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A review by dee9401
Deep Space by Jack Vance, Harlan Ellison, Chad Oliver, Gordon R. Dickson, Robert Silverberg, A.E. van Vogt, Damon Knight, Terry Carr
4.0
A fun read I picked up at Autumn Leaves Used Books in Ithaca, NY. There are highs and lows in this collection of eight stories. The best story, hands down, was Damon Knight's "Ticket to Anywhere." Wow, just a fantastic novelette with nice buildup, good inner dialogue and a nice ending. It was like eating a fine meal, I was so satisfied when I finished it. I need to read more of his work. (Aside: His second wife, Kate Wilhelm, is one of my favorite SF writers of all time.)
I enjoyed Terry Carr's experimental story "The Dance of the Changer and the Three." It is definitely part of the New Wave movement in SF. I also liked Gordon R. Dickson's "Lulungomeena" novelette. It was a fun read though I thought a bit of a cop out at the end. Still, up until that moment, I enjoyed it.
A. E. van Vogt's story "Far Centaurus" started out strong but then fell with a weak ending, though perhaps I should be a little less harsh as it was written in the 40s. The psychology of the sleeper ship part of the story reminded me of some of the New Wave's focus on inner thoughts & the emotionally/psychological difficulties encountered. It reminded me a little, though without the grander scope, of Michael Moorcock's 1969 novel, The Black Corridor.
Of the others, I thought Chad Oliver's "Blood's a Rover" and Harlan Ellison's "Life Hutch" were good. I thought Robert Silverberg's "The Sixth Palace" was interesting and a good short story. I wasn't overly excited about Jack Vance's story "Noise", but maybe because it just never caught on in my head.
I enjoyed Terry Carr's experimental story "The Dance of the Changer and the Three." It is definitely part of the New Wave movement in SF. I also liked Gordon R. Dickson's "Lulungomeena" novelette. It was a fun read though I thought a bit of a cop out at the end. Still, up until that moment, I enjoyed it.
A. E. van Vogt's story "Far Centaurus" started out strong but then fell with a weak ending, though perhaps I should be a little less harsh as it was written in the 40s. The psychology of the sleeper ship part of the story reminded me of some of the New Wave's focus on inner thoughts & the emotionally/psychological difficulties encountered. It reminded me a little, though without the grander scope, of Michael Moorcock's 1969 novel, The Black Corridor.
Of the others, I thought Chad Oliver's "Blood's a Rover" and Harlan Ellison's "Life Hutch" were good. I thought Robert Silverberg's "The Sixth Palace" was interesting and a good short story. I wasn't overly excited about Jack Vance's story "Noise", but maybe because it just never caught on in my head.