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Title: Norstrilia by Cordwainer Smith ISBN: 0-7434-5834-6 Publisher: I Books Pub. Date: 01 March, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $12.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.73 (15 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: Nostalgia or really great?
Comment: I intended to give this book 2 stars before reading the other reviews on this page, but now I'm not so sure. The other voices here are almost unanimous in their praise for Mr. Smith, and given my reaction to the book, I don't know whether they are all valid reviews or misplaced sentimentality for a childhood favorite.
I'm a great fan of SF, but I really didn't enjoy the book that much, mainly because of the problems mentioned in other reviews (disjoint plot, undeveloped ideas and characters, etc). Sure, it has some unique ideas, but not that unique. If you want to read some great books from the same time period or earlier, check out Philip K. Dick, or Clifford D. Simak, or Alfred Bester. I find their work to be more brilliant, much more developed, wittier, and at times even more strange.
I may have enjoyed Norstrilia if I were ten years younger (ah, to be young again), but at my age it just doesn't stand up to it's peers from the same time. However, I certainly didn't hate it, it just wasn't that appealing. Also, given the high praise Mr. Smith has received here and elsewhere (indeed, it has been recommended to me by many), it may be worth your time. Even I may read it again to see if I missed something special.
Rating: 4
Summary: Very Interesting, Very Bizzare, Recommended but not the best
Comment: I liked this book, and it was good enough that it deserves a second reading (its also short enough). Some times the story doesn't make sense, sometimes its just really too bizarre. But when you think about when it was written its just amazing to think of how ahead of his time the author was. I would have wished for the story to be more epic because the preface set you up for an epic story and some parts of the story didn't get as developed as they might have. This is mainly because the book has so many characters that it jumps back and forth between, that at points you expect more to be done with a certain character. I would have liked to see more be done with the space pirates which at first you think are going to be major players in the book but then are seemingly cast aside. And with all the villians in the novel the main character never really seems to be in much danger even though the author clearly wants you to believe that he is. Then there are of some stupid parts to the book. For instance, I thought that the old wise catman part was nonsence and never came accross as meaningful as it was suppose to be. Besides the flaws, I think this book has a really cool universe, which has many interesting, yet underdeveloped characters, and a lot of very strong questions on the human condition that seem suprising applicable in the present even though the book was written some 40 years ago. Probably the reason most people wish that the author would have written more novels is not because this is the greatest book ever (because its not) but because it offers so many excellent questions yet never develops itself to the point of answering them. While there are better novels out there this one is so unique, short, and easy to read that no true sci-fi fan has an excuse to not read it.
Rating: 5
Summary: The brilliance of Smith, forever in print
Comment: There's really no way to explain the brilliance of Cordwainer Smith's work; it's so different, so lyrical, and so completely refreshing even now, decades after his death. This is unique science fiction, but it really almost crosses over into fantasy.
What can I say? Try it, and I think you'll be hooked.
It's worth mentioning that Paul Linebarger (who wrote under the pen name of Cordwainer Smith) was the son of an American diplomat and a godson of pre-Communist Chinese leader Sun Yat Sen. He wrote a definite textbook on psychological warfare, among other things. He wrote mysteries as well, all unfortunately long out of print.
However, all of his science fiction has been made available PERMANENTLY by NESFA, the New England Science Fiction Association; "The Rediscovery of Man", a large hardcover collection of all of his short science fiction, and "Norstrilia" (which, by the way, is the name of the planet that the hero comes from, which was colonized by Australians and was originally called "Old North Australia"), his one novel. This is a definitive edition, including all the text from the two paperbacks that were originally released by hacking the original maniscript into two halves. This edition includes all linking text that was written just for the two separate editions, as well as the original version and all variants.
NESFA has announced that they have arranged to print new copies of these books on demand. They're quite high quality, too, well bound and printed on acid-free paper.
Incidentally, Smith's daughter has set up a web site about him and publishes a newsletter. P>Although nobody else is like Cordwainer Smith, for those who like him I'd highly recommend "Lord of Light" by Roger Zelazny and "Bridge of Birds" by Barry Hughart.
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Title: The Rediscovery of Man: The Complete Short Science Fiction of Cordwainer Smith by Cordwainer Smith, James A. Mann, John J. Pierce ISBN: 0915368560 Publisher: NESFA Press Pub. Date: December, 1993 List Price(USD): $25.00 |
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Title: Where Late The Sweet Birds Sang : A Novel by Kate Wilhelm ISBN: 0312866151 Publisher: Tor Books Pub. Date: 15 July, 1998 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester ISBN: 0679767819 Publisher: Vintage Pub. Date: 02 July, 1996 List Price(USD): $12.00 |
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Title: Transfinite: The Essential A. E. Van Vogt by A. E. Van Vogt, A. E. Van Vogt, Rick Katze, Joe Rico ISBN: 1886778345 Publisher: NESFA Press Pub. Date: April, 2003 List Price(USD): $29.00 |
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Title: Omega by Jack McDevitt ISBN: 0441010466 Publisher: Ace Books Pub. Date: 04 November, 2003 List Price(USD): $23.95 |
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