First published 1971. Translated by Michael Kandel, Penguin paperback, 2016, pp 338, c.108,000 words. This is a collection of twelve stories featuring Ijon Tichy, a space explorer. They are inventive genius, often very amusing, and all exploring the nature (and absurdity) of humanity and existence. The philosophy is lightened by the frequent need to outwit […]
Star Diaries, The — Stanislaw Lem Read More »
(Book also known as The Daleth Effect.) First published 1970. Arrow paperback, 1981, pp 217, c.64,000 words. At the superficial level this is a story of a man who discovers a wrinkle in Einstein’s equations that allows for the development of a means of eliminating the mass of objects, and therefore gravity has no effect
In Our Hands the Stars — Harry Harrison Read More »
First published 1972. Sidgwick and Jackson paperback, 1979, pp 188, c.77,000 words. Imagine Woody Allen in his heyday, in Manhattan or Annie Hall say: New Yorker through and through, neurotic, Jewish, intellectual. This is pretty much David Selig, this book’s protagonist. Only he is a bit less successful than Wood Allen characters, in fact he
Dying Inside — Robert Silverberg Read More »
First published 1988. New English Library paperback, 1988, pp 480, c.185,000 words. This is book one of ‘The Cadwal Chronicles’ and by the last page there are more loose ends than in a big bowl of spaghetti. It is a great sprawl of a book which leaves the impression that Vance didn’t bother to plot
Araminta Station — Jack Vance Read More »
First published 1987. Legend paperback, 1989, pp 473, c.145,000 words. This is a classic ‘first encounter’ story. Initially one of Jupiter’s moons disappears, then strange features appear in the landscape in the USA and Australia. The former turns up in Death Valley and is accidentally discovered by some geologists who notice a hill that isn’t
Forge of God, The — Greg Bear Read More »
First published 1895. Pan paperback, 1966, pp 123, c.43,000 words. With this book Wells launched himself as a science fiction author of note. The Time Traveller launches himself from late Victorian Britain and describes to sceptical and astonished friends his journey eight-hundred thousand years into the future. He remains in the same geographical location: suburban
Time Machine, The — H G Wells Read More »
First published 1974. Panther paperback, 1984, pp 319, c. 118,000 words. This is a book more about conflict between ideas rather than people: the cold war, capitalism versus communism, and a strong feminist sub-text. In exploring these ideas, Le Guin doesn’t leap to simplistic solutions or attempt to browbeat with a relentless one-sided message. She
Dispossessed, The — Ursula K Le Guin Read More »
First published 1961. Panther paperback, 1964, pp 128, c.62,000 words. This is a collection of six stories, original published in magazines between 1952 and 1956. It includes one of the finest SF stories of the period, The Waitabits, that is also included in Edmund Crispin’s collection, Best S|F Six, reviewed elsewhere. Crispin, in his introduction
Far Stars — Eric Frank Russell Read More »
First published 1973. New English Library paperback, 1979, pp204, c.75,000 words. This book follows the same formular and is set in the same universe as Morressy’s Starbrat. Indeed the main protagonists from the two books meet and travel together briefly in one episode of this story, although there is no overt recognition; just one of
Nail Down the Stars — John Morressy Read More »
The War Against the Rull by A. E. van Vogt First published 1959. Panther paperback, 1973, pp156, c.64,000 words. Surprisingly, there is very little shooting in this book, despite “war” being part of its title and the cover featuring spaceships shooting; although covers of SF books of the time this was printed very rarely reflected
War Against the Rull, The — A E van Vogt Read More »