Scar the wits out of yourself with the ultimate in hardcore science fiction
The Gabble - and Other Stories (Polity)
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'Excellent, all of it well-worth reading. If you haven't yet read your way through this series, I envy you; if you have, go get your copy of The Gabble and Other Stories right now before it sells out in hardcover!' -- Green Man Review
'Fans of Asher's Polity future history will not be disappointed.' -- The Guardian
'For the established fan this collection makes a great addition and fills out some the Polity universe you've come to know and love. For the newcomer to Neal Asher, you've a treat in store as this will serve as a nice introduction to his work and a neat signpost as to what part of Asher's universe to read next.' -- Sci-Fi-London
'If you've never sampled the delights of Asher's work then this collection would be a very good place to start.'
-- SciFiNow
'Thirteen marvellously inventive and action-packed short stories.' -- Fantasy Book Critic
'economical, crisp and frequently fiendishly clever. The stories featuring...dangerous aliens who `speak' in a nonsensical language, are particularly impressive'
-- BBC Focus
'Fans of Asher's Polity future history will not be disappointed.' -- The Guardian
'For the established fan this collection makes a great addition and fills out some the Polity universe you've come to know and love. For the newcomer to Neal Asher, you've a treat in store as this will serve as a nice introduction to his work and a neat signpost as to what part of Asher's universe to read next.' -- Sci-Fi-London
'If you've never sampled the delights of Asher's work then this collection would be a very good place to start.'
-- SciFiNow
'Thirteen marvellously inventive and action-packed short stories.' -- Fantasy Book Critic
'economical, crisp and frequently fiendishly clever. The stories featuring...dangerous aliens who `speak' in a nonsensical language, are particularly impressive'
-- BBC Focus
Review
'Thirteen marvellously inventive and action-packed short stories.'
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I make no secret of being a big fan of Neal Ashers work and this collection of short works set in the Polity universe hasn't changed my opinion one bit. It's excellent. This collection sheds more light on some of the minor characters of the Polity novels, the Gabbleducks and Hooders, Geronamid, Erlin etc and adds more moments of drama and back-story to some and fleshes out the personas of others. There isn't a single weak story in this lot but if I was asked to pick the best, I'd go for "Softly spake the Gabbleduck" which was a claustrophobic chase story with a nicely packaged ending.
One quick note, and no fault of the Author, the longest story in the collection, "Alien Archeology" was also published in the recent "The Mammoth Book of Best New SF 21" anthology edited by Gardner Dozois, which effectively made a 1/4 of the book redundant for me.
One quick note, and no fault of the Author, the longest story in the collection, "Alien Archeology" was also published in the recent "The Mammoth Book of Best New SF 21" anthology edited by Gardner Dozois, which effectively made a 1/4 of the book redundant for me.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Finally, the truth about gabbleducks - maybe. This fills in a few gaps in the main series of books, and opens up a few more. These are complete, well written stories, not a quick moneyspinner, as many short story collections based on a series of novels are. Fans will approve, new readers will get a taster, and may also become addicted to the worlds of the Polity.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Mr. R. Ellor
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback
These short story collections often leave the reader with a somewhat empty feeling in that they can promise much but fail to deliver. This is certainly an exception.
Asher is a cyberpunk/hard scifi writer who can mix it with the best of them. The Gabble is an example of perfect weighting, with stories superbly executed and no padding whatsoever. Set in the Polity universe this collection is eminently readable as a standalone or as part of the wider sequence, without recourse to dense technobabble or any other weak literary device. Asher's frequently humorous style, naming the vicious alien predator which is central to several of these stories, a Gabbleduck is an example of a humanising touch that scifi needs to be truly enjoyable and believable.
Another glorious read from Neal Asher, who is fast becoming top of my list as an essential author to follow.
Asher is a cyberpunk/hard scifi writer who can mix it with the best of them. The Gabble is an example of perfect weighting, with stories superbly executed and no padding whatsoever. Set in the Polity universe this collection is eminently readable as a standalone or as part of the wider sequence, without recourse to dense technobabble or any other weak literary device. Asher's frequently humorous style, naming the vicious alien predator which is central to several of these stories, a Gabbleduck is an example of a humanising touch that scifi needs to be truly enjoyable and believable.
Another glorious read from Neal Asher, who is fast becoming top of my list as an essential author to follow.
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4.7 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Top Sci Fi
Neal Asher does brilliant Aliens, Brilliant tech and Galaxy spanning wars. Violent and sometimes disturbing but always leaves you wanting more
Published 4 months ago by S. Burton
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book
These short stories are great and just as good as the longer 'novel' format. They, also, for fans of the polity series, give some background events that are important in the main... Read more
Published 6 months ago by DRACO
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Good Book
I stumbled into Neal Asher by mistake, I love the Culture books by Iain Banks and bought my first Asher/ Polity book on that basis. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Christopher
4.0 out of 5 stars
Asher finding and filling his niche
Compared to Asher's one other collection, The Engineer ReConditioned, this volume has a better focus on the Polity universe. Read more
Published 12 months ago by M-I-K-E 2theD
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Tales
Stories that show just how careful Asher is to locate his novels in a universe of coherent physics, chemistry and biology, however subtly at odds with what we are familiar with. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Mr. S. Rennie
4.0 out of 5 stars
Neal Asher on top form
These stories mostly fit in his Polity sequence. While the older ones might not exactly they show the evolution in the ideas behind his favourite universe. Read more
Published on 4 Dec 2009 by D. Patrick
4.0 out of 5 stars
Cracker
Those who have fallen in love with Neal's Polity series will more than be pleased with this collection of short stories as he continues to expand the universe in his own... Read more
Published on 29 Nov 2009 by Gareth Wilson - Falcata Times Blog
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good Collection
I have only recently been introduced to Neal Asher's' work and usually I tend to start with the short stories of any new author. Read more
Published on 14 Sep 2009 by M. Ives
5.0 out of 5 stars
Neal Asher - The Gabble etc
A brilliant book. Each story is very easy to get into with believable characters. I love the way Asher draws you a verbal picture of the setting. Read more
Published on 18 July 2009 by Dantheman
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great
If you've enjoyed the rest of Asher's "Polity" novels, this collection of short stories is well worth it. Read more
Published on 29 Mar 2009 by Christopher Burns
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