View from another shore: European science fiction

by Svend Åge Madsen, Herbert W. Franke, Adrian Rogoz, et al.

Book Overview

A second edition, with a completely new contextual introduction and other new material, of a superb selection (first published in 1973 and for long out of print) of some of the best science fiction... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0816491518
• ISBN13: 9780816491513
• Release Date: January 1973
• Publisher: Seabury Press
• Length: 234 Pages
• Weight: 0.98 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Excellent (if brief) introduction to European and Russian SF

It's hard to believe that this old collection of mostly good to great stories by various European and Russian writers from the 1960's to early 70's, with outstanding English translations, have had no reviews here. This is perhaps indicative of still how little attention is paid by the general SF community to works produced outside American and British territories -- and I speak as an American. SF is about expanding your horizon, not being comfortable and provincial about it, the very point made by the book's introduction... Ok, I admit that I haven't pay too much attention to foreign SF either before reading this collection, aside from past samplings of internationally well-known names like Lem and the Strugatskies. I expected the vast majority of foreign SF to be either too weird or too political or just derivative copycats of great English-language SF works, but this collection was an eye opener and suggests that there are many more great foreign SF to read out there than I had surmised. Most of these stories are well-crafted, inventive, explore universal themes, and wouldn't be out of place in any top-tier American or British periodicals or anthologies, yet still exude their own sense of view and vitality. My only complaint is that there are only 11 of them here, not enough to get a fully representative view of the SF richness that awaits on foreign soils -- although the introduction mentions and lists a good many other authors. (And let's hope that these were not the few gems in a mountain of slush, Sturgeon forbid.) I'll briefly summarize and review these 11 stories while trying not to spoil them too much: "In Hot Pursuit of Happiness", Stanislaw Lem (Poland). The longest story in the collection, one of Lem's Cyberiad stories -- a "sure" entry to start off with. Lem doesn't disappoint and is in top form here -- unless you prefer his more serious works like Solaris (which I thought dour and tedious). This is a fun and intricate romp on a cyberiad's attempts to construct a race which can exist with perfect happiness and the various material snags and philosophical mishaps he encounters. "The Valley of Echoes", Gerald Klein (France). Mood piece of a Mars exploration team that discovers a sonic relic caused by a freak geological feature, and the sad and ironic result from their fervent wish to make contact with the Martians. Short enough to be effectively haunting instead of just maudlin. "Observation of Quadragnes," J.P. Andrevon (France). The worst story in this collection, as it contains cliches and gaucheries and offensively sterotyped characterizations, especially about Americans (gee, what a suprise). Alien captures a male and female human for study, and the resulting angst and confusion to all parties. A rant on universal miscommunication perhaps -- narrated successively in Rashomon-style by the 3 characters -- and which likely also applies to the author. "The Good Ring," Svend Age Madsen (Denmark). Farmer miserable with his l