TROUBLE WITH ALIENS [Hardcover]

Although he is best known for his incisive short stories - such as the 18 in this collection - Christopher Anvil was one of the most exciting and amusing SF authors of the Golden Age. Among other famous writers, perhaps Colin Kapp, Eric Frank Russell and Robert Sheckley come closest to his style, which subverts the usual distinction between "hard" and "soft" SF. While most of his stories focus on thoughts and emotions, they are the thoughts and emotions of spacemen and aliens, not of everyday civilians. To those who know him, the prospect of a new Christopher Anvil story promises intense mental stimulation and usually a wry smile, if not outright laughter.

This book is the fourth of five volumes in Baen Books' reissue of Anvil's work. Its main focus is on "the War with the Outs", a dangerous alien race with telepathic abilities, but there are also a number of other stories on diverse subjects. The jewel in the crown is "Foghead", one of the very best SF stories ever written. If you haven't read this, you are in for a treat - it would be well worth buying the book just for "Foghead". Anvil tunes his secret recipe to perfection, in a characteristic tale of humans and their alien allies struggling to steal a march on the Outs, only to discover that the supposedly innocuous planet they have been told to occupy is a death trap. The classic quote from the general in charge (from the safety of HQ) is: "Actually, the dangerous part will be getting there. Once you're there, everything should be comparatively simple". Definitely one for the Department of Famous Last Words!

Another memorable story is "Symbols", in which Anvil manages to combine a fascinating plot with one of the most lucid warnings about the limitations of abstraction ever written.

The Trouble With Aliens (2006) is the fourth SF work in the Complete Christopher Anvil series, following Interstellar Patrol II. This collection contains eighteen stories divided into three categories, most of which were originally published in magazines over three decades ago. This work also includes a Preface by the editor.

The War With the Outs includes nine stories related to the psionically powerful Outs. Three stories were modified for this volume and one is original to this work.

The Prisoner (Astounding, 1956) tells of the damage done by an Out agent loose in the human capital.

Seller's Market (Astounding, 1958) relates the trials of soldiers who are implementing a battle plan.

Top Rung (Astounding, 1958) expounds the problems of the man at the top.

Symbols (Analog, 1966) illustrates the power of thinking outside the box.

Foghead (Astounding, 1958)(modified) shows the hazards of centralized planning.

The Ghost Fleet (Analog, 1961) recounts the experiences of a realistic thinker.

Cargo For Colony 6 (Astounding, 1958)(modified) relates the problems of a group facing a powerful force with only a stripped down battleship.

Achilles's Heel (Astounding, 1958)(modified) conveys the situation of a commander trying to make peace with an implacable foe.

Of Enemies and Allies (first publication) reveals the thoughts of the implacable foe when the humans meet them face-to-face.

Beware of Aliens Bearing Gifts includes three stories on the theme of visitors offering unsolicited products.

The Kindly Invasion (Worlds of Tomorrow, 1966) conveys the thoughts of a prejudiced man.

Mission of Ignorance (Analog, 1968) explains the reasoning behind sending a junior officer to negotiate with the benevolent Galactics.

Brains Isn't Everything (Analog, 1976) introduces the humans to an alien who claims to be their friend.

The Uninvited includes six stories about encounters with the unknown.

The Captive Djinn (Analog, 1965) casts the aliens guards between a trained human engineer and a self-deluded cousin of their Emperor.

The Uninvited Guest (Analog, 1967) is about a highly reflective ovoid floating in a launch complex taking bites out of just about everything.

Sabotage (F&SF, 1966) reports the problem of countering an alien group taking over the minds of some humans.

Mind Partner (Galaxy, 1960) presents the dilemma of a man who lives several lifetimes in rapid sequence.

A Question of Identity (Analog, 1995) involves two humans in the middle of a dispute between a disparaging computer dictator and a very opinionated -- but powerful -- alien.

Advance Agent (Galaxy, 1957) throws Dan into an exotic alien society while a commercial rival tries to take over the population.

These stories are fairly typical of the author's works. He can involve his characters in a most difficult situation and then resolve the story in an almost believable way. More stories in a similar vein are available in the next volume: The Trouble With Humans.

Highly recommended for Anvil fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of humans interacting with aliens and solving the resulting problems.

-Arthur W. Jordin

This is the fourth volume in Baen's series of "The Complete Christopher Anvil," with at least three more to come. Of the 18 stories, half make up a chronological history of the War With the Outs, a central motif of Anvil's Future History, ranging from "The Prisoner" (in which the nature and threat of the Outs is first discovered) to "Of Enemies and Allies," specially written for this collection (which details the creation of the critical alliance between humanity and the Wij-wij). The sequence is followed by the three unrelated tales of "Beware of Aliens Bearing Gifts," in each of which some extraterrestrial species tries to conquer or swindle humanity and finds itself outdone. Then come six more presumably-unrelated stories, "The Uninvited," in which Anvil imagines what might happen if humans went to other planets or aliens visited Earth.

Anvil's debut came in the early 1950's, and 15 of the stories were originally printed before 1970. They all have the indefinable feel of that era, teamed with a wry, subtle humor that once or twice had me nearly choking with silent laughter. They are, of course, the product of their time--the future they envision is still dominated by male characters, and at least one woman isn't very flatteringly depicted. But they're highly enjoyable, and I find myself eager to get to my copies of the two Interstellar Patrol collections. For those who like old-fashioned, optimistic, fast-moving sf, mostly in the form of novellas or long-shorts, this volume is made to order.