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Alchemy and Academe
An enchanting collection of tales, enchantments, things magical and strange, devils and demons, professors of potent powers, witchcraft and wizardry, and more. Master fantasy writer Anne McCaffrey has chosen 20 short tales and poems of wonder and awe, written by the finest writers of fantasy today, including Robert Silverberg, L. Sprague de Camp, R. A. Lafferty, Gene Wolfe, Carol Emshwiller, Sonya Dorman, and others.
Contents: Foreword / Anne McCaffrey — The dance of the solids / John Updike — A mess of porridge / Sonya Dorman — The Institute / Carol Emshwiller — Condillac’s statue / R. A. Lafferty — The sorcerers / L. Sprague de Camp — The weed of time / Norman Spinrad — Night and the loves of Joe Dicostanzo / Samuel R. Delany — Come up and see me / Daphne Castell — Shut the last door / Joe Hensley — Big Sam / Avram Davidson — More light / James Blish — The man who could not see devils / Joanna Russ — The Key to Out / Betsy Curtis — Ringing the changes / Robert Silverberg — In a quart of water / David Telfair — Morning-glory / Gene Wolfe — Ascension: a workday arabesque / Virginia Kidd — The Devil you don’t / Keith Laumer — The triumphant head / Josephine Saxton — Mainchance / Peter Tate
Contents: Foreword / Anne McCaffrey — The dance of the solids / John Updike — A mess of porridge / Sonya Dorman — The Institute / Carol Emshwiller — Condillac’s statue / R. A. Lafferty — The sorcerers / L. Sprague de Camp — The weed of time / Norman Spinrad — Night and the loves of Joe Dicostanzo / Samuel R. Delany — Come up and see me / Daphne Castell — Shut the last door / Joe Hensley — Big Sam / Avram Davidson — More light / James Blish — The man who could not see devils / Joanna Russ — The Key to Out / Betsy Curtis — Ringing the changes / Robert Silverberg — In a quart of water / David Telfair — Morning-glory / Gene Wolfe — Ascension: a workday arabesque / Virginia Kidd — The Devil you don’t / Keith Laumer — The triumphant head / Josephine Saxton — Mainchance / Peter Tate
271 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 1970
About the author
Anne McCaffrey
482 books7,483 followersAnne Inez McCaffrey was an American writer known for the Dragonriders of Pern science fiction series. She was the first woman to win a Hugo Award for fiction (Best Novella, Weyr Search, 1968) and the first to win a Nebula Award (Best Novella, Dragonrider, 1969). Her 1978 novel The White Dragon became one of the first science-fiction books to appear on the New York Times Best Seller list.
In 2005 the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America named McCaffrey its 22nd Grand Master, an annual award to living writers of fantasy and science fiction. She was inducted by the Science Fiction Hall of Fame on 17 June 2006. She also received the Robert A. Heinlein Award for her work in 2007.
In 2005 the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America named McCaffrey its 22nd Grand Master, an annual award to living writers of fantasy and science fiction. She was inducted by the Science Fiction Hall of Fame on 17 June 2006. She also received the Robert A. Heinlein Award for her work in 2007.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
August 13, 2019
Anne McCaffrey has put together an interesting if fairly random collection of stories. Despite the wide-ranging subtitle, there really isn't a common thread to these stories other than they are generally well written. The collection surprised me by starting out with a poem by John Updike which was previously published in Scientific American. Entitled "The Dance of the Solids" it holds closer to the theme of the collection more than the rest of the stories.
I was drawn to the collection by the inclusion of James Blish's "More Light", a critical work in the evolution of King in Yellow mythology of Bierce, Chambers, and, of course, H. P. Lovecraft. Blish handles the material with both respect and humor, and delivers a successful Hastur tale and adds to the legendary horror.
Other stories of note for me included Norman Spinrad's "The Weed of Time", a tale of a mind-altering herb, Avram Davidson's "Big Sam", a rural love story, David Telfair's "In a Quart of Water", an alchemic tale set in a lightly disguised Swanee University, and Peter Tate's "Mainchance", an AI-human science fiction story. All told there are twenty stories and poems in the book and they are all good in their various ways. There are many heavy hitters in the group including Samuel R. Delany, Robert Silverberg, L. Sprague De Camp, and Keith Laumer whose pieces might strike your fancy!
I was drawn to the collection by the inclusion of James Blish's "More Light", a critical work in the evolution of King in Yellow mythology of Bierce, Chambers, and, of course, H. P. Lovecraft. Blish handles the material with both respect and humor, and delivers a successful Hastur tale and adds to the legendary horror.
Other stories of note for me included Norman Spinrad's "The Weed of Time", a tale of a mind-altering herb, Avram Davidson's "Big Sam", a rural love story, David Telfair's "In a Quart of Water", an alchemic tale set in a lightly disguised Swanee University, and Peter Tate's "Mainchance", an AI-human science fiction story. All told there are twenty stories and poems in the book and they are all good in their various ways. There are many heavy hitters in the group including Samuel R. Delany, Robert Silverberg, L. Sprague De Camp, and Keith Laumer whose pieces might strike your fancy!
August 12, 2016
I've set myself a goal of reading a collection of short stories each month this year, picking one to analyse, and writing a short story using what I've learned. This is the first anthology I chose.
I did so because I vaguely remembered that it had an excellent story in it, from when I read it many, many years ago. However, I think I must have been confusing it with another collection (possibly McCaffrey's own single-author anthology, Get Off the Unicorn). For the most part, despite the prominent names in the bylines, I found these stories dull, muddled and pretentious, self-consciously transgressive (Dangerous Visions came out around the time the call for contributors for this one went out) and without much in the way of structure or direction. Since story structure is exactly what I'm trying to study, this was the wrong anthology for my purposes.
I was surprised in the Samuel Delaney story to see the word "proscribed" used when the author meant "prescribed" (the two words have opposite meanings). It's not beyond the bounds of possibility that this was originally correct and was changed by McCaffrey, who was a shocker for homonyms, but it's a glaring error in either case. Otherwise, I only noticed a couple of minor typos.
I'll say a little about each of the stories now (omitting the poems). The theme was magic and academic institutions, which these days immediately makes us think of Harry Potter, but this was 1970 and he was still far in the future.
Sonya Dorman's "A Mess of Porridge" depicts the advent of a six-year-old girl to a remote university staffed mostly by old men. It's a slice-of-life story showing the ineffectuality of the academics and their habitual indecisiveness, and was very mildly amusing.
Carol Emshwiller's "The Institute" concerns an educational institution for old ladies. It doesn't go anywhere I found particularly interesting, and isn't so much a story as an exploration of thoughts.
R.A. Lafferty's "Condillac's Statue" is political, reflecting on revolution, property and philosophy. It had a bit more story, but the story was mainly an excuse to talk about the ideas.
Norman Spinrad's "The Weed of Time" has a basic premise (a drug which, when ingested, changes the perception of time so that the user is simultaneously aware of every moment in his lifetime, and always has been) that is explored in far too many repetitive words, again without much attempt at story. There are events, but rather by the nature of the idea there isn't a beginning, middle and end.
Samuel R. Delaney's "Night and the Loves of Joe Dicostanzo" also has events, but there's a kind of dream logic going on, and the story is incoherent and inconclusive. Everyone is desperate and alienated, and it's all beautifully portrayed but ultimately pointless.
Daphne Castell's "Come Up and See Me" was the first story I started skipping through, and the second (after the Emshwiller) that I had to look up to remind myself what it was about in order to write this review. It's weird horror of a sort, full of one-dimensional characters with no agency.
Joe Hensley's "Shut the Last Door" I also skipped through. Kid dealing with poverty and disability discovers he can kill people by hating them. Decides he has to hate himself in case he accidentally destroys the world. It's a Twilight Zone premise, but the execution bored me. (I had to look that one up too.)
Avram Davidson's "Big Sam" has a more conventional story structure, though I again needed to remind myself of what it was about. Couple meets and marries in a small town. He has a secret. The secret is revealed at the end, and isn't terrible.
James Blish's "More Light" hooks onto Lovecraft, quoting from some fictional letters that he wrote to one of the characters. There's a play that another writer associated with Lovecraft wrote, a piece from within that other writer's fiction that he took the time to create in full but never published, and Lovecraft forwarded a copy of it to the narrator's friend many years before. Though the narrator keeps pointing out that it's not very good and is very much of its time, it nevertheless has a sinister effect when read. Not a bad story, but the matter-of-fact modern setting and language (and the narrator's skeptical and critical attitude) rather work against the concept.
Joanna Russ's "The Man Who Could Not See Devils" is one of the best stories in the collection, in my opinion, though you'll have gathered that this isn't a high bar. Young man is unique in his culture in that he can't see (or be affected by) the supernatural, and therefore isn't afraid to go out at night. He's recruited by a group of thieves. Closing, anachronistic reflection, by him (he's the narrator), about how natural selection may lead to his (dis)ability spreading through the population in the future until nobody can see the supernatural and it's regarded as legendary.
Betsy Curtis's "The Key to Out" is a dimension-hopping bar story. Not a bad piece of play with the concept of being able to switch with alternate-reality versions of yourself.
Robert Silverberg's "Ringing the Changes" I had to look up to remind myself, though it is one of the more successful stories. The premise is recreational body-switching, by technological means, and it's not really a fit for the theme except by stretching definitions to their breaking point. There's an accident, and it's no longer clear which people belong to which bodies. A middle-aged man weary of life switches through several bodies and gets bits of their memories, vivid vignettes in the Silverberg style, and decides to stay in the body of a young man who is dying. It's stronger than most of the others not only because of the vigorous writing but because the character acts as a protagonist (albeit a world-weary one) rather than just experiencing some odd events.
David Telfair's "In a Quart of Water" I had to look up. It's literally about alchemy, turning lead (and other metals) into gold. The characters are either cynical and alienated or idiots, which doesn't make them appealing, the strange events are never explained and there's not much protagonism.
Gene Wolfe's "Morning-Glory" I remembered the idea of, but not the point. There wasn't much point, which is probably why. Professor takes drugs (morning-glory seeds), it changes his perception to be more like that of the plants he experiments on. I never have understood, or liked, Gene Wolfe's stuff, and this is no exception.
Keith Laumer's "The Devil You Don't" is a problem story, more in the older style of writers like Murray Leinster than the New Wave style of most of the rest of the contributors. It has a lot of playful foolishness about morality and Lucifer being misunderstood and misrepresented, which is not directly relevant to the problem part of the story: alien demons are invading Hell, more or less. The problem is solved in a way that the reader couldn't have predicted, basically using handwavium, so there's not a lot of protagonism here either.
Josephine Saxton's "The Triumphant Head" is about an alienated woman getting herself ready in the morning and her struggles with identity. I had to look it up to remind myself. It isn't necessarily spec-fic at all, and it didn't do anything for me.
Peter Tate's "Mainchance" I skimmed a bit. It's about a rather unrealistic future setup in which, after a resurgence of nationalism, to keep the world from destroying itself people have to come together and build a computer to keep things in order. A man is appointed to liaise with it and watch over it, and discovers that it's a tyrant and is being opposed by the few remaining religious people (religion having withered in a rationalistic environment). There are echoes of Babylonian mythos and Biblical mythos and it's a bit of a mess in which it's not really clear what the author thinks or what is true, but seemingly it's about... human self-determination? Or something? It needed a thorough rewrite for clarity, which might also have reduced it in length.
Don't misunderstand me: I'm very grateful to the writers of the New Wave, who opened up speculative fiction to telling stories about people and the human condition, rather than just about engineering. But all too often, they fell into a would-be literary fiction mode in which alienated nobodies drifted through incomprehensible situations without knowing what they wanted or making any decisions, and this collection has too much of that for my taste. I much prefer characters to be disturbed, but engaged: to perceive that something is wrong with the world and to want to do something about it.
I did so because I vaguely remembered that it had an excellent story in it, from when I read it many, many years ago. However, I think I must have been confusing it with another collection (possibly McCaffrey's own single-author anthology, Get Off the Unicorn). For the most part, despite the prominent names in the bylines, I found these stories dull, muddled and pretentious, self-consciously transgressive (Dangerous Visions came out around the time the call for contributors for this one went out) and without much in the way of structure or direction. Since story structure is exactly what I'm trying to study, this was the wrong anthology for my purposes.
I was surprised in the Samuel Delaney story to see the word "proscribed" used when the author meant "prescribed" (the two words have opposite meanings). It's not beyond the bounds of possibility that this was originally correct and was changed by McCaffrey, who was a shocker for homonyms, but it's a glaring error in either case. Otherwise, I only noticed a couple of minor typos.
I'll say a little about each of the stories now (omitting the poems). The theme was magic and academic institutions, which these days immediately makes us think of Harry Potter, but this was 1970 and he was still far in the future.
Sonya Dorman's "A Mess of Porridge" depicts the advent of a six-year-old girl to a remote university staffed mostly by old men. It's a slice-of-life story showing the ineffectuality of the academics and their habitual indecisiveness, and was very mildly amusing.
Carol Emshwiller's "The Institute" concerns an educational institution for old ladies. It doesn't go anywhere I found particularly interesting, and isn't so much a story as an exploration of thoughts.
R.A. Lafferty's "Condillac's Statue" is political, reflecting on revolution, property and philosophy. It had a bit more story, but the story was mainly an excuse to talk about the ideas.
Norman Spinrad's "The Weed of Time" has a basic premise (a drug which, when ingested, changes the perception of time so that the user is simultaneously aware of every moment in his lifetime, and always has been) that is explored in far too many repetitive words, again without much attempt at story. There are events, but rather by the nature of the idea there isn't a beginning, middle and end.
Samuel R. Delaney's "Night and the Loves of Joe Dicostanzo" also has events, but there's a kind of dream logic going on, and the story is incoherent and inconclusive. Everyone is desperate and alienated, and it's all beautifully portrayed but ultimately pointless.
Daphne Castell's "Come Up and See Me" was the first story I started skipping through, and the second (after the Emshwiller) that I had to look up to remind myself what it was about in order to write this review. It's weird horror of a sort, full of one-dimensional characters with no agency.
Joe Hensley's "Shut the Last Door" I also skipped through. Kid dealing with poverty and disability discovers he can kill people by hating them. Decides he has to hate himself in case he accidentally destroys the world. It's a Twilight Zone premise, but the execution bored me. (I had to look that one up too.)
Avram Davidson's "Big Sam" has a more conventional story structure, though I again needed to remind myself of what it was about. Couple meets and marries in a small town. He has a secret. The secret is revealed at the end, and isn't terrible.
James Blish's "More Light" hooks onto Lovecraft, quoting from some fictional letters that he wrote to one of the characters. There's a play that another writer associated with Lovecraft wrote, a piece from within that other writer's fiction that he took the time to create in full but never published, and Lovecraft forwarded a copy of it to the narrator's friend many years before. Though the narrator keeps pointing out that it's not very good and is very much of its time, it nevertheless has a sinister effect when read. Not a bad story, but the matter-of-fact modern setting and language (and the narrator's skeptical and critical attitude) rather work against the concept.
Joanna Russ's "The Man Who Could Not See Devils" is one of the best stories in the collection, in my opinion, though you'll have gathered that this isn't a high bar. Young man is unique in his culture in that he can't see (or be affected by) the supernatural, and therefore isn't afraid to go out at night. He's recruited by a group of thieves. Closing, anachronistic reflection, by him (he's the narrator), about how natural selection may lead to his (dis)ability spreading through the population in the future until nobody can see the supernatural and it's regarded as legendary.
Betsy Curtis's "The Key to Out" is a dimension-hopping bar story. Not a bad piece of play with the concept of being able to switch with alternate-reality versions of yourself.
Robert Silverberg's "Ringing the Changes" I had to look up to remind myself, though it is one of the more successful stories. The premise is recreational body-switching, by technological means, and it's not really a fit for the theme except by stretching definitions to their breaking point. There's an accident, and it's no longer clear which people belong to which bodies. A middle-aged man weary of life switches through several bodies and gets bits of their memories, vivid vignettes in the Silverberg style, and decides to stay in the body of a young man who is dying. It's stronger than most of the others not only because of the vigorous writing but because the character acts as a protagonist (albeit a world-weary one) rather than just experiencing some odd events.
David Telfair's "In a Quart of Water" I had to look up. It's literally about alchemy, turning lead (and other metals) into gold. The characters are either cynical and alienated or idiots, which doesn't make them appealing, the strange events are never explained and there's not much protagonism.
Gene Wolfe's "Morning-Glory" I remembered the idea of, but not the point. There wasn't much point, which is probably why. Professor takes drugs (morning-glory seeds), it changes his perception to be more like that of the plants he experiments on. I never have understood, or liked, Gene Wolfe's stuff, and this is no exception.
Keith Laumer's "The Devil You Don't" is a problem story, more in the older style of writers like Murray Leinster than the New Wave style of most of the rest of the contributors. It has a lot of playful foolishness about morality and Lucifer being misunderstood and misrepresented, which is not directly relevant to the problem part of the story: alien demons are invading Hell, more or less. The problem is solved in a way that the reader couldn't have predicted, basically using handwavium, so there's not a lot of protagonism here either.
Josephine Saxton's "The Triumphant Head" is about an alienated woman getting herself ready in the morning and her struggles with identity. I had to look it up to remind myself. It isn't necessarily spec-fic at all, and it didn't do anything for me.
Peter Tate's "Mainchance" I skimmed a bit. It's about a rather unrealistic future setup in which, after a resurgence of nationalism, to keep the world from destroying itself people have to come together and build a computer to keep things in order. A man is appointed to liaise with it and watch over it, and discovers that it's a tyrant and is being opposed by the few remaining religious people (religion having withered in a rationalistic environment). There are echoes of Babylonian mythos and Biblical mythos and it's a bit of a mess in which it's not really clear what the author thinks or what is true, but seemingly it's about... human self-determination? Or something? It needed a thorough rewrite for clarity, which might also have reduced it in length.
Don't misunderstand me: I'm very grateful to the writers of the New Wave, who opened up speculative fiction to telling stories about people and the human condition, rather than just about engineering. But all too often, they fell into a would-be literary fiction mode in which alienated nobodies drifted through incomprehensible situations without knowing what they wanted or making any decisions, and this collection has too much of that for my taste. I much prefer characters to be disturbed, but engaged: to perceive that something is wrong with the world and to want to do something about it.
September 30, 2020
I found this anthology languishing on the bookshelf, brought to light by an organizational effort to group myriad collections by author at the least. Since McCaffrey was the editor and instigator of this slapdash collection of “related theme” publications, it was on the McCaffrey shelf next to the highly acclaimed “Pern” novels. I asked the family, and had mixed reviews, one from someone who had read it multiple times.
I was not as pleased with it. There are some good stories in this book, but some are forgettable and others regrettable. Even though the contributors were tasked with creating works related to the theme of alchemy (chemistry) and/or academy (learning) with a touch of humor, most were dull and nearly unreadable, and some derivative and verging on plagiarism. As another reviewer, Mike, who in 2014 called the writings “dull, muddled and pretentious, self-consciously transgressive… and without much in the way of structure or direction”, the stories seem to lack direction and meaning.
In order then, here are the individual reviews of the writings within the anthology.
John Updike – "The Dance of the Solids". This poem is a rather pretentious bit which reads as a chemist’s attempt to explain the fascination with the unseen elements that compose the visible and usable matter around us. Bluntly, it was hard to read and easy to understand if one persevered.
Sonya Dorman - "A Mess of Porridge". This somewhat amusing story dealt with the sudden appearance of a child of about 6, self-proclaimed as the child of an Empress, in a remote outpost that is styled as a university. The residents there are old men, the students, mostly in a type of forced sleep, are young men. It shows the interruption of rather irrelevant and amusing day to day activities among the men, and the most amusing was the cookbook being created by one of the dotty derelict oldsters.
Carol Emshwiller - "The Institute". Points to the thoughts that could possibly concern women forced into an educational environment which seems to be a type of madhouse for old ladies. It does seem to point to the relationship between old and young, with the young perhaps not necessarily following just so on the path of the old. Totally forgettable.
R.A. Lafferty - "Condillac's Statue" is a statement on political themes, in particular Marxism and the social being. It takes a clear mind and introduces it to issues which result in havoc and mayhem, being that they were brought in without cultural references or compensatory reflections. Somewhat thought provoking, especially in these somewhat revolutionary times.
L. Sprague De Camp – "The Sorcerors" is another attempt at poetry which reminded me of medieval attempts at enlightment. Easy to read, easy to forget.
Norman Spinrad - "The Weed of Time" seems to be an attempt to explain or justify the use of mind altering substances which were prominent in the news of the era. In this instance, there is a weed which, once eaten, produces hallucinations and a skewed perception of time. Unfortunately this causes a wrinkle in time (nod to L’Engle) which shifts the mindset of the user so they know future events. It’s interesting but has far too many instances where the narrator simply repeats previous information with the recurrent theme of death.
Samuel R. Delaney - "Night and the Loves of Joe Diconstanzo" seems to be another step into the world of the mentally unbalanced, dealing with two men who both think of themselves as creators of their little mansion and of each other. Interesting but no realization of what the story meant.
Daphne Castell - "Come Up and See Me". This was rather interesting, in that it dealt with an incomer being the instigator of change. In this instance, that was not a positive effect, as people died or disappeared, and I couldn’t see where it really fit in this anthology.
Joe Hensley - "Shut the Last Door". A disabled young man of 15 has learned to hate, and has learned that his hate has consequences. Unfortunately for all, his hate has vivid effects on the people around him. Although he hates his neighborhood, his hate doesn’t seem to affect the flora or the brick and mortar, just the people, and his hate moves in waves that rebound. A sad story which would have been great with a little more attention to detail.
Avram Davidson - "Big Sam". This dealt with a sort of Bigfoot / Sasquatch sighting in a rural setting where people are usually only concentrated in the summer. In a way, it’s a romance, and has potential to move either way if it only had a more robust buildup to the revelation of Sam’s secret.
James Blish - "More Light". This was one of the derivative stories, building on H.P. Lovecraft works, and discussions between Lovecraft and other writers. It references “The Yellow King”, which is itself from a compilation published in in 1895. It’s rather boring but at the same time I felt compelled to finish it. As a side note, this story refers to Cassilda, Hali, and the Hasturs (among others), all of which were heavily featured some years later in Marion Zimmer Bradleys’ “Darkover” universe. The most interesting part of the story is the effect reading it seems to have on all those who encounter it, per the narrator, and referencing the title of "More Light".
Joanna Russ - "The Man Who Could Not See Devils". True to the title, the teen in this story cannot see ghosts or other scary things, from demons to angels, and as such is pariah in his hometown. His attempts to leave are thwarted multiple times, until his final escape turns a liability into an asset. I liked this story but felt the personal reflection at the end was out of place and out of character.
Betsy Curtis - "The Key to Out". This story deals with a theme which appears in multiple fiction in future stories, where a person can be in two places at once. It has a good start but doesn’t really appear to go anywhere in what appears to be the preferred method in this collection of (mostly) extremely short writings. I didn’t feel it felt the collection theme.
Robert Silverberg - "Ringing the Changes". In this story, people pay to change bodies as a sort of vacation. It almost felt like a cultural reference to population overcrowding – there are so many people the only way to get away is to switch bodies. In this instance, an accident at the switching center means there are multiple bodies with the wrong mind attached, and the staff use a hit or miss process to determine who belongs to which body. Because it is neither academic or scientific in nature, the story was another that didn’t fit the theme. It does have redeeming factors in that the main character is willing to die on behalf of another (although we never learn how that other felt about it).
David Telfair - "In a Quart of Water". The story revolves around a university town with mysterious events plaguing a couple of students. Their shower randomly turns on in the house they luckily were able to move into when the previous tenants disappeared. At the end, they sort of win, as the strange events culminate for them in a sudden exchange of base metals for the king metal, gold (Aurum). I liked it but felt that the characters were not very developed, depending totally on the good will of others to achieve success. None were very likable, and none were what appeared to be of the intelligent or inquiring sort. Interesting but not truly enjoyable story.
Gene Wolfe - "Morning-Glory". This story explores the possible ramifications when those in a position of power experiment with mind altering substances. The professor is experimenting with plant life, possibly due to the high interest of the time in nurturing plants through conversing with them as to a friend. Apparently, the professor was not aware that morning glory seeds are both poisonous and mind altering, and takes them to see what happens on ingesting. It seemed that this experiment changed the Professor so that he became more aware of the plants, particularly the morning glory. Using that he passes on his fascination to a graduate student, who is of course male. Decent story.
Virginia Kidd - "Ascension: A Workday Arabesque". In this short poem, derivative of Middle Eastern ornamental designs, as is the ballet pose it references, we see references to God and the Crucifixion of Christ cross referenced with the modern linemen who climb telephone poles to correct and redirect electrical energy. Interesting from that viewpoint but does not fit the theme.
Keith Laumer - "The Devil You Don't". This also deals with Heaven and Hell, so it’s juxtaposition next to the Kidd poem may be deliberate. We meet the real Lucifer, who apparently was just misunderstood, and has been tortured for years for his actions. Now, he seeks help from a modern couple who seem to have information he could build on. The story never tells us why he seeks out this couple, nor does it truly explain why it was necessary for the female character to be bare chested. However, Lucifer has a problem with invaders who have the talent of causing mass confusion and multiple mix-ups which could be calamitous. Using some kind of science, the problem is solved, the dim witted beauty gets a new pet, and Lucifer leaves to a less than booming fanfare. Overall an excellent read, probably the best in the collection.
Josephine Saxton - "The Triumphant Head". This seems to be another mental health story. I didn’t really understand it.
Peter Tate - "Mainchance". This is another slam at the Marxist ideal of from-to give and take of earnings and rewards. We see a computer who was programmed by what appears to be Islamic believers – this based on the shaming of the Christian theology as derivative and therefore wrong. This computer controls most things but does not appear to have viewer technology, which was good as it allowed for the people to talk about change. In this futuristic/reversal world where people are herded to their work and made to believe it proper, those who speak of human rights and change and needs outside what they are assigned are criminals. I wonder if some of the Star Trek episode writers might have been influenced by this, as there is a scene where the computer hits a logic snap and cannot proceed. Very good, but maybe only second or third place for best in the anthology.
Overall, this entire collection was a misfit bundle, but it does have the benefit of opening up speculative fiction as possible rather than disposable. It allowed the reader of the time to think more about the human condition, not limiting people to what is, but allowing them to dream of what could be. However, as a whole it felt more like a collection of ideas which could really go somewhere if rewritten or assigned to a competent writer. I didn’t hate it, but it definitely will not be in my reread pile.
I was not as pleased with it. There are some good stories in this book, but some are forgettable and others regrettable. Even though the contributors were tasked with creating works related to the theme of alchemy (chemistry) and/or academy (learning) with a touch of humor, most were dull and nearly unreadable, and some derivative and verging on plagiarism. As another reviewer, Mike, who in 2014 called the writings “dull, muddled and pretentious, self-consciously transgressive… and without much in the way of structure or direction”, the stories seem to lack direction and meaning.
In order then, here are the individual reviews of the writings within the anthology.
John Updike – "The Dance of the Solids". This poem is a rather pretentious bit which reads as a chemist’s attempt to explain the fascination with the unseen elements that compose the visible and usable matter around us. Bluntly, it was hard to read and easy to understand if one persevered.
Sonya Dorman - "A Mess of Porridge". This somewhat amusing story dealt with the sudden appearance of a child of about 6, self-proclaimed as the child of an Empress, in a remote outpost that is styled as a university. The residents there are old men, the students, mostly in a type of forced sleep, are young men. It shows the interruption of rather irrelevant and amusing day to day activities among the men, and the most amusing was the cookbook being created by one of the dotty derelict oldsters.
Carol Emshwiller - "The Institute". Points to the thoughts that could possibly concern women forced into an educational environment which seems to be a type of madhouse for old ladies. It does seem to point to the relationship between old and young, with the young perhaps not necessarily following just so on the path of the old. Totally forgettable.
R.A. Lafferty - "Condillac's Statue" is a statement on political themes, in particular Marxism and the social being. It takes a clear mind and introduces it to issues which result in havoc and mayhem, being that they were brought in without cultural references or compensatory reflections. Somewhat thought provoking, especially in these somewhat revolutionary times.
L. Sprague De Camp – "The Sorcerors" is another attempt at poetry which reminded me of medieval attempts at enlightment. Easy to read, easy to forget.
Norman Spinrad - "The Weed of Time" seems to be an attempt to explain or justify the use of mind altering substances which were prominent in the news of the era. In this instance, there is a weed which, once eaten, produces hallucinations and a skewed perception of time. Unfortunately this causes a wrinkle in time (nod to L’Engle) which shifts the mindset of the user so they know future events. It’s interesting but has far too many instances where the narrator simply repeats previous information with the recurrent theme of death.
Samuel R. Delaney - "Night and the Loves of Joe Diconstanzo" seems to be another step into the world of the mentally unbalanced, dealing with two men who both think of themselves as creators of their little mansion and of each other. Interesting but no realization of what the story meant.
Daphne Castell - "Come Up and See Me". This was rather interesting, in that it dealt with an incomer being the instigator of change. In this instance, that was not a positive effect, as people died or disappeared, and I couldn’t see where it really fit in this anthology.
Joe Hensley - "Shut the Last Door". A disabled young man of 15 has learned to hate, and has learned that his hate has consequences. Unfortunately for all, his hate has vivid effects on the people around him. Although he hates his neighborhood, his hate doesn’t seem to affect the flora or the brick and mortar, just the people, and his hate moves in waves that rebound. A sad story which would have been great with a little more attention to detail.
Avram Davidson - "Big Sam". This dealt with a sort of Bigfoot / Sasquatch sighting in a rural setting where people are usually only concentrated in the summer. In a way, it’s a romance, and has potential to move either way if it only had a more robust buildup to the revelation of Sam’s secret.
James Blish - "More Light". This was one of the derivative stories, building on H.P. Lovecraft works, and discussions between Lovecraft and other writers. It references “The Yellow King”, which is itself from a compilation published in in 1895. It’s rather boring but at the same time I felt compelled to finish it. As a side note, this story refers to Cassilda, Hali, and the Hasturs (among others), all of which were heavily featured some years later in Marion Zimmer Bradleys’ “Darkover” universe. The most interesting part of the story is the effect reading it seems to have on all those who encounter it, per the narrator, and referencing the title of "More Light".
Joanna Russ - "The Man Who Could Not See Devils". True to the title, the teen in this story cannot see ghosts or other scary things, from demons to angels, and as such is pariah in his hometown. His attempts to leave are thwarted multiple times, until his final escape turns a liability into an asset. I liked this story but felt the personal reflection at the end was out of place and out of character.
Betsy Curtis - "The Key to Out". This story deals with a theme which appears in multiple fiction in future stories, where a person can be in two places at once. It has a good start but doesn’t really appear to go anywhere in what appears to be the preferred method in this collection of (mostly) extremely short writings. I didn’t feel it felt the collection theme.
Robert Silverberg - "Ringing the Changes". In this story, people pay to change bodies as a sort of vacation. It almost felt like a cultural reference to population overcrowding – there are so many people the only way to get away is to switch bodies. In this instance, an accident at the switching center means there are multiple bodies with the wrong mind attached, and the staff use a hit or miss process to determine who belongs to which body. Because it is neither academic or scientific in nature, the story was another that didn’t fit the theme. It does have redeeming factors in that the main character is willing to die on behalf of another (although we never learn how that other felt about it).
David Telfair - "In a Quart of Water". The story revolves around a university town with mysterious events plaguing a couple of students. Their shower randomly turns on in the house they luckily were able to move into when the previous tenants disappeared. At the end, they sort of win, as the strange events culminate for them in a sudden exchange of base metals for the king metal, gold (Aurum). I liked it but felt that the characters were not very developed, depending totally on the good will of others to achieve success. None were very likable, and none were what appeared to be of the intelligent or inquiring sort. Interesting but not truly enjoyable story.
Gene Wolfe - "Morning-Glory". This story explores the possible ramifications when those in a position of power experiment with mind altering substances. The professor is experimenting with plant life, possibly due to the high interest of the time in nurturing plants through conversing with them as to a friend. Apparently, the professor was not aware that morning glory seeds are both poisonous and mind altering, and takes them to see what happens on ingesting. It seemed that this experiment changed the Professor so that he became more aware of the plants, particularly the morning glory. Using that he passes on his fascination to a graduate student, who is of course male. Decent story.
Virginia Kidd - "Ascension: A Workday Arabesque". In this short poem, derivative of Middle Eastern ornamental designs, as is the ballet pose it references, we see references to God and the Crucifixion of Christ cross referenced with the modern linemen who climb telephone poles to correct and redirect electrical energy. Interesting from that viewpoint but does not fit the theme.
Keith Laumer - "The Devil You Don't". This also deals with Heaven and Hell, so it’s juxtaposition next to the Kidd poem may be deliberate. We meet the real Lucifer, who apparently was just misunderstood, and has been tortured for years for his actions. Now, he seeks help from a modern couple who seem to have information he could build on. The story never tells us why he seeks out this couple, nor does it truly explain why it was necessary for the female character to be bare chested. However, Lucifer has a problem with invaders who have the talent of causing mass confusion and multiple mix-ups which could be calamitous. Using some kind of science, the problem is solved, the dim witted beauty gets a new pet, and Lucifer leaves to a less than booming fanfare. Overall an excellent read, probably the best in the collection.
Josephine Saxton - "The Triumphant Head". This seems to be another mental health story. I didn’t really understand it.
Peter Tate - "Mainchance". This is another slam at the Marxist ideal of from-to give and take of earnings and rewards. We see a computer who was programmed by what appears to be Islamic believers – this based on the shaming of the Christian theology as derivative and therefore wrong. This computer controls most things but does not appear to have viewer technology, which was good as it allowed for the people to talk about change. In this futuristic/reversal world where people are herded to their work and made to believe it proper, those who speak of human rights and change and needs outside what they are assigned are criminals. I wonder if some of the Star Trek episode writers might have been influenced by this, as there is a scene where the computer hits a logic snap and cannot proceed. Very good, but maybe only second or third place for best in the anthology.
Overall, this entire collection was a misfit bundle, but it does have the benefit of opening up speculative fiction as possible rather than disposable. It allowed the reader of the time to think more about the human condition, not limiting people to what is, but allowing them to dream of what could be. However, as a whole it felt more like a collection of ideas which could really go somewhere if rewritten or assigned to a competent writer. I didn’t hate it, but it definitely will not be in my reread pile.
September 9, 2018
This anthology didn't contain nearly as much fun stuff involving actual alchemy as I'd hoped for, which was disappointing. Also, most of the stories were just really bad. Pretty much the only redeeming feature was Joanna Russ's story "The Man Who Could Not See Devils". I will admit I skimmed/skipped some of the stories because they were just so bad.
SFF has got SO MUCH BETTER in the decades since the 1970s...
SFF has got SO MUCH BETTER in the decades since the 1970s...
April 17, 2011
read about half of the stories. found them mostly hard to follow. i felt like the story started in the middle w/o really introducing the characters or the setting and just as I was starting to get a handle on what was going on, the story would end.
September 23, 2008
A mix of fairly good stories with WTH-was-that-supposed-to-be?!? stories. A few were really good; I'll edit in precise story/author names later.
June 13, 2019
This collection contains a handful of fun stories but most of them are written in an impenetrable gobbledygook style to the point of incomprehensibility.
Read
October 15, 2021I was very disappointed with this collection. I felt the majority of the stories were not well written, or did not fit the theme, or both.
Statistics, then reviews, some of which contain spoilers.
There are 20 stories and poems in this anthology. I awarded each 1-5 stars, and on a scale of 0-10 rated how well I felt they fit in a volume called “Alchemy and Academe”, marking Alchemy and Academe separately.
The average story gained 2.9 stars. (3 got 5; 3 4; 6 3; 5 2; and 3 1) And weighted by page, the average star rating was also 2.9.
For Alchemy I gave 10 points to 3 stories; 7 to 1; 5 to 1; 4 to 1; 3 to 4; 1 to 2; .05 to 1; and 0 to 7. So the average Alchemy score was 3.03.
Scoring for Academe, I gave 10 points to 3 stories; 7 to 3; 3 to 1; 1 to 1; and 0 to 12. Average: 2.75.
5*:
“The Weed of Time”: I love theorizing about the concept of time. What I think Spinrad is describing is the creation of piece of the multiverse. The narrator lives a perfectly normal life until he eats the Temp. This action is the cause of the ’verse where he is outside his own timeline, and in this second ’verse, the consciousness outside the timeline permeates the consciousness within the timeline. This is what makes him able to speak at birth, and causes his confinement in mental hospitals and government prisons. Obviously the action causing this ’verse cannot be avoided in this ’verse. But by the nature of the multiverse it means that there is a ’verse in which he doesn’t place the Temp in his mouth, and one where he has an immunity to the effects, and one where there is nothing in Temp that affects anyone. Fascinating. (Still: Alchemy 1, Academe 0.)
“In a Quart of Water”: Exactly what all these stories should be. Transmutation of metals in a university setting. Plus humor. (Alchemy 10, Academe 10)
“The Devil You Don’t”: Great fun. While earning its double-ten on the A&A scores, it pokes fun at (almost literally) sacred cows. (Alchemy 10, Academe 10)
4*:
“Condillac’s Statue”: I’m not sure why I’m giving it four stars. It’s rather depressing, but it does make one think. (Alchemy 3, Academe 0)
“The Sorcerers”: Interesting looking up real and fictional magicians. And a unique rhyme scheme. (Alchemy 7, Academe 7)
“Big Sam”: We slowly come to understand right along with Ellen. And I have known couples IRL where similar knowing-before-you-know-you-know has occurred. (Alchemy 3, Academe 0)
3*:
“The Dance of the Solids”: Five stars for technical awesomeness, but two stars for needing ~24 hours with an encyclopedia and chemistry books of assorted levels. (Alchemy 10, Academe 10)
“Night and the Loves of Joe Dicostanzo”: Written well, but when I’d finished I felt totally lost. No idea what the story was about. (Alchemy 4, Academe 0)
“The Key to Out”: Feels like the prologue to an interesting universe-hopping book, but ninety percent of the story is describing in words something that cannot be described in words. (Alchemy 5, Academe 0)
“Ringing the Changes”: If it were a television series it would be called an anthology, because it’s a string of unrelated episodes. An attempt made at the end to tie them together works, in theory, but by then who cares? And this is total science fiction, only alchemy if you stretch the meaning to ridiculous extremes. (Alchemy 0, Academe 0)
“Morning-Glory”: Interesting; but the best part of the story would start on the next page (had there been one). (Alchemy 1, Academe 7)
“Mainchance”: A reminder to be careful what you wish for. Not bad, but hard science fiction. (Alchemy 0, Academe 3)
2*:
“A Mess of Porridge”: Among other things a slight mockery of the proverbial ivory tower, where food requires no chewing, where the only entertainment is an erotic holodeck (though that’s never explicit), where students are periodically put in statis so the Masters could work on their specialties, and a six-year-old girl is a major problem. (Written when men’s colleges were still permitted.) But nothing is ever resolved. Is music composed the same way poems are written, with pieces taken out of a box? Where did Hoo go? Where did Peggy come from? And how did she get into the room? What makes a female an Empress? Will Brynt ever accept her presence? A story needs more than “routine gets shaken up.” (Alchemy 0, Academe 7)
“The Institute”: Totally confusing on the was/is/will be front, and not very clear on the real life/speculative divide either. And as far as I could see, no alchemy whatsoever. (Alchemy 0, Academe 1)
“Come Up and See Me”: Surrealism with no plot to speak of. (Alchemy 3, Academe 0)
“Shut the Last Door”: Bleak. Dark. Depressing. (Alchemy .5, Academe 0)
“The Man Who Could Not See Devils”: The conclusion might have led to an interesting story, but this was not one. Little if any plot. (Alchemy 3, Academe 0)
1*: “More Light”: Tedious and stupid. (Alchemy 0, Academe 0)
“Ascension: A Workday Arabesque”: Hunh? (Alchemy 0, Academe 0, Arabesque 0)
“The Triumphant Head”: That about sums it up. A woman sits, waiting to have revealed the person she’s going to be today. No more earthshaking to the reader than to her husband. (Alchemy 0, Academe 0)
Statistics, then reviews, some of which contain spoilers.
There are 20 stories and poems in this anthology. I awarded each 1-5 stars, and on a scale of 0-10 rated how well I felt they fit in a volume called “Alchemy and Academe”, marking Alchemy and Academe separately.
The average story gained 2.9 stars. (3 got 5; 3 4; 6 3; 5 2; and 3 1) And weighted by page, the average star rating was also 2.9.
For Alchemy I gave 10 points to 3 stories; 7 to 1; 5 to 1; 4 to 1; 3 to 4; 1 to 2; .05 to 1; and 0 to 7. So the average Alchemy score was 3.03.
Scoring for Academe, I gave 10 points to 3 stories; 7 to 3; 3 to 1; 1 to 1; and 0 to 12. Average: 2.75.
5*:
“The Weed of Time”: I love theorizing about the concept of time. What I think Spinrad is describing is the creation of piece of the multiverse. The narrator lives a perfectly normal life until he eats the Temp. This action is the cause of the ’verse where he is outside his own timeline, and in this second ’verse, the consciousness outside the timeline permeates the consciousness within the timeline. This is what makes him able to speak at birth, and causes his confinement in mental hospitals and government prisons. Obviously the action causing this ’verse cannot be avoided in this ’verse. But by the nature of the multiverse it means that there is a ’verse in which he doesn’t place the Temp in his mouth, and one where he has an immunity to the effects, and one where there is nothing in Temp that affects anyone. Fascinating. (Still: Alchemy 1, Academe 0.)
“In a Quart of Water”: Exactly what all these stories should be. Transmutation of metals in a university setting. Plus humor. (Alchemy 10, Academe 10)
“The Devil You Don’t”: Great fun. While earning its double-ten on the A&A scores, it pokes fun at (almost literally) sacred cows. (Alchemy 10, Academe 10)
4*:
“Condillac’s Statue”: I’m not sure why I’m giving it four stars. It’s rather depressing, but it does make one think. (Alchemy 3, Academe 0)
“The Sorcerers”: Interesting looking up real and fictional magicians. And a unique rhyme scheme. (Alchemy 7, Academe 7)
“Big Sam”: We slowly come to understand right along with Ellen. And I have known couples IRL where similar knowing-before-you-know-you-know has occurred. (Alchemy 3, Academe 0)
3*:
“The Dance of the Solids”: Five stars for technical awesomeness, but two stars for needing ~24 hours with an encyclopedia and chemistry books of assorted levels. (Alchemy 10, Academe 10)
“Night and the Loves of Joe Dicostanzo”: Written well, but when I’d finished I felt totally lost. No idea what the story was about. (Alchemy 4, Academe 0)
“The Key to Out”: Feels like the prologue to an interesting universe-hopping book, but ninety percent of the story is describing in words something that cannot be described in words. (Alchemy 5, Academe 0)
“Ringing the Changes”: If it were a television series it would be called an anthology, because it’s a string of unrelated episodes. An attempt made at the end to tie them together works, in theory, but by then who cares? And this is total science fiction, only alchemy if you stretch the meaning to ridiculous extremes. (Alchemy 0, Academe 0)
“Morning-Glory”: Interesting; but the best part of the story would start on the next page (had there been one). (Alchemy 1, Academe 7)
“Mainchance”: A reminder to be careful what you wish for. Not bad, but hard science fiction. (Alchemy 0, Academe 3)
2*:
“A Mess of Porridge”: Among other things a slight mockery of the proverbial ivory tower, where food requires no chewing, where the only entertainment is an erotic holodeck (though that’s never explicit), where students are periodically put in statis so the Masters could work on their specialties, and a six-year-old girl is a major problem. (Written when men’s colleges were still permitted.) But nothing is ever resolved. Is music composed the same way poems are written, with pieces taken out of a box? Where did Hoo go? Where did Peggy come from? And how did she get into the room? What makes a female an Empress? Will Brynt ever accept her presence? A story needs more than “routine gets shaken up.” (Alchemy 0, Academe 7)
“The Institute”: Totally confusing on the was/is/will be front, and not very clear on the real life/speculative divide either. And as far as I could see, no alchemy whatsoever. (Alchemy 0, Academe 1)
“Come Up and See Me”: Surrealism with no plot to speak of. (Alchemy 3, Academe 0)
“Shut the Last Door”: Bleak. Dark. Depressing. (Alchemy .5, Academe 0)
“The Man Who Could Not See Devils”: The conclusion might have led to an interesting story, but this was not one. Little if any plot. (Alchemy 3, Academe 0)
1*: “More Light”: Tedious and stupid. (Alchemy 0, Academe 0)
“Ascension: A Workday Arabesque”: Hunh? (Alchemy 0, Academe 0, Arabesque 0)
“The Triumphant Head”: That about sums it up. A woman sits, waiting to have revealed the person she’s going to be today. No more earthshaking to the reader than to her husband. (Alchemy 0, Academe 0)
December 9, 2019
As with most story collections, there are good and not-so-good here. But most of the stories were written for this collection, which means we do not get the best of a large sample. Some of the stories are surreal impressionism, where interesting pictures are presented but nothing happens. Those are not to my taste. I don't think all of the stories quite fit the titular theme (McCaffrey says in the intro that she was liberal about that), but those that don't are still good stories.
May 18, 2018
Interesting collection, somewhat dated, but definitely worth a bargain bin purchase. Best line that stuck with me was the description of the Bishop's wife in the story "In a Quart of Water": "She reminded me of an untidy and harassesed chipmunk, without a chipmunk's charm."
July 2, 2017
A mixed bag, but some gems within.
May 27, 2019
Tentokrát jsem s povídkovou antologií sáhl vedle, většina povídek mě nebavila, některé jsem ani nedočetl.
December 18, 2022
A series of short stories by legends of 1960's scifi.
June 11, 2023
Some of the stories were ok, none really great, and some were pretty boring.
December 6, 2024
I find McCaffrey's explanation of her thought process for the theme lacking. Three of these stories contain metaphorical usage of the word "finger." George R. R. Martin would be drooling!
"A Mess of Porridge" by Sonya Dorman
7/10
It was refreshing to read something decent. It left me wanting more, yet satisfied. The girl seemed a little too mature for a six-year-old, but perhaps this was because she was an "empress" (whatever that entails).
-
Use of "finger" in simile: "... shadows like fingers were moving up the side of the tower."
...
"The institute" by Carol Emshwiller
4/10
Nope! What is it with authors doing disturbing things with the elderly? Why would you even conceive this?! I wouldn't call it a story, either.
-
"Oh, my dear grandmother, if you were here I'd bring you up as my own dear child, feed you steak and liver and wheat germ oil, start you off on push-ups and squats, buy you a book by Freud (to begin with)."
...
"Condillac's Statue" or "Wrens in His Head" by R.A. Lafferty
5/10
...
"The Sorcerers" (poem) by L. Sprague De Camp
4/10
His prose is so much better.
...
"The Weed of Time" by Norman Spinrad
6/10
-
Grammar:
"The Temp travels to my stomach, is digested, passes into my bloodstream, reached my brain." (reaches)
...
"Night and the Loves of Joe Dicostanzo" by Samuel R. Delany
8/10
This one was ambiguous but very good, and it has stayed with me.
-
Use(s) of "here and there": 1 (+1 "here [this], there [that]")
Uses of "for all the world like": 2
Characters "whirl": 1 time
...
"Come Up and See Me" by Daphne Castell
3/10
Gibberish!
-
She used "languid" twice on p. 77!
...
"Shut the Last Door" by Joe Hensley
5/10
-
He used "dim" two sentences in a row (p. 95).
...
"Big Sam" by Avram Davidson
4/10
I don't get it. What is the implication here? That Sam hibernates like a bear? Just what is the significance of this story?
-
Use of "wanted to know" after a question is asked: "'Like what?' the tall and husky one wanted to know."
...
"More Light" by James Blish
6/10
It's weird when an author inserts themself into a work of fiction. Where do you draw the line?
-
Use of "here and there": 1
-
Typo:
(This is from what is supposed to be a letter from Lovecraft): "Yr persistence is flattering indeed..." (Your)
...
"The Man Who Could Not See Devils" by Joanna Russ
5/10
...
"The Key to Out" by Betsy Curtis
5/10
The concept is interesting.
...
"Ringing the Changes" by Robert Silverberg
4/10
For a story about body-swapping, it sure is boring.
...
"In a Quart of Water" by David Telfair
5/10
Possessed, time-traveling, alchemical plumbing.
...
"Morning-Glory" by Gene Wolfe
4/10
I don't get this one either; the ending, specifically. I don't know what's going on in this guy's head.
-
Typo(s):
"A Smythe closed the door Black added, 'Good-bye, Schmidt.'" (As) (I can't tell if "Schmidt" is intentional; I don't understand the way these characters think.)
-
Metaphorical use of "finger": "The green fingers of Smythe's mind reached toward that light..."
...
"Ascension: A Workday Arabesque" (poem) by Virginia Kidd
1/10
-
Use of "loom": 1
...
"The Devil You Don't" by Keith Laumer
4/10
Irresponsibly disrespectful.
-
Characters "whirl": 1 time
-
Typos:
"... somewhat tarnished pocket patch..." (watch, how can a patch be tarnished?)
-
"He was blushing from neat white collar to window's peak now." (widow's!)
-
"It was bad enough dealing with one star-spite." (-sprite)
...
"The Triumphant Head" by Josephine Saxton
5/10
...
"Mainchance" by Peter Tate
5/10
This one was initially hard to follow, but it settled down. Religion was handled decently for once.
-
Metaphorical use of "finger": "Along the sides of hills which ran olive fingers down to the sea..."
-
Typo:
"And there we saw the Mephilim... " (Nephilim)
...
"A Mess of Porridge" by Sonya Dorman
7/10
It was refreshing to read something decent. It left me wanting more, yet satisfied. The girl seemed a little too mature for a six-year-old, but perhaps this was because she was an "empress" (whatever that entails).
-
Use of "finger" in simile: "... shadows like fingers were moving up the side of the tower."
...
"The institute" by Carol Emshwiller
4/10
Nope! What is it with authors doing disturbing things with the elderly? Why would you even conceive this?! I wouldn't call it a story, either.
-
"Oh, my dear grandmother, if you were here I'd bring you up as my own dear child, feed you steak and liver and wheat germ oil, start you off on push-ups and squats, buy you a book by Freud (to begin with)."
...
"Condillac's Statue" or "Wrens in His Head" by R.A. Lafferty
5/10
...
"The Sorcerers" (poem) by L. Sprague De Camp
4/10
His prose is so much better.
...
"The Weed of Time" by Norman Spinrad
6/10
-
Grammar:
"The Temp travels to my stomach, is digested, passes into my bloodstream, reached my brain." (reaches)
...
"Night and the Loves of Joe Dicostanzo" by Samuel R. Delany
8/10
This one was ambiguous but very good, and it has stayed with me.
-
Use(s) of "here and there": 1 (+1 "here [this], there [that]")
Uses of "for all the world like": 2
Characters "whirl": 1 time
...
"Come Up and See Me" by Daphne Castell
3/10
Gibberish!
-
She used "languid" twice on p. 77!
...
"Shut the Last Door" by Joe Hensley
5/10
-
He used "dim" two sentences in a row (p. 95).
...
"Big Sam" by Avram Davidson
4/10
I don't get it. What is the implication here? That Sam hibernates like a bear? Just what is the significance of this story?
-
Use of "wanted to know" after a question is asked: "'Like what?' the tall and husky one wanted to know."
...
"More Light" by James Blish
6/10
It's weird when an author inserts themself into a work of fiction. Where do you draw the line?
-
Use of "here and there": 1
-
Typo:
(This is from what is supposed to be a letter from Lovecraft): "Yr persistence is flattering indeed..." (Your)
...
"The Man Who Could Not See Devils" by Joanna Russ
5/10
...
"The Key to Out" by Betsy Curtis
5/10
The concept is interesting.
...
"Ringing the Changes" by Robert Silverberg
4/10
For a story about body-swapping, it sure is boring.
...
"In a Quart of Water" by David Telfair
5/10
Possessed, time-traveling, alchemical plumbing.
...
"Morning-Glory" by Gene Wolfe
4/10
I don't get this one either; the ending, specifically. I don't know what's going on in this guy's head.
-
Typo(s):
"A Smythe closed the door Black added, 'Good-bye, Schmidt.'" (As) (I can't tell if "Schmidt" is intentional; I don't understand the way these characters think.)
-
Metaphorical use of "finger": "The green fingers of Smythe's mind reached toward that light..."
...
"Ascension: A Workday Arabesque" (poem) by Virginia Kidd
1/10
-
Use of "loom": 1
...
"The Devil You Don't" by Keith Laumer
4/10
Irresponsibly disrespectful.
-
Characters "whirl": 1 time
-
Typos:
"... somewhat tarnished pocket patch..." (watch, how can a patch be tarnished?)
-
"He was blushing from neat white collar to window's peak now." (widow's!)
-
"It was bad enough dealing with one star-spite." (-sprite)
...
"The Triumphant Head" by Josephine Saxton
5/10
...
"Mainchance" by Peter Tate
5/10
This one was initially hard to follow, but it settled down. Religion was handled decently for once.
-
Metaphorical use of "finger": "Along the sides of hills which ran olive fingers down to the sea..."
-
Typo:
"And there we saw the Mephilim... " (Nephilim)
...
December 7, 2014
For a short story collection that pompously titles itself "Alchemy & Academe," there are surprisingly few stories about alchemy or academy. Most of this collection is closer to fantasy-horror, with quite a few tales of the devil thrown in for good measure. There are a few poems and a number of stories; due to the volume I'll only mention the standouts.
The best story of the collection is "The Man Who Could Not See Devils" by Joanna Russ. In a world where everyone can see devils and angels, the one man who can't finds himself the target of his family's crusade to exorcise him back to normal. The nameless main character vents his bitterness against his family in a number of ways, and the end pays out another surprising twist with a satisfactory conclusion.
"Mainchance" by Peter Tate, the final story in the volume, is also worth a mention as one of the few both compelling and within theme. In the not-so-distant future, humanity has subjugated itself to a computer in order to preserve peace. I felt the barrage of quotes detracted from the overall story, but it raised a number of interesting questions about life, faith, biases, and the individual versus society, and how much of knowing is recognizing what we do not know.
Along with those two, however, were a number of stories that were either decently written but boring or just badly written. I don't much care for poetry in any case, and found nothing worth remembering about any of the poems. The quotes on the top of each piece had little to no connection to the actual story. "More Light" by James Blish is worth a special nomination for mediocrity, because it is a great deal of buildup for an extremely tepid horror story.
I had been hoping for more stories about magical school settings, or at least a more scientifically-minded view of magic, but in the end there was little to differentiate this from any other volume of fantasy short stories save the lack of swords to accompany the sorcery. Overall I would reread the two I liked and happily never touch the rest of the book again. I rate this book Not Recommended.
The best story of the collection is "The Man Who Could Not See Devils" by Joanna Russ. In a world where everyone can see devils and angels, the one man who can't finds himself the target of his family's crusade to exorcise him back to normal. The nameless main character vents his bitterness against his family in a number of ways, and the end pays out another surprising twist with a satisfactory conclusion.
"Mainchance" by Peter Tate, the final story in the volume, is also worth a mention as one of the few both compelling and within theme. In the not-so-distant future, humanity has subjugated itself to a computer in order to preserve peace. I felt the barrage of quotes detracted from the overall story, but it raised a number of interesting questions about life, faith, biases, and the individual versus society, and how much of knowing is recognizing what we do not know.
Along with those two, however, were a number of stories that were either decently written but boring or just badly written. I don't much care for poetry in any case, and found nothing worth remembering about any of the poems. The quotes on the top of each piece had little to no connection to the actual story. "More Light" by James Blish is worth a special nomination for mediocrity, because it is a great deal of buildup for an extremely tepid horror story.
I had been hoping for more stories about magical school settings, or at least a more scientifically-minded view of magic, but in the end there was little to differentiate this from any other volume of fantasy short stories save the lack of swords to accompany the sorcery. Overall I would reread the two I liked and happily never touch the rest of the book again. I rate this book Not Recommended.
April 13, 2014
Anthologies are a crapshoot: you rifle through a grab-bag of short stories organized around an ostensible theme, hoping to find a couple good stories and maybe an author to investigate further. If you're lucky, the editor is friends with good writers and has a clear conceit in mind. If you're unlucky, you get a book like Alchemy and Academe, which muddles along on mediocre stories and an inexplicable theme. Alchemy and Academe? According to McCaffrey's fulsome introduction, these stories are all about an intellectual/technical approach to fantasy and transmutations thereof. To make matters worse, she's taken a poem by John Updike (a poet whom other poets giggle about) as her guiding principle.
But anthologies are a crapshoot, even anthologies born under an unlucky star. Alchemy and Academe has two stories which redeem its ill-begotten existence: Samuel R. Delany's wonderfully creepy "Night and the Loves of Joe Dicostanzo," and Gene Wolfe's haunting "Morning-Glory." (Gosh, I sure hope those two gentlemen went on to write other stuff!)
But anthologies are a crapshoot, even anthologies born under an unlucky star. Alchemy and Academe has two stories which redeem its ill-begotten existence: Samuel R. Delany's wonderfully creepy "Night and the Loves of Joe Dicostanzo," and Gene Wolfe's haunting "Morning-Glory." (Gosh, I sure hope those two gentlemen went on to write other stuff!)
July 10, 2009
I've been doing a lot of short story reading lately to try to hone my own ability more. This collection of short stories and poetry did not impress me much. I only liked one story a lot and one a little bit. The rest I did not care for, including the one by Robert Silverberg, which was a surprise indeed. I normally like all his stories.
July 18, 2010
An interesting collection of stories. Some of them were pretty impressive, but the bad ones outweighed the good by a little more than half the selection. It might be a useful read for someone looking for a wide variety of short stories to read. It may also be useful for someone looking to have a wide variety of writing and construction styles in one place without the tedium of a textbook.
August 17, 2009
Forgettable.
I found a copy in a used-book store, and the friend I was browsing it with tried to dissuade me from purchasing it because, and I quote her, "It's not very good." I should have listened to her. I ended up selling the copy back to the store.
I found a copy in a used-book store, and the friend I was browsing it with tried to dissuade me from purchasing it because, and I quote her, "It's not very good." I should have listened to her. I ended up selling the copy back to the store.
March 1, 2015
Alchemy and Academe : A Collection of Original Stories Concerning Themselves with Transmutations, Mental and Elemental, Alchemical and Academic
McCaffrey, Anne
this book is a collection of stories by writers edited by anne Mccaffrey
McCaffrey, Anne
this book is a collection of stories by writers edited by anne Mccaffrey
Read
February 28, 2008I'd read this one so long ago, I'm guessing at the date.
Want to read
June 7, 2011I read the first few stories, but then had to return the book to the library. I'll probably take it out again in the spring semester, but I'm in no particular hurry.
August 3, 2012
I admit I didn't finish this book, but the fourth of the book I did read went nowhere, and most of the short stories were confusingly written.
November 9, 2015
Just didn't enjoy the selected stories.
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