Clarion

Clarion #1

by Robin Scott Wilson

An anthology of speculative fiction and criticism from the Clarion Writers' Workshop edited by Robin Scott Wilson featuring Samual R. Delany, Harlan Ellison, Damon Knight, Fritz Leiber, Frederik Pohl, Joanna Russ, Kare Wilhelm, Joe Wehrle, Jr. and including NAL Prizewinning stories by Robert Thurston, Gerard F. Conway and Steve Herbst--and Happens by Kate WilhelmWhat About Us Grils? by Mel GildenOnly at Night by Vonda McIntyreThe Soft Blue Bunny Rabbit Story by Ed BryantDreamers on the Barricades by Harlan EllisonWheels by Robert ThurstonTrouble Follows by Geo. Alec EffingerThe Game-Playing Literature by Frederik PohlJust Dead Enough by C. Davis BelcherSending the Very Best by Ed BryantCharting Utopia by Damon KnightA Free Pass to the Carnival by Geo. Alec EffingerThe Beholder's Eye by Amy HuttonChains by Dave Many Mansions and Hovels by Fritz LeiberAnaconda by Robert ThurstonCrossover by Octavia Estelle Friends and Other Strangers by Lynnda StevensonReading Between the Words by Samuel R. DelanySilent Hands by Gerard F. ConwayAn Uneven Evening by Steve HerbstThe Inspector by Evelyn LiefGenre by Joanna RussThe Last Desperate Hour by Robert Thurston"The Westfield Heights Mall Monster" by Geo. Alec EffingerThe Terrific Play of Forces Natural and Human by Robin Scott WilsonSong from a Forgotten Hill by Glen CookThe Secret by Maggie NadlerThe Bandemar by Joe Wehrle, Jr.

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Fiction, Anthologies

Paperback

First published June 1, 1971

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first of three anthologies showcasing and celebrating the Clarion science fiction writing workshops founded by Wilson, Damon Knight, and Kate Wilhelm that grew out of the famed Milford writing conferences. It's a nice mix of (mostly very) short stories by the students and essays by the instructors, who include Harlan Ellison, Frederik Pohl, Fritz Leiber, and Samuel R. Delany, as well as the aforementioned Knight, Wilhelm, and Wilson. The young writers include Ed Bryant, Vonda McIntyre, Mel Gilden, Glen Cook, Gerald F. Conway, Octavia Estelle Butler, Robert Thurston, and others, many of whom went on to have significant careers in the genre. My favorite is the trio of stories by George Alec Effinger.

[Edward Amato · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this collection of short SF stories especially appreciating it being a product of its time. Published in 1971 the term, "Can you dig it," was used several times. I really liked Frederk Pohl's chapter on the purpose of Sci Fi.

[Scott Golden · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of essays from the instructors, and stories from the students, of the Clarion Science Fiction Writers Workshop is a wonderful document for fans and writers, though of significantly less interest for a general readership. Also, while well-written, some of the stories are slight or (at this point in time) dated. Still, worth a read if you're a SF fan/writer.

[Ed]

ISFDB 7271.