Average customer rating:
- Asimov's great robot murder-mysteries
- Great!
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Robot Trilogy: The Caves of Steel, The Naked Sun, The Robots of Dawn
Isaac Asimov
Manufacturer: Del Rey
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The Complete Robot (Robot Series)
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The Door into Summer
ASIN: 0345331192
Release Date: 1988-08-12 |
Customer Reviews:
Asimov's great robot murder-mysteries.......2005-10-03
Isaac Asimov, along with H.G. Wells, is perhaps the greatest Science Fiction writer of all time. He, above all others, brings science to the genre while writing in a very clever way. Not many SF authors were scientists before they became writers. Asimov clearly knows his science and, more importantly, the level of science the audience knows.
This "Robot Trilogy" is set two thousand years into the future; well after his "I, Robot" short stories which precede it and set up the now-universal Laws of Robotics, and before Asimov's 'Empire' novels. 'The Caves of Steel' (an acronym for the cities of the future) is set on Earth, while 'The Naked Sun' and 'The Robots of Dawn' are set on colonised planets elsewhere in the galaxy. Each story follows the investigations of detective Elijah Baley and his human-looking robot partner (mascarading as a 'Spacer'), Daneel Olivaw, as they solve murder mysteries on each planet.
These stories are well crafted and read like good old-fashioned murder mysteries. The unique aspects of these novels are their off-world settings and robot characters; the robots must obey the three laws of robotics, the first being that a robot cannot harm a human, or through inaction, allow a human to be harmed. But loopholes exist which Asimov explores brilliantly. But what drives these stories is the relationship between Earthmen and Spacers (outer world colonialists). Here, the two are distinctly polar in every way, thus fueling the stereotypical fears between the two groups. For example, Earthmen are considered by 'spacers' as second-class citizens due to their idiosynchratic indoor-only nature and susceptibility to disease, while spacers are considered elitist by Earthmen as they don't allow physical contact. A number of other psychological and social problems are also addressed by Asimov, in particular the "Frankenstein" complex that humans have developed in response to creating robots - other sentient beings. Other themes include community versus the individual, change versus stagnation, and dependance on technology to prolong life.
What is really impressive about Asimov is the fact that he has accomplished what he has without violence. I don't recall in any Asimov novel a gun being fired!
Why buy this book? Each novel can be read individually but are really designed to be read one story after another. So buy this omnibus instead of purchasing three separate books. You will want to read "The Naked Sun" and "The Robots of Dawn" after reading "The Caves of Steel" anyway. Also, read "I, Robot" before venturing into his other novels as Asimov sets up his rules here.
(Asimov began his robot novels with the collection of short stories entitled "I, Robot" which was set in the years 2010 to 2050 roughly and presented for the first time the Three Laws of Robotics. These stories revealed man's distrust of robots which were created to serve man and his occupations, especially in Earth orbit and in the Solar System (the extent of exploration at this point in human history), and importantly, not on Earth.)
Great!.......1997-09-01
In these books, Asimov puts in views and theories and situations that may arise as well as fit in facts about books set in later eras, such as Foundation. Well written, sound bases. Gives a reader the feeling of "This is how it could be."
Average customer rating:
- Probably not for the general reader.
- Props to Mishima, a philosopher who walked his talk
- Please, people, PLEASE!
- Mishima turns Mishima inside out
- Fascinating insights into a mysterious character
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Sun and Steel
Yukio Mishima
Manufacturer: Kodansha International
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Spring Snow
ASIN: 4770029039 |
Book Description
In this fascinating document, one of Japan's best known-and controversial-writers created what might be termed a new literary form. It is new because it combines elements of many existing types of writing, yet in the end fits into none of them.
At one level, it may be read as an account of how a puny, bookish boy discovered the importance of his own physical being; the "sun and steel" of the title are themselves symbols respectively of the cult of the open air and the weights used in bodybuilding. At another level, it is a discussion by a
major novelist of the relation between action and art, and his own highly polished art in particular. More personally, it is an account of one individual's search for identity and self-integration. Or again, the work could be seen as a demonstration of how an intensely individual preoccupation can
be developed into a profound philosophy of life.
All these elements are woven together by Mishima's complex yet polished and supple style. The confession and the self-analysis, the philosophy and the poetry combine in the end to create something that is in itself perfect and self-sufficient. It is a piece of literature that is as carefully
fashioned as Mishima's novels, and at the same time provides an indispensable key to the understanding of them as art.
The road Mishima took to salvation is a highly personal one. Yet here, ultimately, one detects the unmistakable tones of a self transcending the particular and attaining to a poetic vision of the universal. The book is therefore a moving document, and is highly significant as a pointer to the future
development of one of the most interesting novelists of modern times.
Customer Reviews:
Probably not for the general reader........2006-07-09
Sun and Steel is a book-length essay which describes Mishima's effort to recover himself from the "corrosive" nature of words through developing his physical beauty and prowess. On the most superficial level it is about bodybuilding. On another level, it is about a man attempting to reclaim his identity later in life, and doing so with discipline and knowledge of the nature of time.
I am honestly not sure that this book is worth reading unless you are generally familiar with Mishima's biography and work. I would recommend that people interested in this book first read Confessions of a Mask and at least one of the novels.
The exception to this recommendation would be readers looking for specific work on bodybuilding in literature. As I side note, I found it interesting to note the similarities between what Kathy Acker and Mishima had to say on the subject. (Wouldn't Mishima have been horrified by the comparison?)
The essay seems written more quickly than other works in the Mishima canon. I had trouble engaging with it at times, and found it more interesting biographically than as a work in its own right.
The book is bound with an Epilogue called F104 and a poem called Icarus. The Best translation felt competent, although there were some noticable typographic errors which I hope were corrected in later editions of the book.
Props to Mishima, a philosopher who walked his talk.......2005-09-21
This book is a literary type that was once common in Japan, the self-obsessive partial memoir. But Mishima's style, tone, and content are absolutely unique.
He writes about the relation between world and word, body and mind or spirit. But to me, the most interesting aspect of this book, and Mishima's whole outlook is something that's often overlooked. It is this, he could not stand ugliness. He shrank from (his own perception of) ugliness as we would from a rabid rat. So then, how did he define beauty and ugliness? You may call it shallow but no matter, this book makes no apologies: beauty or ugliness lie in physical appearance, body and face.
To most of us there are many kinds of beauty, and maybe that multi-perception keeps us going - we see or imagine the beauty of inner virtue, selfless giving, artistic projection, humility or humor and so on. A wide expansive definition.
But there's room on your bookshelf for somebody who takes an uncompromising view: beauty is the beauty of your body and your appearance. While it can be crafted and guided by external method (who knows what Mishima would have thought of the cosmetic surgery craze now sweeping China), ultimately physical beauty to him is the only important projection of the soul.
The insanely monomaniacal American football coach Vince Lombardi once said "Winning isn't everything - it's the only thing". This book, despite all its meandering and subtle threads, is really saying just that, about beauty - it's the only thing. And Mishima, at mid-life, was losing all illusions about attaining or retaining any personal beauty.
Of course what sheds the interesting backlight on this book for most readers is Mishima's dramatic seppuku at Ichigaya Japan self-defense force headquarters. (Reminds me of the wit who stated, when informed of Sylvia Plath's suicide, "Good career move".) People read this book to try to unravel the mystery of it.
But in light of what I've said above, about beauty and Mishima's uniquely narrow definition of it, this book leaves no mystery to his action. Just as Oscar Wilde's Dorian Gray slashed the ugliness accumulated on his horribly aging portrait, Mishima, lacking a magic painting, did just the same to his own body - sentenced it to death for the crimes of aging and ugliness.
It is entirely summed up by the following single line from 'Sun and Steel':
"I had already lost the morning face that belongs to youth alone."
Please, people, PLEASE!.......2005-01-27
So Mishima finds out through exercise that he's been wasting his time with the writing. He writes all about that. Attention liberal: this review is helpful.
Mishima turns Mishima inside out.......2005-01-15
This isn't Mishima's best work. Mostly because he is too close to the subject. At once a guide book on his beliefs and how he transformed himself from "bookish" into a physical specimen. But you can see his troubled focus shift from the internal Mishima to the external Mishima.
To me this is an explanation of something even Mishima doesnt understand. More of a catharsis of the self than a clearly defined work.
Many of the descriptions of Mishima's internal evaluations sound almost as if he was dealing with aspects of Borderline Personality Disorder. Which would make his style of death even more ironic and symbolic.
Don't get me wrong, this is true Mishima -- makes us think and examine ourselves even as he talks of himself.
Any work by Mishima is worth reading and adding to your collection. It took me years to find a copy, now it is available for everyone -- I wouldn't hesitate to buy or read.
-Mike
Fascinating insights into a mysterious character.......2001-05-09
Every author should write at least one of these books of personal reflection. This is not the only place you can get a glimpse of the inner workings of Mishima's mind ("Confessions of a Mask" and "Patriotism" are good examples).
Of course, this is assuming the book accurately reflects the author's views. If you have read Mishima biographies such as Stokes' "Life and Death of Yukio Mishima" you might agree that "Sun and Steel" is a true reflection of the author's feelings. Otherwise, you might not have a good frame of reference.
It's a good idea not to make this the first of Mishima's works that you read (the aforementioned biography and "Confessions of A Mask" are suitable prerequisites). However, it is an interesting work in its own right.
My main reason for not giving this book 5 stars is that I was longing for more depth into his character than could be provided in so short a work; but maybe that's just because of my fascination with the author's life.
Product Description
Both novels in one edition
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4 massmarket paperback Titles in Lije Baley and R. Daneel Olivaw Novels : I, Robot - The Caves of Steel - The Naked Sun - The Robots of Dawn
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CONTENTS: MAPS FOR DENMARK, EARTH, ANNUAL REVOLUTION ROUND THE SUN, lORD BEACONSFIELD, CLIFTON SUSPENSION BRIDGE, CLOISTERS, FOUNTAINS ABBEY, COBLENTZ AND EHRENBREITSTEIN, CITY OF CONSTANTINOPLE, CHARLES DICKENS
Average customer rating:
- Unusually comprehensive, but in small format
- by the time it gets dark
- History meets science
- Blends science with history
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Eclipse: The Celestial Phenomenon That Changed the Course of History
Duncan Steel
Manufacturer: National Academy Press
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Binding: Hardcover
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Glorious Eclipses: Their Past Present and Future
ASIN: 030907438X |
Book Description
Whether interpreted as an auspicious omen or a sentinel of doom, eclipses have had a profound effect upon our cultural development. Throughout recorded history, they have evoked consternation, fear, and dread—as well as awe and wonderment.
Ancient peoples were clearly disconcerted by them. The Romans marked pivotal battles with the Greeks by references to an eclipse. The date of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ has been derived by using biblical mentions of an eclipse. Perhaps most famously, Christopher Columbus extorted much-needed foodstuffs from some increasingly unfriendly native hosts by purporting to demonstrate the wrath of his most powerful God when he accurately predicted a lunar eclipse.
The pattern that eclipses follow—a cycle, called the saros—was actually calculated thousands of years ago. However, it is only with the help of modern computers that we have been able to analyze and appreciate the data. Eclipses provide unique opportunities for today's scientists to study such contrasting phenomena as the upper layers of the sun, the slowdown of our planet's spin rate, and the effects of celestial events on human psychology.
In Eclipse, Duncan Steel expertly captures our continuing fascination with all manner of eclipses—including the familiar solar and lunar varieties and other kinds involving stars, planets, asteroids, and comets as well as distant galaxies and quasars. Steel helps us see that, in astronomical terms, eclipses are really rather straightforward affairs. Moving beyond the mysticism and the magic, the science of eclipses is revealed.
Customer Reviews:
Unusually comprehensive, but in small format.......2004-09-25
This is an unusually comprehensive book about lunar and solar eclipses. I only wish that the book were a larger format and contained color illustrations instead of just black and white.
The book is relatively small at 7.25 x 5.25 inches, and so the illustrations are quite small. The only color photo is on the cover jacket, which is a shame. I recognize a number of the B&W illustrations, and so I know that the originals were in color.
Despite its shortcomings, this book is a welcome addition to my eclipse library.
by the time it gets dark.......2004-02-14
Contrary to what you see in the book and here, the 1919 eclipse evidence was actually more "believing is seeing". As William Corliss wrote:
"On the day of the eclipse, Principe was bedevilled by clouds, and only 2 photographic plates were deemed marginally acceptable. At Sobral, 18 poor plates and 8 better plates were obtained. The problem was that the 18 poor plates yielded a deflection of starlight much smaller than predicted by Relativity, while the 8 better plates produced a much higher value. By adding the 2 plates from Principe to the mix, Eddington managed to come up with a number close to that required by the Theory of Relativity. It was not the clear-cut victory for Einstein that the textbooks proclaim. Yet the spin was on!"['Science Frontiers', William R. Corliss, #126, Nov-Dec 1999]
Steel is in the camp of Clube and Napier, and as he badmouthed Velikovsky at least once in print I'm reluctant to review this book or anything else he's written. Still, as an introduction to the astronomical / astrological impact made on ancient societies, this book is probably a good choice. Steel has been involved in the search for asteroids on collision courses with the Earth, but his interest in Clube and Napier seems to have resulted in a certain amount of being held at arm's length. I noticed this in a David Morrison review of Steel's "Rogue Asteroids".
I have plenty of objections to using eclipses to date anything. More to the point, everyone should have at least some reservations:
"At 8.45 on the morning of 15 April 136 BC, Babylon was plunged into darkness when the Moon passed in front of the Sun. An astrologer, who recorded the details in cuneiform characters on a clay tablet, wrote: "At 24 degrees after sunrise-a solar eclipse. When it began on the southwest side, Venus, Mercury and the normal stars were visible. Jupiter and Mars, which were in their period of disappearance, became visible. The Sun threw off the shadow from southwest to northeast." If present-day astronomers use a computer to run the movements of the Earth, Moon and Sun backwards from their present positions, like a movie in reverse, they find something very odd. The total eclipse of 15 April 136 BC should not have been visible from Babylon at all." ['In the shadow of the Moon', New Scientist, 30 January 1999]
The rather more expensive "Historical Eclipses and Earths Rotation" by F. Richard Stephenson makes a good subsequent read, and is the source of the information in the above quote. Steel's book will make a decent introduction to the eclipse topic also, but remember to take it with a grain of salt.
History meets science.......2003-04-05
Steel melds his knowledge of history and science in a highly readable book. To propel his discussion of celestial bodies, he uses the fuel of such stories as:
* Einstein's theory of relativity as vindicated by an Eclipse
* Alexander's defeat of Darius the day after an eclipse in 331 BC.
* The bible's use of moon language, speaking of days where the moon will be darkened (some kind of eclipse?)
With facts like this, Steel keeps us following a provocative discussion of the moon and its cycles. The history lessons are interspersed with scientific facts so that after a while one doesn't know if he is reading a history book or a science novel.
As the author points out, the Eclipse as a phenomena in the sky held special cultic meaning for the Ancient Near Eastern religions (esp. the Egyptians). But one is left wondering if Steel is accurate at all points of history. For example, when arguing from the Bible about supposed eclipse accounts therein, he sees the story Abraham as alluding to one, "And when the sun was going down...great darkness fell upon him." Because he sees this text as an eclipse, he dates the time of Abraham to 9 May 1533 BC 6:30pm. What is interesting in this is that there is an actual internet database maintained by NASA that allows the author (and us!) to track all eclipses for all time. Indeed, there was an eclipse visible in Jerusalem in 1533, but does that mean that the text in question is talking about an eclipse? Steel may be misreading the biblical data, but it is only a small distraction from his great book.
It should be noted, Steel's book is not only about the moon, but about all of the celestial bodies and man's reaction to their appearances (Mars, comets, famous meteor storms, etc.).
This book is a good introduction for the novice about such things as "blue moons", "the diamond ring" affect, eclipses in general, the calendar and the moon, and other such relevant topics.
I first heard of Duncan Steel when he was interviewed on NPR in June of 2002; the audio of that was once available on the internet.
Blends science with history.......2002-06-05
Eclipses have long been perceived as portentous events and have affected world cultural development, from the onset or cessation of battles to dates of historic decisions. This blends science with history as astronomer Steel explains how eclipses occur, their history, and their influence on human lives. Black and white illustrations throughout capture eclipse history and drama.
Product Description
This is a NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA DEPT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING report procured by the Pentagon and made available for public release. It has been reproduced in the best form available to the Pentagon. It is not spiral-bound, but rather assembled with Velobinding in a soft, white linen cover. The Storming Media report number is A617133. The abstract provided by the Pentagon follows: The strength and toughness of low alloy steel shielded metal arc weld (SMAW) metal is markedly improved by the presence of the microconstituent acicular ferrite. Since acicular ferrite is nucleated by the non-metallic inclusions present in the weld metal. Its presence is determined by the size, number, distribution and chemical composition of these inclusions. Previous work has shown that inclusions containing no titanium are usually ineffective as nucleates of acicular ferrite in some C-Mn steel weld metal whereas inclusions containing small amounts (less than 5%) of titanium or more can produce a microstructure containing as much as 70% of acicular ferrite.
Average customer rating:
- A very distinctive cup of tea that's not for everyone
- Excellent and amazing writer, stories range from okay to superb
- More than a little disappointing
- Interesting...
- Which edition to get?
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Viriconium
M. John Harrison
Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Gaiman, Neil | ( G ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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Jurgen
ASIN: 0553383159
Release Date: 2005-10-25 |
Book Description
Available to American readers for the first time, this landmark collection gathers four groundbreaking fantasy classics from the acclaimed author of Light. Set in the imagined city of Viriconium, here are the masterworks that revolutionized a genre and enthralled a generation of readers: The Pastel City, A Storm of Wings, In Viriconium, and Viriconium Nights. Back in print after a long absence, these singular tales of a timeless realm and its enigmatic inhabitants are now reborn and compiled to captivate a whole new generation.
Customer Reviews:
A very distinctive cup of tea that's not for everyone.......2007-09-12
The phrase 'a writer's writer' is often trite and overused. But this is the only accurate and concise description that can be applied to M. John Harrison and his work. You're here trying to decide if this book is worth your time and money, and so you'll read a mixture of reviews to make that determination.
Be warned that readers either hate "Viriconium" or love it.
You'll be reminded by several other reviewers that the ones who hate it seem to suffer from a number of misspellings in their posts, and you'll discover that the ones who love it write passionately, carefully, thoughtfully, and correctly.
If you love Harry Potter, don't buy this book. (I read one Potter book and that was enough.) If you love David Eddings or Terry Brooks or loved the Lord of the Rings movies but couldn't stand reading the actual trilogy, don't buy this book. If you are dissatisfied with ambiguity, put off by anything other than a linear sentence or story line, or dislike passages you have to slowly digest to appreciate, don't buy this book.
If you love (or even know the work of) Mervyn Peake and his Gormenghast trilogy, this is the book for you. It will make you cry, in fact, because the second novella, "A Storm of Wings," rings with the same sort of rich language, baroque details, and intensely dreamy and slow-moving quality that characterizes Peake's writer's voice in "Titus Groan" and "Gormenghast." It's almost as if Peake himself penned the passages, and I can't think of another novelist past or present who even comes close to this accomplishment.
The book is deceiving. "The Pastel City," the first novel, is good, but I wasn't deeply moved. This is the book most accepted by the broader general audience. The second novel, "A Storm of Wings," will either break your heart or leave you cold. It is lyrical, brilliant, intense, and probably too dense for over 90% of today's readers. If you love language and are a writer yourself, you will understand and appreciate the greatness demonstrated within its pages.
The novel that truly cracks open the perfect literary egg that is Viriconium is "In Viriconium." Read the other reviews to find out the synopsis of this and the other novels. But rest assured that this is the one that will make you fall in love with the city if you haven't already. "In Viriconium" gives the reader a sense of place and firmly establishes the haunting beauty of this city at the end of time.
This book brings to mind a cup of tea I had earlier today - a new offering I sampled at my neighborhood coffee shop, produced by Kusmi Tea. It was called Samovar and it was smoky and intense, much like drinking woodsmoke and fire deep in a damp forest. Not everyone's cup of tea, but I was glad of the experience - the break from the ordinary. Like the tea, Viriconium is far from ordinary. But if you have a taste for its darkness and depth, you'll enjoy every single step of this journey into a strange and brave new world.
Excellent and amazing writer, stories range from okay to superb.......2007-06-27
For the most part, I very greatly enjoyed reading Viriconium. On its surface, it is a collection of short stories that all take place in and around the same setting. Really, though, I think it is a single story, which needs to be told from a variety of vantage points in order to be told at all. The concept is great. The first story is one of the best short sf/fantasy stories I have ever read. From there, the book gets progressively stranger. Normally, this is something I like, but in a few places it seems to ramble. Some of the middle stories end without anything particularly interesting happening.
However, Harrison's skill as a writer kept things going for me. It is a pure joy to read the words he writes, even in the cases where the story they are conveying isn't as interesting as I would like. Don't get me wrong... most of the book is not like that, but even where it is, it is quite readable.
More than a little disappointing.......2006-12-15
Based upon the descriptions and reviews of Harrison's 'Viriconium' stories, I bought this book and eagerly anticipated reading it. But after reading the first long story, 'The Pastel City,' which was quite good, my appreciation for the book began to take a nose dive as I ploughed into 'A Storm of Wings.' Skipping further ahead to the short stories didn't help much, either. 'Viriconium Knights', for example, was perhaps the most pointless story I have ever come across in over 40 years of reading fantasy and sci-fi.
The man without doubt has the ability to write, and considerable talent with language, but his dreary, pointless, and non-linear scribblings just ended up boring the life out of me. I was never so glad to put a book down.
That's my personal opinion, for what it's worth. Needless to say, I respect the opinions of those who love these works, but evidently don't share their tastes.
Interesting..........2006-11-01
Mr. Harrison gives us a fabled land and an appealing story. I found the first story incredible. It would serve, however, to have a dictionary handy for some of the more arcane and anachronistic terminology used.
Which edition to get?.......2006-10-11
Mainly a few words about the differences between the USA and the UK editions (both available via the Amazon USA)... The UK edition (Gollancz) has better cover art, but don't let that fool you: otherwise the UK edition is inferior to the Spectra edition. The Spectra edition is much bigger in length and height, and has fewer pages, which is always nice, nicer to read. Its pages open much better, yet the back won't wrinkle (these two things are really the most significant factors in making the book comfortable to read as well as durable). Partly consequently, it will look better on your bookshelf. The paper is of slightly better quality.
As for the different orders in which the stories are arranged in the different editions, Harrison once stated (in his forums) that he prefers the following order: Viriconium Knights, The Pastel City, Lords of Misrule, Strange Great Sins, A Storm of Wings, The Dancer from the Dance, The Luck in the Head, The Lamia & Lord Cromis, In Viriconium, A Young Man's Journey to Viriconium (this is the order in the UK edition; for the Spectra edition, Harrison basically wanted to try something different). The most important thing is that, if you're reading the book for the first time, you should, again according to Harrison himself, read A Young Man's Journey to Viriconium either first or last. The three novels should be, in my view, first read in the order in which they were written (The Pastel City, A Storm of Wings, In Viriconium). I would recall Harrison symphatizes with this view. Of less importance is the order in which the rest of the stories are read (all the rest are short stories written at various times).
As for the actual content of the book: it has already been sufficiently described and analyzed by Mr. Eric Walker at his "Great Science Fiction & Fantasy Works" web site.
Average customer rating:
- Come and dream again in the ancient city of Viriconium
- Incomprehensible but Good
- brilliant
- Subtle, allusive, endlessly entertaining
- An evening's read, and at least a fortnight's dreams
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Viriconium Nights
M. John Harrison
Manufacturer: Ace Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0441865704 |
Customer Reviews:
Come and dream again in the ancient city of Viriconium.......2005-11-16
This wonderful 1985 collection is again available in a newer publication called Viriconium, released in 2005. 'Viricomium Nights' is more of an addition to Harrison's 'The Pastel City' and 'A Storm Of Wings' than a continuation. There are two stories in this earlier edition that are not available in the new publication, 'Lamia Mutable' and 'Events Witnessed From A City'. There are eight stories in all.
'The Lamia And Lord Cromis'. teagus-Cromis takes his swordsmanship into the wastelands, in search of the Lamia of the Sixth House.
'Lamia Mutable' is a strange tale of Birkin Grif and his skinless Lamia who travel with the odd Dr. Grishkin to the edge of Wisdom.
'Viriconium Nights'. A young Ignace Retz learns what its like to defend Mammy Vooley's honor.
'Events Witnessed From A City' is another tale of teagus-Cromis, but nicely portrays his tower as sentient, a rather cool idea.
'The Luck In The Head'. A man named Crome is subject to dreams of a lamb, prompting a strange visit by a strange woman who promises to ease his malaise.
'Lords Of Misrule' is an intriguing tale told in first person by teagus-Cromis in his younger years, about a visit to one of the city's old Defenders.
'In Viriconium' is a beautiful tale of two artists in Viriconium, Audsley King who is dying of plague in the Low City and Ashlyme, a portrait painter living in the High City. Vying for police power over the spreading plague-areas is the dwarf called the Grand Cairo, and The Barley Brothers, strange godlike-men who romp and play rudely through the streets. Ashlyme wants nothing more than to save Audsley King from her illness by bringing her to the High City, but somehow never manages to help her. Note: The ending is slightly different in this version than the 2005 version.
'Strange Great Sins' is a tale told by a Sin-Eater about his uncle's stay in Viriconium.
If you are a diehard fan, then this older version is worth a hunt through the used book stores for the two stories missing from the newer version. Otherwise, you are much better off with the 2005 edition that includes The Pastel City and A Storm Of Wings.
Harrison's prose is as rich and lush as tropical sunshine, but will leave you shuddering in the depths of the chilly winds that cross his bleak deserts and wastelands. He really paints a vivid landscape for Viriconium, one you can taste and smell and almost touch. If you like being absorbed into strange worlds, then you will love M. John Harrison. Enjoy!
Incomprehensible but Good.......2003-09-14
Incomprehensible. Harrison's writing is clean and enjoyable, but I only fathomed the first of eight stories. Laden with enigmatic dialogue and mysterious symbolism, I don't believe he meant them to be understood. But that doesn't mean I didn't like them. I did. Supposedly there is a common theme binding them, and I did detect that theme in most, but not all, of the stories. Overall, the book tastes very much like Vandermeer's Ambergris tales. Harrison probably hangs out with Gene Wolfe.
Recommended Conditionally. (Condition: You like scratching your head.)
brilliant.......2001-07-23
I don't have much to say about this collection that the previous two reviewers haven't said, but I'd like to recommend a book from the same author if you enjoyed Viriconium Nights: A Storm of Wings. It's out of print but you should be able to find a used copy from amazon or elsewhere.
Subtle, allusive, endlessly entertaining.......2000-01-20
M John Harrison cut his teeth on these haunting pieces, travelogue of a city which is never the same place twice. The ultimate fantasy and the end of fantasy, for me. After walking these strange, shifting streets and eavesdropping on their hyper-realistic but completely unreal denizens, I could never take Tolkien or Tad Williams seriously again. I read it in the UK edition "Viriconium", which also contains "In Viriconium", a novel set in the same world, with an introduction by Iain Banks. Brilliant stuff--but Harrison's last two novels, "Signs of Life" and "The Course of the Heart" are even better. How a writer of this stature could have remained "unknown" for so long amazes me.
An evening's read, and at least a fortnight's dreams.......1998-06-14
M.John Harrison is often lumped together with fantasy/sci-fi writers. However, he draws together many genres, particularly in these short stories. While reading this book I drifted in and out of stories which, as in real life itself, have no conclusion, but have the most exquisite way imaginable of reaching their non-conclusion. He tells tales of a city Viriconium (sometimes Uroconium, somtimes Vriko) which doesn't seem to exist in any discernable time or place. The names of streets sound vaguely familiar - smatterings of French and German, the inhabitants perform bizarre and meaningless rituals that show traces of the English countryside traditions of Harrison's own youth. For the most part, you feel that you are in a fantasy setting - characters include warriors, a dwarf, and the Mammy Vooley - the thousand-year old queen of Viriconium, a living mummy who dribbles into her dust-filled lap as her bearers carry her in procession through the streets, but then someone goes into their house and switches on an electric light and you think "hey?". The book ends with a story of two old men in present day England, who have heard and read much of Viriconium, and who spend their time visiting the bookshops of Huddersfield, because they have heard a rumor the at the back of a cafe in one of these bookshops is a toilet whose mirror is the gateway to Uroconium. Some of the stories also have an aspect of horror, the same sense of urgency and terror as a good H.P.Lovecraft or Edgar Allan Poe.
As the reviewer from Time Out said "An evening's read, and at least a fortnight's dreams". I never return to books after reading them - I have far too many unread books to make time for that, but this is a book which I have gone back to again and again just to drink in the atmosphere of Viriconium.
Average customer rating:
- thisdarkplace*blogspot*com
- Readable classic.
- Fantastic Science-Fantasy
- A Terrific Book!
- Disappointing
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PASTEL CITY (Tales of Viriconium)
M john harrison
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 067183584X |
Customer Reviews:
thisdarkplace*blogspot*com.......2006-02-16
Tight and well paced science fantasy. I've been searching for more stories of Virconium ever since reading this, and i'd have to disagree with some of the other reviews here - i think the books berevity adds to the story. I love good stories that can be told in one book. Look for this at your favourite used book store it's worth the effort.
Readable classic........2004-07-08
M. John Harrison, The Pastel City (Doubleday, 1971)
That The Pastel City, now long out of print, has been considered a classic by so many for so long may be, in fact, the book's greatest failing. As I've perused reviews of it, the one thing I notice in the negative reviews is disappointment; they didn't get the be-all and end-all of fantasy they thought they were going to. Ay, but here's the rub; a book can be a classic for more than one reason.
The Pastel City is, from the plot standpoint, your typical epic fantasy. If you've read Moorcock, Leiber, etc., you have a basic idea of what's going to go on here. Love, death, betrayal, lots of nonhuman baddies, lots of human baddies, a brooding hero-type and his overly sanguine friend, maybe a crazy dwarf or two, and lots of stuff blowing up. This is nothing out of the ordinary, and to be expected from epic fantasy. Those who read it looking for a classic of plot, I assume, are the ones most disappointed by the book.
What elevates it from its peers is its sense of style. This is a fantasy as written by a true lexiphile, Elric through the lens of John Dryden, or Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser as written by Chaucer. As with most true prose stylists (Cormac McCarthy comes to mind), Harrison's subtle blend of archaic "it's not a fantasy novel unless you do this" diction, contemporary British phrasing, and little stylistic tricks that pull the whole in an entirely new direction takes a little getting used to at first. But once you've got the rhythm of it down, you can get pulled along for the ride with consummate ease.
So let me make this clear: The Pastel City is a good book. A fine book, and one worth reading. The typical fantasy fan should probably not expect too much. The fantasy fan who is more attuned to the details of writing will get the most out of it. Word lovers, fantasy fans or not, are going to get a kick out of this. *** ½
Fantastic Science-Fantasy.......2003-09-05
There was a lot I liked about this book, and a handful of things I didn't.
What I liked: very interesting characters in a rich setting, all written very skillfully. The protagonist is a brooding killer of men who only ever wanted to be a poet. Maybe that's a cliche, I don't know. If it is, it's a cool one. The history of Viriconium seems much like Wolfe's Torturer books: a new low-tech civilization has grown up from the ashes of a series of fallen high-tech empires. The people of the new civilization use, but rarely comprehend the technology they unearth. There are light-sabers, air-ships, artificial life, body armor and energy-cannons. All rare and fun things.
What I didn't like: The scope of the story was huge -- an empire fighting against invasion, but Harrison squeezed it all into a sub-250 page book. Incidents that should have been given more thought were wrapped up with a quick coincidence. Coincidence can keep a story moving, but stretches credibility. The primary antagonist could have used a lot more attention. Worse than this, Harrison made the whole outcome of a war between two empires seem to hinge upon one battle, and the battle to hinge upon one group of heroes. That vexes me. A whole empire full of men and women, and these four guys (and one young girl) are going to make a difference? Bleh. But that's what heroic fantasy is, I guess. I'm glad I read it, and I'm happy to have it on my shelf, which can only be said for about 30% of the books I own.
Recommended.
A Terrific Book!.......2003-06-14
Every year or two I take this book off the shelf for sheer
reading pleasure. Many authors would have padded this
volume out to make a trilogy (or worse), but the brevity of the
tale and the beauty of the writing make this a wonderful
experience. More is not necessarily better - this book just
leaves the reader wanting more. A great adventure story,
a quest, with memorable characters, plot, and a startling
denouement. Scour your pre-owned bookstores for this one. (I buy every copy I can find and pass them on to friends.)
Disappointing.......2003-06-06
I was very disappointed in this book. It started out well, it had potential. I -really- enjoyed the way in which the book was written (nice style). The descriptions were -beautiful-. A very colorful world, it is. But it was very weak in the plot. You did not get enough in-depth information about the war, the backgrounds of the characters, the queens themselves. The dire warning shouted by the mechanical bird (which reminded me -waaaay- too much of Clash of the Titans) meant absolutely -nothing- until you were told 'oh, and yeah, those big black things they met in the swamp are war machines'. It was too big a story to fit into such a small novel and it really needed more.
Average customer rating:
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Harrison M Viriconium Nights
M.John Harrison
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books | Authors, A-Z | Books on CD | Books on Cassette | Fantasy | Gaming | Large Print | Media | Science Fiction | Writing
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0048233307 |
Customer Reviews:
Incredible Science-Fantasy.......2003-11-26
A strange invasion is happening in Viriconium. In the wake of an eldritch fog smelling of lemons people are changing; reality is reshaping. This is Harrison's second installment in the Viriconium series, and though it stands alone, reading Pastel City first will increase empathy for several of the characters involved. I am sure this is a book with underlying themes and deep meanings; it read that way. I just don't know what they are. Harrison's writing is beyond me, and maybe that's why I like it so much-it challenges. Storm of Wings showcases unique and unforgettable characters blundering their way through barely explainable events in which most times they are as perplexed as the reader. I wholeheartedly recommend the entire Viriconium series to readers who enjoy bewildering science-fantasy. Harrison does not disappoint.
Average customer rating:
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Viriconium
M. John Harrison
Manufacturer: Unwin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | Classics | Comic | Contemporary | Literary
Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books | Alternate History | Anthologies | Arthurian | Contemporary | Epic | General | Historical | History & Criticism | Magic & Wizards | Series
Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books | Adventure | Alternate History | Anthologies | General | Graphic Novels | High Tech | History & Criticism | Series | Short Stories | Space Opera
ASIN: 0044402457 |
Average customer rating:
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Viriconium
M. John Harrison
Manufacturer: Spectra Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N76C7U |
Average customer rating:
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Viriconium
M.John Harrison
Manufacturer: GOLLANCZ (ORIO)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K3XYOG |
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