- Paperback: 288 pages
- Publisher: Orb Books; First Edition edition (July 7 2000)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0312875002
- ISBN-13: 978-0312875008
- Product Dimensions: 20.3 x 14.5 x 2.5 cm
- Shipping Weight: 386 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #457,266 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
From Amazon
Having more stories from A.E. van Vogt repackaged and reprinted can only be good news: along with Heinlein and Asimov, this prolific, wild-eyed author deserves much of the credit for pioneering science fiction's golden age back in the '40s and '50s. As a sort of crazy old uncle of modern sci-fi, though, van Vogt doesn't always get his due: his writing wasn't always spectacular, his plot and pacing fell somewhere between harum-scarum and willy-nilly, and his ideas were delivered in relentless salvos, each more outlandish than the last. But an embarrassment or not, the visionary van Vogt is indisputably part of the family, an entertaining and daring author whose influence can be seen in the work of countless other writers.
This 288-page paperback binds together two of van Vogt's better stories, "The Weapon Makers of Isher" and "The Weapons Shops of Isher," published in sequel-prequel order back in 1946 and 1951. These time-hopping, politically convoluted tales follow the struggle between the oppressive (but beautiful) Empress Innelda and the superadvanced libertarian Weapon Shops ("The right to buy weapons is the right to be free," reads the storefront sign). Much of the melodramatic plot revolves around the Shops' immortal, ultragenius founder Robert Hedrock, his conflict with the Empress, and their differing visions for the future of humanity, but don't fret too much over the details: van Vogt keeps your head comfortably a-swim in a steady stream of whiz-bang gadgetry, plot twists, and breakneck action. --Paul Hughes
Book Description
Two classic Van Vogt works, The Weapon Makers and The Weapon Shops of Isher form the complete story of Robert Hedrock and the Empire of Isher. They are about revolution through time travel, the right to bear arms, the end of the universe and the beginning of the next.
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Van's best series in one big book,
By "icshi" (Ridgecrest, CA United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Empire of Isher: The Weapon Makers / The Weapon Shops of Isher (Paperback)
"The Weapon Shops of Isher" is an interestingly mosaic novel based on a few short stories published in the '40s, and the plot strands understandably hardly touch, but the overall effect is one of a nice cross-section of this society."The Weapon Makers," a 1943 novel that was written as a finale to the stories that made up "The Weapon Shops of Isher" is even better than the first, and is perhaps Van's finest novel. The plot is very straight-forward but nonetheless full of surprises and interesting turns. The writing style is far better than most of his output, which when combined with the excellent plot and characters makes an outstanding masterpiece.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Confusion about two different books,
By
This review is from: The Empire of Isher: The Weapon Makers / The Weapon Shops of Isher (Paperback)
Another reviewer has reviewed a different book. "Reviewer: Trevor J Hall (see more about me) from PERRY,, ME USA At last the two books of the life of the mutant prince of the House of Lin have been combined in one cover...."This is actually a review of _Empire of the Atom_, an SFnal re-telling of Robert Graves's _I Claudius_, and a quite different book, also by Van Vogt. As to the books at hand, they are some of vV's best, but suffer from all his characteristic faults -- the too frequent plot changes, the endless consipiricies (often where the leaders of two opposed sides are secretly the same person) a society whose economic basis is dubious at best. But it is a page-turner, and one that keeps this reader returning from time to time. A classic that any SF fan should read sometime or other.
5.0 out of 5 stars
a classic by a giant in the field,
By
This review is from: The Empire of Isher: The Weapon Makers / The Weapon Shops of Isher (Paperback)
At last the two books of the life of the mutant prince of the House of Lin have been combined in one cover. A E van Vogt is a master wordsmith, 'thus died a whole legion of men', and this is one of his masterpeices. Somehow both dated and yet timeless this is the career of a mutant prince overcoming his handicaps and ultimately triumphing against his political foes, inspiring loyalty in his companions and gaining the cooperation and admiration of his piratical foes. The tale is told in a somewhat ironic vein which is unforgettable. I have spent many years wishing for a further sequel.
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