- Hardcover: 384 pages
- Publisher: Southern Illinois University Press; 1st Edition edition (April 1 1985)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0809311879
- ISBN-13: 978-0809311873
- Product Dimensions: 22.3 x 14.9 x 3.7 cm
- Shipping Weight: 699 g
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Product Description
Over the years since 1965, Algis Budrys has emerged as the leading critic of modern speculative fiction: insightful, eclectic, and notoriously uninhibited. Benchmarks collects the material that started it—all 54 Galaxy Bookshelf book-review columns Budrys created for the now-vanished Galaxy Magazine. Written for what was then the world’s leading SF periodical, these legendary summations and summary judgments coincided with the period when newsstand-borne science fiction and fantasy were evolving from pulp toward literature. Budrys’ Galaxy reviews trace an incisive, sometimes wickedly acerb path through that sparsely charted literary territory.
Budrys defines his standards and his function in his own words: “A book should he good. A bird should fly.
“Writers of imperfect, tousled books should be made aware that standards of breeding and grooming exist. I strive to fulfill that function.”
About the Author
Algis Budrys, critic and SF historian, is the author of such acclaimed novels as Michaelmas and Rogue Moon.
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great books, & great advice for would-be writers,
By Tracy Deaton (Port Orchard, WA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Benchmarks: Galaxy Bookshelf (Hardcover)
BENCHMARKS is a brilliant book of insightful, incisive, even FUNNY 30-year-old science fiction book reviews originally published in the pages of late, lamented GALAXY magazine. Budrys takes close looks at SF classics like Frank Herbert's DUNE, John Brunner's STAND ON ZANZIBAR, Ursula LeGuin's LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS, Philip K. Dick's THREE STIGMATA OF PALMER ELDRITCH, Larry Niven's RINGWORLD, Roger Zelazny's CREATURES OF LIGHT & DARKNESS, ISLE OF THE DEAD, & LORD OF LIGHT, Samuel R. Delany's EINSTEIN INTERSECTION & NOVA, Harlan Ellison's DANGEROUS VISIONS anthology, & 100's more, plus great overlooked classics -- & shows not only how & why these books succeed (or fail), but passes on priceless advice to would-be SF writers, & snapshots of how it felt 2 B an SF writer 30 years ago. A MUST 4 NE serious SF reader or writer! Budrys was the best book reviewer of his time in the SF magazines of the late 60's, late 70's & early 80s. 2 bad he isn't still reviewing, the modern SF scene could use the input....
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews) 5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great books, & great advice for would-be writers,
By Tracy Deaton - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Benchmarks: Galaxy Bookshelf (Hardcover)
BENCHMARKS is a brilliant book of insightful, incisive, even FUNNY 30-year-old science fiction book reviews originally published in the pages of late, lamented GALAXY magazine. Budrys takes close looks at SF classics like Frank Herbert's DUNE, John Brunner's STAND ON ZANZIBAR, Ursula LeGuin's LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS, Philip K. Dick's THREE STIGMATA OF PALMER ELDRITCH, Larry Niven's RINGWORLD, Roger Zelazny's CREATURES OF LIGHT & DARKNESS, ISLE OF THE DEAD, & LORD OF LIGHT, Samuel R. Delany's EINSTEIN INTERSECTION & NOVA, Harlan Ellison's DANGEROUS VISIONS anthology, & 100's more, plus great overlooked classics -- & shows not only how & why these books succeed (or fail), but passes on priceless advice to would-be SF writers, & snapshots of how it felt 2 B an SF writer 30 years ago. A MUST 4 NE serious SF reader or writer! Budrys was the best book reviewer of his time in the SF magazines of the late 60's, late 70's & early 80s. 2 bad he isn't still reviewing, the modern SF scene could use the input....
5.0 out of 5 stars
A classic of SF reviews,
By Jody Lynn Nye - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Benchmarks: Galaxy Bookshelf (Hardcover)
AJ Budrys had marvelous insight into what made a good book. This collection of his critiques is instructive both to readers and writers. Glad to have it on our bookshelf.
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