Saturday 26 May 2012

THE BEST OF FRITZ LEIBER: 1944 - 1970

Sidgewick & Jackson hardback, 1974.
Cover artist uncredited, very likely Tony Roberts (thanks: Ed, Jeff).

"FRITZ LEIBER began writing science fiction in the 1940s and, to the delight of his fans, is still going strong. Leiber succeeds in blending fantasy and science fiction in superbly readable fashion. This collection demonstrates the development of his fascinating talent. 
The collection includes Gonna Roll The Bones - Joe Slattermill knew he could roll dice better than any man in Night Town. But then he played against the Big Gambler. 
The Big Trek - He didn't know where he was or how he got there. But he did know he shouldn't be able to understand the creatures he met. 
This anthology includes a complete bibliography and an introduction by Fritz Leiber."  
Contents: 
Sanity
Wanted - An Enemy
The Man Who Never Grew Young
The Ship Sails at Midnight
The Enchanted Forest
Coming Attraction
Poor Superman
A Pail of Air
The Foxholes of Mars
The Big Holiday
The Night He Cried
The Big Trek
Space-Time for Springers
Try and Change the Past
A Deskful of Girls
Rump-Titty-Titty-Tum-Tah-Tee
Little Old Miss Macbeth
Mariana
The Man Who Made Friends With Electricity
The Good New Days
Gonna Roll the Bones
America the Beautiful

Tuesday 8 May 2012

THE FADED SUN TRILOGY

Methuen paperback, 1988. Cover illustration: Gino D'Arcille.

"THE FADED SUN 
shows C. J. Cherryh at her awesome best. A trilogy of epic scale, published for the first time in one volume, The Faded Sun plots the fates of three individuals against a vast background of war, alliance and treachery across the stars. 
Two are members of a far-flung people, the mri-mercenary explorers and warriors, and currently deadly enemies of humanity. But with Melein, their last priestess-queen, and Niun, last of the true-bred warriors, is a human: Sten Duncan, who has renounced his own loyalty to serve them. They set off on a quest for the half-legendary mri-planet Kutath. 
Around this trio, mighty actions swing, and great destinies hang in the balance. C. J. Cherryh proves herself yet again to be an imaginative writer of exceptional power and invention."