Interzone: the Second Anthology

by John Clute (Editor), David Pringle, Simon Ounsley

This anthology contains a diverse range of the past year's content of "Interzone", the science fiction and fantasy magazine. Contributors include J.G.Ballard, John Sladek and Rachel Pollack, winner of the 1988 Arthur C. Clarke Award for the best British science fiction novel.

Genres: Anthologies, Science Fiction, Short Stories, Fiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1987

About the author

John Frederick Clute (1940- ) is a Canadian born author and critic who has lived in Britain since 1969. He has been described as "an integral part of science fiction's history."

Clute's articles on speculative fiction have appeared in various publications since the 1970s. He is a co-editor of The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (with Peter Nicholls) and of The Encyclopedia of Fantasy (with John Grant), as well as The Illustrated Encyclopedia Of Science Fiction, all of which won Hugo Awards for Best Non-Fiction. Clute is also author of the critical essay collections Strokes, Look at the Evidence, and Scores. His 1999 novel Appleseed, a space opera, was noted for its "combination of ideational fecundity and combustible language" and was selected as a New York Times Notable Book for 2002. In 2006, Clute published the essay collection The Darkening Garden: A Short Lexicon of Horror.

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the greatest collection of short stories, but still a few gems to pick out of the bunch.

And He's Not Busy Being Born by Brian Stapleford is a brilliant take of one man journey to become immortal spanning thousands of years.

The King Of The Hill by Paul J McAuley is a wonderful modern take on the Arthurian legend and I could have read a full novel based on this premise.

If The Driver Vanishes by Peter T Garrett is a fine Rapture story, if not entirely original, it is very well written.

Unfortunately the rest of the collection swings from boring to forgettable, with some really showing their age having been written in the late 1980s. If you can get your hands on the above stories elsewhere do that but if not. They make the collection worth the purchase.

[Dark-Draco · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories, most of which appeared in Interzone magazine. As with all collections, there are some stories that you love, others you hate, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the whole book.

My favourite story was "The King of the Hill" by Paul J McAuley, set in a future where America has invaded England for our own good! I liked the premise and the mix of Authurian legend appealed. "If The Driver Vanishes..." by Peter Garratt, was also very good, if uncomfortable to read, as its theme was religious fervour. But the ending sentiment is one that stays with you and instantly makes you wonder.

Of all the stories, only 'War and/or Peace' by Lee Montgomerie left me a bit cold - I found the concepts confusing, the story unwieldly and not an enjoyable read in any sense of the word. But all the other stories were worth reading to various degrees.

[Nicholas Whyte · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1801581...

I think all of the stories in the 1987 collection were new to me. A lot of them seemed to reflect the Zeitgeist of Thatcherism and Cold War - in particular, two memorable pieces by Paul J. McAuley and Lee Montgomerie. I will also remember Brian Stableford's cryogenic survivor who finds himself alive but not immortal. All of these stories are pretty good, and I don't think any of them figured on the Hugo or Nebula shortlists of the day.

[Andy]

2ND ANTHOLOGY OF STORIES PUBLISHED IN INTERZONE.