Customer Reviews

The Last Mimzy: Stories

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

It's too bad that the true nature of the "author" Henry Kuttner is not recognized. Originally, the short story "Mimsy Were the Borogoves" was published with the author's name as Lewis Padgett which was, in fact, a pen name for Henry Kuttner and his wife C. L. Moore. Since she was a fine writer in her own stead, it would be nice to give both contributers credit for the work they did together. The author of "Mimsy..." is neither a he or a she: the author is a they.

The story collection, by the way, is excellent. Even the weakest stories have kernals of gem value.

Kuttner hasn't beguilled us with his wonderful imagination for almost fifty years, but his stories still have a timeless appeal. I found myself wanting the Mimzy story to be a novel instead of a mere 30 pages. Oh well, I am happy with the enchanting story. This is a fine collection of seventeen widely-different tales for both the novice and oldtimer SciFi readers

Although a childrens movie is loosley based on one story in this book, it is not a childrens book. It is a sci-fi book of short stories that has not been dumbed down and reflects interesting and creative ideas that are well written. I did read "mimzy were the borogoves" to my children, but I am afraid that much of the story was over their heads. It did spark an interesting conversation at the conclusion indicating to me that they did at least pick up the main plot points, but were upset by the conclusion (which I will not spoil here).

What if a box of toys from far in the future fell into a twentieth century schoolyard, and some kid took them home to play with? What if a factory worker from another civilization fell into a twentieth century factory and made what only looked like a commonplace entertainment center? What if you stepped into an upscale shop that advertised, "We Have What You Need"? (And, found out, they really did?) These and many more intriguing conundrums are explored in a wonderful collection of seventeen short stories.

Author Henry Kuttner flourished in the golden age of science fiction, which was also, coincidentally, this reviewer's youth. I still remember some of the stories from that golden time. They are fanciful stories of colliding realities, and human dilemmas. Fifty years later they are a bit dated. In some cases, technology has outpaced the author's imagination. Of course, the classic Sci Fi tropes are all there. Space travel is commonplace. Time travel is devilishly paradoxical. Homo sapiens is evolving rapidly toward Homo superior, which makes for some difficult parent-child relations. Oddly enough, there are no desktop computers or cellphones in this fantastic new world. Genetics is a hot topic, but not as hot as in 2008. There are odd families, too, like the reclusive Hogbens with their supernatural abilities. A smorgasbord of entertainment.

Some of the stories, as I mentioned, are a bit dated, some are awkward reading, some are written in dialect which makes them a bit hard to follow. Kuttner is a writer of ideas more than character. His characters are often one-dimensional loners, who have tenuous connections with others. Still, for what they are, these are great stories and well worth another look. Incidentally, I didn't know about the "Mimzy" movie, until I got hold of this book. I recommend the collection highly. Reviewed by Louis N. Gruber.

Very good book. A little different from your typical short story fantasy collection. Almost done and some of them are very dark but good reads.

I've always loved science fiction but my real preference has truly been Speculative Fiction. I saw the movie 'The Last Mimzy' with my children and we all liked it so wanted to take that a little further I bought the book for my son because he loves to read such books. I hadn't known that it was really a collection of stories but he liked them all. I read it and found it a bit dated but the first tale that the movie had been based was a fun read. I'm glad I had the opportunity to learn about this author and read some of his stuff. I'm also glad that my son was able to experience it. Thanks...

There were some interesting stories in this book. Henry Kuttner not only had a good imagination, he had a great sense of humor too.

Excellent book of short and thought provoking stories. Henry Kuttner was a master of the science fiction short story. The title story is different from the movie, The Last Mimzy, but is far more interesting and powerful.

This book: "The Last Mimzy" by Henry Kuttner is a great read!!!,if you fan of the movie,then you'll probably like the book as well!!! Two thumbs up!!! Five stars!!! A+

Bradbury's intro tells how chummy he and Kuttner were and that's great. The problem is, these stories are pointless. They carry no payoff at the end. They are bland. They are pedestrian. They are predictable. The characters are pasteboard and instantly forgettable. They're like watching old, Twilight Zone or Hitchcock Hour episodes in black and white. If you like watching 1960's TV episodes you'll love this. If you don't, try the icons of hard SF: Vance, Leiber, Van Vogt, Sturgeon, Silverberg, Campbell, and most of all, when you're ready for the most intense writing of all: Her Smoke Rose Up Forever. Tiptree was a god among writers. Her visions will move you, change you, entertain you. Once you've read her, bush-leagers like Kuttner will bore you as they do me.