The Masque Of Manana [Hardcover]

Robert Sheckley (Author), Sharon L. Sbarsky (Editor), Bob Eggleton (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2005

This volume contains the major short science fiction of Robert Sheckley.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The 45 pieces in this stellar collection, though they include some soberer entries (e.g., "A Wind Is Rising"), make it clear that Sheckley is one of sf's all-time masters of the humorous or satirical short story. "The Lifeboat Mutiny" represents Sheckley's classic Triple A Ace Interplanetary Decontamination Agency at its risible best (all the other stories of that agency are here, too). "Pilgrimage to Earth" presents an edgy version of the farm-boy-(from a far colony)-in-the-big-city (a decadent Earth) scenario, and "Skulking Permit," "Gray Flannel Armor," "Fool's Mate," and a dozen others just as good places for innocent readers to start an acquaintance with Sheckley. And it must be said that, though such readers are greatly served by this volume, so too, because much of Sheckley's work has been hard to come by for a good many years, are old fans. A welcome replacement for all those tattered paperbacks on the sf shelves. Roland Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Hardcover: 576 pages
• Publisher: Nesfa Pr; 1st edition (August 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1886778604
• ISBN-13: 978-1886778603
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.9 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #815,248 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An SF collection that oozes with wit and whimsy, August 16, 2008

By 

David F. Nolan (Tucson, AZ United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Masque Of Manana (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful collection of short stories by one of science fiction's cleverest storytellers. Most are very short indeed - about 10-12 pages - and they range widely in subject matter and setting. Some (the AAA Ace stories) are very funny, while others are more in the nature of cautionary tales: "Something for Nothing" seems all too topical, given the effects we are now experiencing from too-easy credit. If I had to choose one word to describe most of these stories, that word would be "whimsical" -- although a minority are sober, even somber, in tone.

Adding to the enjoyment of these stories is Sheckley's skill as a writer. Time and again, I found myself savoring a clever turn of phrase. Few other writers that I can think of have Sheckley's talent with the English language. If you enjoy clever, thought-provoking speculative fiction, this collection of short stories will delight you!

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sheckley at his best, June 6, 2006

By 

Artak Kalantarian (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Masque Of Manana (Hardcover)

I think Robert Sheckley is one of the most underrated writers in US. The rest of the world loves his books, while in US most of his publications are out of print. Check this book out. while the stories are fun, they also make you think about lots of things in very unusual ways.

If I could I would give him ten stars out of five.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Over forty works of short fiction, March 12, 2007

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Masque Of Manana (Hardcover)

Over forty works of short fiction by Robert Sheckley pack a presentation spiced with the science fiction artwork of Bob Eggleton, making MASQUE OF MANANA a 'must have' for any Sheckley fan and many a newcomer. From 'Squirrel Cage' to 'Seventh Victim', this gathers many writings from the 1950s through later years and represents a notable retrospective any serious science fiction holding must have.

Diane C. Donovan

California Bookwatch