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dee9401's review
4.0
I bought this collection primarily to get the Joanna Russ short story, "When It Changed". That story was excellent, yet again Russ delivers the goods. The introduction to this story by the editor, Harlan Ellison, was shockingly great (except for the closing, unnecessary sentence). If you are interested in more Russ, I loved her novel "We Who Are About To..." and her collection of essays "To Write Like A Woman: Essays in Feminism and Science Fiction", both of which I gave 5 stars. I have her novella "Souls" in my soon-to-be-read pile.
Ursula K. Le Guin's novella "The Word for World Is Forest" just blew me away. What writing, what a storyline. The very best of what science fiction can do in the hands of such talent.
Kate Wilhelm's "The Funeral" started slow and I didn't get it at first, but it blossomed and was such a great story. Nothing was tidy, nothing was simple, it was just great.
The above three entries warranted a 5 star review for this collection. But the rest of the stories were mediocre at best, awful at worst. So, I chose a 4 star review but underline Le Guin, Wilhelm and Russ.
Amazing, here are 3 fundamental science fiction writers, all women, all writing in the 60s and 70s (and beyond) and I hadn't heard of Wilhelm ever and only heard of Russ earlier this year. Le Guin I knew of but had only read one of her novels before, The Left Hand of Darkness, and I thought that was only ok (I liked her themes and topics, but didn't enjoy the story).
Ursula K. Le Guin's novella "The Word for World Is Forest" just blew me away. What writing, what a storyline. The very best of what science fiction can do in the hands of such talent.
Kate Wilhelm's "The Funeral" started slow and I didn't get it at first, but it blossomed and was such a great story. Nothing was tidy, nothing was simple, it was just great.
The above three entries warranted a 5 star review for this collection. But the rest of the stories were mediocre at best, awful at worst. So, I chose a 4 star review but underline Le Guin, Wilhelm and Russ.
Amazing, here are 3 fundamental science fiction writers, all women, all writing in the 60s and 70s (and beyond) and I hadn't heard of Wilhelm ever and only heard of Russ earlier this year. Le Guin I knew of but had only read one of her novels before, The Left Hand of Darkness, and I thought that was only ok (I liked her themes and topics, but didn't enjoy the story).
purplewurple's review
3.0
I've never read a short-story collection as uneven in quality as Again, Dangerous Visions 1. The bookend contributions make me feel a dumber, duller person for having read them, but there are real hits among the misses too. The Word for World is Forest is average for an Ursula K. Le Guin story, which means it might be the best of the bunch in this anthology. Although I think that honor should go to Bernard Wolfe for Monitored Dreams and Strategic Cremations, two splendidly written stories.
The concept of giving sci-fi writers a platform to write what most publishers wouldn't touch because it didn't fit the Star-Trek mold of "proper" sci-fi, is certainly intriguing. Unfortunately, the resulting critiques of 70's social and cultural norms were often blunt force trauma wrapped in the thinnest of story wrappings, and at other times just bad sci-fi on LSD spiked with gratuitous vulgarity.
If you pick this up, read the aforementioned stories by Le Guin and Bernard Wolfe, plus For Value Received by Andrew J. Offutt, The 10:00 Report is Brought to you by... by Edward Bryant, The Funeral by Kate Wilhelm, When it changed by Joanna Russ, Stoned Council by H. H. Holis, and skip everything else.
The concept of giving sci-fi writers a platform to write what most publishers wouldn't touch because it didn't fit the Star-Trek mold of "proper" sci-fi, is certainly intriguing. Unfortunately, the resulting critiques of 70's social and cultural norms were often blunt force trauma wrapped in the thinnest of story wrappings, and at other times just bad sci-fi on LSD spiked with gratuitous vulgarity.
If you pick this up, read the aforementioned stories by Le Guin and Bernard Wolfe, plus For Value Received by Andrew J. Offutt, The 10:00 Report is Brought to you by... by Edward Bryant, The Funeral by Kate Wilhelm, When it changed by Joanna Russ, Stoned Council by H. H. Holis, and skip everything else.
kevinwkelsey's review
3.0
Again, Dangerous Visions was split into two for its mass market paperback release in 1973. This first half contains a few knockout stories, some pretty good ones, and a lot of mediocre ones. At twice the length of the original [b:Dangerous Visions|600349|Dangerous Visions|Harlan Ellison|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1176167292s/600349.jpg|2758790], I can’t help but think that maybe Ellison should’ve trimmed the fat a little more here. One large book full of great stories beats two mediocre editions any day.
If I average my scores for each story, the collection ends up just slightly lower than 2.5 stars altogether. I’m rounding this up to 3, because the handful of terrific stories contained within—plus the unique opportunity for cultural examination of early 70s western social movements and politics through an SF lens—makes this a wholeheartedly worthwhile read, even in 2015.
The stories that either missed the mark for me, or don’t hold up anymore, seem to be those that valued shock over storytelling. What was shocking in the western world of 1972, isn’t always so 40+ years later. Good storytelling however, remains good storytelling.
Standouts:
The Word for World is Forest, by Ursula K. Le Guin
The Funeral, by Kate Wilhelm
When it Changed, by Joanna Russ
Monitored Dreams and Strategic Cremations, by Bernard Wolfe
Bottom of the Barrel:
Ching Witch, by Ross Rocklynne
Time Travel for Pedestrians, by Ray Nelson
King of the Hill, by Chad Oliver
Harry the Hare, by James B. Hemesath
Individual Story Reviews:
The Counterpoint of View, by John Heidenry: 1/5
Q: Who really wrote this story/essay, was it me The Author or you The Reader?
A: It was you, The (pretentious) Author. Somebody read Don Quixote recently. *sigh*
Ching Witch, by Ross Rocklynne: 1/5
Earth blows up, and it’s last remaining human goes to another planet to teach them various dances and live in luxury. Pointless, and meandering.
The Word for World is Forest: 5/5
Terrific novella, obviously influential to James Cameron's Avatar (which I now believe can be 100% constructed from elements of Old Man's War & The Word for World is Forest). Also very influential to the Ewoks in Return of the Jedi.
It's a moralistic story, and it had some insightful things to say about dangerous ideas entering the public consciousness. Basically, there is no going back. Here, specifically in relation to the concept of murder.
For Value Received, by Andrew J. Offutt: 3/5
A short little bit of absurdism, entertaining enough, but not particularly great.
Mathoms From the Time Closet, by Gene Wolfe: 2/5
I usually like Gene Wolfe a lot, but this was just two little pointless stories filled with pretentious bullshit, sandwiching one that was sort of fun, almost a mermaid tale in the sky.
Time Travel for Pedestrians, by Ray Nelson: 1/5
Weird little hallucination of a story.
Christ, Old Student in a New School, by Ray Bradbury: 3/5
A poem, not sure the meaning exactly but it seemed to allude to mankind imprisoning itself through religion.
King of the Hill, by Chad Oliver: 1/5
This story tried way, way too hard and failed absolutely to be dangerous or remotely visionary.
The 10:00 Report is Brought to you by..., by Edward Bryant: 4/5
While it was overly obvious from the first couple pages what was going on, it was still a deeply disturbing vision of the possible future of journalism in a society like ours that fetishizes suffering as a spectator sport.
The Funeral, by Kate Wilhelm: 5/5
Another deeply disturbing story, but it had a genuine point to make, and it made it well.
Harry the Hare, by James B. Hemesath: 1/5
Totally pointless. Soapbox opinion bullshit about cartoons and copyrights. Literary equivalent of Old Man Yells at Cloud.
When it changed, by Joanna Russ: 5/5
Terrific. I need to track down more of her work. Very impressed with this one.
The Big Space Fuck, by Kurt Vonnegut: 3/5
Yep, it's weird and Vonneguty all right.
Bounty, by T. L. Sherred: 2/5
Too self congratulatory. Not dangerous or visionary.
Still-life, by K. M. O'Donnell: 1/5
Terrible. Skip it.
Stoned Council, by H. H. Holis: 3/5
Lawyers do a ton of drugs and then battle their cases out with their minds. Sort of a proto cyberpunk story. Original at least.
Monitored Dreams and Strategic Cremations, by Bernard Wolfe: 5/5
This is really two stories, 1. The Bisquit Position, 2. The Girl with Rapid Eye Movements. They're both excellent, and exactly the kind of stories I was looking for in this collection. Vietnam social commentary, with some slight SF backings.
With a Finger in My I, by David Gerrold: 3/5
Very nearly a bedtime story; a comedy of errors and literal/figurative mix ups. Some social commentary about belief, and self fulfilling prophesy as well.
In The Barn, by Piers Anthony: 2/5
I get it, I do.. but it's cliche even by 70s standards.
If I average my scores for each story, the collection ends up just slightly lower than 2.5 stars altogether. I’m rounding this up to 3, because the handful of terrific stories contained within—plus the unique opportunity for cultural examination of early 70s western social movements and politics through an SF lens—makes this a wholeheartedly worthwhile read, even in 2015.
The stories that either missed the mark for me, or don’t hold up anymore, seem to be those that valued shock over storytelling. What was shocking in the western world of 1972, isn’t always so 40+ years later. Good storytelling however, remains good storytelling.
Standouts:
The Word for World is Forest, by Ursula K. Le Guin
The Funeral, by Kate Wilhelm
When it Changed, by Joanna Russ
Monitored Dreams and Strategic Cremations, by Bernard Wolfe
Bottom of the Barrel:
Ching Witch, by Ross Rocklynne
Time Travel for Pedestrians, by Ray Nelson
King of the Hill, by Chad Oliver
Harry the Hare, by James B. Hemesath
Individual Story Reviews:
The Counterpoint of View, by John Heidenry: 1/5
Q: Who really wrote this story/essay, was it me The Author or you The Reader?
A: It was you, The (pretentious) Author. Somebody read Don Quixote recently. *sigh*
Ching Witch, by Ross Rocklynne: 1/5
Earth blows up, and it’s last remaining human goes to another planet to teach them various dances and live in luxury. Pointless, and meandering.
The Word for World is Forest: 5/5
Terrific novella, obviously influential to James Cameron's Avatar (which I now believe can be 100% constructed from elements of Old Man's War & The Word for World is Forest). Also very influential to the Ewoks in Return of the Jedi.
It's a moralistic story, and it had some insightful things to say about dangerous ideas entering the public consciousness. Basically, there is no going back. Here, specifically in relation to the concept of murder.
For Value Received, by Andrew J. Offutt: 3/5
A short little bit of absurdism, entertaining enough, but not particularly great.
Mathoms From the Time Closet, by Gene Wolfe: 2/5
I usually like Gene Wolfe a lot, but this was just two little pointless stories filled with pretentious bullshit, sandwiching one that was sort of fun, almost a mermaid tale in the sky.
Time Travel for Pedestrians, by Ray Nelson: 1/5
Weird little hallucination of a story.
Christ, Old Student in a New School, by Ray Bradbury: 3/5
A poem, not sure the meaning exactly but it seemed to allude to mankind imprisoning itself through religion.
King of the Hill, by Chad Oliver: 1/5
This story tried way, way too hard and failed absolutely to be dangerous or remotely visionary.
The 10:00 Report is Brought to you by..., by Edward Bryant: 4/5
While it was overly obvious from the first couple pages what was going on, it was still a deeply disturbing vision of the possible future of journalism in a society like ours that fetishizes suffering as a spectator sport.
The Funeral, by Kate Wilhelm: 5/5
Another deeply disturbing story, but it had a genuine point to make, and it made it well.
Harry the Hare, by James B. Hemesath: 1/5
Totally pointless. Soapbox opinion bullshit about cartoons and copyrights. Literary equivalent of Old Man Yells at Cloud.
When it changed, by Joanna Russ: 5/5
Terrific. I need to track down more of her work. Very impressed with this one.
The Big Space Fuck, by Kurt Vonnegut: 3/5
Yep, it's weird and Vonneguty all right.
Bounty, by T. L. Sherred: 2/5
Too self congratulatory. Not dangerous or visionary.
Still-life, by K. M. O'Donnell: 1/5
Terrible. Skip it.
Stoned Council, by H. H. Holis: 3/5
Lawyers do a ton of drugs and then battle their cases out with their minds. Sort of a proto cyberpunk story. Original at least.
Monitored Dreams and Strategic Cremations, by Bernard Wolfe: 5/5
This is really two stories, 1. The Bisquit Position, 2. The Girl with Rapid Eye Movements. They're both excellent, and exactly the kind of stories I was looking for in this collection. Vietnam social commentary, with some slight SF backings.
With a Finger in My I, by David Gerrold: 3/5
Very nearly a bedtime story; a comedy of errors and literal/figurative mix ups. Some social commentary about belief, and self fulfilling prophesy as well.
In The Barn, by Piers Anthony: 2/5
I get it, I do.. but it's cliche even by 70s standards.
keyreads's review
4.0
This is a science fiction classic short story of a human colony solely of women after a plague destroys the male race.
Very enjoyable!!
Very enjoyable!!
"Take my life away but don't take the meaning of my life. For-A-While"
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