Glass and Amber [Hardcover]

C. J. Cherryh (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Nesfa Pr (February 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 091536834X
• ISBN-13: 978-0915368341
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,737,501 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I've written sf and fantasy for publication since 1975...but I've written a lot longer than that. I have a background in Mediterranean archaeology, Latin, Greek, that sort of thing; my hobbies are travel, photography, planetary geology, physics, pond-building for koi...I run a marine tank, can plumb most anything, and I figure-skate.

I believe in the future: I'm an optimist for good reason---I've studied a lot of history, in which, yes, there is climate change, and our species has been through it. We've never faced it fully armed with what we now know, and if we play our cards right, we'll use it as a technological springboard and carry on in very interesting ways.

I also believe a writer owes a reader a book that has more than general despair to spread about: I write about clever, determined people who don't put up with situations, not for long, anyway: people who find solutions inspire me.

My personal websites and blog: http://www.cherryh.com
http://www.cherryh.com/WaveWithoutAShore
http://www.closed-circle.net

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent collection of Cherryh stories and essays, June 14, 2001

By 

bookworm "Lisa" (Upstate New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Glass and Amber (Hardcover)

This is my favorite of the Cherryh short story collections, and a real collector's item. Only 1000 copies were printed, and each is individually numbered on the copyright page. The first 250 were autographed by Cherryh and sold in slipcases. This book contains seven short stories and five essays on science fiction. First is "Of Law and Magic," an excellent story about a wizardous lawyer, a desperate witch, and the laws of magic which entangle them. This is a creative story providing an unusual perspective on magic. "Homecoming" tells of an unmanned deep space probe, its discovery of alien life, and its journey home. It provides unique insight into the mechanical mind. "Romantic / Science Fiction" is a brilliant essay which traces the roots of science fiction to the old tradition of romantic literature. "The Dark King" is a powerful and compassionate retelling of the Sisyphus and Hades story. "Perspectives in SF" is a funny and uplifting essay on the place of science fiction in our society. In it Cherryh describes her early indoctrination into science fiction and discusses directions for science fiction in the future. "Sea Change" is a dark tale of the sea: one girl, two boys, and the nature of luck. "The Avoidance Factor" discusses the possibility of extraterrestrial life, and why we haven't found it. "A Gift of Prophecy" is a somewhat disturbing story of an oracular priestess set in the future. "The Use of Archaeology in Worldbuilding" illuminates Cherryh's science fiction in interesting ways, and will be fascinating to any serious fan. "Willow" is a story of a disillusioned knight in an encounter with a maiden, a mother, and a crone. "In Alien Tongues" is another essay of interest to any serious fan, outlining the construction of alien languages so central to the realism of Cherryh's worlds. "Pots" is the final and most enigmatic story in the collection, telling of the discovery of an abandoned planet (Earth?) by archaeologists seeking their own roots. If you ever have a chance to get your hands on this book, take it.