Novedad: The Shipshape Miracle, Dusty Zebra y The Thing in the Stone, de Clifford D. Simak

Hoy se ponen a la venta The Shipshape Miracle, Dusty Zebra y The Thing in the Stone, los volúmenes 10, 11 y 12 de los cuentos completos de Clifford D. Simak (podéis leer aquí mi reseña del primer tomo). 

Estas son sus sinopsis:

The Shipshape Miracle

Nine tales of imagination and wonder from one of the formative voices of science fiction and fantasy, the author of Way Station and City.

Named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction Writers of America, Clifford D. Simak was a preeminent voice during the decades that established sci-fi as a genre to be reckoned with. Held in the same esteem as fellow luminaries Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, and Ray Bradbury, his novels continue to enthrall today’s readers. And his short fiction is still as gripping and surprising now as when it first entertained an entire generation of fans. 

The title story is just one example of this. Cheviot Sherwood doesn’t believe in miracles. They never seem to pay off. So when he’s marooned on a planet with no plan for escape and no working radio, he takes it in stride and prepares for a long stay gathering food, making shelter, and collecting all the diamonds the world has to offer. But when a ship like none he’s ever encountered lands, he sees his salvation—and an opportunity to take the priceless craft for himself. Unfortunately, his “rescuer” has the same idea . . . 

This volume also includes the celebrated short works “Eternity Lost,” “Shotgun Cure,” and “Paradise,” among others. 

Each story includes an introduction by David W. Wixon, literary executor of the Clifford D. Simak estate and editor of this ebook.

Dusty Zebra

Tales of science fiction and adventure from the Hugo Award–winning author of Way Station and City. 

The long and prolific career of Clifford D. Simak cemented him as one of the formative voices of the science fiction and fantasy genre. The third writer to be named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction Writers of America, his literary legacy stands alongside those of Robert A. Heinlein and Ray Bradbury. This striking collection of nine tales showcases Simak’s ability to take the everyday and turn it into something truly compelling, taking readers on a long journey in a very short time. 

In “Dusty Zebra,” Joe discovers a portal that allows him to exchange everyday objects with an entity he can neither see nor hear, and soon learns that one man’s treasure may be another dimension’s trash. In “Retrograde Evolution,” an interplanetary trading vessel tries to figure out how to deal with a remote society that has suddenly decided to become far less civilized. And in “Project Mastodon,” an unusual ambassador from an unheard-of country offers amazing opportunities in a place the modern world can never compete with: the past. Simak’s mastery of the short form is on display in these and six other stories. 

Each story includes an introduction by David W. Wixon, literary executor of the Clifford D. Simak estate and editor of this ebook.

The Thing in the Stone

A mind-opening collection of short science fiction from one of the genre’s most revered Grand Masters. 

Legendary author Robert A. Heinlein proclaimed, “To read science fiction is to read Simak. A reader who does not like Simak stories does not like science fiction at all.” The remarkably talented Clifford D. Simak was able to ground his vast imagination in reality, and then introduce readers to fantastical worlds and concepts they could instantly and completely dig into, comprehend, and enjoy. 

In the title story, a man’s newfound ability to walk in the past allows him to dwell among dinosaurs, saber-toothed tigers . . . and something even more timeless. In “Construction Shack,” the first manned expedition to Pluto reveals that no matter how advanced aliens may be, even they don’t always get everything right. And in “Univac 2200,” the thin line between humans creating technology and humans becoming technology is about to be crossed—and there may be no going back.

Each story includes an introduction by David W. Wixon, literary executor of the Clifford D. Simak estate and editor of this ebook.

Tres nuevas entregas de los relatos completos de Clifford D. Simak

Esta semana Open Road Media ha publicado tres nuevos volúmenes de la colección completa de relatos de Clifford D. Simak que habían comenzado con I Am Crying All Inside and Other Stories hace unos meses. 

Éstas son los nuevas entregas: 

Grotto of the Dancing Deer and Other Stories

Collected tales of wonder, danger, and the future, including the Hugo and Nebula Award–winning title story 

This volume contains ten stellar short stories by science fiction Grand Master Clifford D. Simak. In “Grotto of the Dancing Deer,” a man carrying an ancient secret finally speaks up, unable to bear any longer the loneliness he has experienced for millennia. In “Over the River,” which Simak wrote in memory of his beloved grandmother Ellen, children from an embattled future are sent back for safekeeping to their ancestors in the peaceful past. And in “Day of Truce,” the inhabitants of a suburban subdivision must barricade themselves against bands of roving attackers. On only one day each year do the gates open wide. . . . 

Each story includes an introduction by David W. Wixon, literary executor of the Clifford D. Simak estate and editor of this ebook.

No Life of Their Own and Other Stories

Twelve tales of the unknown from a master of science fiction 

Clifford D. Simak had a sublime ability to evoke a lost way of life. He spent his youth in rural Wisconsin, a landscape filled with mysterious hollows, cliffs, dark forests, and the Wisconsin River flowing in its deep-cut valley. As Simak wandered the countryside and the ridges, he peopled them with imaginary characters who later came to life in his stories. One such individual is Johnny, the orphaned farm boy of “The Contraption,” who stumbles upon a wrecked starship and receives a priceless gift from its owners. Another is the old prospector Eli, whose surprising discoveries on Mercury get him killed in “Spaceship in a Flask.” In “Huddling Place,” a man with paralyzing agoraphobia is the only one who can save the life of a dear friend on Mars—if he can bear to make the trip. And in the title story, aliens slowly take over Earth while humans leave it behind and head for the Homestead Planets.

Each story includes an introduction by David W. Wixon, literary executor of the Clifford D. Simak estate and editor of this ebook.

New Folks' Home and Other Stories

Ten stories of wonder and imagination by an author named Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America 

In the collection’s title story, Frederick Gray is closing in on seventy and has outlived his usefulness as a professor of law. He has no family; his best friend, fellow faculty member Ben Lovell, has recently died. Before Gray moves into a retirement home, he takes a final canoe trip to a favorite fishing spot he and Lovell had visited many times, only to find that someone has built a house on the remote riverside. When an accident leaves Gray stranded and in pain, he returns to the shelter seeking aid and instead finds a new reason for living. 

Nine additional tales showcase Clifford D. Simak’s talent for spinning stories that allow us to glimpse the possibilities of life beyond Earth as well as expand our wisdom of what it means to be human.

Each story includes an introduction by David W. Wixon, literary executor of the Clifford D. Simak estate and editor of this ebook.

Novedad: I Am Crying All Inside and Other Stories, de Clifford D. Simak

Ya está a la venta I Am Crying All Inside and Other Stories, una colección de relatos de Clifford D. Simak que reseñé la semana pasada y que recomiendo especialmente. 

Ésta es su sinopsis:

Ten stories of mystery and imagination in a world that cannot be—including the never-before-published “I Had No Head and My Eyes Were Floating Way Up in the Air,” originally written for Harlan Ellison’s The Last Dangerous Visions ™ 

People work. Folk play. That is the way it has been in this country as long as Sam can remember. He is happy, and he understands that this is the way it should be. People are bigger than folk. They are stronger. They do not need food or water. They do not need the warmth of a fire. All they need is a job to do and a blacksmith to fix them when they break. The people work so the folk can drink their moonshine, fish a little, throw a horseshoe. But when Sam starts to wonder about why the world is this way, his life will never be the same. 

Along with the other stories in this collection, “I Am Crying All Inside” is a compact marvel: a picture of an impossible reality that is not so different from our own. 

Each story includes an introduction by David W. Wixon, literary executor of the Clifford D. Simak estate and editor of this ebook.

I Am Crying All Inside and Other Stories, de Clifford D. Simak

Banda sonora de la reseña: Sugiero leer esta reseña escuchando Everybody's Crying Inside de The Truths (Spotify, YouTube).

Antes de Liu Cixin, antes de Greg Egan, incluso antes de Orson Scott Card, mi autor favorito de ciencia ficción era Clifford D. Simak. Leí Estación de tránsito y Ciudad siendo aún un niño (tendría diez u once años) y me causaron una impresión tan profunda, que me dediqué a buscar y leer todos los libros de Simak que había tanto en la biblioteca local como en las librerías de mi ciudad. Por desgracia, no eran muchos (y la situación hoy en día no es muy diferente) así que acabé bastante rápido con ellos y tuve que pasar a leer a otros autores.

Por ello, me alegró mucho enterarme de que Open Road iba a publicar una serie de volúmenes con toda la ficción corta de Clifford Simak. Tenía muchas ganas de volver a leer su obra, tantos años después. Y también estaba un poco preocupado, porque creo que todos hemos tenido la amarga experiencia de descubrir que uno de nuestros autores favoritos de la niñez no era en realidad tan bueno como recordábamos. En el caso de Simak, sin embargo, sus relatos superan el test del tiempo más que sobradamente.

Debo decir que no estoy muy seguro de que cómo se han seleccionado las historias incluidas en ete primer volumen, titulado I Am Crying All Inside and Other Stories. El rango de fechas de publicación es notablemente grande ("Madness from Mars" es de 1939 mientras "I Am Crying All Inside" apareció en 1969) y las historias ni siquiera están colocadas en el libro en orden cronológico. Pero la calidad media es excelente, con algunas verdaderas joyas, y reflejan la mayor parte de los temas que son característicos de la producción de Simak.

Casi todas las historias de I Am Crying All Inside and Other Stories se centran en el contacto de la humanidad con una raza alienígena y en casi todas las ocasiones ese contacto es traumático, ya que una de las especies (frecuentemente la alienígena) vive en un estado de dicha no-tecnológica que se ve completamente alterado por el encuentro. Esta añoranza de Simak por un pasado rural más simple es especialmente evidente en historias tan destacables como "Installment Plan", "Ogre", "Small Dear" y "I Had No Head and My Eyes Were Floating Way Up In the Air", que, sorprendentemente, es original de este volumen (había sido adquirida por Harlan Ellison para The Last Dangerous Visions y, como la antología fue cancelada, había permanecido inédita hasta el momento). De hecho, creo que el libro ya merece la pena para los fans de Simak sólo para esta última historia.

Los relatos también muestran muchos otros típicos intereses de Simak, como el viaje por el tiempo ("Small Deer" y "Gleaners"), los robots ("Installment Plans" y "All The Traps of Earth") y la religión ("Gleaners", de nuevo). Incluso hay sistio para un pequeño western en "Gunsmoke Interlude" y para un poco de aventura pulp con sabor añejo en "The Call from Beyond", la única historia que me ha parecido de calidad simplemente aceptable.

Sin embargo, la principal conexión temática que existe entre todos los cuentos puede que sea el proceso de transformación. La mayor parte de los protagonistas experimentan profundas modificaciones que, la mayoría de las veces, no son sólo psicológicas o espirituales, sino también muy físicas. Ése es, de hecho, el elemento central de "I Had No Head and My Eyes Were Floating Way Up In the Air" y de "All The Traps of Earth", en las que los cuerpos y los cerebros de los personajes sufren drásticos cambios. Y, por ejemplo, en "Ogre", la relación simbiótica entre los humanos y la raza vegetal extraterrestre del planeta en que transcurre la historia altera totalmente las capacidades de ambas especies. Un tema tan filosófico como interesante y que Simak explora desde una gran variedad de puntos de vista.

Por todo ello, ha sido un enorme placer para mí tener la oportunidad de revisitar la obra de Clifford D. Simak. Recomiendo completamente I Am Crying All Inside and Other Stories tanto a los que ya son fans del autor como a aquellos que quieran descubrir por primera vez su fantástico trabajo. Sólo puedo felicitar a Open Road por la excelente idea de recopilar todas estas maravillosas historias cortas y espero con ganas la posibilidad de leer las siguientes entregas de la serie.

(You can also read this review in English/También puedes leer esta reseña en inglés)

I Am Crying All Inside and Other Stories, by Clifford D. Simak

(Disclaimer: English is my second language, so I want to apologize in advance for there may be mistakes in the text below. If you find any, please let me know so that I can correct it. I'd really appreciate it. Thanks.)

Review Soundtrack: I suggest reading this review while listening to Everybody's Crying Inside by The Truths (Spotify, YouTube).

Before Liu Cixin, before Greg Egan, even before Orson Scott Card, my favorite science fiction author was Clifford D. Simak. I read Way Station and City when I was very young (just ten or eleven) and they made such a deep impression on me that I tried to find and read all the books by Simak that were available at my local library and at my town's bookshops. Sadly, there weren't many (and today's situation is not very different) so I quickly went through all of them and had to move to reading other authors.

Thus, I was really happy to learn that Open Road was publishing a series of volumes with the complete short fiction of Clifford Simak. I was really looking forward to reading his work again, a lot of years later. I was also a bit worried, for I think we have all had the experience of discovering that one of our favorite authors from our childhood was really not that great as we remembered. Simak's work, however, more than stands the test of time. 

I must say that I'm not really sure how the stories that are included in this first volume, I Am Crying All Inside and Other Stories, were selected. The range of publication dates is notably wide ("Madness from Mars" is from 1939 while "I Am Crying All Inside" appeared in 1969) and the stories are not even set in chronological order in the book. But the average quality is excellent, with some true gems, and they reflect most of the main topics that are prominent in all of Simak's oeuvre.      

Almost every story in I Am Crying All Inside and Other Stories focuses on the contact between humanity and other, alien species and in almost all the occasions this contact is traumatic, for one of the species (usually the alien one) lives in a non-technological state of bliss that is utterly disturbed by the encounter. This longing of Simak for a past, simple rural life is especially evident in such excellent stories as "Installment Plan", "Ogre", "Small Dear" and "I Had No Head and My Eyes Were Floating Way Up In the Air", which, surprisingly, is new to this volume (it was commissioned by Harlan Ellison for The Last Dangerous Visions and, since the anthology was cancelled, remained unpublished to this day). In fact, I think the book is more than worth its price for any Simak fan just for this latter story.

The stories also feature other typical interests of Simak, such as time travel ("Small Deer" and "Gleaners"), robots ("Installment Plans" and "All The Traps of Earth") and religion ("Gleaners", again). There is even room for a little western in "Gunsmoke Interlude" and for some classical pulp adventure in "The Call from Beyond", the only story in the book that I found of just average quality.

However, the main thematic connection existing among the stories may be the process of transformation. Almost all the protagonists go through a profound modification which, in most occasions, is not only psychological or spiritual but also very physical. That is, in fact, the central element in "I Had No Head and My Eyes Were Floating Way Up In the Air" and "All The Traps of Earth", in which the bodies and brains of the main characters suffer deep changes. And, for instance, in "Ogre", the symbiotic relationship between humans and the alien plant race of the planet in which the story is set drastically alter the capabilities of both species. A very interesting and philosophical topic that is explored by Simak from a wide variety of points of view.

For all this, it was a huge pleasure for me to have the chance of visiting again the work of Clifford D. Simak. I highly recommend I Am Crying All Inside and Other Stories to both old-time fans of the author and to readers that are new to his amazing work. I can only congratulate Open Road for the excellent idea of collecting all these marvelous short stories and I am looking forward to reading the next installments in the series.

(You can also read this review in Spanish/También puedes leer esta reseña en español)