Her Smoke Rose Up Forever [Paperback]

James Tiptree Jr. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2004

These 18 darkly complex short stories and novellas touch upon human nature and perception, metaphysics and epistemology, and gender and sexuality, foreshadowing a world in which biological tendencies bring about the downfall of humankind. Revisions from the author's notes are included, allowing a deeper view into her world and a better understanding of her work. The Nebula Award–winning short story Love Is the Plan, the Plan Is Death, the Hugo Award–winning novella The Girl Who Was Plugged In, and the Hugo and Nebula Award–winning novella Houston, Houston, Do You Read? are included.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"There is just one great collection of Tiptree's fiction still in print...Her Smoke Rose Up Forever, from Tachyon Publications."  —The New York Times Book Review

"Tiptree is one of the best story writers in or out of the [science fiction] field."  —Locus

"One of science fiction's greatest assets."  —Science Fiction Chronicle

"Exquisite, lyrical prose...keen insight and ability to depict singularity within the ordinary."  —Publishers Weekly

"Showcases what are undoubtedly the best of Tiptree's stories."  —SF Site

"One of the first hardbacks I ever bought and still one of my most read."  —Locus

About the Author

James Tiptree, Jr., was a pseudonym for Alice Bradley Sheldon, the author of Brightness Falls from the Air, Byte Beautiful, and Tales of the Quintana Roo. She is recognized as one of the most respected writers in the science fiction world and has been the recipient of several awards including the Hugo, Locus, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards.

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Tachyon Publications; 2nd edition (November 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1892391201
• ISBN-13: 978-1892391209
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 1.3 x 6.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #106,361 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #90 in Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction > Short Stories

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The best tales of one of the best of all sf authors January 16, 2008

By Rory Coker

Amazon Verified Purchase

In 508 pages we get 18 short stories by James Tiptree, Jr. Original publication dates range from 1969 to 1981. Time has overtaken many of the tales in a strange way, that makes one wish Tiptree were still around to appreciate developments. For instance, in "The Girl Who Was Plugged In," the world breathlessly watches the real-time antics of young, beautiful wealthy girls... who are actually brainless synthetic creations animated by what amount to brains in jars in an underground lab. What would Tiptree make of the Parises, Nicoles, Lindsays and Brittanies of our own day, who appear to have no brains located anywhere?

Tiptree really got rolling in 1973, when she published her three best-known stories, "The Girl...," along with "Love is the plan the plan is death," and "The Women Men Don't See." Along with 1976's "Houston, Houston, do you read?" these are the quintessential Tiptree tales. "Love is the plan..." is my favorite science fiction short story, and one of the best short stories of any kind ever written. It has not a single human character, and depicts the unbearably touching efforts of a gigantic, heavily-armored, multi-limbed alien to tackle and solve three deadly problems faced by his species, two internal--- stemming from instinctively programmed behavior--- and one external, a global climate change. That he will fail, and why he will fail, is evident early on from many clues fairly planted within the narrative. But he does his level best, which is indeed far better than you and I could hope to do, and like most Tiptree aliens, he is totally charming and lovable throughout his hopeless task. Our own species is currently failing completely to deal with a global climate change, and we are neither charming nor lovable in our miserably conflicted efforts....

"A Momentary Taste of Being" is another quintessential Tiptree story; an expedition of interstellar exploration inadvertently discovers the true purpose of human existence... a purpose which reveals all human effort, achievement and aspiration to be utterly pointless and futile. "With Delicate Mad Hands" is a key story, from 1981, that catches Tiptree in transition from symbolic War of the Sexes tales to space-operatic adventure. Almost all her stories from 1981 to her death in 1987 were space adventures set in the distant future.

Several tales here were completely new to me, particularly "Slow Music," from 1980, in which a chance (?) encounter of the earth with some alien stream of disembodied consciousness has made suicide so irresistibly attractive that there are only a handful of living humans. This story seems to contain a sly self-portrait of Tiptree herself, as the dying ancient human wreck that the two main characters discover on their way to see "The River," as the stream is called.

There's not a bad or mediocre story in the volume. And, alas, this is probably the only collection of Tiptree fiction currently in print in the US. Get it while it's still available. Read more ›

26 of 30 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars an amazingly beautiful collection by an incredible writer December 7, 2004

By tangerine

James Tiptree, Jr. (the pen name for Alice Sheldon) excelled at imaginative plots, intriguing science, and most of all, lyrical writing. Her explorations of gender, biology and science were vivid and controversial, and she won all of science fiction's major awards. This short story collection was out of print for many years, and has now been revised with the author's original notes. It is a must-have for science fiction fans, feminists, anthroplogists, and, well, everyone. This is one of my favorite authors, and I truly love this book.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid Anthology April 8, 2010

By B. Thompson

* viii * Introduction (Her Smoke Rose Up Forever) * essay by Michael Swanwick
* 1 * The Last Flight of Dr. Ain * (1969) * shortstory by James Tiptree, Jr.
* 9 * The Screwfly Solution * (1977) * shortstory by James Tiptree, Jr.
* 33 * And I Awoke and Found Me Here on the Cold Hill's Side * (1972) * shortstory by James Tiptree, Jr.
* 43 * The Girl Who Was Plugged In * (1973) * novelette by James Tiptree, Jr.
* 79 * The Man Who Walked Home * (1972) * shortstory by James Tiptree, Jr.
* 95 * And I Have Come Upon This Place by Lost Ways * (1972) * novelette by James Tiptree, Jr.
* 115 * The Women Men Don't See * (1973) * novelette by James Tiptree, Jr.
* 145 * Your Faces, O My Sisters! Your Faces Filled of Light! * (1976) * shortstory by James Tiptree, Jr.
* 163 * Houston, Houston, Do You Read? * (1976) * novella by James Tiptree, Jr.
* 217 * With Delicate Mad Hands * (1981) * novella by James Tiptree, Jr.
* 275 * A Momentary Taste of Being * (1975) * novella by James Tiptree, Jr.
* 361 * We Who Stole the Dream * (1978) * novelette by James Tiptree, Jr.
* 385 * Her Smoke Rose Up Forever * (1974) * novelette by James Tiptree, Jr.
* 403 * Love Is the Plan the Plan Is Death * (1973) * shortstory by James Tiptree, Jr.
* 421 * On the Last Afternoon * (1972) * novelette by James Tiptree, Jr.
* 445 * She Waits for All Men Born * (1976) * shortstory by James Tiptree, Jr.
* 459 * Slow Music * (1980) * novella by James Tiptree, Jr.
* 505 * And So On, and So On * (1971) * shortstory by James Tiptree, Jr.

17 of 24 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars possibly the best sci fi short storys ever November 24, 2005

By Joseph T. Colagreco

the short storys that she ( yes SHE , tiptree was not a man but a woman whose real name was alice sheldon) wrote are some of the most thought provoking ,incredible fiction ever written by anyone. most of these tales included in this book are from the original collection released in 1973 under the title of 10,000 LIGHT YEARS FROM HOME. if you are lucky enough to find it do get it. i did find it through amazon, but if you cant HER SMOKE ROSE UP FOREVER is the next best choice

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Sci-Fi with an Unusual Perspective March 31, 2007

By The Diatribe

Amazon Verified Purchase

I'm an unsure how James Tiptree/Alice Bradley's work hasn't appeared in more of the feminist/women's studies courses I took in either undergrad or graduate school. Her perspective on the future of humanity and the exploration of science has a viewpoint I have never read in science fiction up to this point and I'm glad a book review in a different source led me to reading these stories - in particular The Screwfly Solution, Houston, Houston Do You Read? and a Momentary Taste of Being. Both provocative and incredibly disturbing, I have already recommended this book to other female sci-fi aficionados.

10 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars High Quality Short SF July 22, 2005

By Eukrate

Alice Sheldon was the best female SF writer, and one of the best of either gender. This collection shows why. "Houston", "Women Men Don't See" et al. are original, and tightly, well-constructed narrations, without invoking improbable technological developments.

Jeffrey Smith has done a first rate job, and is editing her other stories for upcoming publications. Don't miss this collection if you're an SF fan or just appreciate wildly immaginative stories.