Carmen Miranda's Ghost Is Haunting Space Station 3 (Paperback)

by Sakers (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The inspiration for this anthology of 19 tongue-in-cheek science fiction stories is a song penned by one of the contributors, Leslie Fish, that imagines intergalactic extracorporeal shenanigans by Carmen Miranda and teasingly asks "what it means for the Human race / That ghosts of generations past are taking off for space." Answering this question are well-knowns, less-experienced writers and a couple of novices. The results are a mixed bag of whimsy, farce and melodrama--few entries are memorable but most furnish several laughs. The standouts are "If Madam Likes You . . . ," a sweetly romantic story by Anne McCaffrey; "Confessional Booths," a tale of spiritual hunger by Susan Shwartz; "In the Can," a daffy murder melodrama by Esther Friesner; and "The Entertainer," by Eric Blackburn, about a Scottish con man who finds a meal ticket in Carmen Miranda. Sakers wrote The Leaves of October.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description
Nineteen stories by nineteen authors, all based on one unforgettable image in a song by Leslie Fish: Carmen Miranda's Ghost is Haunting Space Station Three! Stories range from horror to romance to satire to...just plain silly. Authors include Anne McCaffrey, C.J. Cherryh, Leslie Fish, Esther Friesner, Susan Shwartz, Julia Ecklar, S.N. Lewitt, B.W. Clough, Melissa Scott, and Lisa A. Barnett. This volume would be a cult classic, if only a fitting cult could be found.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 305 pages
• Publisher: Baen (February 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671698648
• ISBN-13: 978-0671698645
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #219,360 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It Started with a Song . . ., May 18, 2002

By	Shanshad "shanachie_shadowfax" (Discworld) - See all my reviews

This is one of those books that is chiefly written for SF & Fantasy fandom by the SF& Fantasy fandom. As such, readers new to the genre may find it puzzling why anyone would love a book with such a strange title and theme chosen for its short stories. The origin of this anthology is a song written by famous filk (SF music, for those who are unfamiliar with the term) singer Leslie Fish. Apparently the song came about after "too much turkey and eggnog . . . and a table centerpiece decoration . . . and space age music on the hi-fi that just happened to swing into a rhumba". To get the full story, you'll have to read the Afterword in this anthology.

It's an unexpected anthology, with a wide range of tones and styles. "Provisional Solution" by B.W. Clough is a very light toned, lively take on the manifestation of Carmen and her trademark fruits. "Basket Case: Or:The Grapes of Wrath" by Bruce B. Barnett interprets the themes into a hard SF detective story with delightful success. Don Sakers, the editor of this anthology, has two short stories in this collection. The first is "The Man Who Travelled in Rocketships" a touching story that's meant as a memorial to Heinlen. The second is "Tarawa Rising" about an aging drag queen coming to terms with themselves with a little ghostly help. Other authors include, Anne McCaffrey, Esthner Friesner, C. J. Cherryh and, of course, the woman who started it all, Leslie Fish.

Why would anyone have 19 stories and a song about Carmen Miranda's ghost on a space station? SF writers having fun would have to be my main interpretation. And that's no bad thing, there are some brilliant stories within this anthology, some hysterical giggles, some thought provoking moments, and even some bittersweet memories. For the filksong fans, the sheet music for the song that Leslie Fish wrote is included at the end of the anthology. In some ways, I guess I'd say that this is sort of an in-joke anthology, since the folks most likely to pick it up are fans, but I highly reccomend it to any SF or Fantasy reader! Here's just a bit of Leslie's song:

"Carmen Miranda's Ghost is haunting
Space Station Three.
Half the staff has seen her,
plus the Portmaster and me.
And if you think we've had too much
Of Cookie's homemade rum,
Just tell me where these basket hats
of fruit keep coming from!"

Happy reading! ^_^ shanshad