Unconquered Countries: Four Novellas [Hardcover]

Geoff Ryman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1994

A collection of astonishing and inventive works by a groundbreaking author of speculative fiction includes ""O Happy Day,"" ""Please Say Hello,"" ""The Unconquered Country,"" and ""A Fall of Angels, or On the Possibility of Life Under Extreme Conditions.""

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Ryman ( Was ) works on a scale as vast as the universe and as intimate as the soul--even when the format is short as it is in the four novellas that make up this collection. His themes beautifully interweave transcendence, death and the dignity of all life. Set in the same universe as The Child Garden , "A Fall of Angels" uses particle physics, angels and a young man's fight against futility to show how life transcends duty to reach for love. This tale is not wholly satisfying, but Ryman's take on physics (and angels) is so unique that one can forgive any structural lapses. More successful are "Fan," a richly textured account of a woman who must face death to rid herself of an unhealthy fixation on an unattainable idol and "O Happy Day," a brutal tale about gay rights and human dignity in a concentration camp. The final entry, "The Unconquered Country" (winner of the World Fantasy Award) is set in a fantastic universe where machine parts can be birthed within the wombs of peasants and where houses and trucks are dimly alive. Here Ryman explores the strengths of the human soul and human community in adversity. Strange and mythic, it conjures poetic images of black wings, tigers stripes and crows nourishing the spirit of rebirth. Written between 1976 and 1989, not all the novellas are equally polished, but even the darkest story is imbued with a spirit that struggles against sentimentality and towards spiritual awakening.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Although few authors of successful science fiction ever achieve similar renown in the literary mainstream, none is more deserving of this blessing than Ryman. Here, in four brilliantly conceived, remarkably different novellas, he displays a penetrating vision of the human condition under extraordinary circumstances--a vision that both rejuvenates and transcends the familiar conventions of the sf genre. In "A Fall of Angels," a universal mission to conquer entropy for humanity's greater glory is challenged by an alien that defies entropy in its own way by existing simultaneously in all times. "Fan" insightfully previews the coming interactive video revolution in the wry story of a working-class Londoner who learns the surprising truth about her media-anointed pop idol. In "O Happy Day!" the well-worn sf theme of women's rise to power is given a chilling twist by imagining gay men in charge of male extermination camps. The surrealistic title story concerns life in a future war-torn China and is a winner of the World Fantasy Award. Ryman's superior command of language and style provides reading adventure that is at once entertaining, illuminating, and profound. Carl Hays

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 275 pages
• Publisher: St Martins Pr; 1st edition (April 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312099290
• ISBN-13: 978-0312099299
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,697,059 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Geoff Ryman is a Canadian living in the United Kingdom. His first book based on events in Cambodia was published in 1985, the award-winning The Unconquered Country. The King's Last Song was inspired by a visit to an Australian archaeological dig at Angkor Wat in 2000. He has been a regular visitor since, teaching writing workshops in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap twice, and publishing three further novellas set in Cambodia. In Britain he produced documentaries for Resonance FM, London, on Cambodian Arts. He has published nine other books and won fourteen awards. He teaches creative writing at the University of Manchester.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Ryman's better at longer lengths, July 21, 2002

By 

Glen Engel Cox (Columbus, Ohio) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Unconquered Countries: Four Novellas (Hardcover)

I read this earlier in the summer, and I have to admit to having forgotten most about the stories here, but I remember being vaguely disappointed after finishing the collection. I like Ryman a lot--his novel, The Child Garden, is one of my favorite novels, and I thought that both Was and 253 were very good. Maybe I just like him at longer lengths?

* "A Fall of Angels" -- Too much science, not enough story. That was my impression, wanting more of what was going on to be explained in a non-mathematical way. This story seemed to lack that sense of wonder--almost lifeless. It has some interesting concepts, but it is too busy to congeal into a pleasing tale.

* "Fan" -- This was my favorite of the collection, a neat look at an obsessive fan of a new pop star, and what happens when you "meet" the object of your dreams. It really examines the relationship between the "star" and the "fan." It is a rich vein of inquiry, and Ryman taps the jugular here. Both surprising and illuminating, it also holds your attention throughout, even though the protagonist is not very appealing.

* "O Happy Day!" -- A "what if" story about a horrible set of circumstances existing between men and women, and a repeat of the horrors of the mid-20th century. The situation looks grim, but only if we forget to be human. A well done bit of cautionary tale. Enjoyable!

* "The Unconquered Country" -- An award-winner, but it has never done that much for me. Overly subtle?

2.0 out of 5 stars No 'Fan' of sci-fi., August 19, 2005

By 

S. Terry (OH CRAP.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unconquered Countries: Four Novellas (Hardcover)

Though wildly inventive, the elements of science fiction in this work feel grounded by humanity and spirituality. I still actively disliked almost all of the stories, though I was never disinterested in the fates of the characters. Ryman is an absorbing, daringly unconventional writer, with an anthology worth perusing just for a taste of the unique.

Why two stars, then? I think Ryman's works will find real appeal in only serious fans of the sociological and/or political science fiction genres. Unless you're just looking for novelty.