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Unicorns!
1 Introduction to Avram Davidson's "The Spoor of the Unicorn" (1982) essay by Jack Dann and Gardner Dozois3 The Spoor of the Unicorn [Adventures in Unhistory] (1982) essay by Avram Davidson29 The Silken-Swift (1953) shortstory by Theodore Sturgeon55 Eudoric's Unicorn [Incorporated Knight] (1977) shortstory by L. Sprague de Camp77 The Flight of the Horse [Svetz] (1969) shortstory by Larry Niven (aka Get a Horse!)96 On the Downhill Side (1972) shortstory by Harlan Ellison116 The Night of the Unicorn (1975) shortstory by Thomas Burnett Swann124 Mythological Beast (1979) shortstory by Stephen R. Donaldson149 The Final Quarry (1970) novelette by Eric Norden176 Elfleda (1981) shortstory by Vonda N. McIntyre193 The White Donkey (1980) shortstory by Ursula K. Le Guin198 Unicorn Variation (1981) novelette by Roger Zelazny231 The Sacrifice (1982) shortstory by Gardner Dozois236 The Unicorn (1952) shortstory by Frank Owen247 The Woman the Unicorn Loved [Anderson] (1981) novelette by Gene Wolfe271 The Forsaken (1982) shortstory by Beverly Evans286 The Unicorn (1939) shortfiction by T. H. White307 Selected Bibliography (Unicorns!) (1982) essay by uncredited
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 1982
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
April 1, 2017
I have to admit, I'm primarily a unicorn fan on account of the movie adaption of The Last Unicorn which I have watched many times over the years, and which is firmly entrenched in my collective Assaf-sibling group-consciousness. "Unicorn! Haggard! Uuuuunicorn!" Therefore, when a coworker brought in to the office a bunch of books he was ready to part ways with, I snagged it out of a knee-jerk reaction to the unicorn on the cover. This review will be brief by story, as I'm not really obsessed with unicorns (like my leettle seester was) and have more to say at a meta level than at the stories themselves.
"The Spoor of the Unicorn: An Adventure in Unhistory" by Avram Davidson, 1982. This one pretty much nearly killed the entire book for me. Boring, and not sure if it were attempting to be fiction or non-fiction, but then I started reading it out loud in the voice of the Architect from The Matrix, and it was more entertaining. Chances of me seeking out more by Davidson: 5%.
"The Silken Swift" by Theodore Sturgeon, 1953. This one got me but only on the 2nd 1/2 read. 1/2 way through I had to go back to beginning and try to figure out what was going on. Which I think was the point: fooling the reader. Clever and also touching. Rainbow scale: 8 out of 10.
"Eudoric's Unicorn" by L. Sprague de Camp, 1977. A con man, royalty, trade routes and a unicorn. Ok... kind of odd, but it flowed well. First thing I've read by de Camp. Not really inspired to seek out more. Kind of blah. 5/10 Unis.
"The Flight of the Horse" by Larry Niven, 1969. Second writing of Niven's I've read. Most anything would probably be better than the first thing I read by him (so I hear), namely, A World Out of Time, but actually, I kind of liked it. It is a sci-fi story with time travel and unicorns. Not fairies and kingdoms and sorcerers. Unexpectedly charming. Rating: 8/10 gila monsters.
"On the Downhill Side" by Harlan Ellison, 1972. Ah Ellison, Star Trek master! And apparently, a New Orleans familiar. Extra points for my home state reference! Vodoo? Magic? Cemeteries? Unicorns? Ghosts? Kind of cool. 70% on the Star Trek/Unicorn Crossover index.
"The Night of the Unicorn" by Thomas Burnett Swann, 1975. Touching story. Unicorns shedding their horns as gifts? (Sorry, spoiler alert!) Very clever. I rank it 6 out of 10 kingly gifts.
"Mythological Beast" by Stephen R. Donaldson, 1978. I've read his initial Thomas Covenant trilogy but none else of his. So I was expecting dark and depressing. I did get dystopian future and a man who slowly turns into a unicorn. Ok that was surprising. Another sci-fi unicorn story was a welcome addition to the collection. Score: 90% on the Likeliness I'd watch a Soap Opera about this General Hospital Probability scale.
"The Final Quarry" by Eric Norden, 1970. Don't hunt unicorns. Didn't these characters read "The Last Unicorn"? It doesn't work! 8/10 on the Grizzly Death Scale.
"Elfleda" by Vonda N. McIntyre, 1981. I read one of her Star Wars books before. The Crystal Star. It was ok... Kind of bizarre for Star Wars. I should have expected a bit of strangeness. But the copulating satyrs took me by surprise anyway. Rating: B+ on the Probably would have been scandalized if I had read this as a teenager grading scale.
"The White Donkey" by Ursula K. Le Guin, 1980. I admit, I've never read Le Guin. I know, how can I call myself a sci-fi fan? But forgetting that, this was 3.14 pages of unicorn story that barely got started before it ended so I read it twice trying to figure out why? (No pie in the story, much less pi, by the way.) No rating, not long enough, just a question: why?
"Unicorn Variations" by Roger Zelazny, 1981. I have at least 2 books of his on my shelf in my reading queue. They'd be the first two writings of his if I hadn't read this first. I definitely will be bumping those two books higher into the queue. Shades of The Seventh Seal and The Day The Earth Stood Still here, as a man plays chess with a unicorn (he cheats, naturally) while they drink beer and contemplate the fate of the continued existence of human life on planet Earth. The man tries to convince the unicorn humans are worth keeping around. Guest starring other fantastical creatures in a modern post-apocalyptic setting (which is explained, by the way). Probably my favorite story of the lot. A perfect 10 out of 10 unicorns--or is it 0 out of 10? After all, unicorns can turn invisible, didn't you know?
"The Sacrifice" by Gardner Dozois, 1982. Another barely more than 3 page story. Unicorns definitely are stereotypically inclined to lay their heads upon female virgins' laps. Does not disappoint in that regard! A+ on the AEI (Abrupt Ending Index).
"The Unicorn" by Frank Owen, 1952. Bittersweet story about a farmer blessed with the aid of a unicorn but is tempted with avarice. Sad song say so much! Are you sure this wasn't a pen name of Stephen Donaldson? Grade: Sad++.
"The Woman the Unicorn Loved" by Gene Wolf, 1981. College campuses, unicorn and poetry. Plus epic chase scenes. Curiously enjoyable. Original Thesis Ideas: 1 (but really, you only need one).
"The Forsaken" by Beverly G. Evans, 1982. Scam artist village soothsayer find redemption. Or does he? Short and enjoyable. Plus I just love the name "Finmole." No rating, just pondering the meaning of life, and faith.
"The Unicorn" by T. H. White, 1939, 1940, 1958. Any story with three years must be good, right? Nope. This was terrible. I hope he had better success with his larger Arthurian Legend stories. This one felt like Lord of the Flies meets The Godfather. Ok that sounds actually like an interesting movie. But this was just disturbing. Rating: F+. It only gets a + because I kept hoping for a cameo by King Arthur and that was enough to make me finish it.
So there you have it. Fantasy, modern and sci-fi stories about unicorns. Took me a while to read it, and probably I'm better off for having read it. But... likely I'll donate the book so some other unsuspecting unicorn fan can try it on for size. Not sure I'll ever want to read through those stories again. (Except maybe the beer guzzling chess playing unicorn story. That was fun.)
"The Spoor of the Unicorn: An Adventure in Unhistory" by Avram Davidson, 1982. This one pretty much nearly killed the entire book for me. Boring, and not sure if it were attempting to be fiction or non-fiction, but then I started reading it out loud in the voice of the Architect from The Matrix, and it was more entertaining. Chances of me seeking out more by Davidson: 5%.
"The Silken Swift" by Theodore Sturgeon, 1953. This one got me but only on the 2nd 1/2 read. 1/2 way through I had to go back to beginning and try to figure out what was going on. Which I think was the point: fooling the reader. Clever and also touching. Rainbow scale: 8 out of 10.
"Eudoric's Unicorn" by L. Sprague de Camp, 1977. A con man, royalty, trade routes and a unicorn. Ok... kind of odd, but it flowed well. First thing I've read by de Camp. Not really inspired to seek out more. Kind of blah. 5/10 Unis.
"The Flight of the Horse" by Larry Niven, 1969. Second writing of Niven's I've read. Most anything would probably be better than the first thing I read by him (so I hear), namely, A World Out of Time, but actually, I kind of liked it. It is a sci-fi story with time travel and unicorns. Not fairies and kingdoms and sorcerers. Unexpectedly charming. Rating: 8/10 gila monsters.
"On the Downhill Side" by Harlan Ellison, 1972. Ah Ellison, Star Trek master! And apparently, a New Orleans familiar. Extra points for my home state reference! Vodoo? Magic? Cemeteries? Unicorns? Ghosts? Kind of cool. 70% on the Star Trek/Unicorn Crossover index.
"The Night of the Unicorn" by Thomas Burnett Swann, 1975. Touching story. Unicorns shedding their horns as gifts? (Sorry, spoiler alert!) Very clever. I rank it 6 out of 10 kingly gifts.
"Mythological Beast" by Stephen R. Donaldson, 1978. I've read his initial Thomas Covenant trilogy but none else of his. So I was expecting dark and depressing. I did get dystopian future and a man who slowly turns into a unicorn. Ok that was surprising. Another sci-fi unicorn story was a welcome addition to the collection. Score: 90% on the Likeliness I'd watch a Soap Opera about this General Hospital Probability scale.
"The Final Quarry" by Eric Norden, 1970. Don't hunt unicorns. Didn't these characters read "The Last Unicorn"? It doesn't work! 8/10 on the Grizzly Death Scale.
"Elfleda" by Vonda N. McIntyre, 1981. I read one of her Star Wars books before. The Crystal Star. It was ok... Kind of bizarre for Star Wars. I should have expected a bit of strangeness. But the copulating satyrs took me by surprise anyway. Rating: B+ on the Probably would have been scandalized if I had read this as a teenager grading scale.
"The White Donkey" by Ursula K. Le Guin, 1980. I admit, I've never read Le Guin. I know, how can I call myself a sci-fi fan? But forgetting that, this was 3.14 pages of unicorn story that barely got started before it ended so I read it twice trying to figure out why? (No pie in the story, much less pi, by the way.) No rating, not long enough, just a question: why?
"Unicorn Variations" by Roger Zelazny, 1981. I have at least 2 books of his on my shelf in my reading queue. They'd be the first two writings of his if I hadn't read this first. I definitely will be bumping those two books higher into the queue. Shades of The Seventh Seal and The Day The Earth Stood Still here, as a man plays chess with a unicorn (he cheats, naturally) while they drink beer and contemplate the fate of the continued existence of human life on planet Earth. The man tries to convince the unicorn humans are worth keeping around. Guest starring other fantastical creatures in a modern post-apocalyptic setting (which is explained, by the way). Probably my favorite story of the lot. A perfect 10 out of 10 unicorns--or is it 0 out of 10? After all, unicorns can turn invisible, didn't you know?
"The Sacrifice" by Gardner Dozois, 1982. Another barely more than 3 page story. Unicorns definitely are stereotypically inclined to lay their heads upon female virgins' laps. Does not disappoint in that regard! A+ on the AEI (Abrupt Ending Index).
"The Unicorn" by Frank Owen, 1952. Bittersweet story about a farmer blessed with the aid of a unicorn but is tempted with avarice. Sad song say so much! Are you sure this wasn't a pen name of Stephen Donaldson? Grade: Sad++.
"The Woman the Unicorn Loved" by Gene Wolf, 1981. College campuses, unicorn and poetry. Plus epic chase scenes. Curiously enjoyable. Original Thesis Ideas: 1 (but really, you only need one).
"The Forsaken" by Beverly G. Evans, 1982. Scam artist village soothsayer find redemption. Or does he? Short and enjoyable. Plus I just love the name "Finmole." No rating, just pondering the meaning of life, and faith.
"The Unicorn" by T. H. White, 1939, 1940, 1958. Any story with three years must be good, right? Nope. This was terrible. I hope he had better success with his larger Arthurian Legend stories. This one felt like Lord of the Flies meets The Godfather. Ok that sounds actually like an interesting movie. But this was just disturbing. Rating: F+. It only gets a + because I kept hoping for a cameo by King Arthur and that was enough to make me finish it.
So there you have it. Fantasy, modern and sci-fi stories about unicorns. Took me a while to read it, and probably I'm better off for having read it. But... likely I'll donate the book so some other unsuspecting unicorn fan can try it on for size. Not sure I'll ever want to read through those stories again. (Except maybe the beer guzzling chess playing unicorn story. That was fun.)
March 29, 2016
An excellent collection with a lot of variety in theme, tone, setting, etc. Has two of my favorite unicorn stories: The Silken-Swift by Theodore Sturgeon and Mythological Beast by Stephen R. Donaldson ("YOU ARE NOT OK. YOU ARE NOT OK.")
January 14, 2022
This compilation is full of stories by noted authors such as Theodore Sturgeon, Larry Niven, Stephen R. Donaldson, Vonda N. McIntyre, and Ursula K. Le Guin, so although well written, most of them are on the light and fluffy side. Here are some of the highlights.
“On the Downhill Side” by Harlan Ellison (Universe 2, 1972 - short story)
1973 Nebula Award finalist
4 Stars
After years together, a dead man's unicorn companion helps him find salvation. Minor Ellison, perhaps, but it has an emotional punch.
“Unicorn Variation” by Roger Zelazny (Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, April 1981 - novelette)
1982 Hugo Award winner
3 Stars
A man plays chess with a unicorn to save humanity from extinction. The man uses a sasquatch to coach him. The whole thing is played fairly lightly; it must have been somewhat of a lean year for novelettes for this to win the Hugo Award.
“The Woman the Unicorn Loved” by Gene Wolfe (Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, June 1981 - short story)
1982 Hugo Award finalist
3 Stars
A unicorn turns up on a modern college campus, possibly the result of an unknown biology experiment. A young woman is able to get the unicorn to safety before the military or other agency arrives, but things don't go completely according to plan.
“The Unicorn” by T. H. White (excerpt from The Once and Future King, 1939 - short story)
3 Stars
Some of King Arthur's knights get the notion to go hunting for a unicorn, and upon finding one completely botch things up. This is supposed to be humorous or ironic, but it's mostly just kind of dark and grisly.
“On the Downhill Side” by Harlan Ellison (Universe 2, 1972 - short story)
1973 Nebula Award finalist
4 Stars
After years together, a dead man's unicorn companion helps him find salvation. Minor Ellison, perhaps, but it has an emotional punch.
“Unicorn Variation” by Roger Zelazny (Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, April 1981 - novelette)
1982 Hugo Award winner
3 Stars
A man plays chess with a unicorn to save humanity from extinction. The man uses a sasquatch to coach him. The whole thing is played fairly lightly; it must have been somewhat of a lean year for novelettes for this to win the Hugo Award.
“The Woman the Unicorn Loved” by Gene Wolfe (Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, June 1981 - short story)
1982 Hugo Award finalist
3 Stars
A unicorn turns up on a modern college campus, possibly the result of an unknown biology experiment. A young woman is able to get the unicorn to safety before the military or other agency arrives, but things don't go completely according to plan.
“The Unicorn” by T. H. White (excerpt from The Once and Future King, 1939 - short story)
3 Stars
Some of King Arthur's knights get the notion to go hunting for a unicorn, and upon finding one completely botch things up. This is supposed to be humorous or ironic, but it's mostly just kind of dark and grisly.
August 16, 2020
When I picked this up my expectations were through the roof. Reading the list of authors who had contributed short stories to this collection it was a veritable "Who's who" of fantasy writers. What could go wrong?
Where do I begin? Let's start with the far too often the same applications to unicorns seen in the vast majority of the stories. All white, flowing manes, spiral horns, cloven feet, lion's tail, shy, magical healing, and always laying their heads in a maiden's lap. Yesh! A little variety, please.
Then there are the actual stories themselves. Bland, bland, bland! Yes, there were exceptions. My favorites were UNICORN VARIATION by Roger Zelazny and THE FLIGHT OF THE HORSE by Larry Niven. Good stories both, but 5 stars? Nope. They were 4's.
That means everything else in the book I would rate at 3 stars or less. Normally, when I review a collection of short stories I go to the effort of rating each story separately, but in this case, due to the all too familiar storylines in so many, I can't be bothered.
When a collection cannot provide, in my mind, a single short worthy of a 5-star review then the whole thing gets downgraded despite a 3-star average. Hence, my rating of 2 stars.
Where do I begin? Let's start with the far too often the same applications to unicorns seen in the vast majority of the stories. All white, flowing manes, spiral horns, cloven feet, lion's tail, shy, magical healing, and always laying their heads in a maiden's lap. Yesh! A little variety, please.
Then there are the actual stories themselves. Bland, bland, bland! Yes, there were exceptions. My favorites were UNICORN VARIATION by Roger Zelazny and THE FLIGHT OF THE HORSE by Larry Niven. Good stories both, but 5 stars? Nope. They were 4's.
That means everything else in the book I would rate at 3 stars or less. Normally, when I review a collection of short stories I go to the effort of rating each story separately, but in this case, due to the all too familiar storylines in so many, I can't be bothered.
When a collection cannot provide, in my mind, a single short worthy of a 5-star review then the whole thing gets downgraded despite a 3-star average. Hence, my rating of 2 stars.
June 21, 2021
0/5 - The Spoor of the Unicorn, by Avram Davidson
1/5 - The Silken Swift, by Theodore Sturgeon
2/5 - Eudoric's Unicorn, by L. Sprague de Camp
2/5 - The Flight of the Horse, by Larry Niven
2/5 - The Night of the Unicorn, by Thomas Burnett Swann
2/5 - Mythological Beast, by Stephen R. Donaldson
1/5 - The Final Quarry, by Eric Norden
0/5 - Elfleda, by Vonda McIntyre
2/5 - The White Donkey, by Ursula K. Le Guin
3/5 - Unicorn Variations, by Roger Zelazny
2/5 - The Sacrifice, by Gardner Dozois
2/5 - The Unicorn, by Frank Owen
2/5 - The Woman the Unicorn Loved, by Gene Wolfe
2/5 - The Forsaken, by Bev Evans
1/5 - The Unicorn, by T.H. White
1/5 - The Silken Swift, by Theodore Sturgeon
2/5 - Eudoric's Unicorn, by L. Sprague de Camp
2/5 - The Flight of the Horse, by Larry Niven
2/5 - The Night of the Unicorn, by Thomas Burnett Swann
2/5 - Mythological Beast, by Stephen R. Donaldson
1/5 - The Final Quarry, by Eric Norden
0/5 - Elfleda, by Vonda McIntyre
2/5 - The White Donkey, by Ursula K. Le Guin
3/5 - Unicorn Variations, by Roger Zelazny
2/5 - The Sacrifice, by Gardner Dozois
2/5 - The Unicorn, by Frank Owen
2/5 - The Woman the Unicorn Loved, by Gene Wolfe
2/5 - The Forsaken, by Bev Evans
1/5 - The Unicorn, by T.H. White
April 13, 2020
I didn't read the whole book, but I enjoyed Zelazny's, Donaldson's, and Niven's stories! And, of course, Le Guin's, which I'd previously read in a Le Guin anthology.
The others I read were pretty... symptomatic of fantasy/scifi of the time.
The others I read were pretty... symptomatic of fantasy/scifi of the time.
January 31, 2021
An interesting collection of short stories. I enjoyed several of them, while others were very weird and some made no sense. Some were very old fashioned style of writing, making them harder to understand.
December 2, 2022
Xlkx
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 13, 2024
This was the first anthology of unicorn stories I ever read, and it spoiled me for any other unicorn story collections. Really, this is the only unicorn anthology you will ever need, as long as you're an adult.
I bought a paperback as soon as it was available in the mall's bookstore. That really dates me, I know. I guess I was about 12. I was raised a Born Again Christian and was currently attending a strict Christian school. I was a virgin's virgin.
So, imagine how wide my eyes got when reading "Elfleda".
Right away, I knew I had to hide this book. My parents would open and read any of my books at random when my back was turned. If they did find it and read it, they probably assumed that I didn't understand what was going on.
Decades later, "Elfleda" remains the kinkiest story I have ever read.
Kink aside, there are real classics in here from veteran sci-fi and fantasy writers, such as the oft-antholigized "The Flight of the Horse" by Larry Niven and the also oft-anthologized "Unicorn Variation" by Roger Zelazny. I love the idea of a talking, chess-playing unicorn. "The Silken Swift" is not only a great unicorn story, but a killer fantasy story.
My favorite was "Mythological Beast" by Stephen R. Donaldson. I read that story so many times, I had it practically memorized. When I was homeless in England, I would recite this story to my crazy boyfriend and his friends when conversation came to a standstill.
The very first selection, "The Spoor of the Unicorn" is not a story, but a parody of The Lore of the Unicorn by Odell Shepherd. Since I'd read Shepherd's monster, I thought the parody was brilliant, but it will probably be baffling for those not familiar with that book.
I bought a paperback as soon as it was available in the mall's bookstore. That really dates me, I know. I guess I was about 12. I was raised a Born Again Christian and was currently attending a strict Christian school. I was a virgin's virgin.
So, imagine how wide my eyes got when reading "Elfleda".
Right away, I knew I had to hide this book. My parents would open and read any of my books at random when my back was turned. If they did find it and read it, they probably assumed that I didn't understand what was going on.
Decades later, "Elfleda" remains the kinkiest story I have ever read.
Kink aside, there are real classics in here from veteran sci-fi and fantasy writers, such as the oft-antholigized "The Flight of the Horse" by Larry Niven and the also oft-anthologized "Unicorn Variation" by Roger Zelazny. I love the idea of a talking, chess-playing unicorn. "The Silken Swift" is not only a great unicorn story, but a killer fantasy story.
My favorite was "Mythological Beast" by Stephen R. Donaldson. I read that story so many times, I had it practically memorized. When I was homeless in England, I would recite this story to my crazy boyfriend and his friends when conversation came to a standstill.
The very first selection, "The Spoor of the Unicorn" is not a story, but a parody of The Lore of the Unicorn by Odell Shepherd. Since I'd read Shepherd's monster, I thought the parody was brilliant, but it will probably be baffling for those not familiar with that book.
May 9, 2014
As usual, there are no spoilers in this review.
I read this book in 1983. It is now 2014. In 31 years, I've never forgotten this book. Well, actually, there is one story in this anthology of unicorn stories that will always be with me because of its timeless beauty and universal truth.
It is The Silken-Swift by Theodore Sturgeon.
If you like seeing goodness and light triumph over darkness and evil, read this story. There are no cliches, no tired moralities. Just a beautiful story that shows what a masterful writer can do with pen and ink. This is one story that I will remember until I'm gone from this earth.
This story (and book) is for readers of all ages. I've read some reviews that mention how the cover looks like it was designed for a preadolescent girl. Maybe it was, but the stories weren't.
I'm sorry to say that I don't remember any of the other stories in this anthology. Isn't that how it so often is with anthologies? Some stories shine like diamonds, others not so much. It isn't because those other stories were not good, it is because Sturgeon's story was so good it completely buried the others, at least for me.
Listen to how much praise I'm heaping on this story! I'll bet the first person to read it will wonder what all the fuss was about. All I can say is that beyond a certain point, no matter how well-written a story is, personal taste is what decides the fate of the story, and personally, I'm wild about this story.
I hope my words will encourage someone to seek out this anthology, perhaps on Amazon, or maybe interlibrary loan. It is an old book, but some library somewhere must still have it.
Good hunting.
I read this book in 1983. It is now 2014. In 31 years, I've never forgotten this book. Well, actually, there is one story in this anthology of unicorn stories that will always be with me because of its timeless beauty and universal truth.
It is The Silken-Swift by Theodore Sturgeon.
If you like seeing goodness and light triumph over darkness and evil, read this story. There are no cliches, no tired moralities. Just a beautiful story that shows what a masterful writer can do with pen and ink. This is one story that I will remember until I'm gone from this earth.
This story (and book) is for readers of all ages. I've read some reviews that mention how the cover looks like it was designed for a preadolescent girl. Maybe it was, but the stories weren't.
I'm sorry to say that I don't remember any of the other stories in this anthology. Isn't that how it so often is with anthologies? Some stories shine like diamonds, others not so much. It isn't because those other stories were not good, it is because Sturgeon's story was so good it completely buried the others, at least for me.
Listen to how much praise I'm heaping on this story! I'll bet the first person to read it will wonder what all the fuss was about. All I can say is that beyond a certain point, no matter how well-written a story is, personal taste is what decides the fate of the story, and personally, I'm wild about this story.
I hope my words will encourage someone to seek out this anthology, perhaps on Amazon, or maybe interlibrary loan. It is an old book, but some library somewhere must still have it.
Good hunting.
December 3, 2012
Most of the stories in this anthology were really quite good, but as with most anthologies, some were much better then others.
I'm sorry to say that what I consider to be the worst story in this collection is the first, "The Spoor of The Unicorn." It was, quite frankly, extremely strange. It was like an entry from an very confused encyclopedia, making weird connections and bringing up points only for the author to say "(I'm making this up, for pity's sake! Don't quote me.)" OR to simply move on with out explaining what a tangent on speech therapy has to do with Unicorns.
And while that was the most disappointing, some of the others were strange, moving farther into Sci-fi then one would expect. Some of these, particularly Vonda N. McIntyre's "Elfeda," were quite good, where others, like Larry Niven's "The Flight of the Horse" were so caught up in the science aspects that the unicorn felt over-looked.
Of course, there were others that stuck to a more traditional unicorn story, such as Theodore Sturgeon's "Silken Swift" (which was marvelous) and Bev Evans "The Forsaken" (which was... interesting?).
Overall, I do recommend picking up a copy if you manage to come across one, but I also highly recommend skipping the first story.
I'm sorry to say that what I consider to be the worst story in this collection is the first, "The Spoor of The Unicorn." It was, quite frankly, extremely strange. It was like an entry from an very confused encyclopedia, making weird connections and bringing up points only for the author to say "(I'm making this up, for pity's sake! Don't quote me.)" OR to simply move on with out explaining what a tangent on speech therapy has to do with Unicorns.
And while that was the most disappointing, some of the others were strange, moving farther into Sci-fi then one would expect. Some of these, particularly Vonda N. McIntyre's "Elfeda," were quite good, where others, like Larry Niven's "The Flight of the Horse" were so caught up in the science aspects that the unicorn felt over-looked.
Of course, there were others that stuck to a more traditional unicorn story, such as Theodore Sturgeon's "Silken Swift" (which was marvelous) and Bev Evans "The Forsaken" (which was... interesting?).
Overall, I do recommend picking up a copy if you manage to come across one, but I also highly recommend skipping the first story.
November 21, 2012
Despite a cutesy and dated cover that made a nearly 40 year old man feel like a 12 year old girl, Unicorns! contains some short stories by some of the better science fiction writers of the late seventies, and some progressive and futuristic storylines to accompany such forward thinking minds.
Fear not, there are also cute, funny and noble stories about the mythical beast told in a more traditional setting, although those held my interest less. Sturgeon's bizarre essay at the forefront of the collection will throw off the lovers of classic fantasy, which is probably the intent of the editors. Don't seek this book out, but if it stumbles upon your path, it is recommended to let the Unicorn lay his horn in your lap.
Fear not, there are also cute, funny and noble stories about the mythical beast told in a more traditional setting, although those held my interest less. Sturgeon's bizarre essay at the forefront of the collection will throw off the lovers of classic fantasy, which is probably the intent of the editors. Don't seek this book out, but if it stumbles upon your path, it is recommended to let the Unicorn lay his horn in your lap.
February 10, 2012
Pretty much every story in this collection is just bad. The Harlan Ellison one is okay. Lots of moralistic BS and "loss of innocence" stuff and pedestal-putting of women, of course. Also a very ugh rape story.
I had this one on my shelf largely because I remember reading it as a kid, or one much like it, though now I'm not so sure this is the same collection. The Stephen R. Donaldson story "Mythological Beast" is one I remember reading in a collection I'd gotten from the library, and is notable largely because it triggered one of my earliest experiences of déjà vu.
I had this one on my shelf largely because I remember reading it as a kid, or one much like it, though now I'm not so sure this is the same collection. The Stephen R. Donaldson story "Mythological Beast" is one I remember reading in a collection I'd gotten from the library, and is notable largely because it triggered one of my earliest experiences of déjà vu.
March 5, 2009
This anthology wasn’t as great as expected it to be, but it had been pretty good. I had enjoyed reading it, at least most of it. Even without my bias to unicorns, I believe I would still have liked this book.
~ Complete Review @ My Blog
~ Complete Review @ My Blog
February 15, 2012
I actually read a book called unicorns by Lucille Recht Penner, but couldn't find it on goodreads. The book I read was more of an outlook on different cultures and what unicorns mean to each culture specifically. It was different than I expected, but somewhat informational and interesting.
August 4, 2014
It is interesting that some of those anthologies work pretty well (Robots, also Armageddons as far as I remember, and some others). But it is as if almost no one can do an interesting story about a unicorn.
Read
January 19, 2016I read this over 15 years ago and recently pulled it out to read again. Now my 2-year-old daughter is obsessed with the book and keeps asking me to read aloud to her from it about "p-unicorns" whenever I am putting her to bed or down for a nap.
November 5, 2016
If you're interested in fictional unicorns, as opposed those dry academic accounts of Gestation, Incubation, and Longevity of the species, etc, that one gets in modern naturalist volumes, this is the book for you.
July 16, 2012
A few very bad stories, but also some very good stories, especially the Once and Future King excerpt and the story about a man playing chess against a unicorn for the fate of humanity (yes, really).
Read
May 24, 2014good
October 14, 2011
Some interesting interpretations, some originality. Especially liked Stephen Donaldson's short.
April 18, 2017
Great stories. Sad endings.
April 30, 2019
My regular readers know that I’ve recently revisited some old-school fantasy by re-reading the Thieves’ World books. And one of the anthologies in the shared-universe fantasy series was called Tales from the Vulgar Unicorn, in reference to a pub by that name that served as a focal point of activity in the legendary city of Sanctuary. The hook, of course, being the oxymoronic imagery inherent in the perversion of the symbol of masculine purity.
Which brings me to another fantasy anthology from the 1980s that sits on my shelf near the Thieves’ World books; Unicorns!, edited by Jack Dann and Gardner Dozois, was published in 1982. This was the first of the pair’s Magic Tales Anthology Series published by Ace (although they came out with Aliens! in 1980, that particular collection was published by Pocket Books, and as near as I can tell, is not considered to be included in the series of anthologies centered on fantasy beings, and later, science fiction beings.) (Disclosure notice: Gardner Dozois is one of my absolute favorite editors in the world of speculative fiction.)
Unicorns! gathers stories about one of fantasy’s most enduring and endearing creatures (although the horned horse seems to have taken a back seat to flying, fire-breathing lizards these days…) and the table of contents presents a nice selection of some of the most significant names in genre as of the early 1980s.
The introduction is a piece by Hugo-winner Avram Davidson, an entry in the author’s series of “Adventures in Unhistory,” commissioned specifically for the book. Although I like Avram Davidson and his work, this particular bit of (faux?) history is a bit…complex for me. It’s genius, but complex.
The stories in the anthology, with a few exceptions, fall into one of two categories: fun or serious. The fun stories are examples of masters of the craft playing with the concept of the unicorn’s place in mythology and/or science. The serious stories are examples of masters of the craft exploring the ideas of purity, virginal and otherwise.
The first of the stories is Theodore Sturgeon’s “The Silken Swift,” a tale that the editors call “one of the most renowned of all unicorn stories” and it is one of the latter, a serious tale of love and lust, of goodness and wickedness. I always associate Sturgeon with stories that highlight a cutting and wicked wit, but “The Silken Swift” is sweet and heart-touching, exploring and embracing inner-beauty.
L. Sprague DeCamp’s “Eudoric’s Unicorn” is one of the former, a clever and witty story. DeCamp was a driving force behind the development of the Swords and Sorcery branch of fantasy, someone who, in fact, helped make Conan into the man he is today. But this story comes from the other side of DeCamp, the master satirist.
“The Flight of the Horse” is a tale that you may have seen elsewhere, as it is the title piece for one of Larry Niven’s books, a collection of science fiction stories about Hanville Svetz, a time-traveling bureaucrat from the future who is tasked with collecting animals from the past. The problem is, something that the reader realizes but is hidden to Svetz, his forays into the past always seem to take him into a fantastical past, with mythological animals. He goes after a horse, he ends up with a unicorn, and doesn’t even realize the difference.
The next story is “On the Downhill Side” by Harlan Ellison, good old Uncle Harlan, who, as the editors put it, is “one of the most acclaimed and controversial figures in modern letters.” As with the Sturgeon story, this one is surprisingly sweet, a tear-jerker from the man who almost single-handedly brought cynicism to the genre of SF.
Thomas Burnett Swann’s, “The Night of the Unicorn” follows. I have to admit that I am unfamiliar with his work, although he was an accomplished fantasy author, writing in many settings around the world. His tale is set on a small island off the Yucatan peninsula, and shows that inner beauty, like the legend of the unicorn, is a universal theme.
Then comes “Mythological Beast,” by Stephen R. Donaldson. Am I the only person in the world who doesn’t like The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever? I didn’t like it then, when it first came out, and I tried to read it earlier this year, and I don’t like it now. But this story is not bad at all, and very much reminds me of something by Ray Bradbury.
Eric Norden is another contributor with whom I am not familiar, although his stories frequently appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, which is where his “The Final Quarry” was originally published. This story sticks in the brain, and comes to mind often, even today in the second decade of the 2000s, when I happen to pay attention to world news.
“Elfleda” is a story by one of the greats of the genre, Vonda N. McIntyre. The editors call it a “haunting and melancholy tale.” It brings mythology to science fiction in a way very reminiscent of Philip Jose Farmer’s World of Tiers series, and is another story that has lingered in my mind some three decades hence.
One of the hardest things for an artist to do well, whether in writing, or in song, or in painting, is to connect their story to everyday life. In Ursula K. Le Guin’s “The White Donkey,” it might not be our everyday life to which she connects her story of a unicorn – instead, it is the everyday life of a young girl in rural India – but connect it she does, as only a master could do. Above and beyond that, she does it in a piece that today would be classified as flash fiction, in under a thousand words.
Roger Zelazny’s “Unicorn Variations” is another one of the very fun stories in this anthology. It originally appeared in Asimov’s Science Fiction magazine, but was originally written after Dozois told Zelazny about this collection, and suggested that Zelazny write and sell a unicorn story, so that it would then qualify to be sold for the Unicorns! reprint anthology. “Unicorn Variations” was designed to also fit the criteria for an anthology of stories set in barrooms, AND an anthology of stories about chess. Zelazny sold it to Asimov’s, sold it on the reprint market to all three anthologies, used it as the cover piece for a collection of stories and essays, and won the Hugo with it. Wow.
Gardner Dozois is not only one of the best editors in the field, he’s also a fair hand at writing the stuff. “The Sacrifice” is another entry in this collection that would be classified today as flash fiction, and it’s a thought-provoking twist on the legend.
Frank Owen’s story is simply called, “The Unicorn.” It was originally published in 1952’s Weird Tales, and explores the creature as seen by the residents of rural China, the setting of so many of Owen’s pieces.
Included in this collection is “The Woman the Unicorn Loved,” by Gene Wolfe. It is a nice, solid piece, but it barely scratches the surface of Wolfe’s talent. The editors refer to Wolfe as “seriously underestimated and underappreciated…one of the best – perhaps the best – SF and fantasy writers…” “The Woman the Unicorn Loved” is worth reading, but if it’s a toss-up between this and Wolfe’s Book of the New Sun series…go with the New Sun.
Bev Evans’ story, “The Forsaken,” is one written expressly for the anthology. It’s a fine one that fits well in the ‘serious’ category, but I’d love to know the story behind the story. The editors note that Beverly Evans is a new writer who has contributed to what sound like fantasy-horror publications, but other than that, she is a mystery, and I cannot find any information on her having published anything since.
The final story in the collection is “The Unicorn,” by T. H. White. The editors note that it is an excerpt from The Once and Future King, “but it also stands alone as an individual short story, and was once published as such by White.” As much as I like the editing of Dann and Dozois, I have to say that I would have preferred that this story appear in the first half of the book; it’s too depressing to serve as the closing to this anthology.
There is a nice touch to the book, after the stories are done. The editors have included a selected bibliography of unicorn resources, including novels, short stories, reference and art books. Dann and Dozois’ themed-anthology format was successful enough that it was followed by dozens more, such as Mermaids! and Dinosaurs! and even Unicorns II, although the exclamation point seems to have been dropped from the titles in the mid-1990s.
Which brings me to another fantasy anthology from the 1980s that sits on my shelf near the Thieves’ World books; Unicorns!, edited by Jack Dann and Gardner Dozois, was published in 1982. This was the first of the pair’s Magic Tales Anthology Series published by Ace (although they came out with Aliens! in 1980, that particular collection was published by Pocket Books, and as near as I can tell, is not considered to be included in the series of anthologies centered on fantasy beings, and later, science fiction beings.) (Disclosure notice: Gardner Dozois is one of my absolute favorite editors in the world of speculative fiction.)
Unicorns! gathers stories about one of fantasy’s most enduring and endearing creatures (although the horned horse seems to have taken a back seat to flying, fire-breathing lizards these days…) and the table of contents presents a nice selection of some of the most significant names in genre as of the early 1980s.
The introduction is a piece by Hugo-winner Avram Davidson, an entry in the author’s series of “Adventures in Unhistory,” commissioned specifically for the book. Although I like Avram Davidson and his work, this particular bit of (faux?) history is a bit…complex for me. It’s genius, but complex.
The stories in the anthology, with a few exceptions, fall into one of two categories: fun or serious. The fun stories are examples of masters of the craft playing with the concept of the unicorn’s place in mythology and/or science. The serious stories are examples of masters of the craft exploring the ideas of purity, virginal and otherwise.
The first of the stories is Theodore Sturgeon’s “The Silken Swift,” a tale that the editors call “one of the most renowned of all unicorn stories” and it is one of the latter, a serious tale of love and lust, of goodness and wickedness. I always associate Sturgeon with stories that highlight a cutting and wicked wit, but “The Silken Swift” is sweet and heart-touching, exploring and embracing inner-beauty.
L. Sprague DeCamp’s “Eudoric’s Unicorn” is one of the former, a clever and witty story. DeCamp was a driving force behind the development of the Swords and Sorcery branch of fantasy, someone who, in fact, helped make Conan into the man he is today. But this story comes from the other side of DeCamp, the master satirist.
“The Flight of the Horse” is a tale that you may have seen elsewhere, as it is the title piece for one of Larry Niven’s books, a collection of science fiction stories about Hanville Svetz, a time-traveling bureaucrat from the future who is tasked with collecting animals from the past. The problem is, something that the reader realizes but is hidden to Svetz, his forays into the past always seem to take him into a fantastical past, with mythological animals. He goes after a horse, he ends up with a unicorn, and doesn’t even realize the difference.
The next story is “On the Downhill Side” by Harlan Ellison, good old Uncle Harlan, who, as the editors put it, is “one of the most acclaimed and controversial figures in modern letters.” As with the Sturgeon story, this one is surprisingly sweet, a tear-jerker from the man who almost single-handedly brought cynicism to the genre of SF.
Thomas Burnett Swann’s, “The Night of the Unicorn” follows. I have to admit that I am unfamiliar with his work, although he was an accomplished fantasy author, writing in many settings around the world. His tale is set on a small island off the Yucatan peninsula, and shows that inner beauty, like the legend of the unicorn, is a universal theme.
Then comes “Mythological Beast,” by Stephen R. Donaldson. Am I the only person in the world who doesn’t like The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever? I didn’t like it then, when it first came out, and I tried to read it earlier this year, and I don’t like it now. But this story is not bad at all, and very much reminds me of something by Ray Bradbury.
Eric Norden is another contributor with whom I am not familiar, although his stories frequently appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, which is where his “The Final Quarry” was originally published. This story sticks in the brain, and comes to mind often, even today in the second decade of the 2000s, when I happen to pay attention to world news.
“Elfleda” is a story by one of the greats of the genre, Vonda N. McIntyre. The editors call it a “haunting and melancholy tale.” It brings mythology to science fiction in a way very reminiscent of Philip Jose Farmer’s World of Tiers series, and is another story that has lingered in my mind some three decades hence.
One of the hardest things for an artist to do well, whether in writing, or in song, or in painting, is to connect their story to everyday life. In Ursula K. Le Guin’s “The White Donkey,” it might not be our everyday life to which she connects her story of a unicorn – instead, it is the everyday life of a young girl in rural India – but connect it she does, as only a master could do. Above and beyond that, she does it in a piece that today would be classified as flash fiction, in under a thousand words.
Roger Zelazny’s “Unicorn Variations” is another one of the very fun stories in this anthology. It originally appeared in Asimov’s Science Fiction magazine, but was originally written after Dozois told Zelazny about this collection, and suggested that Zelazny write and sell a unicorn story, so that it would then qualify to be sold for the Unicorns! reprint anthology. “Unicorn Variations” was designed to also fit the criteria for an anthology of stories set in barrooms, AND an anthology of stories about chess. Zelazny sold it to Asimov’s, sold it on the reprint market to all three anthologies, used it as the cover piece for a collection of stories and essays, and won the Hugo with it. Wow.
Gardner Dozois is not only one of the best editors in the field, he’s also a fair hand at writing the stuff. “The Sacrifice” is another entry in this collection that would be classified today as flash fiction, and it’s a thought-provoking twist on the legend.
Frank Owen’s story is simply called, “The Unicorn.” It was originally published in 1952’s Weird Tales, and explores the creature as seen by the residents of rural China, the setting of so many of Owen’s pieces.
Included in this collection is “The Woman the Unicorn Loved,” by Gene Wolfe. It is a nice, solid piece, but it barely scratches the surface of Wolfe’s talent. The editors refer to Wolfe as “seriously underestimated and underappreciated…one of the best – perhaps the best – SF and fantasy writers…” “The Woman the Unicorn Loved” is worth reading, but if it’s a toss-up between this and Wolfe’s Book of the New Sun series…go with the New Sun.
Bev Evans’ story, “The Forsaken,” is one written expressly for the anthology. It’s a fine one that fits well in the ‘serious’ category, but I’d love to know the story behind the story. The editors note that Beverly Evans is a new writer who has contributed to what sound like fantasy-horror publications, but other than that, she is a mystery, and I cannot find any information on her having published anything since.
The final story in the collection is “The Unicorn,” by T. H. White. The editors note that it is an excerpt from The Once and Future King, “but it also stands alone as an individual short story, and was once published as such by White.” As much as I like the editing of Dann and Dozois, I have to say that I would have preferred that this story appear in the first half of the book; it’s too depressing to serve as the closing to this anthology.
There is a nice touch to the book, after the stories are done. The editors have included a selected bibliography of unicorn resources, including novels, short stories, reference and art books. Dann and Dozois’ themed-anthology format was successful enough that it was followed by dozens more, such as Mermaids! and Dinosaurs! and even Unicorns II, although the exclamation point seems to have been dropped from the titles in the mid-1990s.
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