Product Description
Famous stories of the apocalypse by the world’s best science fiction writers.Before The Road by Cormac McCarthy brought apocalyptic fiction into the mainstream, there was science fiction. No longer relegated to the fringes of literature, this explosive collection of the world’s best apocalyptic writers brings the inventors of alien invasions, devastating meteors, doomsday scenarios, and all-out nuclear war back to the bookstores with a bang.

The best writers of the early 1900s were the first to flood New York with tidal waves, destroy Illinois with alien invaders, paralyze Washington with meteors, and lay waste to the Midwest with nuclear fallout. Now collected for the first time ever in one apocalyptic volume are those early doomsday writers and their contemporaries, including Neil Gaiman, Orson Scott Card, Lucius Shepard, Robert Sheckley, Norman Spinrad, Arthur C. Clarke, William F. Nolan, Poul Anderson, Fredric Brown, Lester del Rey, and more. Relive these childhood classics or discover them here for the first time. Each story details the eerie political, social, and environmental destruction of our world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Strong and Eclectic Collection
This collection is creatively laid out in main sections that provide the reader with a clear taxonomy: Bang or Whimper, The Last Man, Life After the End, Dark - Distant Futures, and Witnesses to the End of the World. It features quality writers that come at the 'Apocalypse' from varied viewpoints. Also interesting is the span in the dates of publication of the stories ranging from 1944 to 2007 - it was interesting to read an individual entry and try to place it in the approximate year it was written. I had read Salvador, Salvage, and Dark, Dark Were the Tunnels in other books but this did not detract from my overall enjoyment. Standouts included: The Underdwellar (classic with a twist), Lucifer (pathetically longing for the past), The Wheel (reminiscent of The Lottery), and Flight to Forever (entertaining homage to The Time Machine). A solid collection.

Disappointing
Jack's one star review pretty much says it all. This a ho hum collection of end-of-the-world fiction. Skip it and check out Warday and World War Z. Two very different books, but both excellent.

An anthology to pass on
I had great hopes for this collection---hopes misplaced.

Two of the stories in this book were also in Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse, which is odd, considering the Wastelands was published only two years ago.

This book has some big names in it: Del Rey, Card, Sheckley, Zelazny, Benford, Wyndham, Spinrad, Clark, Anderson and of course, Silverberg. That doesn't make it a good collection. This book is proof that good writers write poor stories.

Many of the stories are dated, some severely so. Zelazny's The Big Flash is an example of this, with 1960's topics and slang.

Kindness by Del Rey turns to mediocre pulp after a promising beginning.

The Hum by Hautala begins well and stutters to a lame and ridiculous close.

The Underdweller by Nolan begins as a hackneyed zombie tale and telegraphs its twist so clearly there's no reason to read to the end.

Wyndham's The Wheel is a reprise of one of his novels and not worth a reread.

Yeah, there's more, but I won't list the stories here as the book doesn't merit the time required.

If you've been reading Sci Fi anthologies for a while, you've read many of these before. Slapping together a stale collection like this is publishing cynicism at it's worst. And slapping Silverberg's name on as editor lessens his reputation in my eye.

It's not as if there are not great stories out there about the end of the world. Tiptree's Screwfly Solution is one of many.

I'm returning it and I recommend that all amazon readers do the same with books that disappoint. Let's send publishers a signal that we do know good reading when we see it, that we don't appreciate these sloppy collections of dregs and if they want to sell books they need to publish books worth reading.

And if you hunger for an anthology in this vein, you'd do much better to try Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse, which contained several competently crafted, engaging and moving stories by relatively unknown writers. You can always skip Stephen King's story as I did.

... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (11)

Good
I am conflicted as I write this review.I have just read the kindle version (no longer available on Amazon I gather). The digital version appeared to have few, if any, defects (which is in STARK contrast to the many other offerings on Kindle I have read).

This is an interesting book, on an interesting topic. However, it is not "my" kind of sci-fi, which centers more on the awe of discovery. This book, clearly focused inwards, as opposed to outer space and awe of discovery, was very good, but just never really moved me. To be honest, I only completed it because I am on a plan to complete reading all of the Hugo and Nebula award nominees/winners.

I mention all of this, as your mileage may vary. Well written and interesting subject matter. Just never connected for me. But, if the subjects of slavery, individual right, caste disparities, and how we as a race view/deal with them, are of interest to you then this could be the book for you.

Another classic by Silverberg
Robert Silverberg is such a great writer. Tower of Glass won the Hugo back when it was written in 1970 and it really stands the test of time, something science fiction often struggles to do because science changes so fast. Antiquated ideas and outdated science can make a book, no matter how well written, seem dated and irrelevant, but the science and concepts in Tower of Glass hold up. Every Robert Silverberg book I've read have been at least 30 years old and were excellent reads. Like the superb Hawksbill Station, Tower of Glass contains political and social undercurrents at the heart of the story. Although the main character of the book is Simeon Krug, the most interesting personalities in the story are actually the androids Thor Watchtower and Lilth Mason. The story really turns on their relationships with the humans they serve. The utter collapse of their religion is what brings the story to its tumultuous end. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in how science can dramatically change the future of human society and the inescapable consequences of slavery in any form.

Vibrates with sexual tension
Gideon's Fall: When You Dont Have a Prayer, Only a Miracle Will Do Classic Silverberg, short enough to be read in a sitting, yet well constructed with detailed story lines and vibrates with sexual tension.

First-Rate Silverberg S-F Novel
This 1970 science-fiction novel is Silverberg in top form.The intertwined plots deal with the complex, mystical, and ultimately tragic interactions of humans and androids, and with the building of an immense tower that is intended to broadcast a message to the stars.The first intelligent message from an alien life form has been received, and Simeon Krug is obsessed with his self-imposed role as the man who will respond to that message.Wealthy, powerful, and brilliantly inventive, Krug has made his fortune in many ways but primarily by developing the first artificial people, the androids, to serve as slaves to their human owners."Tower of Glass" has some of Silverberg's best writing, and the character development is powerful and believable.This fast-paced story is engrossing andexciting from the first page to the last.

Impressive allegory
Simeon Krug, a fantastically wealthy entrepreneur, endeavors to communicate with the stars in this fascinating tale of a man's incredible hubris and the destruction it wreaks on all within his sphere of influence, which includes the entire world.Every one of Krug's actions appears to be motivated by the need for self-aggrandizement, although he would probably be shocked to hear it; this blindness is a fascinating aspect of the character.Krug wants to stretch his presence across this universe, so he is building a mile-high glass tower on the northern tundra that will house a tachyon projector.He needs workers for his project, so he creates androids that are capable of the full range of human emotion and presses them into service.Some reviewers have complained that the story ends on an inconclusive note but, if you read this story, just think about the havoc that Krug has caused through his single-minded attachment to his own grand schemes without adequate thought to their consequences.Robert Silverberg has penned a worthy cautionary tale about the danger of pairing too much power with too much ambition and too little ability or desire to imagine any result but what the great man intends. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Interesting, but ultimately disappointing
I had high hopes for this book based on Silverberg's name and that I tend to enjoy books about immortality, but this one fell flat. Like `thud'. It was short, shallow, and disjointed. The characters were 1-dimensional and there was little to keep me engaged except the hope it would somehow get better. While Silverberg has written some good material I have to recommend pass on this one. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Not Free SF Reader
An anthology of stories on the titular theme, from your standard early post-irradiated example of Poul Anderson, through superpowered Bixby, bad jokes, Weird Aldiss and silly Lafferty.

Mutants : Tomorrow's Children - Poul Anderson
Mutants : It's a Good Life - Jerome Bixby
Mutants : The Mute Question - Forrest J. Ackerman
Mutants : Let the Ants Try - Frederik Pohl
Mutants : The Conqueror - Mark Clifton
Mutants : Liquid Life - Ralph Milne Farley
Mutants : Hothouse - Brian W. Aldiss
Mutants : Ozymandias - Terry Carr
Mutants : The Man Who Never Forgot - Robert Silverberg
Mutants : Ginny Wrapped in the Sun - R. A. Lafferty
Mutants : Watershed - James Blish


Post-apocalyptic mutation multiplicity.

4.5 out of 5


Seal Man gives lecture on change and equality, minority basic types grumpy.

3.5 out of 5


No race stability.

3.5 out of 5


Photographic memory pain.

3.5 out of 5


Old, scared and sleeping.

2.5 out of 5


Big tree tribe trip.

4 out of 5


Virus lack of trust appetite.

3.5 out of 5


Flower no longer power.

3 out of 5


Soft and big, soft and tasty.

3 out of 5


Pun shape.

3 out of 5


When Anthony is born, he uses his abilities to transport his whole town to somewhere else. After that, everyone is extremely careful around him, as when he comes across something he doesn't like his extreme powers of transmutation and transfiguration can do bad things, and he is also somewhat telepathic and has degrees of animal control. Basically a young, sociopathic supervillain.

3 out of 5





3.5 out of 5

MUTANTSEDITED BY ROBERT SILVERBERG
A COLLECTION OF SHORT STORIES BY 12 AUTHORS, INCLUDING SILVERBERG, POHL, POUL ANDERSON AND JAMES BLISH. ... Read more

Product Description
Avram Davidson was one of the great original American writers of this century. He was erudite, cranky, Jewish, wildly creative, and sold most of his wonderful stories to pulp magazines. They are wonderful.

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, Poul Anderson, Gene Wolfe, Guy Davenport, Peter S. Beagle, Gregory Benford, Thomas M. Disch, and dozens of others. This is a volume every lover of fantasy will need to own.
Amazon.com Review
The Avram Davidson Treasury may be the most satisfying short-storycollection of the decade. Davidson (1923-1993), one of science fiction andfantasy's greatest writers, was "a master shaper of small stories," writesAlan Dean Foster in his introduction to "Or the Grasses Grow." Foster isjoined in introducing the stories by dozens of extraordinary authors,including Ursula K. Le Guin, Gene Wolfe, William Gibson, Poul Anderson, andmany others. Davidson was clearly adored, and often emulated, despite hisreputation for being somewhat curmudgeonly. His mastery of language wasexquisite, and his stories glittered like diamonds. Each of the 38 tales inthis collection spanning five decades is a self-contained wonderland. Oneof the most famous (and most often plagiarized) short stories in sciencefiction appears here: "Or All the Seas with Oysters," tells of slightlysinister safety pin pupae, coat hanger larvae, and bicycle adults in aworld 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." Onthe surface, this is the story of an American military officer in Peking in1945, but lurking underneath are ancient gods, Chinese magicians, and theobscene torpor of hell. As Ray Bradbury writes in his afterword, "Many ofthese stories are complete mysteries, puzzles. Avram Davidson starts us ina fog and lets us orient ourselves slowly.... His knack for a proper paceis that of a true teller of tales." But all of Davidson's stories aren'tdark--far from it. He was a satirical genius, able to poke fun at sacredcows and turn a comic phrase with the best of them. Some of these storieswill make you laugh out loud.

To the fan of great literary short fiction: Don't skip over this deeplyfulfilling treasury because Avram Davidson was "only" a science fictionauthor. 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 NebulaAwards by his fellow writers, will astound and amaze you. --Therese Littleton ... 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

Product Description
This Halcyon Classics ebook collection contains five works by popular science fiction author Robert Silverberg.In a career spanning more than fifty years, Silverberg has published dozens of books and hundreds of short stories, including many non-fiction works under a variety of pseudonyms.Silverberg is perhaps best known for his science fiction, for which he is a multiple winner of both the Hugo and Nebula Awards.

This ebook is DRM free and includes an active table of contents for easy navigation.

Contents:

Starman’s Quest
Postmark Ganymede
The Happy Unfortunate
The Hunted Heroes
The Judas Valley
... Read more

Product Description
Facing blizzards, ice storms, and strange beasts on a mission to the frozen tundra, Prince Harpirias attempts to rescue a party of scientists who have been kidnapped by an uncivilized race from beyond Majipoor. Reprint. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

The poorest of all the Majipoor novels
Buy this one last after you've read every other Majipoor novel, and you're addicted.It's a poor story that could have taken place anywhere; there's little that ties it to Majipoor at all.Silverberg doesn't seem to have dedicated much thought to this one.

Good, but short
I would have given this book 4 stars, but it is more of a short story and should have been published as such.Other than the length, I thought the book was very good overall.Great little story and even though I may have made other choices if I were in the main character's shoes, I respected and appreciated his actions anyway.The auther did a good job in swaying me to see things from the character's point of view.If you are trying to decide if it is worth reading, it is.Just don't pay full retail for it.

A great short story in the realm of Majipoor
While I wouldn't put this book on the same level as Valentine Pontifex just because of its size, it is still a really fun book to read.WHile the events here do not affect the world of Majipoor in any big way, the simplicity and excitment of this one are really great.

Basically, the story consists of a prince from Castle Mount (Harpirias) being sent on a mission to recover a team of scientist that were captured by a lost tribe of barbarians (the Othinor) in the Kyhntor Mountains.While the story line was very simple, the action was great and the interactions among the characters (which had major communication problems) were entertaining and interesting.

This is a short, easy read, and I'd reccomend it to anyone who has enjoyed Silverberg's other Majipoor novels.

Not since L E Moddessit jr.
God help me, but I cannot comprehend how someone can stand this author.

It is now three novels I have attempted to care about by Silverberg, and I have failed utterly.

Outstandly Entertaining!
I had a hard time getting started with The Mountains of Majipoor, but once I did I couldn't put it down.This book is outstanding.The story is so well defined that I plan on reading it again in the near future.It's a must buy for all sci-fi lovers! ... 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. In Far Horizons, a variable "Who's Who" of science fiction's most beloved and highly honored writers once again revisit the remariable worlds they created and made famous. Perhaps the greatest concentration of science fiction talent ever in one volume, this unprecedented masterpiece 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.

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
Like Pohl and Kornbluth's SPACE MERCHANTS this is a novel of sophisticated government deception in the near future, an exploration of political corruption. Written in 1957 when Silverberg was 22, the novel is cynical and highly suspenseful. Silverberg, long recognized as a great science fiction writer, is a multiple award winner. ... Read more

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

Customer Reviews (1)

Free SF Reader
Worms, pirates, more than fun than poodles.


2.5 out of 5 ... Read more

Product Description

During his heroic first encounter with an alien race,Dick Muller was permanently altered, hideously transformed in a way thatleft him repulsive to the entire human race. Alone and embittered,he exiled himself to Lemnos, an abandoned planet famed for itslabyrinthine horrors both real and imagined.

But now,Earth trembles on the brink of extinction, threatened by another alien species,and only Muller can rescue the planet. Men must enter the murderous maze of Lemnos,find Muller, andconvince him to come back.

Will the homeless alien, alonein the universe, risk his life to save his race the race that has utterly rejectedhim?

... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Companion volume to Thorns
Like "Thorns," written at roughly the same time, "The Man in the Maze" centers on a space voyager who has been changed and mutilated by contact with an alien species, only here the alterations are psychological rather than purely physical. And, as in "Thorns," salvation comes through the baring of the hero's inner torment to a seemingly invincible antagonist. This doesn't rate as highly as "Thorns," however, because Silverberg's exploration of his theme is so spare as to be skeletal. There are no evocative descriptions of this bizarre environment. At times I realized I was picturing the action on a bare stage, and long stretches of "The Man in the Maze" consist of nothing more than dialogue. The ending is far too abrupt -- a chronic problem in Silverberg's work -- and the twist that wraps it all up is far too pat. A lesser Silverberg novel, recommended only to those who haven't read "Thorns," "Dying Inside," or "The Book of Skulls."

Lost in the Maze
Author Silverberg presents the reader with a puzzling conundrum for our rumination: an alien race build a 100 square mile maze around their only "city"; loads it with lethal hazards and deadly illusions and leave no explanation as to the reason for it's existence or how it continues to maintain itself eons after the creators have perished.

The author provides no answer, and I suppose none are necessary. The ambiguity hangs over the story and perhaps provides a mysterious ambiance.

I was disappointed with this book. I was fascinated by the concept of the ancient maze and expected the story would resolve the mysteries of its origin. Instead we are presented with a fairly routine SF novel with unremarkable characters and a dollop of "super-science nonsense". The plot tells of a man isolated in the maze and how he is induced, by trickery, to leave and serve a greater good.

The sexism spoiled it for me...
I enjoyed the premise and plot of this novel but was unable to connect with any of the main characters or the society they live in. I can accept that there are few females in the story but the characterisation of those that there are is extremely poor. The most significant woman is summarized as being a "swivel hipped tart with spiked heels and blue hair", or something similar. The two or three women in the novel are described only in terms of the pleasure they give to men. The males are adventurous space explorers, but the females cannot comprehend space travel and are afraid of it and in awe of the men who do it. Taking women on dangerous missions is not done, and the men have "woman cubes" to keep them entertained while they are without the real thing. In this "mankind" of tomorrow, women are only good for nurturing and satisfying the brave men who travel the universe. This bothered me, as did the idea that physical imperfection is an offence to others and those who can afford it should have it rectified (though I've come across this in other sci-fi stories as well, and can see that it's quite probable that this will become a reality). Muller is frequently said to be a fine and noble man, but he and the other males are so shallow in regards to women (even the youngest character, who should be the most likeable) that I was kept at a distance from them. There is much talk about "mankind" and how wonderful it is but I felt too excluded from it to care what happened to Muller and the rest of the human race.

Classic
A quick good read of a classic story revisited. Any fans of silverberg will enjoy this book.

Tragic Tale of Self Induced Exile
Dick Muller was a hero... that is, until an encounter with an alien race left him unable to be tolerated in a human's prescence.When the human race rejected him, he left...to a planet with a giant maze on it. No one has ever reached the center of the maze. Now the human race needs Dick Muller to save the planet but first they must find him and convince him to come back and save the race that sent him into exile.
This book is great.My favorite book of all time.I highly recommend it to everyone! ... Read more

Product Description
Yakoub was once the legendary King of the Rom, the Gypsy race that has evolved from the days of caravans into lords of the spaceways--the only pilots capable of steering ships safely between the many worlds of the Galaxy. Weary and proud, Yakoub has relinquished his power and lives in exile on a distant, icy world. In his absence, chaos fills the vacuum of power. The fate of the entire Galactic Empire hangs in the balance. Yakoub must journey across the cosmos and fight to regain his throne. Only then can he fulfill his dream--to return his people to their ancestral home of Romany Star.

The Rom need the Yakoub of legend once more. Can the once-mighty King overcome time and tyranny and inspire his people in their darkest hour? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Of Gypsy King and Gypsy Kingdom...
I'm a pretty big fan of using a creative formula in presenting your character and his/her story.And I think that's one of the reasons I really enjoyed this novel. The first two-thirds is comprised of flashbacks interspersed with present action. It's a beautiful way to reveal a character as well as show how he/she has matured and changed through the years. I also found it neat that the main character was actually in his later years, because I feel like almost every sci-fi book I open has a young dashing hero or heroine (not all, of course, but far too many).

Silverberg's pacing, characterization, and vision - as always - are amazing and complex, and he's woven quite an entrancing story here.I was hooked shortly after I opened it. This is quite a beautifully complex and thorough "what if", and I loved every minute of it.

So yeah, all you science fiction buffs out there, grab a copy and sit down to be enthralled.Silverberg weaves a beautiful web, and this is one gypsy spider you'll not want to miss.

All Flame from Tip to Tip
Here Robert Silverberg utilizes a milieu that is surprisingly creative and effective for a mainstream sci-fi novel. The Gypsies (or Rom, their self-given name) are elevated from a persecuted minority in the present world, to the most influential leaders of a future in which humans have spread across the galaxy. They are not just nomads on Earth, but have wandered throughout the Milky Way in a quest to return to their original home in another solar system. Silverberg makes outstanding use of Gypsy folklore here, as well as their view of the world and their place in the human scheme of things. If Silverberg isn't a Gypsy himself, he sure has made himself familiar with their worldview. The book centers on the future King of the Rom, Yakoub, and his travails as he tries to get his widely scattered people back on track, and lead them to the promised land (planet). Yakoub might also have to use his influence and leadership to save all of humanity from the dark ages. This novel seems pretty understated and mellow on the surface. But Silverberg has created a very poignant and perceptive treatise on the power of mythology, ethnicity, leadership, and humanity. [~doomsdayer520~]

An exquisite masterpiece
I've been delighted by this unusual book of the great Robert Silverberg. A persecuted minority, the Gypsies, is used in this fictional tale, to show rhe folly and cruelty of those who despise human diversity. Here is a fantastic apologue on human potential, inventiveness and potential, both for greatness and utter stupidity, the latter represented in the three pretenders on the Imperial crown. These grave matters are narrated in a very witty, brillant style, where Silverberg's humorous persona is at its best. Yakoub is a magnificent trickster, ironic, rckless, self-centered and caringfor friends and his people at the same time: you'll love him, and his friends, Julien, Polarca, Damiano.
Other than that, you have a grand panorama of a Universe, planetsunspeakably horrid as Trinigalee Chase and Alta Hannalanna, and beautiful planets like Xinamu and sthange Mulianu. an influence of Douglas Adam's Hitch-hiker's Guide cannot be excluded.A magnificent work, Silverberg at his best!

Brilliant Tour de Force from Sci-Fi's Brightest Star
If any of Robert Silverberg's many fabulously colorful, brilliantly conceived, and intoxicating addictive novels would make a fabulous movie, Star of the Gypsies would. In fact, if I knew how to write screenplays, I'd write one for this gem. The story? Where to begin? Complex, rich, juicy--becoming raucous good fun. I fell in love with the Gypsy King and the huge universe of the future in which he lives. Love, love, LOVE this book. Think I'll read it again!

Really good...
Silverberg is very inconsistent and I can't say I like any of his latest books, such as "Starborne" or "A Hot Sky at Midnight".Luckily, "Star of Gypsies" appears to be one of his earlierworks, and it is quite good.Not quite like "Lord Valentine'sCastle", but still great.Adventures of Yakoub, the King of Gypsies,and the worlds they take him to are varied and wondrous, and Yakoub himselfis quite a character.This is definitely a book worth reading! ... Read more

Product Description
In a not-too-distant future, the assassination of an all-powerful New York City Mayor has plunged the five boroughs back into a dangerous cesspool of crime, drugs, and prostitution. Professional prognosticator Lew Nichols joins the campaign team of a fast-rising politico running for the city's top office, and is introduced to a man who privately admits to being able to view glimpses of the future. Lew becomes obsessed with capturing the man's gift and putting it to use for his candidate, but struggles to accept the strict terms he arranges with his mentor ... and the unforgiving predetermination of the future. Hugo Award Nominee, John W. Campbell Memorial Award Nominee, Nebula Award- Nominee ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

"The scene so long rehearsed, now finally played."
Random House Dictionary says that 'stochastic'= "of or pertaining to a process involving a randomly determined sequence of observations each of which is considered as a sample of one element from a probability distribution". If that enlightens you at all. The Webster's Dictionary simply notes: "Conjectural; able to conjecture." Knowing the meaning of the word isn't really necessary to understanding the book. But, since Silverberg went to the effort of putting a 50 cent word on the cover, it seemed to me at least polite to look it up.

This 1975 novel is not the strongest of the books that I have read by Silverberg, although it is a very nice example of science fiction's (earlier?) role in exploring worlds and probabilities. Particularly in the 1970s, there was an interest in picking up one principle or idea, and exploring it narrowly. This is one of those books. The concept that Silverberg is playing with here is time-- the idea of time as a fixed line, rather than a variable sequence. He pits two kinds of fortune-tellers against each other-- one who understands well enough to predict statistical trends, and one who understands nothing but simply sees down the line. This book, at its broadest level, is about what heppens when the two talents come together.

For me, the demands of science fiction have changed enough that I find this kind of idea study incomplete. I wanted more in the way of character. I found that Silverberg's future world in the novel was a tad predictable and sketched-in. While there were engaging aspects, it felt more like an exercise than some of his more character-oriented works.

I picked this up second-hand as part of my continuing interest in exploring the non-Valentine books by Silverberg. It's probably worth reading if you are engaged in the same or similar exercise. It would not be where I started with Silverberg.

Standard Sci-Fi Fare
The Stochastic Man was written in 1975.It is standard science fiction fare, with some interesting ideas, but not imperative in this day and age to the genre.It was shocking to me to see that it was a finalist (not the winner) for both the Nebula and Hugo Awards for that year.Maybe it was cutting edge at the time.Still it was 5th place for the Hugo and one of 18 Nebula finalists. There are many superb works from the 70's (like Gateway by Frederik Pohl), but anyway this is a good novel to read if you get it cheap at a library book sale, want something to read while on travel for work, etc.The bleak state of major American cities, as in the novel, somewhat dates the book as much hasn't been written about it since the 70's (although that's not saying that it doesn't need to be in the style as in the novel.)The chieftain imbedded in the inner city has the protagonist working for him, and the protagonist begins to realize that this character can indeed predict the future and is informed of his own future.Sound great?Well, what if ones future is somewhat mixed.What if you knew your marriage will lead to divorce and that you will never marry again nor find love again?Would you want not to know what you might consider a bleak aspect, or would you want to know so as not to expend effort on false hope.My personal feeling, which is the novel's positive point to have one consider this, is that if your future is foretold as bleak, you would both want it NOT to be mostly pre-determined and have a good possibility to change it for the much better.

Dice Not God's Game.
Silverberg sets this novel 25 years into the future, but alas the future overtook his dates.His main character votes for predetermined futures, quoting Reverend Einstein that God would not so play dice.Although there is a bit of dialogue on parallel universes and reversed arrows of time, this story lacks the elements that would hang it on the peg of science fiction.Rather, it is a tale of psi and clairvoyance. Tales on future prediction and the death of free will belong in the genre of new age philosophy along with Edgar Cayce's.Still a good read.

Stochastic Man: An interesting read, but nothing special
I can happily say that I started to read this book with no expectations as to the quality of the storyline etc.I think if I had had any, I may have been disappointed.

That said, Mr. Silverberg tells an interesting (to apoint) tale of a character who is able to predict the future with areasonable degree of accuracy.His life changes radically when he meetssomeone who actually can see the future as it will happen.

Throw in stuffabout bone smoking, Kama Sutra style sex (not explicit) and a healthy doseof politics and thats the novel.

I've read better, and I've read muchworse.If nothing else, you might get a new view on life and death. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review
Since the 1970s, many of SF's original theme anthologies havebeen filled with flimsy toss-offs by the editor's pals. However, thereare exceptions. In Not of Woman Born (theme: consciousevolution a.k.a. reproductive technology), editor Constance Ash hascollected 13 original stories and one reprint that are strong,well-written, imaginative, highly diverse, and excellent. This is nosurprise when you consider the amazing list of contributors, includingPatricia A. McKillip, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Jack McDevitt, RobertSilverberg, Debra Doyle and James D. MacDonald, and Walter JonWilliams. --Cynthia Ward ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Rating: overall "A" -- best original anthology I've seen thi
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Theme anthologies sometimes suffer from too narrow a focus and/or carbon-copy stories. Not this one -- the authors interpreted the theme loosely enough so that I didn't lose interest.Walter Jon Williamstakes a killer look at cybernetic family values in "Daddy'sWorld", and Jack McDevitt delivers the most interesting look atgengineering one's progeny since Greg Egan's wonderfully sly"Eugene,"in "Dead in the Water." McDevitt'smother-to-be is particularly well-drawn. A+ stories both;look for them onthe award ballots next year. "A" stories:Silverberg's 1957"There Was an Old Woman" is an amazingly fresh look at clonedlives, even 40 years on. Nina Kiriki Hoffman takes a sharp look at futureretail clerks in "One Day at Central Convenience Mall." Newauthor Janni Simner cleverly inverts bringing up baby in "RaisingJenny", and Richard Parks takes a close look at cloning's impact onshowbiz in "Doppels." Plus "A-" (= flawed but verygood) stories by Sage Walker, Susan Palwick, Patricia McKillip, Wm. F Wu,Doyle & Macdonald, and Kara Dalkey. Curiously, the only weak story inthe bunch is by the editor. Overall: 2 "A+", 4 "A", 6"A-", 1 "B+", and 1 "B" story.

Thebest original anthology I've seen this year. Highly recommended.

Happy reading--
Peter D. Tillman

Things That Make You Go Hmmmmmm
Mrs. Ash has done it again with her energized portrayal of the future and this time she brought friends. In the time where talk of cloning has made people wonder what if scientists did this... Not of Woman Born has hit thetarget.

In The Future You May Send A Mothers' Day Card To Yourself
If you think the abortion debate is out of control now, wait and see what reproductive shockers are on the way.

Constance Ash has assembled some of the finest minds in scifi to explore the possibilities of procreation. Thiscollection leaves no method unexplored and no problem well enoughalone.

Ash delivers a chilling tale of survival of the fittest, willingor not, in "The Leopard's Garden." Sage Walker keeps the bloodcold with a tale of genetic manipulation and the cycle of life.

But, allis not grim and serious. "One Day At Central Convenience Mall" byNina Kiriki Hoffman takes readers on a tour of the future AND providesplenty of time to shop.

The stories are too numerous and too full tocover in this space. Time for you to apply your own brain to the subject.

And, remember, it's only fiction. For now.

Birth of a mind-bending anthology of sf luminaries
Fasten your seatbelt for a wild ride through the ideas of some of science fiction's best selling authors--thematically published under the concept of alternative conception. Each story challenges the reader with both thesuspension of belief, and the creation of new beliefs in what today mayseem impossible, each bringing a different moral tone and attitude thatstretches your mind, always asking "what if?...." HighlyRecommended. ... Read more