginary West Indies
I've been wanting these stories collected for DECADES; I've long since worn out the magazines they were first printed in.

An easygoing young man takes his boat down the fictional West Indies isles of British Hidalgo, where he encounters mysteries and terrors whose visible aspects also echo or hint at more superatural meanings. I can't convey how much sheer FUN these are; joyous traveloguesand character studies, well plotted, and gorgeous with local dialects and all.

I can never decide which is my favorite Avram Davidson series; these, or the Dr. Eszterhazy stories (similarly half-real mysteries in the imaginary Ruritanian empire of Scythia-Pannonia-Transbalkania).

At Long Last!
These great stories were written in the 1970s-1980s but uncollected until now.Great glimpse of a country that sounds fictional but is absolutely real.Not a clinker in the bunch.I've spent years waiting for this book and it was worth it.Now if only someone would reprint Crimes & Chaos I'd be a happy man!

At last !
I have waited for the collected Limekiller stories for years. They are all I hoped for - simply superb (three new to me - ahh bliss!!)

Avram is one of the greats of our time - unqualified!

This or any other of Avram's collections of short stories? ... seize them, ... seize them all!! ... and enjoy ..... enjoy.

And, if you are lucky enough to find any out-of-print works, let me know - I deserve them more than you!!! ... Read more