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james_davis_nicoll) wrote2013-07-29 12:35 pm
james_davis_nicoll) wrote2013-07-29 12:35 pm
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The Science Fiction Book Club Reviews Revisited: 1980 (first quarter)
List courtesy of Andrew Wheeler.
Contents from Contento.
* * *
snip dead links
* * *
This should be fast, because I missed most of these.
1980
January TRANSFIGURATIONS by Michael Bishop
Missed it. Didn't get into Bishop until later and have not gone back to fill holes yet. Frankly, with maybe 1.3 gigaseconds left, I probably will never fill all the gaps in my knowledge.
jpeg: hourglass with sand running out.
[It's only got worse]
THE WHITE HART by Nancy Springer
Never read this nor anthing else by Springer.
BARLOWE'S GUIDE TO EXTRATERRESTRIALS by Wayne D. Barlowe and Ian
Summers (Alternate)
I have this, though. Got it as a free book for reasons long forgotten. It illustrates aliens from various books (Anthony through Vance) but I often disagreed with Barlowe's take on the aliens and I find his surface textures too plasticky.
Welan from the same era had the same plastic skin effect on his human portraits. I wonder if there was a reason both artists had that problem?
[I cannot help but notice one common factor is its me looking at them]
METEOR by Edmund H. North and Franklin Coen (Alternate)
Never saw this. It might be the novelization of a truly wretched 'meteor is blown out of the asteroid belt by a rogue comet, threatens the Earth' movie.
February
Of course, it doesn't help me that Elwood left, since Martin H. "Not Evil" Greenberg pops up right after.
Science Fiction of the 50's ed. Martin H. Greenberg & Joseph D.
Olander (Avon, Sep '79, tp)
+ o Preface o Frederik Pohl o pr
+ o Introduction o Martin H. Greenberg & Joseph D. Olander o in
+ o Spectator Sport o John D. MacDonald o ss Thrilling Wonder
Stories Feb '50
+ o Feedback o Katherine MacLean o ss Astounding Jul '51
+ o Bettyann o Kris Neville o nv New Tales of Space and Time,
ed. Raymond J. Healy, Holt, 1951
+ o Dark Interlude o Fredric Brown & Mack Reynolds o ss Galaxy
Jan '51
+ o What Have I Done? o Mark Clifton o ss Astounding May '52
+ o DP! o Jack Vance o ss Avon SF&F Reader Apr '53
+ o The Liberation of Earth o William Tenn o ss Future May '53
+ o A Bad Day for Sales o Fritz Leiber o ss Galaxy Jul '53
+ o Saucer of Loneliness o Theodore Sturgeon o ss Galaxy Feb
'53
+ o Heirs Apparent o Robert Abernathy o nv F&SF Jun '54
+ o 5,271,009 o Alfred Bester o nv F&SF Mar '54
+ o Short in the Chest [as by Idris Seabright] o Margaret St.
Clair o ss Fantastic Universe Jul '54
+ o The Academy o Robert Sheckley o nv If Aug '54
+ o Nobody Bothers Gus [as by Paul Janvier] o Algis Budrys o ss
Astounding Nov '55
+ o Happy Birthday, Dear Jesus o Frederik Pohl o ss Alternating
Currents, Ballantine, 1956
+ o A Work of Art ["Art-Work"] o James Blish o nv Science
Fiction Stories Jul '56
+ o The Country of the Kind o Damon Knight o ss F&SF Feb '56
+ o The Education of Tigress McCardle o C. M. Kornbluth o ss
Venture Jul '57
+ o The Cage o A. Bertram Chandler o ss F&SF Jun '57
+ o The Last of the Deliverers o Poul Anderson o ss F&SF Feb
'58
+ o Adrift on the Policy Level o Chandler Davis o ss Star
Science Fiction Stories #5, ed. Frederik Pohl, Ballantine,
1959
+ o Afterword: Love O Careless Love o Barry N. Malzberg o aw
+ o Selected Bibliography o [Misc. Material] o bi
I can't believe I missed this! Judging by the title I know, this is a great collection.
[Not evil is a reference to the fact that there were at least two Martin Greenbergs; one of the other ones was not overkeen about paying his authors]
HAN SOLO'S REVENGE by Brian Daley
Never read it.
THE MERMAN'S CHILDREN by Poul Anderson (Alternate)
Dorthy Heydt is a zillion times better qualified to review this than me, having contributed to the supporting theology. This is about a cohort of merfolk, faced with the end of their time due to the encroachments of Christianity and what they choose to do about it.
I can't say I cared for it but I am not sure I disliked it for sufficient reason.
[Just not my thing, I suspect]
March
The 13 Crimes of Science Fiction ed. Isaac Asimov, Martin H. Greenberg
& Charles G. Waugh (Doubleday 0-385-15220-5, 1979, $12.50,
455pp, hc)
+ 9 o The Universe of Science Fiction o Isaac Asimov o in
+ 13 o The Detweiler Boy o Tom Reamy o nv F&SF Apr '77
+ 49 o The Ipswich Phial o Randall Garrett o na Analog Dec '76
+ 97 o Second Game o Charles V. De Vet & Katherine MacLean o nv
Astounding Mar '58
+ 141 o The Ceaseless Stone o Avram Davidson o nv New Venture
Sep '75 (+1)
+ 155 o Coup de Grace ["Worlds of Origin"] o Jack Vance o nv
Super Science Fiction Feb '58
+ 179 o The Green Car o William F. Temple o nv Science-Fantasy
#23 '57
+ 203 o War Game o Philip K. Dick o ss Galaxy Dec '59
+ 221 o The Singing Bell o Isaac Asimov o ss F&SF Jan '55
+ 239 o ARM o Larry Niven o na Epoch, ed. Roger Elwood & Robert
Silverberg, Berkley, 1975
+ 297 o Mouthpiece o Edward Wellen o na F&SF Feb '74
+ 367 o Time Exposures o Wilson Tucker o nv Universe 1, ed.
Terry Carr, Ace, 1971
+ 387 o How-2 o Clifford D. Simak o nv Galaxy Nov '54
+ 427 o Time in Advance o William Tenn o nv Galaxy Aug '56
Now this I do own but I have to say it left very little impression. The Reamy is an effective tale of horror, the De Vet & MacLean is one of those stories that often comes up in YASID threads (about a fellow who always loses the first game to win the second), the Asimov is a Wendell Urth-related mystery, ARM is a Gil Hamilton story and the Tenn is another story that comes up in YASIDs, about a man who volunteers to serve time for a murder he plans to commit, and the reactions of his friends when he returns. Aside from those, I am drawing a blank here.
THE SPINNER by Doris Piserchia
Missed this.
[I think I own it, though. I was terrible about sending those cards back]
Tales from the White Hart Arthur C. Clarke (Ballantine 186, 1957, 35ยข,
151pp, pb)
+ o Preface o pr
+ o Silence, Please! o ss Science-Fantasy #2 '50
+ o Big Game Hunt ["The Reckless Ones"] o ss Adventure Oct '56
+ o Patent Pending ["The Invention"] o ss Adventure Nov '54
+ o Armaments Race o ss Adventure Apr '54
+ o Critical Mass [revised from Lilliput Mar '49] o ss Space
Science Fiction Magazine Aug '57
+ o The Ultimate Melody o ss If Feb '57
+ o The Pacifist o ss Fantastic Universe Oct '56
+ o The Next Tenants o ss Satellite Feb '57
+ o Moving Spirit o ss *
+ o The Man Who Ploughed the Sea o ss Satellite Jun '57
+ o The Reluctant Orchid o ss Satellite Dec '56
+ o Cold War o ss Satellite Apr '57
+ o What Goes Up... o ss F&SF Jan '56
+ o Sleeping Beauty ["The Case of the Snoring Heir"] o ss
Infinity Science Fiction Apr '57
+ o The Defenestration of Ermintrude Inch o ss *
This is Clarke's entry into the genre of tall tales told in bars. Not quite sure why this is such a popular subgenre but it extends well outside SF. These are credible examples of their type.
MISSION OF GRAVITY by Hal Clement (Alternate)
Previously reviewed.
THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE by Philip K. Dick (Alternate)
Previously reviewed (Good year for reprints, apparently).
I AM LEGEND by Richard Matheson (Alternate)
(scuffs dirt) I have only seen the movie adaptation of this novel, which pits one last man against a world of vampires.
[I am better read in Matheson than I was, without being what I would consider well-read]
EARTH ABIDES by George R. Stewart (Alternate)
After a plague wipes out most of humanity, one of the few survivers tries to form a community with other survivors and preserve something of civlization. Given that this is the mirror-image of the story of Ishi, last of the Yahi Indians, who stumbled into civilization, Ish's failure to save his culture is fated from the moment he is named.
Contents from Contento.
* * *
snip dead links
* * *
This should be fast, because I missed most of these.
1980
January TRANSFIGURATIONS by Michael Bishop
Missed it. Didn't get into Bishop until later and have not gone back to fill holes yet. Frankly, with maybe 1.3 gigaseconds left, I probably will never fill all the gaps in my knowledge.
jpeg: hourglass with sand running out.
[It's only got worse]
THE WHITE HART by Nancy Springer
Never read this nor anthing else by Springer.
BARLOWE'S GUIDE TO EXTRATERRESTRIALS by Wayne D. Barlowe and Ian
Summers (Alternate)
I have this, though. Got it as a free book for reasons long forgotten. It illustrates aliens from various books (Anthony through Vance) but I often disagreed with Barlowe's take on the aliens and I find his surface textures too plasticky.
Welan from the same era had the same plastic skin effect on his human portraits. I wonder if there was a reason both artists had that problem?
[I cannot help but notice one common factor is its me looking at them]
METEOR by Edmund H. North and Franklin Coen (Alternate)
Never saw this. It might be the novelization of a truly wretched 'meteor is blown out of the asteroid belt by a rogue comet, threatens the Earth' movie.
February
Of course, it doesn't help me that Elwood left, since Martin H. "Not Evil" Greenberg pops up right after.
Science Fiction of the 50's ed. Martin H. Greenberg & Joseph D.
Olander (Avon, Sep '79, tp)
+ o Preface o Frederik Pohl o pr
+ o Introduction o Martin H. Greenberg & Joseph D. Olander o in
+ o Spectator Sport o John D. MacDonald o ss Thrilling Wonder
Stories Feb '50
+ o Feedback o Katherine MacLean o ss Astounding Jul '51
+ o Bettyann o Kris Neville o nv New Tales of Space and Time,
ed. Raymond J. Healy, Holt, 1951
+ o Dark Interlude o Fredric Brown & Mack Reynolds o ss Galaxy
Jan '51
+ o What Have I Done? o Mark Clifton o ss Astounding May '52
+ o DP! o Jack Vance o ss Avon SF&F Reader Apr '53
+ o The Liberation of Earth o William Tenn o ss Future May '53
+ o A Bad Day for Sales o Fritz Leiber o ss Galaxy Jul '53
+ o Saucer of Loneliness o Theodore Sturgeon o ss Galaxy Feb
'53
+ o Heirs Apparent o Robert Abernathy o nv F&SF Jun '54
+ o 5,271,009 o Alfred Bester o nv F&SF Mar '54
+ o Short in the Chest [as by Idris Seabright] o Margaret St.
Clair o ss Fantastic Universe Jul '54
+ o The Academy o Robert Sheckley o nv If Aug '54
+ o Nobody Bothers Gus [as by Paul Janvier] o Algis Budrys o ss
Astounding Nov '55
+ o Happy Birthday, Dear Jesus o Frederik Pohl o ss Alternating
Currents, Ballantine, 1956
+ o A Work of Art ["Art-Work"] o James Blish o nv Science
Fiction Stories Jul '56
+ o The Country of the Kind o Damon Knight o ss F&SF Feb '56
+ o The Education of Tigress McCardle o C. M. Kornbluth o ss
Venture Jul '57
+ o The Cage o A. Bertram Chandler o ss F&SF Jun '57
+ o The Last of the Deliverers o Poul Anderson o ss F&SF Feb
'58
+ o Adrift on the Policy Level o Chandler Davis o ss Star
Science Fiction Stories #5, ed. Frederik Pohl, Ballantine,
1959
+ o Afterword: Love O Careless Love o Barry N. Malzberg o aw
+ o Selected Bibliography o [Misc. Material] o bi
I can't believe I missed this! Judging by the title I know, this is a great collection.
[Not evil is a reference to the fact that there were at least two Martin Greenbergs; one of the other ones was not overkeen about paying his authors]
HAN SOLO'S REVENGE by Brian Daley
Never read it.
THE MERMAN'S CHILDREN by Poul Anderson (Alternate)
Dorthy Heydt is a zillion times better qualified to review this than me, having contributed to the supporting theology. This is about a cohort of merfolk, faced with the end of their time due to the encroachments of Christianity and what they choose to do about it.
I can't say I cared for it but I am not sure I disliked it for sufficient reason.
[Just not my thing, I suspect]
March
The 13 Crimes of Science Fiction ed. Isaac Asimov, Martin H. Greenberg
& Charles G. Waugh (Doubleday 0-385-15220-5, 1979, $12.50,
455pp, hc)
+ 9 o The Universe of Science Fiction o Isaac Asimov o in
+ 13 o The Detweiler Boy o Tom Reamy o nv F&SF Apr '77
+ 49 o The Ipswich Phial o Randall Garrett o na Analog Dec '76
+ 97 o Second Game o Charles V. De Vet & Katherine MacLean o nv
Astounding Mar '58
+ 141 o The Ceaseless Stone o Avram Davidson o nv New Venture
Sep '75 (+1)
+ 155 o Coup de Grace ["Worlds of Origin"] o Jack Vance o nv
Super Science Fiction Feb '58
+ 179 o The Green Car o William F. Temple o nv Science-Fantasy
#23 '57
+ 203 o War Game o Philip K. Dick o ss Galaxy Dec '59
+ 221 o The Singing Bell o Isaac Asimov o ss F&SF Jan '55
+ 239 o ARM o Larry Niven o na Epoch, ed. Roger Elwood & Robert
Silverberg, Berkley, 1975
+ 297 o Mouthpiece o Edward Wellen o na F&SF Feb '74
+ 367 o Time Exposures o Wilson Tucker o nv Universe 1, ed.
Terry Carr, Ace, 1971
+ 387 o How-2 o Clifford D. Simak o nv Galaxy Nov '54
+ 427 o Time in Advance o William Tenn o nv Galaxy Aug '56
Now this I do own but I have to say it left very little impression. The Reamy is an effective tale of horror, the De Vet & MacLean is one of those stories that often comes up in YASID threads (about a fellow who always loses the first game to win the second), the Asimov is a Wendell Urth-related mystery, ARM is a Gil Hamilton story and the Tenn is another story that comes up in YASIDs, about a man who volunteers to serve time for a murder he plans to commit, and the reactions of his friends when he returns. Aside from those, I am drawing a blank here.
THE SPINNER by Doris Piserchia
Missed this.
[I think I own it, though. I was terrible about sending those cards back]
Tales from the White Hart Arthur C. Clarke (Ballantine 186, 1957, 35ยข,
151pp, pb)
+ o Preface o pr
+ o Silence, Please! o ss Science-Fantasy #2 '50
+ o Big Game Hunt ["The Reckless Ones"] o ss Adventure Oct '56
+ o Patent Pending ["The Invention"] o ss Adventure Nov '54
+ o Armaments Race o ss Adventure Apr '54
+ o Critical Mass [revised from Lilliput Mar '49] o ss Space
Science Fiction Magazine Aug '57
+ o The Ultimate Melody o ss If Feb '57
+ o The Pacifist o ss Fantastic Universe Oct '56
+ o The Next Tenants o ss Satellite Feb '57
+ o Moving Spirit o ss *
+ o The Man Who Ploughed the Sea o ss Satellite Jun '57
+ o The Reluctant Orchid o ss Satellite Dec '56
+ o Cold War o ss Satellite Apr '57
+ o What Goes Up... o ss F&SF Jan '56
+ o Sleeping Beauty ["The Case of the Snoring Heir"] o ss
Infinity Science Fiction Apr '57
+ o The Defenestration of Ermintrude Inch o ss *
This is Clarke's entry into the genre of tall tales told in bars. Not quite sure why this is such a popular subgenre but it extends well outside SF. These are credible examples of their type.
MISSION OF GRAVITY by Hal Clement (Alternate)
Previously reviewed.
THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE by Philip K. Dick (Alternate)
Previously reviewed (Good year for reprints, apparently).
I AM LEGEND by Richard Matheson (Alternate)
(scuffs dirt) I have only seen the movie adaptation of this novel, which pits one last man against a world of vampires.
[I am better read in Matheson than I was, without being what I would consider well-read]
EARTH ABIDES by George R. Stewart (Alternate)
After a plague wipes out most of humanity, one of the few survivers tries to form a community with other survivors and preserve something of civlization. Given that this is the mirror-image of the story of Ishi, last of the Yahi Indians, who stumbled into civilization, Ish's failure to save his culture is fated from the moment he is named.
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