Iron Tears

by R.A. Lafferty, Michael Swanwick (Introduction)

Contents:

• You Can't Go Back
• Ifrit
• Lord Torpedo, Lord Gyroscope
• Funnyfingers
• Thieving Bear Planet
• Berryhill
• The World as Will and Wallpaper
• Horns on Their Heads
• By the Seashore
• Selenium Ghosts of the Eighteen Seventies
• Magazine Section
• Or Little Ducks Each Day
• Cabrito
• Le Hot Sport
• Gray Ghost: A Reminiscence

Genres: Short Stories, Fantasy, Collections, Science Fiction

228 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1992

About the author

Raphael Aloysius Lafferty, published under the name R.A. Lafferty, was an American science fiction and fantasy writer known for his original use of language, metaphor, and narrative structure, as well as for his etymological wit. He also wrote a set of four autobiographical novels, a history book, and a number of novels that could be loosely called historical fiction.

Reviews

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of my least favorite Lafferty short story collections. That being said, when I find a Lafferty story I like, it overshadows the meh. And quite frankly, calling any of his stories here meh is not fair as others definitely get more out of them than I.

The standouts for me in this collection are as follows. Or Little Ducks Each Day. A scathing critique of determinism featuring a prejudicial analyst that is something akin to Minority Report with Lafferty weirdness and menacing unknown villains. By The Seashore. A beautiful story about a young boy's odd connection to a large unidentifiable seashell. The World as Will and Wallpaper. One I almost never see mentioned. It's ideas are more explored in Lafferty's novel Past Master but nonetheless a captivating tale about a city that is constructed to be varied and perfect and one man's desire to explore it beyond its edges.

Amongst these greats however were too many stories that didn't knock it out of the park for me so that is why it is 4 of 5.