Theodore Sturgeon
Paperback | Pages: 387 pages Rating: 4 | 412 Users | 40 Reviews
List Based On Books The Complete Stories of Theodore Sturgeon, Volume 1: The Ultimate Egoist (The Complete Stories of Theodore Sturgeon #1)
| Title | : | The Complete Stories of Theodore Sturgeon, Volume 1: The Ultimate Egoist (The Complete Stories of Theodore Sturgeon #1) |
| Author | : | Theodore Sturgeon |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Special Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 387 pages |
| Published | : | November 12th 1998 by North Atlantic Books (first published February 1995) |
| Categories | : | Science Fiction. Short Stories. Fiction. Fantasy. Horror |
Description In Favor Of Books The Complete Stories of Theodore Sturgeon, Volume 1: The Ultimate Egoist (The Complete Stories of Theodore Sturgeon #1)
The Ultimate Egoist, the first volume of The Complete Stories of Theodore Sturgeon, contains the late author's earliest work, written from 1937 to 1940. Although Sturgeon's reach was limited to the lengths of the short story and novelette, his influence was strongly felt by even the most original science fiction stylists, including Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, and Gene Wolfe, each of whom contributes a laudatory foreword. The more than 40 stories here showcase Sturgeon's masterful knack with clever, O. Henry-ish plot twists, sparkling character development, and almost archetypal, why didn't I think of that? story ideas. Early Sturgeon masterpieces include "It," about the violence done by a creature spontaneously born from garbage and mud, and "Helix the Cat," about an inventor's bizarre encounter with a disembodied soul and the cat that saves it. Sturgeon's unique genius is timelessly entertaining.Table of Contents:
Forewords by Ray Bradbury,
Arthur C. Clarke, and Gene Wolfe
Stories:
Heavy Insurance
The Heart
Cellmate
Fluffy
Alter Ego (prev unpub)
Mailed Through a Porthole
A Noose of Light (prev unpub)
Strangers on a Train (prev unpub)
Accidentally on Porpoise
The Right Line (prev unpub)
Golden Day
Permit Me My Gesture
Watch My Smoke
The Other Cheek
Extraordinary Seamen
One Sick Kid
His Good Angel
Some People Forget
A God in a Garden
Fit for a King
Ex-Bachelor Extract
East is East
Three People (prev unpub)
Eyes of Blue
Ether Breather
Her Choice
Cajun Providence
Strike Three (prev unpub)
Contact!
The Call
Helix the Cat
To Shorten Sale
Thanksgiving Again (prev unpub)
Bianca's Hands
Derm Fool
He Shuttles
Turkish Delight
Niobe
The Long Arm
The Man on the Steps
Punctuational Advice
A Place of Honor
The Ultimate Egoist
It
Butyl and the Breather
Look Around You (poem)
Mahout
Present Books Conducive To The Complete Stories of Theodore Sturgeon, Volume 1: The Ultimate Egoist (The Complete Stories of Theodore Sturgeon #1)
| Original Title: | The Ultimate Egoist |
| ISBN: | 1556432992 (ISBN13: 9781556432996) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Series: | The Complete Stories of Theodore Sturgeon #1 |
Rating Based On Books The Complete Stories of Theodore Sturgeon, Volume 1: The Ultimate Egoist (The Complete Stories of Theodore Sturgeon #1)
Ratings: 4 From 412 Users | 40 ReviewsComment On Based On Books The Complete Stories of Theodore Sturgeon, Volume 1: The Ultimate Egoist (The Complete Stories of Theodore Sturgeon #1)
About 50-50 In terms of worthiness.I can never put down one of Sturgeon's stories without pondering it for a long time after.
It's very difficult not to give this book a 5-star rating, as it is absolutely essential to developing a thorough understanding of this Science Fiction Grandmaster's life & work. The presence (nearly 50% of the book) of so many of Sturgeon's early non-SF stories -- short-shorts written for a newspaper syndicate, with subject matter that encompasses personal relationships and events drawn from his time spent in the merchant marines -- dilutes the strength and impact of this first volume to a
I received The Ultimate Egoist: The Complete Stories of Theodore Sturgeon - Volume 1 for Christmas last year & finally dug it out of the TBR pile.Even though I consider Sturgeon to be an SF writer, the majority of the short stories in this collection don't really fit that category. He was writing for several mainstream sources early in his career, and they often gave him topics upon which to write. There are quite a few romantically themed stories (probably written for the female market) and
I'm giving this book FIVE STARS in one sense and only TWO STARSin another sense.So, five stars because it's great that there is this magnificently done huge 13 book long series of the Complete Stories of Theodore Sturgeon. Along with five or six other SF writers, he deserves nothing less. Also, it's done with love and care - the story notes at the back are delightfully comprehensive. Really great stuff.Now the two stars. I read the first nine stories here and only one of them wasn't a turkey.
Despite having a few good ideas in here, and the amazing story It , most of the stories here are pretty subpar.
I've been excited by the prospect of this book for quite some time. Imagine all the Sturgeon short stories collected in a series of volumes, and not just the ones that were published or previously collected, but all of them. Edited and with notes, to top it off, by that most meticulous of literary executors, Paul Williams (the man behind the Collected Philip K. Dick). Unfortunately, Sturgeon never attracted the same fanaticism that Dick did, and this project was on shaky ground for some time.
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