A major retrospective of 24 stories, 1934—64, including two previously unpublished, from Leinster (1896—1976; real name Will Jenkins), a storysmith with a talented and educated imagination, though he proved a poor novelist, ultimately unable to transcend the pulps. While innovative and creative, he retained a firm grip on real science indeed, some of his ideas now appear astonishingly prescient. He wrote the first computer-paranoia yarn, “A Logic Named Joe,” back in an era when computers weren’t even a gleam in Bill Gates’s eye. In “First Contact,” he proposed a solution to the problem of spacefaring humans confronting aliens of similar psychology and technological development. “Exploration Team” contemptuously bats away the notion that machines, even intelligent robots, could successfully explore dangerous new worlds; Leinster instead provides his own unique insight. “Sidewise in Time” wonders what might happen if you move, not up or down the stream of time, but across it. “The Lonely Planet” invents the idea of a planetary consciousness. Elsewhere, a character receives a phone call from himself, one week in the future; a man-who-fell-to-earth isn’t just immortal, he’s insane as well, while other aliens don’t just imitate, they become humans, or attempt to teach students of alchemy the principles of electricity. There are plenty of flimsy entries, too, of course, but the best of them are remarkable inventions, providing a window on to science fiction’s first Golden Age that demonstrates exactly what made it golden.
Pub Date: Sept. 15, 1998
ISBN: 0-915368-71-4
Page Count: 464
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
A fast-paced, action-packed epic fantasy to sink your teeth into.
In a world where difference means death, can a boy with a secret find his own path?
Annev has only one more chance to pass his Test of Judgment. Pass, and he gets a coveted spot as an "avatar" who will travel the countryside searching for magical artifacts. Fail, and he’ll spend the rest of his life as a servant. He’ll also be forbidden to marry, so if he fails, he’ll lose his chance at a life with Myjun, his headmaster’s daughter. Until now, he’s teamed up with his friends Titus and Therin to pass the Tests; but with only one avatar spot left, Annev will have to compete with them to win. To further complicate matters, Annev has a secret—a secret that began years ago when his mentor, the priest Sodar, saved a baby who was born with only one hand. In Annev’s world, even something as minor as a scar is considered a mark of the dark god Keos—a missing limb would be a death sentence. Even as Annev attempts to prove himself within this harsh, unforgiving system, he struggles with the black-and-white thinking that dominates his world. Ultimately, he must learn that “if you don’t like the road you’re on, there’s always another path.” Debut novelist Call plunges the reader directly into the action and never lets the pace flag. Even as we learn about the ancient battles, dark prophecies, and mystical assassins that are about to change the course of Annev’s life, the stakes remain appealingly human: Can Annev achieve his goals without betraying his moral code? Will the people he cares about accept him for who he is?
A fast-paced, action-packed epic fantasy to sink your teeth into.Pub Date: Feb. 25, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-9825-9178-6
Page Count: 656
Publisher: Blackstone
Review Posted Online: Dec. 8, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
Foundation (1951) and Foundation and Empire (1952) are the predecessors of this tale of galaxy security based on conflicting searches for the Second Foundation, established and hidden by the master psycho-historian, Hari Seldon. The Mule, wrecker of part of Seldon's plan, and members of the First Foundation are at odds; the Mule is disposed of and the First Foundation believes itself the victor. But the Second Foundation carries on, devising impromptu methods to maintain its superiority. The blue yonder, and not so wild.
Pub Date: June 25, 1953
ISBN: 0553382594
Page Count: -
Publisher: Gnome Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 13, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1953
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