Magic: The Final Fantasy Collection

A collection of original short fantasy stories assembles previously uncollected tales, stories about the two-centimeter demon Azazel, several fairy tales, and a humorous adventure about Batman's old age

Fantasy wasn't Asimov's forte, but that's not to say that this lightweight, posthumous gathering of previously uncollected stories and essays won't amuse casual readers and please the completist. The fiction here, mostly satirical, resembles Asimov's SF, depending on a clever idea that is clearly presented in a well-built story. Most of the stories concern George and his demon (or perhaps extradimensional alien) servant Azazel, whose plans to help George's friends always go awry. The book also contains two modern fairy tales, as well as a Black Widowers piece that barely qualifies as fantasy. Overall, the nonfiction holds up better, dealing with topics from unicorns to symbolism; many of the essays comment on, or provide context for, the stories. There's some criticism, too, and despite his dislike of critics, Asimov himself proves a capable one as he analyzes the work of, among others, Robert E. Howard, L. Sprague de Camp, J.R.R. Tolkien and, of greatest interest, himself.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

"Final" volumes of the prolific Asimov's various works probably will be forthcoming for some time yet but should always be considered seriously because of the number of his admirers who want to read all of his work. This final collection is, like Caesar's Gaul, divided in three parts. One consists of short fiction, mostly the George and Azazel stories, which are always good fun and sometimes wry takeoffs on familiar fairy tales. In the second are essays on the raw materials of fantasy (magic, legend, folklore, etc.) and a moving tribute to the late Judy-Lynn Del Rey, cofounder of Del Rey Books. The third is made up of essays, too, this time on the techniques of fantasy writing as Asimov sees them; as always, his views may raise some hackles among fantasy writers and fans but will seldom bore them. Roland Green