Scan barcode
ashleigh_nicole's review
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
nwhyte's review against another edition
http://nhw.livejournal.com/1070298.html[return][return]I got this Wyndham collection a couple of years ago, not sure if I had already read it. Well, I had read the best known stories from it - "Survival", "Pawley's Peepholes" and "Dumb Martian" - but not the other seven as far as I can remember. Wyndham claims in his introduction to have been trying to avoid the clich
linda_edwards's review
4.0
10 great science fiction stories. Favourite ones were - Chronoclasm, Survival, Pawley's People and Opposite Number.
octavia_cade's review against another edition
3.0
I tend to like Wyndham's novels better than his short fiction, but this was still an enjoyable read. The stand-out story was, I think, "Survival", which is deeply, utterly horrifying. The final image is one of the creepiest I've ever come across in science fiction. Runner-up was "Dumb Martian", which I enjoyed primarily because the nasty, abusive protagonist gets exactly what he deserves. The remaining stories are competent but unmemorable. Still, worth reading if only for "Survival".
hayesstw's review against another edition
4.0
In my youth I liked John Wyndham's science fiction stories, and when I picked this one off a dusty shelf to catalogue it on GoodReads, I decided to re-read it before putting it back. [b:The seeds of time|91091|The Seeds Of Time|John Wyndham|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171226404s/91091.jpg|2467904] is a collection of short stories, and I had forgotten some of them, and had only vague memories of the rest, so it was almost like reading them for the first time. And I enjoyed them just as much as when I first read them some 40-50 years ago.
And that made me wonder.
When I was in my teens and twenties I read quite a lot of science fiction, both short stories and full-length novels. Now I hardly read any. On the rare occasions that I browse the science-fiction shelves of book shops I usually don't come away with anything. On the even rarer occasions when I have bought recently-published science-fiction, I've usually been bored, and abandoned the book.
Have I changed, or has the genre changed?
At first I thought that I had lost my youthful taste for science-fiction, and that it was probably something one grew out of, but re-reading these stories by [a:John Wyndham|36332|John Wyndham|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1226458809p2/36332.jpg] showed me that that isn't the case. So the genre must have changed, or everything that can be said has already been said and the new stuff is just boring repetition. Or else, most likely, popular culture has moved on and left me behind. What a drag it is getting old, as the Rolling Stones (anyone remember them?) used to sing.
And that made me wonder.
When I was in my teens and twenties I read quite a lot of science fiction, both short stories and full-length novels. Now I hardly read any. On the rare occasions that I browse the science-fiction shelves of book shops I usually don't come away with anything. On the even rarer occasions when I have bought recently-published science-fiction, I've usually been bored, and abandoned the book.
Have I changed, or has the genre changed?
At first I thought that I had lost my youthful taste for science-fiction, and that it was probably something one grew out of, but re-reading these stories by [a:John Wyndham|36332|John Wyndham|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1226458809p2/36332.jpg] showed me that that isn't the case. So the genre must have changed, or everything that can be said has already been said and the new stuff is just boring repetition. Or else, most likely, popular culture has moved on and left me behind. What a drag it is getting old, as the Rolling Stones (anyone remember them?) used to sing.
johno's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting collection of short sci fi stories. It feels a little dated and 1950s esque at times, but it's a product of its time.
innerweststreetlibrarian's review
4.0
I really enjoyed these stories. They remind me of PKD without the drug induced psychosis elements. I do find the inherent misogyny and racism (against Martians) a bit hard to take but they are a product of their time. Definitely worth a look if you fancy some vintage science fiction.
cheshirematt's review against another edition
3.0
I averaged out all of the stars I gave on each story. This was an okay book, but I didn't feel like I needed to read it. Still, interesting piece of literature.