Customer Reviews

The Persistence of Vision (Gollancz SF)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Every SF fan has one book that they share with friends who don't read "that sci-fi stuff." This is the book I give to friends. It's one of the rare collections that work all the way through. You'll find clasic Varley stories here, like "Air Raid," "Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance," "Overdrawn at the Memory Bank," and "The Phantom of Kansas." But the title story is the best of the bunch; a heartbreakingly beautiful story of the quest for the trancendant, couched in a questioning of whether physical disabilities can free people, as well as limit them. If you can find this book used, snap it up; if it's ever back in print, grab two copies. You'll need one to read now, and one as a backup for when you wear the first copy out. Or maybe so you can share it with a friend.

A friend recommended this to me, and amazingly my local used bookstore had a hardcover copy! These are some of the BEST short stories I have read! Right up there with Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke. There is not one clinker in the bunch. Especially liked Phantom of Kansas, Hall of the Martian Kings, The Persistance of Vision. Overdrawn at the Memory Bank was quirky and fun. (I also saw a low-budget movie version on the Sci-Fi Channel) Air Raid seems to be a precursor to Millenium.

If you happen to see a copy of this, grab it fast! You won't be sorry.

This is a great collection of stories. Varley is outstaning in his characterizations and unique ideas. Each story is an example in excellent writing. Bring this one back.

This is one of the better single-author sf story collections of the last 20 years. I'm at a loss as to why some major publisher won't keep it in print----do they actively dislike quality sf? Or just have their head up their asses? Get a CLUE guys!

Powerful. Enjoyable. Thoughtful. Fascinating. Funny. Gifted. First-Rate. Original.
Nine stories that show us the future of man, with his flaws, his merits and his outward spread from Earth. John Varley thinks big also. In many of his stories it is pointed out that mankind was kicked off of the planet Earth by...somebody.
See, that is the best part. Many of the stories happen in a setting in which much of the background is unknown to us or just hinted at. But the heart of the stories are always people, their emotions and needs. Some sex too.
Many of the short stories were later used to create some very interesting movies.

I'm so glad that I happened upon this book. Not only are the stories fascinating and interesting throughout, but they also have such an awesome vision of life and of people-- and although most of the stories take place in the future, the vision really is timeless. Varley understands so many things that just aren't understood, he thinks about things that just aren't thought about, and writes so well that it all (his thoughts) seems so normal (and it is)... this book is definitely mind-expanding.

There are only 9 stories here, but most of some length, novelettes and novellas, including the best story here, the last, and the 'title track'.

A very high quality collection, and all science fiction.

Persistence of Vision : The Phantom of Kansas - John Varley
Persistence of Vision : Air Raid - John Varley
Persistence of Vision : Retrograde Summer - John Varley
Persistence of Vision : The Black Hole Passes - John Varley
Persistence of Vision : In the Hall of the Martian Kings - John Varley
Persistence of Vision : In the Bowl - John Varley
Persistence of Vision : Gotta Sing Gotta Dance - John Varley
Persistence of Vision : Overdrawn at the Memory Bank - John Varley
Persistence of Vision : The Persistence of Vision - John Varley


Recording robbed revenant revenge Rat.

4 out of 5


Plane crash Time Snatch paraleprosy repopulation.

4 out of 5


Clone twin meeting.

3 out of 5


Message filtering separation singularity
shakeup.

4 out of 5


Local accomodations mostly plastic.

4 out of 5


Venusian outfitting issues.

3.5 out of 5


Music lovers planted.

3 out of 5


A man's virtual vacation is extended rather too long.

3.5 out of 5


Communication fuller but lots weirder with fewer senses.

4.5 out of 5




4.5 out of 5

Varley, born in 1947, seems to have grown up as a hippie, which is reflected in his "free love" kind of plots and subplots. I'm an 80s child out of touch with the hippie community and have grown up in a post-AIDS world were "free love" is an irresponsible act. Sex in sci-fi is all fine and great (as is in reality, too) but the sheer amount of it in Varley's short stories is a tad too much, especially when the "free love" involves children. Sometimes I wondered if Varley could separate himself from his ideas.

The Phantom of Kansas - 4/5 - Woman reincarnates in self-bodily form only to be murdered again and again: artistic expressions with predictable sex scene from Varley but warm enough ending.

Air Raid - 5/5 - Human mutants warp jump into a 1979 airliner and mimic the stewardesses: so many excellent traits wrapped into 14 pages including grisliness, mutations and far-flung future history.

Retrograde Summer - 3/5 - Mercury sibling meets Lunarian sibling and confront mutual upbringing and hence separation: typical Varley fixation with a light religious twist and metaphoric ending.

The Black Hole Passes - 2/5 - Human-on-Holo masturbation act in deep space awaiting alien signals: another Varley fixation takes place in the Ophiuchi Hotline universe which is could easily have taken a different path.

In the Hall of the Martian Kings - 5/5 - Mars explorers cum colonists survive in the adaptable terrain: excellent take on possible Mars life forms, perhaps the best I've seen!

In the Bowl - 1/5 - 11-year-old jailbait attempts to entrap 68-year-old tourist into adoption or marriage or coitus while rock hunting: If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all.

Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance - 2/5 - Human symbiosis attempts to compose musical score and "make music" with their agent accomplice: focus on five page musical/sexual threesome, music history subplot boring, little merit.

Overdrawn at the Memory Bank - 3/5 - Man experiences different reality after awaking from becoming a temporary lioness: one of the "what is reality?" stories, better take on it than most.

The Persistence of Vision - 2/5 - 47-year-old hippie/wonderer creates coital relationship with 13-year-old and her blind/deaf utopian community: plot partly reverberates Sucharitkul's "Inquestor Series (1982)" but not up my alley.