THE WIND FROM THE SUN

There are one or two chips off the old monolith (a spectacular encounter with the "Outer Giants" of Space and some strange transformations; an amusing theological/galactic speculation) but most of these short stories involve familiar machinery, stranded heroes, and electronic or deep-marine monsters. There are a few brief shockers and humorous bits, one constructed around a three-pronged pun. Perhaps the 2001th version of previously charted journeys but steady, reliable, and efficient.