Customer Reviews

When the People Fell

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This is the second book in the Baen release of the collected works of Cordwainer Smith, pen name of Paul Linebarger. This volume contains the stories that deal with the Instrumentality of Mankind. A fascinating prolog by Frederik Pohl provides some background into the life of the author and the basis for the stories.

Some of my favorite --but less well known-- works are included, including "No, No, Not Rogov!" and the revised version of "War No. 81-Q."

In addition to the Instrumentality stories, the last six chapters include miscellaneous stories that don't fit into the universe created for the main. Included in this area is the original version of "War No. 81-Q" and the truly amusing "Western Science Is So Wonderful."

I can heartily recommend this collection as a necessary addition to the previous release We the Underpeople.

Set centuries in the future, Cordwainer Smith's WHEN THE PEOPLE FELL tells of a new dark age on Earth, following global war, and then a civilization of colonists who arise to journey to the stars. These colonists use ships with big sails, cruising on waves of starlight and journeying faster than light - and fight against mind-eating creatures who lurk in space. A sweeping epic saga of this fantastic universe makes for a riveting drama perfect for science fiction fans of futuristic societies.