Books: Worlds of SF, Fragile Things, Amphigorey 4, Arabian Nights, and Spock, Messiah!

[woodwardiocom]

The Worlds of Science Fiction, edited by Robert P. Mills

A gift from my bro and sis-in-law. First, a little truth in advertising: Of the 15 stories in this 60s-vintage anthology, only eight are SF. Five are fantasy, or even just non-fantastic stories with a minimum of unexplained bits, and two have no real fantastic elements whatsoever. So there. That said, we have Fast's "The First Men", Heinlein's "All You Zombies", Blish's "A Work of Art", Knight's "Babel II", and a number of other quite good stories, regardless of genre, and only a few that I didn't like.

Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman

A gift from the ever-lovely mizarchivist, this is a lot of truly excellent stories (comma duh), including "The Problem of Susan", which definitely puts a new spin on Narnia. Highly recommended, of course.

Amphigorey Again by Edward Gorey

A gift from Clan Wex, this is the fourth and last omnibus volume of Gorey's short works, this is, alas, the weakest, since the stories (those that are stories) are even more plotless and pointless than most of Gorey's canon. (Though I was quietly delighted by the choose-your-own-adventure-ness of The Raging Tide, with such instructions as, "If you cannot condone these actions, turn to 30.") Also, I defy anyone not to be quietly saddened by the incomplete Izzard Book, whose panels become progressively less inked, then less penciled, until the last few are merely empty frames, enclosing the work Gorey never got a chance to do.

The Arabian Nights, translated by Burton, abridged

Despite my best efforts to shore up my knowledge of this bastion of fantastic literature, I may have to seek out a different translation. It just got to be a bit much for me after a few hundred pages. On the other hand, the 1930s-era quasi-Deco art, by (I kid you not) Steele Savage, was really pretty, and I did enjoy most of the stories in themselves, even if not the language.

Spock, Messiah! by Cogswell and Spano

Another gift from my bro and sis-in-law, this was either the second or third Trek novel ever written, depending on how you count. Amusingly, just like its immediate predecessor Spock Must Die!, the villain of the book is our favorite Vulcan. (This time, driven nuts by a telepathic widget.) It suffers from the weaknesses of much Trek writing (like having to introduce a specific menace to the ship so that there's a time limit — and it also blocks communication, did I mention?). Plus, it's written in a very pulp-y style, and while its treatment of women would be fine in a Conan story, here it leaves you wondering why Kirk, Chekov, and McCoy aren't all up on harrassment charges. (As it happens, it also describes Kirk in lingering sexy detail, but at least that's the narrator speaking, not McCoy describing a fellow officer.) Sort of interesting as a step in the evolution of Trek fiction, but not all that good in itself.

Comments

[blondbaron.livejournal.com]

I made something for you!

[woodwardiocom.livejournal.com]

Narf! Thank you!

[doctor-toc.livejournal.com]

I love early Trek fiction. It's so slashy. Price of the Phoenix is possibly the gayest book ever in which the protagonists don't actually get it on.

[mizarchivist]

I think I have that Arabian Nights version, too. Great art. I haven't gotten past the introduction where they kill the guy's wife because she cheats on her husband. Yeaaaah. Need to bludgeon my modern sensibilities and just go with it if I'm going to try again.

[woodwardiocom.livejournal.com]

Need to bludgeon my modern sensibilities and just go with it

Yeah, it's rife with racism, sexism, and bloody-mindedness. But still probably worth a go.

[(Anonymous)]

Yeah, it's rife with racism, sexism, and bloody-mindedness.

Quite a lot of it added by Burton, apparently. But the misogyny in the framework is of course authentic.

(The Dawood Penguin abridged translation is a lot less like hard work than Burton, in many ways. I gather that Husain Haddawy's version is probably the most academically respectable English translation, but it's not "complete". Nothing is, really, except maybe for Burton's original effort, and the old bastard is as trustworthy as a Brooklyn Bridge salesman.)

--
Phil Masters

[mzrowan.livejournal.com]

even if not the language

What!?! I love the language in that translation! All that "pierce me with your rapier" stuff is fantastic!

[woodwardiocom.livejournal.com]

All that "pierce me with your rapier" stuff is fantastic!

Your Kink Is Okay.

(And, yah, there are certainly turns of phrase I like, but it wears on me after a while.)

[wombattery.livejournal.com]

I sympathize with your problems getting through Burton's rather...singular style. I've resigned myself to marking it off as "historically significant" rather than actually good to read. IIRC, the edition from Penguin was nicely readable.