Customer Reviews

The Rediscovery of Man: The Complete Short Science Fiction of Cordwainer Smith

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Serious fans and historians of science fiction must obtain this compendium of all the known short stories by Cordwainer Smith, who deserves far greater fame than he got when he did most of his writing back in the 50s and 60s. At the time, Smith simply sold a few stories to a few SF mags, but it turns out that they were interconnected vignettes from a vast future universe and mythology that Smith was creating in his mind for decades. This vast fictitious universe covers the development of man over tens of thousands of years and across the galaxy, in an expansive style that is reminiscent of Frank Herbert. Meanwhile, Smith's method of creating narratives as if they were told by an old storyteller, even farther in the future, could be compared to J.R.R. Tolkien, who also created his own universe and history of tremendous proportions.

Smith was a storyteller of remarkable literary ability, as he explored scientific advances without getting too technical, and introduced very heavy themes of humanity and morality without lapsing into preachy conclusions. Very few writers in any genre have this kind of ability for kicking off deep speculation and introspection in the reader. Just about all of the many stories here explore the re-emergence of real humanity after many millennia of human dispersal across the universe, with a few glimpses of mirth or action amidst general darkness and melancholy.

A few stories of note include the disturbing "A Planet Named Shayol" in which humans are farmed for body parts on a deceptively tranquil prison planet; "Think Blue, Count Two" which describes what could really happen on a typical SF mothership transporting humans for hundreds of years to a new space colony; "When the People Fell" which very creepily explores how regular people will be used for space colonization; or "The Crime and the Glory of Commander Suzdal" in which Smith twists time travel and even history in remarkable humanistic ways. Of special note to SF historians is "War No. 81-Q" which lampoons the fallacy of war for profit and entertainment, a form of satire that's unbelievable for a story first written way back in the 1920s (and Smith was in high school at the time to boot). Those are just a few of the tremendous stories in this collection by an author who richly deserves to be treated as a grand master in his field. The sheer breadth and depth of Smith's literary universe is simply astonishing. [~doomsdayer520~]

I have been reading Cordwainer Smith stories over and over for many, many years. There aren't that many of them - but they are so wonderful they can be read and read and read again. And they never lose their freshness for me. I read 'The Game of Rat and Dragon' to my wife one night when she was having trouble getting to sleep. Perhaps it's not his greatest story, but it is so humane, so all-encompassing of the best of humankind and so wonderful to the animals that we share this world with - specifically cats in this case (and for anyone who has been fortunate enough to share at least part of their lives with cats it will probably raise so many memories).

So I took down my favourite anthology - the 1970 Panther Books edition published under the title 'Under Old Earth' and started to refresh the Cordwainer Smith experience. As I read the wonderful 'A Planet Named Shayol' (there is nothing like this anywhere!) the tears rose in my eyes again. This involuntary response told me so much!!! Here's a quote:

'It's unfair,' cried the half-man. 'They should be punished as we were!'
The Lady Johanna Gnade looked down at him. 'Punishment is ended. We will give you anything you wish, but not the pain of another.'

What a vision! The only comparable one I can think of is the words Gustav Mahler wrote about the day of judgement scene in his second symphony. After the trumpets sound and the dead are raised Mahler reasoned that there would be neither reward nor punishment - only God's heavenly love would remain.

I cannot compromise the five star average rating for these stories. I agree with one and all! If you haven't read these stories you have a wonderful experience in store. If you, like me, know them already - just enjoy again and again as I do.

Cordwainer Smith is the pen name of Mr. Paul M. A. Linebarger, who lived a comparatively short (1913 - 1966) and difficult life. He was educated in China, Germany and USA. Loose one eye in an accident being a child. Had a PH degree in Political Sciences, was a university professor and worked undercover for CIA. At the same time he wrote fascinating sci-fi stories.

My first contact with the author's stories was "Alpha Ralpha Boulevard". It was obvious for me that this was a fragment of a greater story, full of mysterious and provoking ideas as the Rediscovery of Man, the Eketeli and so on. I was captivated by the imagery and searched for more works from Cordwainer Smith. Little by little they were appearing in different sci-fi magazines and short stories collections.

With this book you have the opportunity to read almost all the "fragments" constituting Cordwainer's universe, with consistent references to the underpeople, the Instrumentality, the Scanners and the rest of the interlaced icons of this particular Myth.
Remarkable stories are: "Mark Elf", "The Game of Rat & Dragon", "Mother Hitton's Littul Kittons" and "Under Old Earth".
A speciall mention must be done for "Ballad of Lost C'Mell" and "The Dead Lady of Clown Town" both dealing with the relationship of humans and underpeople. Mr. Smith had a very particular relation with cats and dogs. He loved them and his underpeople characters show this love.

A final note "The Dead Lady..." is a forceful recreation of Joan D'Arc martyrdom.
It is a wonderful collection from an unjustly underrated author.
Reviewed by Max Yofre.

A few years ago I encountered, in an undistinguished anthology of Year's Best Something-Or-Other, a short science fiction story called "The Ballad of Lost C'mell." Love at first sight. I ransacked used book stores, the crowded shelves and dusty boxes of my house, and even libraries to find more short stories written by this miraculous Cordwainer Smith. I managed to assemble eight or nine, all from various anthologies, before my parents took pity on me and gave me "The Rediscovery of Man" for my birthday. Smith's writing is so good, it's intoxicating: you put down his writing with your head full of fantastic images, from underpeople toiling away in the mysterious corridors of Downdeep-downdeep, to star sailors riding the interstellar winds, the indescribable poetry of Space-3 and the strange futile lives of the Scanners. In my eyes Cordwainer Smith has only one fault-he died too soon! How dare he leave such a colorful, complicated, weird and wild future universe unfinished? Fortunately he left these stories, and if you have not already read them, I suggest you waste no further time in discovering the Instrumentality of Mankind and the universe around it. And even if you've read the stories before, read them again. They're just as good the second time around . . . or the fifth . . .or the fortieth . . .

I first encountered Cordwainer Smith when I was in grade school, checking every book out of the library that I could find under Science Fiction. Some of my favorite stories were the often-anthologized "Game of Rat and Dragon" and "Scanners Live in Vain." I began seeking out his stories anywhere I could find them, but aside from the wonderful novel Norstrilia, I could find few more.

How exciting that the NESFA Press has brought all of these stories together in one book. It was such a joy rediscovering old favorites, and also finding real gems (such as "The Dead Lady of Clown Town") I had never seen anywhere before.

This volume is a must-have for anyone who cares about classic science fiction short stories. In it are some of the best examples of the genre. A short list of the stories in this volume that you MUST read would include: "Alpha Ralpha Boulevard", "The Game of Rat and Dragon", "A Planet Called Shayol", "Mother Hitton's Littul Kittons", and the aforementioned "Dead Lady of Clown Town."

The title of one of Smith's collections that originally contained many of these stories was You Will Never Be the Same. What a great title, and how accurate. You won't be.

Cordwainer Smith began publishing science fiction in the fifties when Amazing Stories and other science fiction fanzines primarily flew rockets to outer space and beyond. Smith, however, took the common themes of pulp science fiction and made them into something alien and new. Ships did travel through space, but they were hunted by beings of pure malevolence, and saved by cats chasing imaginary mice. People themselves become alien adjusting their physiology to fit worlds that otherwise could not support life. Animals and robots become more than human by acting with intelligence, compassion, and love often exceeding that of their masters.

Smith's stories are not hard science; they read more like fairy tales or myths. However, The Rediscovery of Man is the myths of mankind's future, myths showing the potential for both dreams and nightmares to come true. These are stories for children thousands of years hence, and for adults today. Just like myths and fairy tales, Smith's stories have great truths in them that are often hidden by an entertaining story.

This collection is a fascinating glimpse into the human mentality. Individually, a few of these stories stand out as his best writing, but the collection as a whole is a beautiful work that leads you through one of the most imaginative minds in science fiction.

Like Heinlein, Smith built a detailed future history of the human race as a backdrop for his writing. It starts at the end of WWII and continues tens of thousands of years into the future. Smith spent much of his childhood in Asia, as the son of a diplomat,and grew up to become an expert in Asian culture and affairs, as well as politics in general and psychology in particular. Many of Smith's stories are rewrites of Chinese myths and fables, with casts of characters out of his often dreamlike human universe, governed by the Instrumentality.

Interestingly, even within this vast sweep of time, Smith's Instrumentality never chances upon a single alien race, despite the eventual development of various and increasingly efficient techniques of FTL travel. At a few points in "The Rediscovery of Man" Smith mentions various of the Instrumentality's preparations for possible alien encounters, but only modified and/or forgotten sub-species of humans are ever discovered.

The word "dark" gets used a lot in describing Smith's work, deriving from such things as the subjugation of the Underpeople, the practice of memory-wiping and the pervasive,paternalistic and all-powerful Instrumentality.But most importantly, Smith's personal history is one of witnessing events from the viewpoint of those who are leading (or manipulating) the rest of us, and it is the appearance of this unique understanding in his writing that gives it it's edge, and that element of darkness. The Instrumentality is a shadow government- for the most part staying out of daily life for billions of people in far-flung planets and empires. But it does have altruistic agendas, that require adjustments to the large scale flow of human development, at times, which take the form of both guidance and retribution.

But the wonderfully offbeat technology is pure imagination-such as the "laminated mouse brain" containing a guardian hologram for a young girl on an interstellar journey in the story "Think Blue, Count Two",or Old North Australia's strange and fearsome planetary defense system in "Mother Hitton's Littul Kittons"; a directed-telepathy weapon powered by the lethal hostility harvested from the minds of specially-bred psychotic weasels.

One could actually hope that humanity turns out as exotic, abstract and imaginative (and as long-lasting!) as Smith envisioned. If you are a scifi buff but are unfamiliar with Smith's work, there is a gaping hole in your expertise that you can now remedy with a single, chronologically-ordered volume of stories. If scifi isn't your bag, I guarantee you still will be seduced and enchanted and transfixed by this relatively small body of work which, like the writing of Stanislaw Lem, raises speculative fiction to the level of literature.

At the age of thirteen, I fell on a beat up copy of Norstrilia, and fell in love with Smith's works. I soon got a copy of "The Best of Cordwainer Smith" and it vanished on a summer camp trip. It took me years to replace it. Imagine my delight to have all those loved stories in one (heavy) volume, unlikely to go astray!

As you probably know, Smith was actually Dr. Paul M.A. Linebarger, a Johns Hopkins professor and specialist in Asian affairs. He was a master of psychological warfare.

His stories fit no easy category. They are not fantasy, they are not hard science fiction, they are not alternative history. They incorporate bits and pieces of Asian culture and myth. They are often troubling, haunting. "The Dead Lady of Clown Town" ends with most of its characters dead or with their minds wiped, yet it is a happy ending for all that, with Joan's views obviously spreading through the underpeople. "Under Old Earth" is a fascinating tale, filled with allusions that must be beyond the scope of this note. Even "War No. 81-Q", the original version of which was written by Smith as a teenager, is an excellent story. "Alpha Ralpha Boulevard" is simply one of the great SF short stories of all time. I could go on, but . . .

The volume also includes the Casher O'Neill trilogy, that I had read of, but not seen before.

If you haven't read Smith before, this is how to buy his stories, so that you have them all. If you have--well, again, you'll have them all.

It's worth it. Buy it.

Cordwainer Smith is one of the most amazing, lyrical writers of science fiction ever. It distresses me that he is so little known. He made a name for himself during the Korean war as a diplomat; he apparently devised a way for Chinese soldiers to surrender without losing face by chanting the words for "peace, love, serenity" (or some similar words...my memory of the anecdote is not perfect) which in English sounded like "I Su-REN-Der". Genius. The man's intellect bursts forth in his short fiction, which has given me the chills, made me cry, and caused me to reflect back on images from the works on more occasions than I care to admit.

PLEASE read this man's works. He is extremely literate and passionate in his writing, adopting an asian style of storytelling that is both different and comforting. The pathos of B'dikkat in "The Planet Named Sheol" is as touching as the story is horrifying.

If you do not enjoy this book, I will be extremely surprized.

Cordwainer Smith was unique. Although the contents of this volume represent more than half of his entire science-fictional output, what he lacked in quantity he made up for in superb and very different quality. His prose is colored by some very non-standard phrasing and imagery, at least some of which came from his close connections with Chinese culture (his god-father was Sun Yat-sen, and he was a close confidant of Chiang Kai-shek). There is a feeling, an ambience to his stories that I have never seen even approximated by any other author. But the themes he tackled in his stories are ones that everyone can relate to, covering prejudice, greed, lust for power, crime and appropriate punishment, and the seeming boundless desire to go where no man has gone before.

Perhaps the main highlight of this collection is "The Dead Lady of Clown Town", which is a very forceful retelling of the Joan of Arc story. I ended up in tears at the end of this one when I first read it, and subsequent re-reads haven't lessened its impact. I've had this one in my top ten `best of sf' short fiction list since my first encounter with it.

"A Planet Named Shayol" will make you do some heavy thinking about just what can or should be done to punish a society's law (or custom) breakers, or if punishment is ever even really justifiable at all, and will give you a nightmare vision of just what hell on Earth (or any other planet) just might be like.

"The Ballad of Lost C'Mell" may be the centerpiece of his entire envisioned future history, as the Instrumentality of Mankind, which for centuries has managed the human population to avoid disease, war, or hard labor (for which tasks the Underpeople were created), is driven to the conclusion that a viable civilization must have some dark elements, as championed by Lord Jestocost and girly-girl Cat-person C'Mell.

Almost all of the stories here are part of Smith's envisioned universe governed by the Instrumentality, a vision that stretches from near-Earth future to a very distant far-future galaxy where humanity has spread almost everywhere. Smith clearly has some overriding messages: his fear of all-powerful ruling bodies, his attachment to all forms of life and the respect that each individual should have, and a basic belief in the power and utility of religion. All the details of this universe are not filled in, and it is sometimes the tantalizing glimpses of what he does not describe that will capture your imagination, and your wish that there were more stories about this unique world. His Underpeople are marvelous creations, showing not only those traits normally associated with the best of humanity, but also characteristics of their underlying animal heritage, whether it be cat, dog, or turtle.

Not every story here is a gem, most especially those not set in his Instrumentality universe or those dealing with the very near future. But they are all very readable, and the overall level of quality here is absurdly high. Read this first. Then take on his only sf novel, Norstrilia. You won't regret it.

--- Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)