Authors Books

This book includes one of my favorite works by Melville (or anyone, for that matter), "Bartleby The Scrivener". It tells the story of the document copier (or scrivener) Bartleby as narrated by his increasingly perplexed, unnamed employer. Unlike Mobey Dick which is so symbolic and philosophical, I gave up on page 13 or so, this story is strangely accessible and contemporary. The alienation that Bartleby feels for his job, his fellow employees, and the narrator is, at once, sad and humorous. Today, when it seems a job can easily become interchangeable with who we are, the fact that Bartleby is, at first, reluctant to do what's asked of him and later would "prefer not to" do anything at all is a bitter, if accurate, portrayal of the kind of ever-threatening psychosis that nibbles around the edges of the world of work from time to time, whatever it is we do to make a living. What's the word? Yeah; there's an existential quality to this tale that fits just as securely in 2007, as it does in the mid-19th century, the story's actual setting. Like Bartleby, I sometimes find myself fading away before the tasks I am asked to perform on the job; "I would prefer not to..." comes to mind pretty often, but, of course, I push on because at the time it all seems to mean something. And it does....Doesn't it? Melville was on to something.

a great collection! when it comes to Melville, i usually prefer annotated editions, but, this particular version does not include either 'The Confidence Man' or 'Moby Dick', thus, i believe i will be just fine. If you've already read 'Typee', 'Pierre', or either of the two above mentioned titles, then this collection may just be for you. It's worth it alone just for 'Billy Budd'. My one complaint? The cover artwork depicts ol' Herms to be a distant relative of Leonardo da Vinci, and while ol' Herms was a genius (although not on Leonardo's level), i think Perennial could have offered a better looking picture than the one they chose to use... talk about your old man and the sea...

This edition of Melville's short fiction is, I think,
the best...certainly a real bargain at this price.
In this one volume, the reader gets all of Melville's
short fiction -- plus the novella, *Billy Budd, Sailor*
(the Harrison Hayford/Merton M. Sealts, Jr. "definitive"
Reading Text published by the Univ. of Chicago in 1962).
The collection is edited and has an excellent
"Introduction" by Warner Berthoff.
The selections are each preceded by a very informative
"Note" which tells you when the piece first appeared
and in what periodical. Berthoff also supplies in each
"Note" delicious suggestive context insights...which
help the appreciative/analytical/interpretive process
begin to percolate.
The 1st selection is "The Town-Ho's Story" (a
chapter from Melville's novel *Moby-Dick*). But
this chapter was printed in *Harper's New Monthly
Magazine* in October 1851 (according to Berthoff's
"Note")as a portion of a work-in-progress.
The collection presents the pieces in the CHRONOLOGICAL
order of their publication in various magazines.
But it also contains "The Two Temples," which
Berthoff says was rejected for publication. So,
the collection contains all of Melville's "short"
fictional pieces, including prose pieces meant to
accompany poems. These pieces in the collection
include: "The Marquis de Grandvin," "Three 'Jack
Gentian Sketches,'" "John Marr," and "Daniel Orme."
The collection concludes with *Billy Budd, Sailor."
All of the *Piazza Tales* are in this collection
along with "The Piazza " piece, itself.
This is a fine collection. The Northwestern/
Newberry editions of Melville's works are nice,
but expensive. And you would have to get 2
separate volumes to also get the *Billy Budd,
Sailor* which you get included in this one
volume.
However, what the N/N edition of Melville's
prose pieces gives you which this collection by
Berthoff does not (their title is: *The Piazza
Tales and Other Prose Pieces: 1839-1860*)are:
"Fragments from a Writing Desk" (1839),
Melville's inspired essay of idolatry and
insight, "Hawthorne and His Mosses" (17 and 24
Aug. 1850), many other uncollected pieces,
Melville's reconstructed lectures from his
stint as a public speaker/"performer" (Yikes!)
"Statues in Rome," "The South Seas," and
"Traveling." There are also copious notes,
scholarly information, photo facsimiles,
and other helpful items in the N/N edition.
But, unless you are a scholar, a Melville
fanatic, or financially unfrugal, BUY this
edition by Berthoff and published by the
Perennial Library of Harper & Row.
* * * * * * * * *

This is worth buying if only for the masterpiece that is Bartelby the Scrivener. One of the all time great short stories, it tells the story, narrated by an employer in a Wall Street Law office who finds a peculiar scrivener called Bartelby in his employ.

Bartelby is initially a quiet and efficient copyist, but when asked to undertake extra work, he deflects it with the simple rejoinder 'I would prefer not to.' He repeats this mantra, over and over, calmly and without malice. 'You will not?' thunders his employer in frustration, 'I prefer not,' says Bartelby. And with that simple 'I prefer not', Bartelby strikes a blow on behalf of all the inconspicuous millions who find themselves wasting their lives, their creative human potential, in drab, workaday office jobs, counting down the months of their lives staring at a computer screen, the sterile hum of life passing them by. All the tedium of office life is in Bartelby - anyone who has worked in such an environment will recognise the compulsive snacking, the drab natureless view out the window, the modes and systems of the company affecting the consciousness and behaviour patterns of the staff. Bartelby, simply and effectively, questions all of this with his quiet actions, heading off in another direction from the common herd, unpicking the knot at the end of the string that binds all corporate paperwork together. Hurrah for Bartelby, whose quiet, tragic existence unravells the whole rope, and hurrah for his legacy - for without Bartelby there would be no Camus, there would be no 'Something Happened' by Joseph Heller, no 'And Then we Came to the End' by Joshua Ferris, the masterful debut office novel published this year.

To read Bartelby, to devote a valuable hour of your life to Melville's pioneering existentialist story, is to momentarily glimpse a chink in the darkness, a sense of what might and could be, instead of the living death that a great many people trudge through, like the dead in T.S. Eliot's poem 'The Wasteland', trudging over London Bridge on their way to work.

This is the beginning of American literature. And these short works I think tell the tale more clearly than that confusing (though still great) big book Moby Dick. Melville wrote from an outsiders perspective and he was an outsider as perhaps all Americans were because we did not yet have an identity as a people. Melville explores our institutions of justice and our ability to comprehend life through them in Billy Budd in the way a foreigner would examine justice and understanding in a land whose logic he was unfamiliar with. He seems to ask "how will our sense of justice be different than France's or England's and therby make us a different nation than theirs?" or even more simply "Is real understanding(of ourselves, or others) ever possible?" Melville is very much the anti-idealist in a work like The Piazza in which one valley dweller imagines existence on the upper slopes to be grander than his own only to travel there one day and be made aware of the opposite. So there is no dreaming colonist in Melville, in him we have a measured study of ourselves as we were in his day, and perhaps still are, a dreaming people,a restless people with only the vaguest notions of what life and its true nature is. The strangest story in this collection is Benito Cereno which is perhaps the work which most defines a democratic nation's uneasy alliance of peoples and points of view. In that work there is no one defining perspective, only differing views of one event that remains disturbingly unclear as all of Melville's worlds are. In Melville we have an author defining what we are or perhaps more importantly what our problems will be in the future. Interesting short works full of that rare kind of insight that does not seem to be trapped in its time but somehow seems to have seen what is to come. There is the idea that a new nation has of itself and a confidence that in the works of Melville is challenged. The mystery in these works is the mystery at the heart of existence and life remains inscrutable even here in this new land with its new ways. In Moby Dick the innocent Ishmael is the only one spared, in Billy Budd(Melville's last tale) the innocent is the one sacrificed. Melville's vision is not a comfortable one. The strange Bartelby,the Scrivener is a tale where personality is consumed by an impersonal system. The story strikes an odd alienated tone which will later be taken up by Kafka and Pynchon and countless others.

Mizner is, I think, a diarist at Daily Kos, but to the extent that this is a liberal novel, it is subtly so. It is, ultimately, a 'message' novel, but in such an unassuming manner that you don't realize it until the last page. Mizner makes both his liberal and conservative leads as outsiders of sorts. The liberal defends his hometown against his pretentious friends; the conservative has a wild past. This makes both of them sympathetic.

The style of writing isn't too far from Tom Perrota (although the book is very different from Election). Readable and unpretentious, the prose doesn't dazzle prose, and there are few memorable quotes. The characters are well-drawn, but without great psychological depth. This isn't a 'literary' novel. That's not intended as a compliment or an insult; it's just a description.

This was the first work of Mr. Mizner's I've enjoyed, and it won't be the last. The book was incredibly enjoyable and thought provoking. Each time I put the book down I found myself thinking about what I'd just read, and reacting to it. While the plot involves a school board race, the book is really a fantastic character study of the novel's two main characters: Bevy and Wallace. He shows them both to be passionate, intelligent, and most of all, flawed. Mizner shows us that people on both ends of the political and idealogic spectrum experience the same human trial and tribulations. I found myself swaying between pity for and anger at both of these main characters. One thing I found most enjoyable is that even after completing the book I cannot tell whether Mr. Mizner himself is D or R, and that's a pleasant change from many politically themed novels where it's easy to tell by a few chapters in which way the author leans. Mizner shows that both characters have good in them, and have some bad in them. A wonderful read and I can't wait to get my hands on his other book, and hopefully, future books.

This is a terrific new novel by David Mizner, with his characteristically vivid, compressed prose and remarkably sympathetic and complex characters. The novel humanely plays with the foibles and moral hypocrisy of both the American Left and Right. The protagonist, fighting his town's drift toward fundamentalism, is caught in a self destructive down-ward spiral, placing at risk the relationships with those he loves the most. His foe is an evangelical Christian mother of four, haunted by her damaged past. I'd also recommend Mizner's earlier novel, Political Animal, an energetic and hilarious romance set in the context of a political campaign.

HARTSBURG, USA is a typical town in Midwest Ohio, once the political bellwether of the nation but now gripped in slow economic decay as factories and jobs move away, and where the only thing really growing is evangelical Christianity. In this context comes a hotly contested election for the local school board: on one side is Bevy Baer, a conservative born-again Christian mother of five, and on the other is the liberal journalist and failed screenwriter Wally Cormier. The two of them, diametrically opposed to each other, become intensely invested in the race far beyond the actual stakes, banners are raised on both sides, and in the process the election becomes a sort of referendum on which set of beliefs--and what kind of person--the people of Hartsburg really want for their community. The race is at turns passionate, hilarious, and not a little unsettling (it eventually turns personal and very dirty). The depth and the seriousness of the conflict is revealed in Baer's words: "Think about values you hold dear, values that are central to who you are. Values that are who are you... now imagine a teacher telling your child that those values are wrong. Imagine a teacher telling your child that you are wrong."

This is the crux of the American red-blue divide. Can fundamentally different sets of values be brought together, or even coexist? Perhaps fittingly, the author David Mizner seems to suggest two answers, on two levels. The first is the one expressed by Baer and the other characters: that liberals and conservatives are at war, and the only way to win is to destroy the other side. At the end of the novel, there is no sense that the political chasm has come any closer to being bridged, nor have any of the characters really changed or come to a new appreciation of things. Cormier is still a "free to be a latte-drinking liberal" and Baer's faith in her family and her religion is stronger than ever. The War in Iraq, the constant depressing subtext to the story, continues to drag on with no end in sight. Without giving away who wins, Hartsburg has a new school board member, but the town is still there, still in decline and with the same bitter personal and partisan battles sure to be waiting ahead. What then, has really changed? The differences are irreconcilable and inevitable, Mizner seems to tell us, the conflicts not imagined but very real, on abortion, gay rights, the war on terror--that uncomfortable reality which is the Culture War, the Political War, which must have both a winner and a loser. (Incidentally there are some useful political lessons to be had here: people ought to fight for what they believe in--"it's not essential that voters agree with what you believe in; they respond to belief itself".)

The second answer to the question of living in a plural society that Mizner suggests is a more hopeful one, and it comes from the way he writes the book itself. The author has an eye for telling detail, a fierce wit, and most importantly a deep sympathy for his characters, who are sometimes thin but never caricatures. His prose descends occasionally into melodrama, as if he is straining too hard, but for the most part it is graceful and serviceable. The book reads quickly and is paced well. While the large cast of secondary characters suffers from a lack of individual space and thus development, the two main characters, Cormier and Baer, are vividly, convincingly, and equally drawn. Cormier reminds one of his journalist colleagues that "not every story has two sides," but that is precisely what Mizner does in this book, in a presentation that is nothing less than--well--fair and balanced (though his progressive leanings are still obvious).

Despite being built around a political campaign, the book is not about politics, not truly. Mizner, a perceptive writer, cannot ignore the humanity of his characters, and that elevates HARTSBURG, USA to a much more fundamental level than the book jacket might suggest. By the end which person won the race is almost beside the point, and the lengths they went to win it seem absurd and ridiculous. What matters, Mizner seems to say, is something that transcends the labels of liberal or conservative: to be a good parent, a good friend, a good person. Though they do not see it, though they do not recognize it, there is far more that Cormier and Baer share in common than they do not; their differences seem nearly trivial in the face of it. In this sense, then, perhaps different values can coexist--the differences of neighbors, who might not always agree with each other, not even on the big things, but who still speak the same language and work for change, and for salvation, within the same system.

This, then, is the recognition by Mizner that the world is much bigger and much deeper than the so-called culture wars: that America, the idea of America, is much greater than our stilted, us versus them political discourse. In the final pages Bevy Baer reflects on a memory of her past, which becomes a metaphor for the novel in general, for this country, for life: "And that's all it would be: a moment. You couldn't separate the joy from the pain of knowing that the field, and the night, would come to an end."

I enjoyed this book, and I recommend it.

The other comments are right - would a story of a small town school board election be worth the time to read it? the book is much more than that - it is an exploration of how people think and feel, how they are more than the stereotypes you think they are, and how events have their own energy but are shaped by real people - suspense builds up toward the end, and it is very real suspense, about who will win the election - and I worried about how I would feel if my person lost - but the ending is magnificent - the election seems less important than the two candidates and their relationship, with each other and the town - the writing is trim and energetic, yet warm and humane - the characters grow and become more interesting - and it is a subject that is important in our country at thiis time.

"Hell's Bottom, Colorado" benefits from sharp, focused writing and real-life details, which make the stories ring true. Though each story stands alone, there is the connectedness of family saga as we are introduced to distinct, evocative members of this modern-day ranch family. A truly pleasant read.

Pritchett evokes the vivid images of landscape, ranching and families in the West. Set along Rocky Mountains, these stories show the beauty and sometimes messy reality of farming, ranching, and living. When writing in her clear-eyed prose, Pritchett has perfect pitch: all of her charcters and stories ring true. Highly Recommended.

This is an outstanding book! Pritchett' interconnected stories are a matter-of-fact and essential portrayal of the contemporary American West. Pritchett's characters are vivid in spite of (or beause of) her simple prose. Through the characters you get a feel for the beauty and stark reality of raising cattle, and families, in the Intermountain West. A refreshing read among the usual clutter of literature today.

Hell's Bottom is a poignant collection of short stories that chronicles some of the watershed events in the lives of a Colorado ranch family. It's quite enjoyable on several levels.

I especially appreciated the attention to detail about life in modern rural America. This book chronicles ranching activities in an accurate manner- one can tell the author is familiar with this way of life. I don't believe that an outsider could have presented such an honest portrait. This realistic backdrop helped the already interesting characters become even more alive for me.

Hell's Bottom is an excellent read. I look forward to more by this author.

Pritchett's short stories are psychologically insightful into life's sometimes painful details and hidden triumphs -- expressed within the framework of everyday existence. Hard to find writing like this -- definitely worth your time.

Every single story has a link between the eastern U.S. coast and the western U.S. coast. Ingenious. And superb writing.

As all of Domini's work, this is a rolicking good read. He is the master of character, and he captures with a great ear and deft hand, the mood of our time and place. I recommend him highly for anybody who is alive and kicking.

Domini has done it once again. This time, Domini spills more than the usual fanfare of guts and glory as he winds us down the road toward fantastic character development and edge-of-your-seat tales. This wonderful opus is a must for any reader who enjoys escape into fantasies that unlock imagination and emotions. Truly a joyous read!

THis is a great book to escape into. Losers and unsettled types lead the reader to self evaluation. Through their struggles with the tribulations and the moral implications of the decisions they make, we face our own issues.

Lots of short stories with a lot of great imagery - enjoyed the rea

Excellent service and speedy delivery. My mistake was that I have the book already! Never mind, it will make a good present for someone. For some reason I thought I had ordered a book I did not have.

From this author's background comes the wisdom to write profound truths wrapped inside simple stories that delight one's mental appetite and creates a savoring for more!

Barbara Brown Taylor is one of the most thoughtful and creative of writers. I would highly recommend this and any of her other books to anyone looking to help understand, deepen, or explore their faith in God.

Not long ago I confessed to a dear friend. I reminded Milly that I review some sermon books without reading every sermon! After she had gasped, uttering words of disbelief, I explained that few books of even short sermons contain equally good sermons. On first hearing Barbara Brown, attending the Lectionary Homiletics Conference I remember how I was stirred emotionally, mentally, and spiritually with her dramatic imagination. I was seized by her creative images from the stories in whatever passage of scripture she had chosen.

On hearing her lectures about Job, I definitely looked forward to reading "Home By Another Way." Here I found one earlier excerpts, entitled, "Out of the Whirlwind." This is one of a few sermons in which she quotes from two sources, in those early lectures. I was impressed by friend, John Claypool's tributes to her "rare constellation of gifts: intellectual carefulness and depth," all coupled with an artistic sense of image-making. That alone speaks volumes!

With my usual skipping over a few sermons, I was most attracted to: "God's Beloved Thief, Home by Another Way, God's Ferris Wheel, Lenten Disciples, A Tale of Two Heretics, Life Giving Fear(from time in CPE) "It Is Finished, Out of Whirlwind, Bothering God." Most were notable for looking up-close at her perspective with intimate viewpoints by using tough disclaimers! They often appeared in beginings, mid-way or near her ending. There is one unique hitch in her re-telling the basic story: she often adds a touch of creative imagination to develop the problem with clever resolution relating to basic forgivness of weakness, judgement, or justice,

Placed within all ten books, I designate this one in being near the top of her Lectures and Sermons. From a semi-retired admirer and retired Chaplain, Fred W Hood

If you enjoy Barbara Brown Taylor's style of down-home wisdom and exposition on biblical texts, this is another worthy volume to add to your personal library. This book is a compilation of sermons that takes one through the various seasons unique to the Church. It is refreshing to reflect upon the texts that she has chosen-to hear anew the good news.

The title is a bit misnomered since in effect an author cannot be his own literary agent and to access editors at the major publishing houses the screening of a representative is now required by most. That aside, the book is a treasury of essential insider information for not only the newbie but for an author like myself who after having seven books published is still struggling to get his work into print.

This is a wonderful book that describes the business side of literary agencies, publishing houses and the relationship between the two that makes the publishing wheel go round. He offers loads of contractual tips and explainations of your rights - which is very important.

I read his book when I was shopping my own book Never Trust A Man In Alligator Loafers. I still refer to it and brush up on contract knowledge and rights.

If you're wondering if you need a literary agent - my answer is yes!

Writers, find out about the business-side of writing with this easy read.

Find out how Agents decide which projects to take on and which to return with note: "sorry, not interested." And if a publisher wants to make a deal with you, find out how to understand the contract.

Best,
Shalla
www.shalladeguzman.com

If you write and consider selling your work this is a must read.

The title "How to be Your Own Literary Agent" may be misleading for some people, who may take it to mean that by reading this book, one can skip the need of querying for agents. It doesn't help you get published; it says you still have to have agents to get into big publishing houses, but it does give an insider detailed view of the agent business and the publishing industry.

For the aspiring writer, most of the information is interesting but not useful, as the book itself admits - who in the world dares to bargain with the editor anyway, when he is ready to kiss the editor's feet for agreeing to publish his first book? However, for people who wish to become professional writers, such knowledge will certainly come in handy after one becomes published.

The book reads smooth and is extremely funny, making it a pleasurable bedtime reading. I finished it around 3 a.m. with a sore neck. For example, Mr. Curtis mentions this client who claimed to be a mafia hit man. As a result, he had little trouble getting his royal check on time - he'd simply call the publisher and say "if my royalty check ain't ready by noon tomorrow, I'm gonna marry you to a plate-glass window." (p.114)

As one can imagine, the publisher was quick to meet this guy's special needs. Then one day the poor guy was found shot dead outside some motel. Mr. Curtis didn't think the publisher did it.

I highly recommend this book to any writer.

The poems, short stories, and particularly the photos in this book are so touching. I encourage women who are interested in self-discovery to read this book, because the passages inspired me to reflect on myself, my life, and my relationships with those I love. This is a good book for any woman who is going through changes in her life. (It would be a good graduation gift, a good gift for a woman getting married or having a baby, and a wonderful birthday present.) The book celebrates strong women, fragile women, mothers, daughters, growing up, growing old, just growing. I really enjoyed reading it.

A friend of mine frequently quotes Jenny Joseph's "Warning". In searching for this for her birthday, I was instantly hooked on the poems and stories in this book and "When I Am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple". I will be giving these and recommending these to others!

This is the third book of the series and it is the most sensitive and powerful! Poems celebrating womanhood and femininity, stories full of strength and emotions...

I read this book before and I just finished it again.. so overwhelming with different experience in every page .. the boundless limits of a woman's endurance .. the feeling of satisfaction that gratifies a female giving her pride and strength..

This is a book that you can read over and over.. a poem one day ..a short story on another.. enjoy!

This book flows with wisdom about the stages of a woman's life. There is arm pumping joy, tears of compassion and sadness and the affirmation of the person within over the external skin.

"..if by wearing silk, my value mounts
what happens when I'm bare?"

There are pieces that apply to whatever stage of life a woman is passing through. There are pieces that bring the smiles of remembering past stages. There are pieces that point to possible routes for the journeys to come.

Read and enjoy this passage from "Combustion"
"When I have a hot flash....I watch, astounded, as an invisible hand tosses water on the stones of my body, and I ignite. How can flesh not melt? Then, of necessity, I give up the watch and close my eyes and float on the water, and then the fire expends itself, and I pick up my little fan and create a breeze something like the ones that frequsent northern lakes at night. Then I just sit in the quiet puddle of my flesh. If it is the middle of the night I sleep the good sleep of a person cleansed."

This book should have an entire galaxy of stars! The poetry, photographs, and stories are all by and of real women. Thank God there are no movie stars in this awesome, down-to-earth book. If you love becoming a wise, older woman, then you must have this book. It affirms our womanhood as no other book I've ever read.

Michael Pearson's "Imagined Places" was truly wonderful. I felt that I went along for the ride. Such great details, I didn't want it to end.

I love books and travel equally, and this book was a terrific companion on a recent trip I took around America. Reading Imagined Places was like having an interesting companion along the way. I'd recommend it also for people who don't hav the time to travel but want to hit the road imaginatively.

In this day and age when travel seems daunting, I really enjoyed this journey into the lives of famous writers and into America itself. This book was a find.

This book was a real find for me. I found it in a little bookstore in Pennsylvania. I was attracted by the cover design, a road curving into the colorful distance. The book led me to the right places: into the lives of Frost, Twain, Steinbeck, Hemingway, O'Connor, and Faulkner and into encounters with some unexpected people as well. This book is worth the trip for sure.

This great book bought me back in time...1976 the Bicenntial, when a friend and myself travled across country and visited these places that Mr.Pearson wrote about. I wish more authors could make they're words come alive the way Mr.Pearson has, Although i wish i had a little lobster with that "sunshine". All & all i throughly enjoyed it and probably will pass this on to my children...Thank you for such wonderfull reading Mr.Pearson..My hats off to you..Bravo!!

Interesting collection of short stories. All have themes of progress, industry, and modernization, but in unexpected ways. Well written, but can be slightly overinclusive and disjointed. However, it's well worth reading.

Stewart O'Nan is right to compare Arvin's collection to the early work of TC Boyle. There is a searching intelligence behind these stories and a real concern for how progress effects people. I particularly enjoyed the title story and Commemorating. Take Your Child to Work is heartbreaking. Telescope might be the coolest short-short I've read in years.

Stewart O'Nan is right to compare Arvin's collection to the early work of TC Boyle. There is a searching intelligence behind these stories and a real concern for how progress effects people. I particularly enjoyed the title story and Commemorating. Take Your Child to Work is heartbreaking. Telescope might be the coolest short-short I've read in years.

I normally don't write reviews, but Mr. Arvin's book of stories really struck a nerve for me. His stories, although sometimes a little dark, are unforgettable. His ability to blend historical facts with strange details makes you believe that these stories actually happened. I laughed out loud when I read "Two Thousand Germans in Frankenmuth"....

I teach short-story writing, and I've had my students read this book because it shows that there is still a way to "make it new" in the story form. Arvin's stories, all of them, have nice surprises in form or content. He is not satisfied with cliches or overused word or character packages. His historical pieces don't smack of research, but present a complex world with compelling characters. The stories are not of interest to solely writers; they're compelling to anyone who cares about the human heart. I look forward to reading his novel, Articles of War, which I've heard is coming out from Doubleday in January 2005.

Anthology, Christian SF,dited by Karen and Robert Fabian. Especially fond of Karen and Robert Fabian's writing. Have not read all the stories yet, but I highly recommend this anthology! It is particularly interesting to Catholics who might wonder how the Church might fare in the future; especially with other planets, space stations and what we consider to be alien life on those planets. A very enjoyable read for us science fiction aficionados!

I recently read Starlight 3 and it was terrible. "Science fiction" but mostly fantasy, the stories were mostly idea sketches rather than stories. E.g. "What if God is arbitrary and capricious and we are supposed to love him because he is the source of all pain, and what if the world were filled with the random visitations of angels" ... ok. Interesting idea, but not much story there (heck, not much of an idea either). Lots of that sort of sketch, a good reminder as to why I don't read many sf short story collections any more.

On the other hand, I have to compare Starlight 3 to Infinite Space, Infinite God which is moving. It is a collection of science fiction stories by Catholics, written with religion as a strong influence. But they are stories first. Some of them are very moving, some are very touching, but they are stories. The concept sketch gets out of the way on the title page and the rest of the volume is solid stories.

A good example is the one "furry" story. A long time ago there were hard SF stories about genespliced animal based sentients that examined themes such as race, freedom, hope and humanity. They were not excuses for porn or slash or mary sue incursions, but real stories that were intended to highlight the human condition and the reality of humanity. Infinite Space, Infinite God includes a "furry" story, but the story extrapolates current trends, blends them to address real human issues while telling a real story, in a believable setting, without being distracted by extraneous sexual or violent themes. Excellent work, clearly executed.

The same is true of the urban punk story. The story is strong and overwhelms the distopian setting, creating a real experience that is memorable.

I'd review the rest of the stories, they are pretty much just a strong, just as complete, just as moving. There isn't enough room to do them all justice, but this book deserves five stars.

Like any Christian Science Fiction, the idea of Catholic SF seems to be a contradiction in terms--perhaps more so given the infamous stands the Catholic Church has taken against against scientific theory all those centuries ago. But, Galileo's trial is ancient history and for the last 1000 years, Catholic scientists (including priest, monks and even some saints) have received encouragement and support from the church. It is no wonder, then, that writers have become fascinated with the concept of how the Catholic church will meet the challenges of the future--and SF is just the vehicle for this.

This 2007 EPPIE award-winning anthology includes SF concepts from time travel to transporter technology, genetic engineering to alien abduction, interstellarcolonization and uncontrolled inter-city violence told from a Catholic world view. All of the ISIG short stories are well-crafted and entertaining--the latter a real surprise for me considering that I do not number among the millions of sci-fi fans in this world. The range of intensity in this volume kept me reading because I couldn't predict what I'd discover when I turned another page.

We see the teenager Frankie off to evangelize to alien beings; we sit with Saint Francis of Assisi as he ministers to the needs of a mannaro; we make the pilgrimmage alongside an IRA 'terrorist' as he makes his way through the stations to enlightment. The three described above: "Interstellar Calling," "Canticle of the Wolf," and "A Cruel and Unusual Punishment" were my favourites.

And one more thing, it is pretty darn refreshing to read good fiction that does not haul out the fictional stereotypes of predatory priests or knuckle-rapping nuns.

I thoroughly enjoyed all of the stories included in Infinite Space Infinite God and liked the fact that they forced me to ponder and question.

The concept of Karina and Robert Fabian's Infinite Space, Infinite God, an anthology of Catholic sci-fi, was an intriguing one--Catholicism and science . . . and science fiction to boot? come on, everyone knows that the two are incompatible--remember Galileo, people? Was this a group of writer-heretics? Oh goodie--rebels--that was enough to gain my attention.

Of course, I am being facetious here. I write Biblical cyberpunk and receive a similar reaction whenever I mention it! And, so to my review . . .

The backbone of ISIG is the editorial commentary. The Fabians introduce ISIG with a commentary on science and the Catholic church. While there are those Christian legalists who would dissect the Fabian's argument, I found it interesting, however, unnecessary to apologize for writing sci-fi, whatever one's beliefs. It is fiction, fantasy, written by authors glorifying Him with their talents. But I digress. Within the book itself, the Fabians introduce each segment of stories with thought-provoking discussion: "The Catholic Church and Humanity," ". . . Evangelism," ". . . its Servants," etc. The result is a well-organized survey of well-crafted and entertaining Catholic sci-fi.


Some of my favorite stories in ISIG:

In Karina Fabian's "Interstellar Calling," Frankie, a sixteen-year-old is tired and disillusioned with her life--and like many folks in this position, blames God. The author lulls the reader seemingly into a romance story or at best, a growing-up story. But Fabian changes gears smoothly to provide the heroine a chance at a cool life-changing event.

Every anthology needs a good spy story and in "The Mask of the Ferret" (Ken Pick and Alan Loewen) we have an intergallactic version of secret agent (priest) on the trail of a fugitive smuggler. The ancient artifact the priest seeks is dangerous cargo for the interstellar craft and its unusual group of travelers and crew. The storyline is enjoyable and the characters a real kick (sorry real fans of intergallactic-ness) though I have to say my imagination isn't developed well enough to clearly envision the disparate group assembled on board!

"A Cruel and Unusual Punishment" (Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff) is the fascinating journey of a Sein Finn soldier, slated for death row, who gains redepemption through the Zagorsky experiment. A must read!

And finally, Simon Morden's "Little Madeleine." I was eager to read a sample of Dr. Morden's work. I'd recently read his essay Sex, Death and Christian Fiction and wanted to determine for myself where his fiction fit . . . in the 10% or the ninety (you'll have to read his essay to decipher this code) of Christian fiction. Like the rest of the stories contained in ISIG, "Little Madeleine" did not disappoint. The concept of the Joans, warrior-nuns who protect God's servants, is pretty darn cool. Morden is a talented writer who sends the CBA church-lady-protective filters flying, a la Little Maddeleine herself.


The Fabians have amassed a fine group of writers in ISIG. Besides being entertaining, these stories provoke thought, educate us non-Catholics, and give the reader a new take on commonly held suppositions about the the Catholic church. Pick up a copy of Infinite Space, Infinite God and see for yourself--but careful, this is hot stuff!

Religious-themed science fiction is not a new genre, from classics like A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter Miller Jr., to nearly anything from Gene Wolfe. One of the best known collections was edited by Fr. Andrew M. Greeley called Sacred Visions. Yet this new volume of 15 short stories in the genre of Catholic Science Fiction is a treat for the fan of either genres. The authors tackle themes of morality, science, and the role of religion in humanity's future in new and engaging ways.

The authors present a future where both the church and science play roles; both are integral to human development and human self -understanding. Yet occasionally the two do clash. Lori Z. Scott's The Harvest, about a colony on the moon, with a Doctor priest who tries to balance healing both the body and the soul is one example. But how do you minister to a soul in a cloned HuNome who was grown for organ transplant purposes? (HuNomes are sub-humans with animal gene splices to better prepare the organs for transplants and as labourers building our colonies in space.) Adrienne Ray's story Hopkins' Well about settlements on Mars, where the Military is trying to maintain control of the planet against crazy Catholics that are part of a larger group of Christians, is another example. The final selection is A Cruel and Unusual Punishment about the Sinn Fein, and a man who calls himself a soldier while most of the world considers him a terrorist. Written around the Stations of the Cross, it is a story of the death penalty and an alternative that may have been worse. It is one of the most powerful pieces. Each of the stations begins with a quote from famous authors: William Blake, Thomas Merton, Evelyn Waugh and others, tying this vision of the future to our past.

This collection is great for introducing a reader to a wide range of authors in a short breadth, some whose styles you will love, some you will not and some you will be undecided about. The advantage of such a collection is you can discover new authors whose writings you will wish to pursue in greater depth.

As such, this collection will be a treat to any fan of Science Fiction, a religious Catholic, or just someone interested in the questions of spirituality and our future as we move forward through the millennium.