Customer Reviews (1)

Not Free SF Reader
An early Kress collection. Pretty clearly she is better now, but this is still quality stuff, with the stories averaging 3.50 even then. Cleverly has the good stuff at the start and the end, too.

Trinity : With the Original Cast - Nancy Kress
Trinity : Casey's Empire - Nancy Kress
Trinity : Talp Hunt - Nancy Kress
Trinity : Against a Crooked Stile - Nancy Kress
Trinity : Explanations Inc. - Nancy Kress
Trinity : Shadows on the Cave Wall - Nancy Kress
Trinity : Ten Thousand Pictures One Word - Nancy Kress
Trinity : Night Win - Nancy Kress
Trinity : Borovsky's Hollow Woman - Nancy Kress and Jeff Duntemann
Trinity : Out of All Them Bright Stars - Nancy Kress
Trinity : Trinity - Nancy Kress


Joan of Arc doesn't play well.

4 out of 5


Sci-fi writer's spaceship backdown.

4 out of 5


Past life problems.

3 out of 5


Body current changes.

3.5 out of 5


Rational universe franchise.

3.5 out of 5


Art for art's sake, money is third rate.

3 out of 5


Female departure.

3 out of 5


Needs analysis.

3 out of 5


Smartsuit sheila's strangling subertfuge.

3.5 out of 5


Aliens make me mad.

4 out of 5


Clone twin teleological trance test.

4.5 out of 5




3.5 out of 5 ... Read more

Product Description
Each year, members of the World Science Fiction Convention vote for the science fiction and fantasy works they love the most: the Hugo Awards. Now, for the first time in more than a decade, you can find these treasured gems within a single volume. The Hugo Award Showcase collects the stories--by rising stars like Kij Johnson, beloved taleslingers like Michael Swanwick, and literary legends like Nancy Kress--that have captured the hearts and imaginations of some of the genre's most dedicated readers. ... Read more

Product Description
"One of the best of the year...a compelling novella about a once-famous actress and her devoted manager who get much more publicity of an unfortunate sort when they inadvertently become embroiled with an act of biological terrorism with potentially world-changing results."-Gardner Dozois, Locus **** ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Average Genetic "Thriller"
I really do not understand entirely why this novelette was nominated for a Nebula Award.It is, I suppose, a nice little treatise on the ethical dilemmas of genetic engineering, both at birth and in adult humans.Here Barry Tenler, a midget and wealthy agent to the stars, and his aging starlet, Janie Snow, become inadvertently involved with a rouge "terrorist" group that has tried to manipulate the human genome to induce empathy in humanity.Their first attempt, which was to breed this into children at birth, had some unintended consequences.So too the second attempt, although not drawn out as much in story.

We also encounter Barry's son, who he had genetically altered at birth to ensure he was "normal" (which to Barry normal means a midget), also with drastic unintended consequences, although not the kind you'd expect.Barry had to make yet another decision, another ethical dilemma, later in the book regarding genetic manipulation and his son, which is where this novelette is rather clever.

But overall I really did not find the story that engaging or interesting.There really isn't anything that drastically new in the debate over genetics, it's just told in a different way.It's short quick read, though, and at least mildly entertaining.
... Read more

Product Description
"The twenty-first century, it's often remarked, will transform our knowledge of biology, in the same way that the twentieth century transformed physics. With knowledge of course, comes application. And with the application of all we are learning about genetic engineering come social and ethical questions, some of them knotty.

This is where science fiction enters, stage left. Scientific laboratories are where the new technologies are rehearsed. Science fiction rehearses the implications of those technologies. What might we eventually do with out new-found power? Should we do it? Who should do it? Who will be affected? How? Is that a good thing or not? For whom?

Of the thirteen stories in this book, eight of them are concerned with what might come out of the beakers and test tubes and gene sequencers of microbiology. Not everything in these stories will come to pass.Possibly nothing in them will; fiction is not prediction. But I hope the stories at least raise questions about the world rushing in onus at the speed--not of light--but of thought."

-- Nancy Kress from her introduction
Amazon.com Review
Although you can't judge a book by its cover, sometimes you can make a few good guesses about it based on the title. This is definitely true ofBeaker's Dozen, a collection of short stories by renowned SF authorNancy Kress, who writes, "Of the thirteen stories in this book,eight are concerned with what might come out of the beakers and test tubesand gene sequencers of microbiology."What modesty prohibits Kress fromadding is that all of the stories are excellent works by one of SF's finestwriters.The highlights here are Kress's Hugo and Nebula Award-winningstory "Beggars in Spain" (later expanded into an acclaimed novel of thesame name), and the Nebula Award-winning story "The Flowers of AulitPrison." --Craig E. Engler ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

As good as it gets...
This is Nancy Kress at her best: exploring various styles and possibilities in short stories, the only constant her keen and insightful writing... There is everything here, from fantasy to biotech to futurism to... well - reality slightly affected by paranormal - "Phone Repairs".And, incidentally, among many very different and all excellent stories in this collection, this is my favorite: heart -wrenching story of alienation and despair, of yearning for happiness and inner peace, so real and so... probable - it reads like "a next door story".It is brilliant and breath-taking in a quiet, unassuming way.In itself, it is a masterpiece in this already excellent collection.
WOW!!!

Fascinating Collection of Short Stories by Nancy Kress, a Hugo Award Winner
The novella, Beggars in Spain, the longest story in this collection titled Beaker's Dozen, earned Nancy Kress the Hugo award in 1991.Subsequently, Kress extended this story to a full length novel and created two sequels, Beggars and Choosers and Beggars Ride.

Beggars in Spain occurs in the near future when genetic modification of children has become possible, although it is generally available only to the wealthy.Roger Camden, a prominent financier, overrides his wife's reservations and has a genetic change carried out on their unborn daughter that eliminates the need for sleep as well as improving her intelligence.As might be expected, so-called Sleepless children completely outpace their normal counterparts (Sleepers) as they function at full capacity twenty-four hours every day. The story primarily focuses on the growing antagonism from the normal population as the Sleepless become an increasingly successful and powerful minority.

The others stores in this collection range from as little as three to about fifty pages. Like Beggars in Spain, these stories largely explore a future world changed by beakers, test tubes, and DNA sequencing.

Ars Longa is an unsettling look at how a dedicated teacher contributed to Walt Disney's success. Flowers of Aulit Prison pictures an alien world that is truly alien; it reminds me of imaginative stories by Ursula Le Guin.

Feigenbaum Number is a creative story about attractors and strange attractors, convergence and divergence, all in the context of iterated function theory as applied to linear and non-linear differential equations. Jack, a post-doc mathematician that studies chaos theory, is immersed simultaneously in two worlds, concretely residing in an imperfect, scarred, damaged reality, but continuously aware of a shimmering, overlappingimage that offers worldly perfection. Although Feigenbaum Number does not deal directly with a future world modified by advances in the biological sciences, it is a fine example of the remarkable imagination of Nancy Kress.

The remaining stories range from good, to interesting, to not so bad.Beaker's Dozen is somewhat uneven in quality, but even the not so bad stories have potential to stimulate the reader's imagination. Beggars in Spain, Feigenbaum Number, Ars Longa, and Flowers of Aulit Prison are really quite good and warrant five stars.Overall, I gave this collection four stars.

Highly Entertaining, Highly Intelligent Writing
You don't have to be a science-fiction fan to enjoy the stories of Nancy Kress.In fact, you don't even have to know anything about science-fiction.If you enjoy well written, intelligent writing with remarkably believable characters, Kress is for you.

This collection starts off with a bang."Beggars in Spain," the Hugo and Nebula winning story deals seriously with genetic engineering and prejudice when a group of "sleepless" children are born.Also outstanding are "Ars Longa" (about what it may have been like to have been Walt Disney's grade-school teacher) and "Flowers of Aulit Prison."All of the stories are very, very good, but these three are my favorites.If you like great characters and great writing, they may be yours also.

Kress has the amazing ability to communicate complex scientific ideas (like genetic engineering, microbiology, and cloning) and make them very understandable.Combine this skill with the ability to create characters that the reader really cares about, and you've got a collection of entertaining and thought-provoking stories.

Just Finished This Collection
This collection has been around for awhile, but I just found it.I highly recommend it to all fans of Nancy Kress

The well intentioned folly of genetic engineering.
Kress shows that the products of such engineering is good, & yet. It is so difficult to know what's right with human nature as is, imagine how hard it'll be if we change that nature unthinkingly? At the same time hercompassion doesn't waver. You can be against unthinking engineering yetstill be compassionate, & pro-science. Inspire through hope rather thanpander through fear. Someone said it bothered them as a Catholic. If you'rethat weak in your beliefs don't blame her. A truly great author whodeserves all the acclaim for her short work we can give.

Yet sometimesher balance goes awry & she gets preachy or sappy. Still, it's such ahard balancing act I give her credit. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Value - Excellent Learning Tools for Writing
I bought this CD and have used it when taking the Online Workshops at Writer's Digest.You get all five books in the Write Great Fiction Series for one great price.The books are written and presented in a way that keeps your interest and are easily understood.A valuable tool for your Writing library. ... Read more

Product Description
Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Joanna Russ, Jack Williamson, Fiona Kelleghan, Daryl F. Mallett, Nancy Kress, Adam Roberts, Susan Wood, Andrew M. Butler, Patrick Gyger, Marleen Barr, Farah Mendlesohn, Edward James, J. Grant Thiessen, Massimo Del Pizzo, Gary K. Wolfe, Brian Attebery. Excerpt:Adam Roberts For other people with this name, see Adam Roberts . Adam Roberts (born 1965) is an academic, critic and novelist. He also writes parodies under the pseudonyms of A.R.R.R. Roberts , A3R Roberts and Don Brine . He also blogs at The Valve, a group blog devoted to literature and cultural studies. He has a degree in English from the University of Aberdeen and a PhD from Cambridge University on Robert Browning and the Classics. He teaches English literature and creative writing at Royal Holloway, University of London . Adam Roberts has been nominated three times for the Arthur C. Clarke Award : in 2001 for his debut novel, Salt , in 2007 for Gradisil and in 2010 for Yellow Blue Tibia . Published works Novels Novellas and short story collections Parodies Criticism Websites (URLs online) item Academic Biography item Bibliography at SciFan item blog at The Valve item Adam Roberts at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database index{Internet Speculative ... ... Read more

Product Description
Word count: 2004. ... Read more

Product Description
The universe of the mind is a limitless expanse of wonders, filled with worlds and secrets that cannot be fully explored within the pages of a single novel. Avid readers of science fiction have long appreciated the myriad joys of returning to fictional galaxies already experienced; delighting in the ever-unfolding mysteres of Frank Herbert's Dune or Asimov's Foundation series, for example.

In Far Horizons--edited by acclaimed author Robert Silverberg-- a veritable "Who's Who" of science fiction's most beloved and highly honored writers once again revisit the remarkable worlds they created and made famous.

Ursula K. Le Guin sends representatives of the Ekumen into the violent later years of a planetary civil war. Dan Simmons once again billiantlymixes allegory and space adventure in his dangerous, religion-dominated cosmos of Hyperion. Greg Bear reexplores his artificial universe, "The Way", from Eon, Eternity and Legacy.

Orson Scott Card recounts the momentous first meeting of his time-and-planet-hopping protagonist Ender Wiggin with Ender's computer based, soon to be companion, Jane.Gregory Benford rockets us back to the Galactic Center, Anne McCaffrey's Ship Who Sang sings again, and Joe Haldeman's Forever War rages on eternally. Here, also, are new stories by David Brin, Nancy Kress, Frederik Pohl, and Robert Silverberg himself--each venturing further into univestigated corners of familiar galaxies to delve into the perilous mystery of being human.

Perhaps the greatest concentration of science fiction talent ever in one volume, Far Horizons is an unprecedented masterpiece -- one that reopens vast empires of imagination and adventure to new explorations and appreciations. It is a major SF event, sure to bring unparalleled joy to the hearts of serious fans everywhere.Amazon.com Review
Far Horizons is the science fiction equivalent ofRobert Silverberg's bestselling fantasy anthology Legends. For bothbooks, Silverberg invited some of the most renowned authors in thefield to write a new story based on their most popular series orsettings. For instance, the first story in Far Horizons isUrsula K. Le Guin's "Old Music and the Slave Women," which takes placein the same Hainish universe as her famous novels The Left Hand ofDarkness and The Dispossessed. DanSimmons wrote a piece set in the realm of Hyperion, AnneMcCaffrey turned in a Helva story from the world of The Ship Who Sang,and so on.

Like Legends, the list of writers in FarHorizons reads like a Who's Who of the genre: Le Guin, JoeHaldeman, Orson Scott Card, David Brin, Simmons, Nancy Kress, FrederikPohl, Gregory Benford, McCaffrey and Greg Bear, as well as Silverberghimself. And like Legends, the authors take a page or two tointroduce their stories so that newcomers won't be totally lost. Theaverage story in Far Horizons is, as you might expect, asignificant cut above the average SF story, although this anthology isnot quite as successful as its predecessor. Authors like Le Guin andSimmons have come up with some first-rate stuff, but Card andMcCaffrey have produced stories that are mediocre at best. Overall,though, the book has far more ups than downs, and serious readerswon't want to miss this one. Those new to the world of SF will alsofind Far Horizons an invaluable reference when they're lookingfor good authors to read. --Craig E. Engler ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Uneven
I agree with the other reviewers- very uneven.
My summary for what its worth:

Old Music and the Slave Women- 3.5 of 5.Well written but not particularly compelling.
A Separate War- 3 of 5.Mildly amusing but that's it.I didn't particularly like the book either.Writing and themes seemed dated and juvenile.
Investment Counselor- 3 of 5.Ender books were better- this one is only mildly amusing.
Temptation- 3 of 5.0.Series was in general better.Nothing special.
Getting to know the Dragon- 2.5 of 5.Nothing special.Don't know the series.
The Hyperion Cantos- 3 of 5.Series much better.
Sleeping Dogs- 4 of 5.Very well done, very well written.Have not read the series- but will now.
The Boy Who Would Live Forever- 2 of 5.Juvenile writing and not a very compelling story.Never read the series.
The Hunger for the Infinite- 4.5 of 5.Not sure why but I really liked this.I only read the first two books in the series and found them exasperating- the writing and themes alternately impressive and mediocre.The short story format eliminated the uneven writing I found in his books.
The Ship That Returned- 2 of 5.Painful. I wish the ship would stay away.
The Way of All Ghosts- 4.5 of 5.Another one that I liked.Creative and bizarre.I will have to read the series.

Bottom line, I seemed to like the gloomy stories the most.However, since the stories are varied in style and themes I believe most people will find at least a couple of stories they liked.

Not Free SF Reader
A decent collection of stories from previously written about universes.How much you ike them will be somewhat related to how you like the originals, if you have come across them before.The story average is 3.41.

Far Horizons : Old Music and the Slave Women [Ekumen] - Ursula K. Le Guin
Far Horizons : A Separate War [Forever War] - Joe Haldeman
Far Horizons : Investment Counselor [Ender Wiggin] - Orson Scott Card
Far Horizons : Temptation [Uplift] - David Brin
Far Horizons : Getting to Know the Dragon [Roma Eterna] - Robert Silverberg
Far Horizons : Orphans of the Helix [Hyperion Cantos] - Dan Simmons
Far Horizons : Sleeping Dogs [Sleepless] - Nancy Kress
Far Horizons : The Boy Who Would Live Forever [Heechee (Robinette Broadhead)] - Frederik Pohl
Far Horizons : A Hunger for the Infinite [Galactic Center] - Gregory Benford
Far Horizons : The Ship That Returned [Helva] - Anne McCaffrey
Far Horizons : The Way of All Ghosts: A Myth from Thistledown [Way] - Greg Bear


Race war communications.

3 out of 5


War waiting, bi the way.

4 out of 5


AI accountants are cool.

4 out of 5


Dolphin escape and magic time diaspora subservience scheme rejection.

3.5 out of 5


Imperial travel brutality.

3 out of 5


Hyperion kid and Shrike buddy pay a visit for some teleporting fun.

3.5 out of 5


Dog dreaming denial dangerous.

4 out of 5


Gateway ship, black hole timeslip.

3.5 out of 5


Collecting horror.

3 out of 5


Prosthetic palsy.

3 out of 5


Had enough.

3 out of 5

A bore!
The ambitious plans Silverberg works out in the introduction turn out to become a real bore. Most stories are sedatives rather than stories, above all Silverberg's own contribution. It is not so much that I miss action, but if there are contemplative passages they have to be interesting and discuss themes of interest and relevance. Good science fiction always has to mirror reality and its problems in a way, and doing so it must not just play with a given subject, but has to involve the reader and take sides. And of course, stories need real plots - and some action after all. But telling most of these stories Scherazade would have been killed right after the first night.
There are some exceptions, though. Ursula Le Guin's yarn is quite good, but we have seen better stories from her. The same is true for Frederik Pohl's story. Dan Simmons wrote an acceptable tale, but those three are not worth laboring through 577 long and slow pages.

Only a couple winners here
Robert Silverberg returns with a new anthology, similar in form to 1998'swell-received Legends. While the previous book featured eleven stories bywell-known fantasy writers, working in their famous "worlds",this volume features eleven stories by well-known science fiction writers,again working in their famous "worlds".

I have some mildmisgivings about the concept behind these books, really just a personalthing. I tend to think that we do well to encourage writers to branch outin new directions, to invent new universes. A book like this guaranteesthat the writers will be rehashing somewhat familiar territory. I also liketo see anthologies feature a mix of established talent and new writers:partly because I'm interested in seeing what new voices have to say, andpartly because I think it helps new writers to have venues in which topublish their work which will be promoted, as it were, by the presence ofbig names alongside them. But I emphasize that these are quibbles, and thatdespite all that a book like this is an attractive package, and that mostof the series involved have plenty of room for interest furtherexplorations.

That said, I was mildly disappointed by the final results.Most of the stories are pretty good, but not a one of them quite bowled meover, though the Simmons and Le Guin pieces came close. Dan Simmons' entry,"Orphans of the Helix", is set in the universe of his HyperionCantos.Some centuries following the events of that series, a"spinship" carrying frozen colonists looking for a new world tosettle detects a distress signal.A few of them are wakened, and they dealwith a desperate problem involving an ancient colony of "Ousters"(space adapted humans) and some unusual aliens.The plot is not theinteresting part of this story: Simmons is having fun with a passel of big,"Space Opera", ideas.Simmons' reputation is as a somewhat"literary" writer, and I think this obscures his impressive Sfnalimagination at times.This story considers Ringworld-sized forests, somevery odd humans indeed, some interesting political speculation, aliensliving inside a sun, a really big, really scary spaceship, and several moresense-of-wonder inducing ideas.Le Guin's story, on the other hand, ismuch quieter in tone.It's another story set on Werel, the setting of hercollection of linked novellas, Four Ways to Forgiveness."Old Musicand the Slave Women", like the previous Werel stories, treats of therevolution against the long-established slave-owning societies on Werel. The protagonist, called Old Music, is a Hainish diplomat, that is arepresentative of the interstellar organization called the Ekumen.As warrages, the Ekumen has been prevented from gaining information aboutconditions on Werel, and Old Music jumps at a chance to speak to therebels.But he is betrayed, and ends up at a compound of slaveholdingloyalists.As the war rages back and forth across this area, he learns atfirst hand a great deal about this culture.It's a fine story, and it fitsin very well with the other stories in its series, so much so that Iwouldn't be surprised to see Le Guin reissue her collection including thisstory: Five Ways to Forgiveness, anyone?

Many of the other stories areenjoyable but minor: in the nature of things they tend to be sidelights tothe existing series of which they are parts.There are two outrightstinkers, Orson Scott Card's wish-fulfillment story "InvestmentCounselor" about how Ender meets Jane (the latter character one of myleast favorite characters ever), and Anne McCaffrey's awful "The ShipThat Returned".

for SF devoted fans only
the book is a collection of stories by known SF writer, which are based onsequels series of books written by this writers. the collection is goodmostly for people who are notfamiliar or didn't have the power to readthis sequels, and would like to taste some of the writing. it also intendedto the fanatic SF readers whow will read every thing about their sequelseries.

the stories were not so apealimg to me, since i haven't read mostof this books, and the impression i got is that i didn't missed most ofthem.

anyway, it look likes a lot of effort was put in this book by theeditor SILVEBERG, and his fellow writers, but the outcome is a litledissapointing. ... Read more

Product Description
Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, May 1979, Vol. 3, No. 5 (whole No. 15). Edited by George H. Scithers; cover art by Jack Gaughan. Contents: Hollywood & I, essay by Isaac Asimov; On Books, essay by Baird Searles; The SF Conventional Calendar, essay by Erwin S. Strauss; Against a Crooked Stile, by Nancy Kress; How Bagson Bagged a Board Game, by Martin Gardner; Through These Portals Dead, by Gary Hood; Rainy Monsoon, poem by A. Grimm Richardson; L'Envoi, by John M. Ford; Small Talent, by Steve Perry; Sanctuary, by Jayge Carr; Slush, by K. J. Snow; Prime Crime, by Milton A. Rothman; Mermaid's Knell, by Anne Lear; The Pinch-Hitters, by George Alec Effinger; There Are No Wars Words in the Language, by Anjala E. A. Ehelebe; The Dead of Winter, by Kevin O'Donnell, Jr.; Computer Song, poem by Julie Flores; The Quest, by Barry B. Longyear; Letters. ... Read more