Worlds Enough & Time: Five Tales of Speculative Fiction [Paperback]

I'm guessing that, like me, you started reading Simmons with Hyperion and the rest of the Cantos.

If so, you may have noticed variable quality in his output since then, and this collection of short stories typifies this.

The good news for Hyperion fans is that Simmons revisits that Universe in Orphans of the Helix, with even a brief guest appearance from a many-bladed old friend.

Those of us still digesting the rich content of Ilium will also welcome The Ninth of Av, in which the period around the Final Fax, the history of the mysterious Savi and the origins of the enigmatic Voynix are fleshed out.

As for the rest, as mixed as Simmons' novel-sized output, but all of them worth the time and attention.

This is a collection of some of his shorter science fiction works, of a length that often gets relegated to the 'magazine publishable only' pile; too short for a stand alone book, too long to be included in most short story collections. So this collection is a nice treat, allowing you to see multiple samples of his writing at a length that gives enough room for full development of his ideas without having to slog through several thousand pages of an equivalent number of novels.

"Looking for Kelly Dahl" is probably the best piece here, a strongly imagined tale of an alcoholic suicidal teacher who has a very odd meeting of the minds with one of his former students. The story highlights Simmons’ skills at characterization while maintaining a very literary air, a deeply psychological story that emphasizes just how great the rift is between two people really trying to know each other.

"On K2 with Kanakaredes" is another excellent piece, taking a standard mountain climbing story and elevating it to a story of earned respect for all intelligences. Some very strong characterization for both the narrator and the alien, and Simmons’ own respect for the great mountains of this world comes through very clearly.

"The Ninth Av" is a rather chilling story, as the remaining 'humans', all of Jewish descent, wait for the 'final fax'. Interspersed with a re-telling of the final days of Scott polar expedition, the net result is very depressing, a tale that mines the dark places of the human spirit.

"Orphans of the Helix" and "The End of Gravity" I found to be rather minor pieces, not on the same level as the other three stories, though still enjoyable reads.

Simmons' style in all of these stories is probably quite a bit more literate than is common in science fiction, with layered themes and a mosaic feel of more being present than meets the obvious eye. This is strongly reinforced by Simmons' introduction to each of these stories, which often give some of the genesis and his thoughts on what he was trying to achieve in these works. But in this case, I think the introductions are somewhat superfluous, and in some cases actively detract from the ability to read these stories and see just what images and thoughts the stories evoke, unsullied by prior conceptions. I'd definitely recommend reading the stories first, and only reading the introductions afterwards if you feel the need.

A strong collection, with three of the stories belonging in 'excellent' class, and a fine showcase for the diversity of ideas that Simmons brings to the field.

--- Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)