- Paperback: 303 pages
- Publisher: Robert J Sawyer Books; 1 edition (Feb 10 2004)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0889953031
- ISBN-13: 978-0889953031
- Product Dimensions: 20.6 x 14 x 1.8 cm
- Shipping Weight: 340 g
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,187,702 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
From Booklist
Canada's leading sf author has been penning acclaimed novels and editing anthologies since the early 1980s, but not until now has he produced a collection of his superlative, often award-winning, short stories. His fans will be gratified to find many of his favorite themes amply represented here, from evolution gone awry to sentient dinosaurs to the perilous loopholes created by quantum physics. In "Peking Man," the real reason for the mysterious disappearance of Peking Man's fossil remains is revealed: some Peking people were vampires. In "Gator," Sawyer spins a wry variation on the familiar urban legend of alligators running loose in New York's sewer system. In "Iterations," a publisher finds a doorway to parallel universes that allows him to systematically eliminate murderous versions of himself, though at the risk of becoming his own victim. Sawyer has a gift for casting jarringly original ideas in lucid, sharp-edged prose that mainstream-fiction as well as sf readers should appreciate. Carl Hays
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Review
"From prehistoric vampires to orbiting murder mysteries to intergalactic exploration, nothing is off-limits to Sawyer's imagination."
-- Quill & Quire
"Sawyer has a gift for casting jarringly original ideas in lucid, sharp-edged prose that mainstream fiction as well as SF readers should appreciate."
-- Booklist
"These are stories to make you drunk on imagination; they're narcotics of science and philosophy."
-- FFWD Weekly
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Imagination, innovation and stimulation,
By Stephen A. Haines (Ottawa, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews (HALL OF FAME) (TOP 50 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Iterations (Hardcover)
Reading Robert Sawyer is always a heady experience. Those who know his work will be prepared for innovative thinking, excellent prose style and realistic characters. Underlying those skills will be his insistence that the scientific and technical base of his stories will be solid. This collection, covering several years of short story publication, is vivid testimony to his abilities. Nearly two dozen sterling pieces demonstrate why Sawyer is at the top rank among speculative fiction writers. Each is introduced by a commentary on about the story's inspiration or publication history. He has his own favourites, but ranking them is strictly a reader's pleasant task.The title piece, "Iterations" is illustrative of Sawyer's conceptual reach. The issue of "alternative" universes is a topic of active debate among physicists. It's one Sawyer has dealt with elsewhere. Beyond the question of how they can come about, there are social issues that arise. If we learn to detect alternative spheres of existence, what human judgments are likely to follow. This story enters that murky realm with vivid imagination and solid logic. What decisions might you have to make if you discovered there were other versions of you? Even deeper social issues are considered in "Just Like Old Times". As lifespans extend through better health services and a larger work force retires early, what decisions will have to be made to protect depleting resources. While this question seems a departure from the normal run of "speculative fiction" [and Sawyer rarely strays into the arena of "space opera"] he uses this to raise some disturbing questions. In this story of justice, time travel [except not really] and a disturbed human psyche, Sawyer demonstrates how the unanticipated can result in the best intentions running wild. In some respects, this tale could fit just as easily in the "horror" genre due to its conclusion. Rather than draw you through a turgid exposition of Sawyer's imagination, pick up this book and find out for yourself. Those who still feel "SF" is a minority genre could learn much from this collection. Speculative fiction offers opportunities to stimulate thinking about many questions in many ways. Even better, if offers some fresh questions to consider. Sawyer is a master at getting at the heart of issues considered but fleetingly by most. Read him and find out why so many readers pick up his works on release dates. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.0 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews) 16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Imagination, innovation and stimulation,
By Stephen A. Haines - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Iterations (Hardcover)
Reading Robert Sawyer is always a heady experience. Those who know his work will be prepared for innovative thinking, excellent prose style and realistic characters. Underlying those skills will be his insistence that the scientific and technical base of his stories will be solid. This collection, covering several years of short story publication, is vivid testimony to his abilities. Nearly two dozen sterling pieces demonstrate why Sawyer is at the top rank among speculative fiction writers. Each is introduced by a commentary on about the story's inspiration or publication history. He has his own favourites, but ranking them is strictly a reader's pleasant task.The title piece, "Iterations" is illustrative of Sawyer's conceptual reach. The issue of "alternative" universes is a topic of active debate among physicists. It's one Sawyer has dealt with elsewhere. Beyond the question of how they can come about, there are social issues that arise. If we learn to detect alternative spheres of existence, what human judgments are likely to follow. This story enters that murky realm with vivid imagination and solid logic. What decisions might you have to make if you discovered there were other versions of you? Even deeper social issues are considered in "Just Like Old Times". As lifespans extend through better health services and a larger work force retires early, what decisions will have to be made to protect depleting resources. While this question seems a departure from the normal run of "speculative fiction" [and Sawyer rarely strays into the arena of "space opera"] he uses this to raise some disturbing questions. In this story of justice, time travel [except not really] and a disturbed human psyche, Sawyer demonstrates how the unanticipated can result in the best intentions running wild. In some respects, this tale could fit just as easily in the "horror" genre due to its conclusion. Rather than draw you through a turgid exposition of Sawyer's imagination, pick up this book and find out for yourself. Those who still feel "SF" is a minority genre could learn much from this collection. Speculative fiction offers opportunities to stimulate thinking about many questions in many ways. Even better, if offers some fresh questions to consider. Sawyer is a master at getting at the heart of issues considered but fleetingly by most. Read him and find out why so many readers pick up his works on release dates. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada] 10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Must-Have for any Robert J. Sawyer Fan,
By Donald J. Bingle "orphyte" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Iterations (Paperback)
Like the other reviewers, I confess to being a Robert J. Sawyer fan. Fortunately, this collection gives plenty of insight into the breadth and quality of Rob's fiction for both the uninitiated and those who have only read Rob's novel-length works, such as Calculating God and The Neanderthal Parallax Trilogy. Since many of Rob's stories were not written on spec, but for themed anthologies, you also get a good sense of what an imaginative mind can do in a variety of genres--from hard scifi, to near-future earth, to horror, to mystery. An enjoyable read all around. Those wanting yet more should also consider picking up Relativity, a collection of stories, essays, speeches, and writing tips by Robert J. Sawyer, published by ISFIC Press. Although a few stories from Iterations are duplicated and the writing tips can be picked up from Rob's excellent website, www.sfwriter.com, Relativity is highly recommended, just like Iterations. Enjoy. Donald J. Bingle, Author of Forced Conversion.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unfortunately, Robert J. Sawyer is a genius.,
By John Brook Monroe "Tech guy and home cook" - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Iterations (Paperback)
Sawyer in short-story form is as engaging as he is in novel form. There isn't one story in the book that didn't hook me, and I'm a pretty tough audience. First of all, Sawyer simply knows how to lay down words. I'm sure he gets as much editing as the next guy, but edits can't save a bad story. Sawyer doesn't write bad stories.Secondly, Sawyer has a unique talent for going where others have gone, and finding the new twist that no one has thought of. In the eponymous story, the author tackles the old "parallel universe" theme and turns it 90 degrees from the path everyone else has taken. Every story has something just as fresh to offer, which I imagine is getting harder and harder to do as memes are explored and exhausted by other writers. The book is a worthy addition to Sawyer's body of work, and a worthy addition to any science-fiction fan's bookcase. |
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