Stable Strategies and Others (Paperback)

~ (Author), William Gibson (Introduction), Howard Waldrop (Afterword)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Beginning with "Stable Strategies for Middle Management," which addresses the matter of extreme modification of self for advancement in the corporate world, and concluding with the collaborative effort "Green Fire," which details the alternative careers of Robert Heinlein and Isaac Asimov, the stories in Gunn's first collection bespeak a first-rate writer with a knack for a certain timelessness. "Stable Strategies," first published in 1989, still sounds disturbingly likely. Equally perdurable seem such divergent and bizarre gems as "Ideologically Labile Fruit Crisp," a truly inclusive recipe from the Tiptree Bakesale Book; "The Sock Story," which considers the deeper implications of losing socks; and "Coming to Terms," an examination of the scraps and marginalia of a dead man's life. Besides Gunn's work, there are William Gibson's introduction to it, Michael Swanwick poetically cheering for it, and Howard Waldrop's closing words on Gunn's motley career and glacial writing pace. Regina Schroeder
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

". . .perfectly realized horror. . ." -- Stephen King, about “Spring Conditions”

"Corporate satire and Kafkaesque metamorphoses gleefully collide..." -- The Seattle Times

"Eileen Gunn has a barbed-wire-sharp mind. . .unsettling insight into the way the world works. . .a wicked sense of humor." -- Connie Willis, author of To Say Nothing of the Dog

"Gunn’s stories are in another league entirely. . ." -- Cory Doctorow, author of Eastern Standard Tribe and Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom

"Hugo-nominee Eileen Gunn's collection...showcases tales with fresh, unusual perspectives on ordinary life..." -- Publishers Weekly

"Very few writers have the range or impact of Eileen Gunn." -- Karen Joy Fowler, author of The Jane Austen Book Club

"When you read Gunn, you remember that short fiction can be spare, beautiful, and deadly." -- Kelly Link, co-editor of The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror and author of Stranger Things Happen

"…deceptively compact, explosive stories." -- SciFi.com

"…the stories in Gunn’s first collection bespeak a first-rate writer with a knack for a certain timelessness." -- Booklist

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Tachyon Publications; 1st THUS edition (September 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 189239118X
• ISBN-13: 978-1892391186
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #899,698 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of SF's least-prolific good writers...., December 15, 2004

By	Peter D. Tillman (Taos, NM USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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Eileen Gunn is surely one of SF's least-prolific good writers, having published all of eleven stories since her debut in 1978. Fortunately, they're all worthwhile, and some are brilliant -- such as the title story, "Stable Strategies for Middle Management" (1988, Hugo nominee), a novel view of the role of bioengineering in future corporate life, guaranteed to bring a smile. Then there's "Green Fire", cowritten with Michael Swanwick, Andy Duncan, and Pat Murphy, which is just terrific: a WW2 pulp burlesque, starring Isaac Asimov and Bob Heinlein, and featuring Tesla superscience, topless pirates, giant plesiosaurs, a kraken -- and a special guest appearance by Lord Quetzalcoatl! Great stuff. SF's best-ever 4-author story!

Her third "A" story, "Nirvana High" (with Leslie What), makes its first appearance here. The special-ed students at Cobain High have, well, *special* talents, and Gunn's sfnal look at high-school life ranks right up there with Suzy McKee Charnas' "B00BS" and Sharon Farber's "The Nostalginauts" . Top-notch story.

"Computer Friendly", a 1990 Hugo nominee, features 9-yr old Elizabeth "Lizardbreath", and how she saved her friends online and learned to spit. Cool, nerdy stuff, if a bit dated now.

And her first sale, "What Are Friends For?" (1978) is still a crackerjack -- I'd never seen it, and I'll bet you'll like it, too. Gunn notes that her check for $51.63, from Ted White's AMAZING, "came in someone else's SASE, with their name crossed out and mine scrawled in... I had hit the big time."

And there's more! Bottom line: 11 stories, 5 "A"s, 6 "B"s -- plus an "ideologically labile" recipe, and cool little Gunnophile goodies from Gibson, Swanwick, and Waldrop. "Open [the book] and be dazzled! -- JP Kelly's blurb, with a coverful of other nice blurbs, from Le Guin, Doctorow, Willis, and many more.


So, you owe it to yourself to check out Eileen Gunn's neat stories. As Michael Swanwick sings,

"Hooray for Eileen and her bully machine...
She's graced with a runcible style...
Lets all celebrate
Before it's too late...
Eileen! -- and her bully machine."

Happy reading--
Pete Tillman

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Gunn Canon At Last!, August 30, 2004

By	Rosa Lina - See all my reviews

I've been an Eileen Gunn fan for a long time and it's a treat to see her perceptive, witty stories collected for the first time. William Gibson's introduction, Howard Waldrop's afterword, and Eileen's own notes about each story add to the feeling that this unique collection was well worth the wait.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars At last!, at last!, October 10, 2004

By	P. Salus (Toronto, Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Eileen Gunn is one of the finest writers in any genre. Her
stories are full of wit, pith, allusion, and a lapidary placement
of words.

Because of these virtues, she writes slowly. (Howard Waldrop
claims she is the only person who produces more slowly than he.)

These stories are brilliant. With luck, Eileen will produce more.

A warning: these are not glib; read with care; and enjoy!