Benchmarks: Galaxy Bookshelf

by Algis Budrys

Over the years since 1965, Algis Budrys has emerged as the leading critic of mod­ern speculative fiction: insightful, ec­lectic, and notoriously uninhibited. Benchmarks collects the material that started it--all 54 Galaxy Bookshelf book-review columns Budrys created for the now-vanished Galaxy Magazine. Writ­ten for what was then the world's leading SF periodical, these legendary summa­tions and summary judgments coincided...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0809311879
• ISBN13: 9780809311873
• Release Date: April 1985
• Publisher: Southern Illinois University Press
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

A classic of SF reviews

AJ Budrys had marvelous insight into what made a good book. This collection of his critiques is instructive both to readers and writers. Glad to have it on our bookshelf.

Great books, & great advice for would-be writers

BENCHMARKS is a brilliant book of insightful, incisive, even FUNNY 30-year-old science fiction book reviews originally published in the pages of late, lamented GALAXY magazine. Budrys takes close looks at SF classics like Frank Herbert's DUNE, John Brunner's STAND ON ZANZIBAR, Ursula LeGuin's LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS, Philip K. Dick's THREE STIGMATA OF PALMER ELDRITCH, Larry Niven's RINGWORLD, Roger Zelazny's CREATURES OF LIGHT & DARKNESS, ISLE OF THE DEAD, & LORD OF LIGHT, Samuel R. Delany's EINSTEIN INTERSECTION & NOVA, Harlan Ellison's DANGEROUS VISIONS anthology, & 100's more, plus great overlooked classics -- & shows not only how & why these books succeed (or fail), but passes on priceless advice to would-be SF writers, & snapshots of how it felt 2 B an SF writer 30 years ago. A MUST 4 NE serious SF reader or writer! Budrys was the best book reviewer of his time in the SF magazines of the late 60's, late 70's & early 80s. 2 bad he isn't still reviewing, the modern SF scene could use the input....