The Best of Cordwainer Smith [Hardcover]

Cordwainer Smith (Author), J.J. Pierce (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1975

Hardcover Science Fiction Book Club edition available from Marketplace seller "yggdrasil"

Product Details

• Hardcover: 342 pages
• Publisher: Nelson Doubleday; Book Club (BCE/BOMC) edition (1975)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B000VW3DY2
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,586,870 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Weaver of Cord, June 17, 2008

By 

D. Scott - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Best of Cordwainer Smith (Hardcover)

In the Old English, "wag" was woven work on a wall, now more commonly, "wainscotting," and no longer woven. "Cordwainer Smith" was the pseudonym of Dr. Paul M. A. Linebarger (1913-1966),a weaver of short science fiction which was very unlike most of the genre written before or since. Dr. Linebarger was a prominent US citizen who was accomplished in several fields and languages, who was likely a genius, and who kept his identity to himself until not long before his death. In his Cordwainer Smith role, he was really a weaver of enchanting characters, strange ruling systems, amazing cultures and situations, and bizarre worlds, all of a unique viewpoint.

"The Best of Cordwainer Smith" is just that: a dozen of his best short science fiction stories, and these, for the first time, organized chronologically within Linebarger's "Instrumentality of Mankind".

My book is copyright 1975, begins with a short biography of Cordwainer Smith, followed by the Table of Contents, and a listing of "surrounding events" on the page following. It is 342 pages in a sewn binding and green boards. Each story has a short introduction by the Editor, J. J. Pierce, in addition to his contributions listed above.

Since there are other anthologies extant, it seems prudent to list the contents here in order:

Scanners Live in Vain

The Lady Who Sailed the Soul

The Game of Rat and Dragon

The Burning of the Brain

Golden the Ship Was---Oh! Oh! Oh!

The Crime and the Glory of Commander Suzdal

The Dead Lady of Clown Town

Under Old Earth

Mother Hitton's Littul Kittons

Alpha Ralpha Boulevard

The Ballad of Lost C'mell

A Planet Named Shayol

There is no need to try to rate the stories, as they are all excellent.

Scanners Live in Vain was not Linebarger's first published story, but it was so different and compelling that it started the years-long puzzle as to Cordwainer Smith's actual name.

All of the stories are compelling, each in its own way.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My all time favorite writer, November 26, 2005

By 

Lisa "Cyclothone" (Central CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Best of Cordwainer Smith (Mass Market Paperback)

As a second generation science fiction fan, I have happily read SF spread over decades. Time and time again I return to my slim volume of Cordwainer Smith stories. They are unlike any other authors, with fascinating characters and haunting story lines. You'll find yourself thinking about these tales long after you've read them.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cordwainer's Worlds: from 6,000 AD to 16,000 AD., June 4, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Best of Cordwainer Smith (Mass Market Paperback)

This compilation of tales is a great introduction to the people (both real, and animal derived), politicial systems and worlds of Cordwainer Smith.
Lyrical prose and haunting poetry are the hallmarks of this great writer, and the cast of characters while often changing from one short story to another have a historical, if not familial continuity - witness the Vomacts who held their name for over 10,000 years.

The only downside to this book is that it is a "Best of" and therefore incomplete - hence the rating of 9/10. But it has a great timeline listing with (I think) all the stories listed so that you can complete the series.

Note: Reviewed version was printed 1975, paperback from Ballantine Books, JJ Pierce editor.

If you like Science Fiction, Cordwainer is a MUST!