Strange Relations [Paperback]

Philip Jose Farmer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 7, 2006

"The Lovers" is one of the most controversial and groundbreaking novels in science fiction. Sent by the religious tyranny of a future Earth to the planet Ozagen, Hal Yarrow met Jeanette, an apparently human fugitive, hiding in ancient ruins built by a long-vanished race. Un-consecrated contact with any female was forbidden to Yarrow - and love for an alien female was an unspeakable abomination. But Yarrow's lifelong conditioning was no match for his strange attraction to Janette. "Flesh": The starship captain had made the mistake of landing on a forgotten planet colonised centuries ago by believers in ancient pagan rituals. Unless he could escape, he would be made part of a fertility rite which would conclude with a very unpleasant death. "Strange Relations": five novelettes of unbounded imagination telling of strange - and often deadly - encounters between human and alien.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Philip Jose Farmer is a pioneer of science fiction. His stories were the first to explore alien sexuality, love, religion, and mythology. He has won numerous awards, including three Hugo Awards and the World Fantasy Award, and has been named a Nebula Grand Master by the Science Fiction Writers of America. In a long and distinguished career, he has published over seventy novels and story collections. The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction has called him "perhaps the most impish and anarchic" of major science fiction writers.

--This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Baen (February 7, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416509348
• ISBN-13: 978-1416509349
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,647,361 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Early Farmer at is Very Best, March 1, 2006

By 

Paul Cook (Tempe, Arizona USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Strange Relations (Paperback)

This is a collection of three books, the novels THE LOVERS and FLESH and a loose collection of stories called STRANGE RELATIONS, one of which has a Father Carmody story. This handsome edition from Baen should be in everybody's library, everybody, that is, who claims to be a student of science fiction. Farmer was at his best when throwing humans up against alien races in sexual (or reproductive) situations. THE LOVERS, I think, stands as one of his very best novels overall. I had a lot of fun rereading these stories in this new edition. I highly recommend this book.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Spacemen gone wild, November 16, 2009

By 

Pinner Blinn "skyisland" (Arlington, MA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Strange Relations (Mass Market Paperback)

I bought this book after hearing of Philip Jose Farmer's death and reading of how he supposedly broke the taboo of sexual themes in science fiction. This book contains the groundbreaking story "The Lovers" (for which publication/expansion dates of 1952, 1961, and 1979 are given). It's a very good read. Central character Hal Yarrow escapes a hellishly frustrating marriage by volunteering for service as a linguistic specialist on mission to a planet populated by bug-like aliens. He cannot as easily escape the bonds of his dogmatic and suppressive religion. Once on the ground, Hal begins to stray from his mission...

Two more "novels" are included in this volume. Of the three, "Flesh" is the raciest. There is no material here that could be called explicit, but this bawdy comedy centers around Peter Stagg who leads a crew of space travelers returning to a future Earth transformed into tribal countries, one of which surgically attaches fleshy antlers to Stagg's head making him their "Sunhero" who must romp around the countryside impregnating crowds of eager virgins. Modern sensibilities might be offended by the episode involving the Pants Elves (the tribe that rules Pants-Elf-vania, and who are all homosexual males). The apparent fury with which Stagg dispatches them in making his escape might be considered gay-bashing. On the other hand, Stagg is pretty much out of control when his antlers are pumped. Make your own allusions.

The third "book" is called "Strange Relations" and is a collection of short stories. The first two are connected. In "Mother", an Earthman participates in an alien's reproductive process, and in "Daughter" one of the progeny heeds well the advice of her "dad". The next segment "Father" is a bit of a tease since you might imagine that it is a further continuation, though not obviously so, as we see a planet where a god-like Father holds sway. In the end, no connection to the first two parts is evident, but the story stands on its own as a broad spoof of Christian themes. The fourth part "Son" leaves no doubt. Very straight sci-fi compared to the rest of the book. The final segment "My Sister's Brother" is perhaps the most satisfying story in the volume. While on a spooky rescue mission on a fanciful Mars, spaceman Lane is thrown into a situation both seductive and well outside the bounds of his by-the-book sensibilities. Typical of Farmer's protagonists, he is a musclebound doofus who just might avoid disaster despite himself.

All in all, an interesting and entertaining collection of stories.

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Three groundbreaking works under one cover, April 19, 2006

By 

D. Donovan, Editor/Sr. Reviewer "California B... (California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Strange Relations (Paperback)

Philip Jose Farmer is another name from the past strongly associated with powerful writing, and STRANGE RELATIONS is an excellent compendium of three of his groundbreaking works under one cover: THE LOVERS, FLESH, and STRANGE RELATIONS. A starship captain sent by Earth's religious rulers discovers a human fugitive hiding in an ancient ruins and finds love too strong to ignore, however illogical or forbidden. His adventures with his new love will change worlds.