Customer Reviews

Starwater Strains

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

 

 

Wolfe once again provides SF/fantasy stories that range from gentle to horrific to speculative and does a great job on all of them. One story, 'The Boy Who Hooked The Sun' concerns a boy who actually does have the sun on the end of a fishing line and wards off the rest of the villagers by flinging gemstones of Atlantis at them. A near perfect metaphor for this collection with Wolfe the writer merged with Apollo, flinging bright gemstones of stories at the reader. Finding stories like these will make you wealthy beyond your years, so go do it. Go read them. If it's your first encounter with the stories of Gene Wolfe, how I envy you!

Gene Wolfe is the perfect short story author. His stories are accessible to fans of any genre, but will be especially rewarding to fans of fantasy, s f, or magical realism. The stories in this book, although supposedly "new science fiction stories" really fall into all three of the above categories. I also purchased Wolfe's other fairly recent collection, "Innocents Aboard" and found it to be excellent also. Each book features a good mix of very short (2-3 page) stories, and longer, not quite novella length stories.

Wolfe's settings are diverse, ranging from a far off desert planet to a short story set on the far future "Urth" of his Book of the New Sun Series, to places as seemingly mundane as Houston, TX, or the set of a present dayish reality tv show. Of course, Wolfe's stories are never mundane, and it is in taking a place that holds no magic and twisting our perceptions so that we come away with a sense of wonder that Wolfe really excells.

Calling Gene Wolfe a great science fiction writer is a mere literary understatement, since he ranks, along with Ray Bradbury, not only as one of the premier elder statesmen of American science fiction, but more importantly, as one of the finest literary stylists in American fiction of any genre. "Starwater Strains", his new short story collection, merely reaffirms his splendid literary gifts for writing brilliant, evocative prose and marvellous storytelling. Most of these stories in this collection were written in the past decade, ranging emotionally from horrific to suspenseful to tranquil, covering themes as vast as contemporary fantasy to space opera harkening back to his "The Book of The New Son" series of novels. My own personal favorite is "In Glory like Their Star", which is an absolutely refreshing, polished literary gem of a tale about the religious connotations of First Contact by space travelers visiting a primitive planet inhabited by pastoral, devout believers. But it is not the lone gem, which I think also includes such diverse tales as "Of Soil and Climate", "The Fat Magician", "The Boy Who Hooked the Sun", and "The Seraph from its Sepulcher". The ones I've omitted citing are, in their own way, almost as riveting as those cited above. "Starwater Strains" will certainly delight those unfamiliar with Wolfe's impressive body of work, as well as his long-time fans and admirers.

I also own "Strange Travelers," a previous short story collection, and I thought it was very inconsistent. One story would be fascinating, the next would be ho-hum. I'm pleased to report that Starwater Strains is extremely consistent, and almost every story in this thick volume was a joy to read. The topics covered are all nominally "science fiction," but within this grouping Wolfe manages to cover a wide range of topics, and the tone of his stories run the gambit, from more classic-style hard, cold space science fiction, to dreamlike tales that could be set almost anywhere, at any point in history, the future, or the present. As is usually true with Wolfe, there are also tinges of horror throughout - not Steven King style gore, but subtle, horrifying little twists that will burrow into your mind and stay there, rising to the surface every so often, long after you're finished reading.

Many of his stories concern a speculative near future, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that several of these had a strong social or political message about our modern lives, always elegantly included so that without the message the story is still interesting if you don't agree with his stance or don't care for politics in your fiction.

I'll finish by saying that after I received this book for Christmas, I had several mornings at work where I could barely stay awake because I'd been up until 4am the night before, reading "just one more story" over and over again. It's a fine collection.

to have a writer like Wolfe *consistently* writing great stories. If you like thinking for fun, if you enjoy inventive storytelling, if you enjoy the feeling of being in hopelessly over your head, but in the hands of a chuckling, mostly benign master of his art, then by all means read Wolfe.

This collection contains:
Viewpoint
Rattler
In Glory Like Their Star
Calamity Warps
Greylord Man's Last Words
Shields of Mars
From the Cradle
Black Shoes
Has Anybody Seen Junie Moon?
Of Soil and Climate
The Dog of the Drops
Mute
Petting Zoo
Castaway
The Fat Magician
Hunter Lake
The Boy Who Hooked the Sun
Try and Kill It
Game in the Pope's Head
Empires of Foliage and Flower
The Arimaspian Legacy
The Seraph from Its Sepulcher
Lord of the Land
Golden City Far

Some notes:
Wolfe has some typically intriguing and all-too-brief comments on each story. Each! Story! which excited me.
"The Arimaspian Legacy" is linked to, and evidently happens *before* the short story "Slow Children at Play from Wolfe's _Innocents Aboard_. Hint: Wolfe likes Herodotus.
"Lord of the Land," as Wolfe notes, is Wolfe doing a Lovecraft story; it was first published in _Cthulu 2000_ and also appeared in a Tor anthology, _Lovecraft's Legacy_ (1990).

I always enjoy his short story collections. Even the stories I rated 2 out of 5 are worth the read. There are some I did not enjoy at all, but that may be simply my taste.
Of Soil and Climate
The Dog of the Drops
From The Cradle
Empire of Foliage and Flower
Lord of the Land
The Boy Who Hooked the Sun
being my least favorites.

The stars of this collection (for me) are
In Glory Like Their Star
Calamity Warps
Graylord Man's Last Words
Hunter Lake
Pulp Cover
The Seraph from the Sepulcher

Well worth your time. I've enjoyed ever Wolfe collection I've read and I believe I'm up to date on all of them.

Don't miss
The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories and Other Stories
Stories From the Old Hotel

I became interested in Wolfe because of the Long Sun series. I liked to series but was disappointed by the lack of science in the books. As a science fiction reader, a books doesn't always need to have technology, laser and spaceships, but the Long Sun needed something to counter its' almost fantasy-like elements. When I saw Wolfe had s short story collection with the cover saying "New Science Fiction Tales," I had to find it.

Disappointingly, only about 10 of the 25 stories here have elements of science fiction, with the majority of them containing things like magic swords, mythical sea creatures, folklore, surreal experiences, and possession. I admit, most of it was lost on me. Call Wolfe "clever" or "subtle" but I think he writes for himself rather than an audience. Sometimes you just have to shrug and take each story at face value because you'll have no clue what Wolfe is trying to get across.
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Viewpoint - 4/5 - Woodman becomes reality show contestant in the city which he must survive while spending the $100,000 on his person. With viewers watching his every move from his first-person POV and the government wanting to tax him, elusiveness is difficult without cooperation. 39 pages

Rattler - 4/5 - Two rednecks talk about a truck which manifests the spirit (like Carrie) of an old hunting dog. The canine-possessed truck inspires another man to train his new truck to perform new tricks, with predictable results. 7 pages

In Glory like Their Stars - 4/5 - Gabby materialistic yet primitive humans idolize a visiting humanoid alien but their simplicity and relentlessness drive the benevolent being away. 6 pages

Calamity Warps - 5/5 - If your dog dragged home a four-armed, horned shadow, you'd be a little freaked out, too. When the shadow becomes your very own, things become downright odd. 5 pages

Graylord Man's Last Words - 4/5 - Robotic boy sent to his aunt's Biological house where lays a man on his deathbed. His last words are uttered but the boy is unable to compute the sensation. 6 pages

Shields of Mars - 5/5 - Human and alien childhood friends on Mars are the sole caretakers of an air plant, which is about to become decommissioned. A final plea to headquarters is made and the results enliven their spirit. 11 pages

From the Cradle - 5/5 - A young man working in a book store comes into contact with a mysterious, old, brown book which is seemingly basing stories about his life through its fables. 19 pages

Black Shoes - 3/5 - Prior to an oceanside holiday, a professor didn't believe in mythical sea creatures but during a shoeless stroll through the surf, he enters a surreal and confronts his past errs. 8 pages

Has Anybody Seen Junie Moon? - 4/5 A circus muscleman and his love-interest/manager ponder the mysterious properties of the moon, dodge the Feds and seek out the strange lunar material. 11 pages

Pulp Cover - 5/5 - Mid-level manager at a furniture store falls in love with the boss's daughter, who soon marries a stranger,,, who is stranger than anyone knows. 10 pages

Of Soil and Climate - 3/5 - Imprisoned psychiatrist experiences a fantasy realm inhabited by metaphorical "night people" where we becomes a prince to aid the king's mental illness. 21 pages

The Dog of Drops - 3/5 - After the Bigkill, an intelligent wolf befriends a man and his family. His story is transcribed in what seems to be a thick Scottish or Welsh accent. 3 pages

Mute - 3/5 - Siblings discover their father's house empty except for the mute TV and the corpse in the basement. Upon leaving the house, they jump the fence to only return to the same exact house. 10 pages

Petting Zoo - 4/5 - The government commandeers a T-Rex after a boy grows it himself and unleashes tyranny upon the forest copse and herds of cattle. Now on a diet of tofu, the didactic machines teach children of the era of the dinosaurs. 6 pages

Castaway - 4/5 - Man stranded on planet for 27 years describes to one crew member of an old female who accompanied him on the planet. He reminisces of shared memories of birds and tress; things which the crewmember knows nothing of. 6 pages

The Fat Magician - 3/5 - An American pens a letter while being stranded in an Austrian city which is home to an almost mythical figure from WWII - a giant of a magician hiding persecuted peoples from the Nazis. 10 pages

Hunter Lake - 3/5 - Mother and daughter search for an elusive lake by questioning a specter-like elderly lady, an even more elusive elderly man and an Injun woman. 11 pages

The Boy Who Hooked the Sun - 3/5 - A short tale explaining why the seasons change. 3 pages

Try and Kill It - 5/5 - Nocking an arrow, the hunter takes aim on a passing doe but demurs. Later, a rush of wildlife bursts forth but still stalls... then takes aim on a grizzly, which can break aluminum arrow shafts. 21 pages

Game in the Pope's Head - 2/5 - A quartet of players are playing a mixed menagerie of games simultaneously. Reality keeps shifting and it is somewhat of an idea of someone's personal hell. 6 pages

Empires of Foliage and Flower - 1/5 - Reminiscent of the Long Sun series but with more of a fantast slant... couldn't get through even half of it. 26 pages

The Arimaspian Legacy - 3/5 - Astronomer and obsessive book collector discovers secrets in the sun's spots and excitedly tells his childhood friend of the discovery. 5 pages

The Seraph and Its Sepulcher - 4/5 - Missionary to a recently extinct alien race receives a researcher from the Motherworld light-years away. The researcher aims to study the religious records, the ancient sites and anything the Father has. 15 pages

Lord of the Land - 3/5 - Folklorist interviews an old man at a farm, who speaks of a soul-sucking shadow-like being. With the interviewer interning at the ranch, odd occurrences must be... occur. 16 pages

Golden City Far - 2/5 - A boy experiences life set on the cusp of reality and fantasy - real, imaginary or psychotic? 45 pages

I am always eager for a collection of Wolfe's short stories even if I have read some of them in other places. I particularly loved the cover of this book...it's so clever/humorous. Thanks for putting this book together!

This book is another collection of Gene Wolfe short stories. Unlike the last couple, which were somewhat inpenetrable, this volume is filled with great stories, mixed with a couple of gems.

About the only useless bit is the introduction, which merely lists the stories and says a tiny amount about their origin.

There really are no clunkers in this volume. It's a page turner and a great introduction to possibly the best writer working in SF today.