The Rediscovery of Man: The Complete Short Science Fiction of Cordwainer Smith

Cordwainer Smith; James A. Mann

ISBN 10: 0915368560 / ISBN 13: 9780915368563

Published by NESFA Press (edition First Edition), 1993

About this Item

With dust jacket. It's a well-cared-for item that has seen limited use. The item may show minor signs of wear. All the text is legible, with all pages included. It may have slight markings and/or highlighting.

Seller Inventory # 0915368560-11-1-29

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Rediscovery of Man: The Complete Short Science Fiction of Cordwainer Smith
• Publisher: NESFA Press (edition First Edition)
• Publication Date: 1993
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0915368560
• ISBN 13: 9780915368563
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: First Edition.
• Condition: Very Good
• Dust Jacket Condition: Dust Jacket Included

About this title

Synopsis

Includes 33 stories that represent Cordwainer Smiths entire SF works except for the novel Norstrilia. These stories are "classics" of the field such as "The Dead Lady of Clown Town," "The Game of Rat and Dragon," "Scanners Live in Vain," and "A Planet Named Shayol." Appearing for the first time in print are "Himself in Anachron" and the completely rewritten adult version of his high school story "War No. 81-Q." Introduction by John J. Pierce.

Reviews

Smith (real name: Paul M. A. Linebarger) is one of many underappreciated science fiction writers of the 1950s and '60s, and this hefty volume should help reinvigorate his reputation. Editor Mann has gathered all of Smith's published science fiction stories, as well as a rewritten version of "Ward 81-Q" and another piece, "Himself in Anachron" (completed by Genevieve Linebarger, the author's widow), which have never appeared in print before. The vast majority of the tales take place within the framework of a general future history later dubbed the Instrumentality of Mankind saga, whose linked but independent components include Smith's most famous pieces: "Scanners Live in Vain," "The Ballad of Lost C'mell," "Alpha Ralpha Boulevard" and "The Game of Rat and Dragon." This collection reveals Smith as a sophisticated, often poetic writer whose work stood out at a time when science fiction was still searching for its literary voice. The volume need not--indeed, should not--be read at one sitting: sampled like the vintage they are, these stories rank among the finest of their time, but guzzled all at once, they wear thin, and the prose grows less endearing. Nevertheless, it's thrilling to have them all preserved in a durable edition, so that future readers will be able to enjoy Smith's unique talent.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.