Review
Stories, poems, playlets and collaborations spanning the decades from the early 1960s to the late 1990s make up this hugely enjoyable collection of funny and inventive writing by John Sladek, who died in 2000. Edited and introduced enthusiastically by David Langford, some of these unclassifiable pieces of writing have never been published before, while others previously appeared in magazines and periodicals. Set in 'the near future' and often concerned with machines and dehumanisation, many of these stories are laced with a wicked, surreal sense of humour and the sense of mischief that earned Sladek such respect among aficionados of science fiction. Yet to call his work science fiction would be to limit it unnecessarily, and cause many potential readers to miss out on his winning combination of insight, self-deprecation and innovation. Nothing rises above or falls below parody, and Sladek is as likely to take on the mysteries of the Great Pyramid or the true purpose of Stonehenge as he is to provide instructions on how to transplant your own heart or track down a lost nose. In the tale of the missing olfactory organ, Sladek reveals his maverick nature by coming up with a programmed book offering 21 potential different endings over 14 pages, and even offers a diagram of the various routes for the confused reader. Whether it's an irreverently hilarious tale of time travel, an investigation into the possible Teutonic penchant for infectious suicide, or a mystery complete with old-fashioned sleuth work, Sladek merrily challenges both the way we read and what we read. Ultimately what he offers is an exceptionally funny and rewarding journey for anyone prepared to follow his unique style and his very unusual maps. (Kirkus UK)
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From the Back Cover
Big Engine is proud to publish a final collection of the late John Sladek's fiction, assembled by David Langford and a team of helpers with the full co-operation of Sladek's estate.
Sladek's satire still bites, his stories still compel with their unique mix of wit and melancholy, his obsessive inventiveness still amuses and impresses. Langford has gathered all the solo stories - the science fiction, the detective puzzles, the mainstream (or what passed for it with Sladek), the unclassifiably off-beat "non-fact" pieces - that Sladek is known to have published but did not appear in his previous collections. Also included are poems, playlets, pseudonymous fiction, all the short collaborations with Thomas M. Disch (including three never previously published), and some witty autobiographical essays - testimony to a hugely talented man who stood a little aside from science fiction but for two decades helped shape it, because his achievement was impossible to ignore.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
