Bleakly funny dark satire written on the eve of WWII. Man discovers a new and easily exploitable almost-human species and exploits it until it inevitaBleakly funny dark satire written on the eve of WWII. Man discovers a new and easily exploitable almost-human species and exploits it until it inevitably fights back. The style is clever, using newspaper clips and excerpts from other media to make it feel more real. This also makes it difficult to format the book.
The "Northwestern University Press" edition is better-formatted and the translation by M. and R. Weatherall is OK as far as I can tell.
I've heard that the version from Gregg Press, 1975, is fine. And I expect the one from Catbird press would also be good. (I downloaded a sample of the Catbird press kindle version and it is full of mojibake. Every apostrophe is converted to crazy letters. Maybe this only applies to the free sample, but even so, it is inexcusable.)...more
Basically a techno-thriller with lots of corporate espionage and shady characters scheming against each other. That simply isn't "my thing", so it is Basically a techno-thriller with lots of corporate espionage and shady characters scheming against each other. That simply isn't "my thing", so it is at best 2-star for me.
There were some interesting SF ideas related to AI and brain implants. The space elevator at the center of the story is irrelevant: this could have happened in a high-tech shoe factory instead.
I'm willing to try more from "Djuna". I loved the adorable author photo*, and it isn't often that I can say that!
FYI: The setting is the fictional island of Patusan, from "Lord Jim".
The sort of novel that makes you think. Specifically "Is that all there is?".The sort of novel that makes you think. Specifically "Is that all there is?"....more
Mostly good. But the attempted poetry in one of the stories is a crime against humanity. (The idea of imitating Shel Silverstein is a good one, but itMostly good. But the attempted poetry in one of the stories is a crime against humanity. (The idea of imitating Shel Silverstein is a good one, but it fails due to Prince's apparent lack of an ear for meter.)...more
This book combines "Return to Belzagor" based on a Silverberg novel with an authorized sequel "Children of Belzagor". I'd already read "Return to BelzThis book combines "Return to Belzagor" based on a Silverberg novel with an authorized sequel "Children of Belzagor". I'd already read "Return to Belzagor" and loved it. The sequel wasn't really necessary, but I enjoyed spending more time in this weird world....more
If all of (her eminence) O's book club picks are this much fun, then sign me up!If all of (her eminence) O's book club picks are this much fun, then sign me up!...more
I was hoping for 'Alice in Wonderland', but got something like 'Erewhon' instead. As in 'Erewhon', the author is reflecting on his society by showing I was hoping for 'Alice in Wonderland', but got something like 'Erewhon' instead. As in 'Erewhon', the author is reflecting on his society by showing a different one where many of the norms are reversed. Since I know little about Japan in this period, it didn't do as much for me, though it was mercifully shorter.
Interestingly, in both 'Erewhon' and this, it is not parents who decide whether to have children, but children who decide whether or not they want to be born....more
Contains translations of 2 early French SF novels with similar themes. In 'The Experiment of Dr. Mops' (1939), a man meets an eccentric scientist who Contains translations of 2 early French SF novels with similar themes. In 'The Experiment of Dr. Mops' (1939), a man meets an eccentric scientist who has operated on his servant's brain giving him the ability to see progressively further into the future. He successfully predicts, for example, the drowning of the doctor's daughter and protagonist's girlfriend. Near the end of the novel there is a twist, making us doubt which parts actually happened.
In 'The Eye Of Purgatory' (1945), a painter is given, without his knowledge or consent, a treatment that causes him to see things only as they will be in the future. So, for example, he sees food as it will appear after he's eaten it, and people as older than they are, and eventually as skeletons or just dust. As you might imagine, this makes life difficult. The difference from the first novel is that we experience this vision from his point of view.
In both, the treatment of women by the protagonist is as problematic as the way the mad scientists treat their victims. For example, in the second book the protagonist boasts of the 299 women he's slept with (and yes, he counted).
The translation by Brian Stableford is fine. There are, however, quite a few typos such as "me" instead of "my"....more
Translations of SF stories published in the French SF market over the years from 1956 to 2021.
I was impressed with the quality of the book and the selTranslations of SF stories published in the French SF market over the years from 1956 to 2021.
I was impressed with the quality of the book and the selections. I am now eager to look for more from "Jacques Sternberg" in particular.
I almost gave up on the story by Roland C. Wagner, but I have enjoyed books by him before so I pressed on. The story eventually did pay off, but it lacks the humor that I associate with him.
For most of these authors, there is very little available in English. But there are 3 volumes of translated stories by Jean-Claude Dunyach, including The Night Orchid: Conan Doyle In Toulouse, "The Thieves of Silence" and Paranamanco, all published by Black Coat Press (aka Hollywood Comics).
Contents:
Julia Verlanger - Bubbles (1956) Jacques Sternberg - So Far From Home (1958) Roland C. Wagner - That Which is not Named (1985) Colette Fayard - The Liberator (1989) Serge Lehman - Nowhere in Liverion (1996) Sylvie Denis - Inside, Outside (1999) Sylvie Lainé - The Swing of Your Gait (2009) Laurence Suhner - Beyond the Terminator (2017) Jean-Claude Dunyach - The City, That Night (2021)...more
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