Customer Reviews

Fourth Planet from the Sun: Tales of Mars from The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It is rare that you can see a genre evolve in the space of a single book; this volume easily achieves that. In twelve stories collected from <U>The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction</u>, we run the gamut from space romance to modern "hard" sci-fi, all based around the theme of going to Mars. Seeing that progression of trends in a genre is enough to make this book reading all by itself.

But it's not that simple.

All of these stories, like all good sci-fi, are fundamentally about people. You don't have to appreciate what details are right (or wrong) about the tales to thoroughly enjoy them. There are stories from the masters of the genre - Clarke and Bradbury - the authors I obsessed over in college - Dick and Zelazny - and new writers I've never heard of before, but am deeply glad I've now found.

The tone ranges from almost whimsical to deeply serious. There is romance, science, social commentary... and most of all, there's deeply believable characters, whose adventures reflect on our own lives.

Let me summarize with the two highest bits of praise I can give to any writing:

Every one of these stories makes me want to read more by these authors.

All of these stories make me want to write more myself.

This is definitely a good collection, as it averages 3.67. From adjusted rating formula, and story qualities that suggests 4.25, so an actual line ball. Given the editor throws in a bit of commentary and insight, and not just author bibliographies, worth rounding up to 4.5.

Fourth Planet from the Sun : The Wilderness - Ray Bradbury
Fourth Planet from the Sun : Mars Is Ours - Alfred Coppel
Fourth Planet from the Sun : Crime on Mars - Arthur C. Clarke
Fourth Planet from the Sun : Purple Prestess of the Mad Moon - Leigh Brackett
Fourth Planet from the Sun : A Rose for Ecclesiastes - Roger Zelazny
Fourth Planet from the Sun : We Can Remember It for You Wholesale - Philip K. Dick
Fourth Planet from the Sun : Hellas Is Florida - Gordon Eklund and Gregory Benford
Fourth Planet from the Sun : In the Hall of the Martian Kings - John Varley
Fourth Planet from the Sun : The First Mars Mission - Robert F. Young
Fourth Planet from the Sun : The Last Mars Trip - Michael Cassutt
Fourth Planet from the Sun : The Great Martian Pyramid Hoax - Jerry Oltion
Fourth Planet from the Sun : Pictures from an Expedition - Alex Irvine


Will I stay or Will I go, now?

3.5 out of 5


East-West nuclear conflict, extended.

3.5 out of 5


Timezone tripup.

3.5 out of 5


Old time sacrifice.

3 out of 5


Martian mixing mission.

4 out of 5


Brain alteration badness.

4 out of 5


Martian life is odd.

2.5 out of 5


Local accomodations mostly plastic.

4 out of 5


Barsoom existence is rocky.

4 out of 5


Areolife assist.

4 out of 5


Wild space goose chase.

3.5 out of 5


Mars mission fishbowl celebrity isolation.

4.5 out of 5