Including tales by Isaac Asimov, Larry Niven, Poul Anderson, and Robert Silverberg, an anthology of nine stories of interstellar crime fighting in the high-tech future pits galactic gumshoes against antagonistic aliens.
| ||||||||||||||||||
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From the Publisher
"Asimov gives an informal, conversational introduction to his collections. He provides both an elementary education in the particular genre and some insight into what it all means."
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From AudioFile
These six classic tales are of interest to sci-fi fans or anyone else with an eye for craftsmanship although only two of them actually have detectives in them. Readers Fantini and Runger give solid, professional performances. Being primarily idea stories, they don't make great demands on the narrator. But the audio format allows one to enjoy them while hands and eyes are otherwise occupied. The production lacks top-notch technical quality. J.N. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Doesn't deliver on what it promises,
By Dave Deubler (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Sci Fi Private Eye (Paperback)
Decades ago sci-fi grandmaster Isaac Asimov noted the similarity between detective stories (whodunit?) and science fiction "puzzle" stories (how do you solve the problem?). Avoiding some of the obvious pitfalls, he began to write stories that contain elements of both of these popular genres. But of the various stories in this collection, only Larry Niven's "ARM" really lives up to the title, combining the imagination of science fiction with the action and drama of a detective story. Asimov's "The Singing Bell" comes close, and shows off the master's skill with "puzzle" stories, but the armchair detective doesn't really lend itself to exciting reading and would be a serious disappointment to fans who expect some action. As for the rest, only Poul Anderson's "The Martian Crown Jewels" and "Time Exposures" by Wilson Tucker are bona fide sci-fi detective stories, and both are eminently forgettable. Donald Westlake's "The Winner", Robert Silverberg's "Getting Across", and Philip K. Dick's "War Games" are all very good science fiction stories, indeed are the highlights of the collection, but there are no detectives in them. Perhaps the most memorable sci-fi detective is Philip Jose Farmer's Herr Ralph Von Wau Wau, the intelligent canine of "A Scarletin Study", a humorous send up of the whole cross-genre concept. In sum, while perhaps the blame lies more with the form than with the editing, this book fails to deliver what it promises; the overall collection isn't that strong as "just" science fiction, and the advertised combination of sci-fi and private detective fiction never really coalesces. Readers interested in this idea would do better to pick up one of Asimov's many fine collections.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not Exactly Private Eyes,
By
This review is from: Sci Fi Private Eye (Paperback)
_Sci Fi Private Eye_ (1997), ed. Charles G. Waught and Martin H. Greenberg is an anthology of nine science fiction crime/detective tales. But the title is misleading in one respect. Only four of the stories are private eye tales. The other five feature a prison warden, a police sergeant, a bureaucrat, a counterspy, and a UN agent. The entries are all readable and entertaining, but several are decidedly minor. None are classics.The stories are: Isaac Asimov's "The Singing Bell" (_Fantasy and Science Fiction_, 1954), Poul Anderson's "The Martian Crown Jewels" (_Ellery Queen's_, 1958), Philip Jose Farmer's "A Scarletin Study" (_F&SF_, 1975), Donald Westlake's "The Winner" (_Nova 1_, 1970), Tom Reamy's "The Detweiler Boy" (_F&SF_, 1977), Wilson Tucker's "Time Exposures" (_Universe 1_, 1971), Robert Silverberg's "Getting Across" (_Future City_, 1973), Philip K. Dick's "War Game" (_Galaxy_, 1959), and Larry Niven's "ARM" (_Epoch_, 1975). The first four stories are the least of the lot. The Asimov, the Anderson, and the Farmer are all Sherlock Holmes pastiches. The Asimov-- a Wendell Urth "reverse detective" piece-- is perhaps the best of the three. But all are eminently forgettable. The Westlake is a mildly clever piece about how some prisoners find a way to beat a seemingly foolproof prison system. The next four stories are much more solid affairs. The Reamy is the one hard-boiled private eye story in the book, but a good one-- a blend of contemporary Hollywood and horrific murders. The Tucker is set in a future in which guns and murders by pistols are rare*-- thanks in part to a kind of time scope device. The Silverberg features a woman who steals the computer programming that maintains the operations of a city. She must be a villain... mustn't she? The Dick involves a cold war with those tricky Ganymedians. How might they go about undermining Terran society? The Niven novella is the best of the lot-- a Gil Hamilton tale set against a background of high-tech inventions and ruthless organleggers. The science fictional elements and the mystery puzzle (a kind of futeristic locked room affair) balance one another out. And Niven kept me guessing as to the identity of the murderer until the last of the story. All in all, a passable selection of entertainments. But not an outstanding anthology. Greenberg has done much better. * Unlike present day Chattanooga, Tenessee. Thanks to the wisdom of our present legislators, it has turned into Dodge City.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
SCI-FI Private Eye,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Sci-Fi Private Eye (Science Fiction Library) (Audio Cassette)
This is a very good unabridged audio of short stories. Was sent and received within a reasonable time and was in good shape. I enjoyed it very much, thank you.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
