THE BEST FROM FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION: 23rd Series

by Edward L.--Ed. Ferman ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 23, 1980

Twelve representative stories from the last three years of F & SF, interspersed with samplings of the magazine's non-fiction departments (from a limerick competition to an Asimov essay on cloning). The stories are mostly very good, though the total effect is not especially bold. Among the wittier trifles are Stan Dryer's ""Zorphwar!"" (computer-simulated fantasy run amok) and Robert F. Young's ""Project Hi-Rise"" (union negotiations stall Tower of Babel construction). Damon Knight's ""I See You"" is a deceptively innocuous parable of a world with ""no secret places"" left for child or adult; Thomas M. Disch's ""The Man Who Had No Idea"" uses the premise of a society where people need licenses to talk to each other to say a great deal about our expectations of ourselves and others. There are a few clinkers, but there are also fine contributions from Samuel R. Delany (in uncharacteristically whimsical mood), John Varley, and the late Tom Reamy. Joanna Russ' article on sf criticism (""Only those who have reviewed, year in and year out, know how truly abominable most fiction is"") is in itself worth the price of admission.

Pub Date: May 23, 1980

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Doubleday

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1980

Categories: FICTION