- Hardcover: 618 pages
- Publisher: Nesfa Pr (February 2000)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1886778191
- ISBN-13: 978-1886778191
- Product Dimensions: 22.9 x 15.7 x 5.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 1.2 Kg
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,005,517 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Library Journal
Whether dealing with aliens ("Firewater,"), time travel ("Time in Advance") or investigating one of the many other sf themes, the 33 stories in this collection, the first of two volumes, demonstrates Tenn's vibrant talent and broad scope. An introduction by Connie Willis sets the tone, while accompanying notes by the author reveal insights into the creative mind at work. A good addition to sf and short fiction collections. [The two volumes will include all the stories that appeared in his collections published by Allentine in the 1950s and 1960s. Ed.]
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
The first of two planned volumes reprints 33 pieces from one of the finest bodies of short sf and fantasy. William Tenn (ne Philip Klass) himself contributes historically valuable afterwords, but the stories, most of them satirical, stand extremely well on their own. Some standouts: "Alexander the Bait," which satirizes greed and space flight; "Down among the Dead Men," a better take on cloning than most of its subsequent rivals for 46 years; "The Liberation of Earth" and "Generation of Noah," both antiwar classics and good stories; "The Masculinist Revolt," which, well ahead of its time, concerned sex roles, better than most of the competition since; and "On Venus Have We Got a Rabbi," which avoids stereotypes while tackling religion. Another invaluable addition to NESFA's catalog of classic sf collections. Librarians, stock up. Roland Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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Most helpful customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Thought provoking cynical fun,
By
This review is from: Immodest Proposals: The Complete Science Fiction of William Tenn (Hardcover)
Though not a totally stellar collection, there are some stories that I consider real clunkers in this, it is a nice collection by an author not widely known to many people.The stories aren't sheer entertainment here, they are entertaining, generally, but of a higher caliber, thought-provoking and displaying a wide-breadth of subject matter and technique. As I mentioned, they can be somewhat cynical, sometimes whimsical,and always satirical. Tenn's afterwords to each story provide some interesting insights, and in a couple cases give good reason anyone would display some cynicism Overall it was good enough that I shall be trying to get the second volume. The good stories repaid the effort put into reading them and more than made up for the stories I personally did not like.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Sheer Joy,
By
This review is from: Immodest Proposals: The Complete Science Fiction of William Tenn (Hardcover)
I brought a second hand copy of this collection and i regret it. It should have been brand new and in hardback- it's that good. And the money would have gone to the author, for he surely deserves it. I'd never read any of his stuff before, only Bradbury, Dick, Wells Sheckley, Asimov, Bester and Knight. Having finished it, i'd have to place him up their among the legends of sf.This collection is worth it, if only for one story. But their are many that belong among the all time great masterpieces of the short story; 'The Liberation of Earth'- about an devastating future war in which mankind can be no more than a witness to ir's own extinction, 'Down Among the Dead Men'- zombies reconstituted from the remains of the dead help out the human troops on the front againsts an insect race in a interstellar war, 'The Tenants'- a subtle and fragile fantasy, 'The Sevant Problem'- an astounding and frighteningly funny tale of power manipulation among tha powerful elite of a totalitarin society top strata, 'Time in Advance' has criminals do time for commiting the crime, seven years in this case for murder, who find themselves in demand by people who'd like them to snub out somebody for them and held in fear by those that've wronged them int he past. Other classics include the famous 'Brooklyn Project', the horrorifying 'Wednesday's Child' ( a supperior sequel to the much anthologised 'Child's Play'). Others to note are 'The Generation of Noah''Winthrop was Stubborn' , 'Null-P'and his personal favourite 'The Custodian'. 'Lisborn Cubed' may remind some of the film 'Men in Black' but is vastly more rewarding. A master craftmans, most of his stories seem to have been painstakling put together and the general opinion is of a humanitarian (he almost always sides with the underdog or minorities) taking a aceberic look at the sheer blinding egotistical hyprocrisy of human kind. A blissful way to be entertained. It's companion volume is also a must.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A First-Rate Satirist,
By Timons Esaias "timonsesaias" (Pittsburgh, PA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Immodest Proposals: The Complete Science Fiction of William Tenn (Hardcover)
A few years ago I searched the used book stalls and dealer's rooms and slowly assembled the complete sf works (all out of print) of William Tenn, and proceeded to read and review them. You can find these reviews on the Web. The stories were great fun, but what struck me most was that the satires had not lost their edge despite the passage of time. Why? Because Tenn addressed his satire to the underlying conflicts, which are timeless, rather than to the transitory phenomena that tend to be the focus of most humorists, satirists, and social critics. Just as important, Tenn's satirical sword usually has two edges, and will, to mix a metaphor, have gored everybody's ox before he's finished with his tale. First rate stuff. So the question I kept asking myself was: why isn't this guy's stuff in print?? Well now it is, in a handsome volume with an introduction by Connie Willis, and comments on each story by the Author himself. What's not to love?
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