'Last Orders' is one of Brian Aldiss' later short story compilations. Unlike earlier fast-paced novels such as 'Non-Stop' and 'Hothouse', Aldiss takes a more dreamlike and cerebral approach in these futuristic tales. Many of the stories share characters and themes, so it almost reads like a weird disjointed novel at times, rather than a story collection. One of these recurring themes is about an (intentionally) extremely dull race of aliens. Of course, reading descriptions of intentionally dull things can be...dull! So I removed a star here.
That doesn't mean the book doesn't deserve the four stars I DID give it, because the stories that truly are 'separate' are truly brilliant. The title story, for instance, is a melancholy study of a few bar patrons refusing to evacuate at the 'end of the world'. It's very good stuff. I also love 'An Appearance Of Life' about a researcher in the future's largest-ever museum who discovers lost love-letter holograms between a long-dead couple. It's very sad, funny and moving, too.
Other goodies include the oft-reprinted 'Wired For Sound' about a future Earth that outdoes '1984' for surveillance paranoia, ' 'Live? Our Computers Will Do That For Us!', about machines that really CAN predict your future, and a strange retelling of the Noah's Ark tale; 'The Expensive Delicate Ship'. All well worth buying the book for...
So if you want to have some fun, some confusion, and basically want to re-canalize your brain, check this one out, although I wouldn't recommend it as a starter for newcomers to Aldiss. The aforementioned novels would probably be more accessable. Hope this was enlightening...
