- Paperback: 368 pages
- Publisher: Eos (May 2005)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0060087706
- ISBN-13: 978-0060087708
- Product Dimensions: 20.1 x 13.5 x 2.5 cm
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,950,484 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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First Sentence
I told my kid sister Muffin this joke. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
I told my kid sister Muffin this joke. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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8 reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Overdue collection by Canada's best SF short-fiction writer
27 May 2005
Format:Paperback
There's no doubt who is the best Canadian writer of short science fiction: it's long been James Alan Gardner: Hugo finalist, Nebula finalist, Aurora winner, and Writers of the Future Grand Prize Winner. This collection was announced some time ago, and at last it's finally here -- and well worth the wait. All of Gardner's stories are excellent, but the standout in this volume is probably "Three Hearings on the Existence of Snakes in the Human Bloodstream," which just totally kicks butt. Gardner is a brilliant stylist, a sly social commentator, and extremely witty in a clever, mordant Douglas Adams or Monty Python sort of way. Truly a wonderful collection; stands beside Ted Chiang's STORIES OF YOUR LIFE as one of the best single-author collections of the last decade.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Fascinating and slanted collection of short stories
7 Jun 2005
Format:Paperback
A young girl tells her brother that everything is falling into place and that the universe will arrive where it's going--next week. An art critic visits a planet which somehow had no children. An author tries to write something meaningful about Kent State, from a science fiction perspective. A vampire tries to deal with ethics. A rock star discovers remains of a long-ago war. A slave seller goes bankrupt. A grim reaper tries to beat the game. The tarot speak. A fog threatens magic-wielding explorers. A love scene in a virtual world. A high priest deals with forbidden love. A strange organism visits the solar system. Are there snakes in the human bloodstream? And two boys discuss girls, sentient Dyson spheres, and basketball.
Author James Alan Gardner brings a fairy-tale style of story-telling to a series of interesting and sometimes fascinating topics. For me, the first story, 'Muffin Explains Teleology to the World at Large,' was especially strong, reminding me of the very best Ray Bradbury. But there were plenty of other treasures here as well. 'The Last Day of the War, With Parrots,' managed several twists and a great combination of action and character. 'The Young Person's Guide to the Organism,' the longest of the stories, combined first contact with a look at mankind's nature.
Gardner's uniformly strong writing, together with his often intriguing and always slanted way of approaching topics, makes GRAVITY WELLS an important read. If you're a fan of SF short stories, you'll definitely want to pick up Gardner's collection.
Author James Alan Gardner brings a fairy-tale style of story-telling to a series of interesting and sometimes fascinating topics. For me, the first story, 'Muffin Explains Teleology to the World at Large,' was especially strong, reminding me of the very best Ray Bradbury. But there were plenty of other treasures here as well. 'The Last Day of the War, With Parrots,' managed several twists and a great combination of action and character. 'The Young Person's Guide to the Organism,' the longest of the stories, combined first contact with a look at mankind's nature.
Gardner's uniformly strong writing, together with his often intriguing and always slanted way of approaching topics, makes GRAVITY WELLS an important read. If you're a fan of SF short stories, you'll definitely want to pick up Gardner's collection.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Pretty good first collection: 3.5 stars
22 Aug 2005
Format:Paperback
I enjoyed most of these stories, but Gardner didn't seem to have quite enough first-rate stories to fill a book. "Sense of Wonder" (1999), a Bisson-style short-short, was my favorite. Quite a few dusty workshopped-to-death pieces -- though all were previously bought by someone. Amazing Stories, for many of the weaker ones. Caveat lector. YMMV, of course, and anyway I'm lukewarm about Gardner.
Happy reading--
Pete Tillman
Happy reading--
Pete Tillman
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