Reviews

The General Zapped an Angel by Howard Fast

timinbc's review

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4.0

Eh, it's as good as many other collections, if a bit skimpy.
If you allow for their age, they're fine, and a couple stand out.

I left with the feeling that a smart guy saw an idea and immediately expresssed his thoughts on it in a short story, and that if you threw 50 more concepts at him you'd have 50 more stories by the end of the month.

Best of all, the writing always feels effortless and non-intrusive, with a consistent style.

jwelbourn's review against another edition

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dark reflective

4.25

readingintheether's review against another edition

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2.0

2.5
Some stories were much better than others in my opinion. I think as far as short story collections go, there is better out there.

bookeared's review against another edition

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inspiring reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.25

elisteixner's review against another edition

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  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.5

lindsaym404's review against another edition

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5.0

So good. Timely even though it was written bso long ago.

zhongxia's review against another edition

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medium-paced

3.0

stephanoelle's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

snood's review

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4.0

Finally, I find a short story collection with no stories that I hate! The worst this book does is be confusing or dull.

I found the title story and The Mohawk the worst since both seemed pointless as well as uninteresting.

Gems of the collection include The Mouse, The Vision of Milty Boil, and The Movie House for being thought provoking and bizarre in all the ways I hoped for.

drewsof's review against another edition

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4.0

Great speculative 70s stuff. Fast is one of those characters I wish I'd known about sooner -- jailed for not naming names to HUAC, writer of SPARTACUS, and (judging from this collection) a fascinatingly prolific writer. The stories in here are definitely classic speculative stories, with wry twists or blatant commentary on humanity. I'm so pleased Ecco reprinted this collection; now it's time to find more!