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Moon Mirror
More than almost any other writer, Andre Norton knows how to thrill and delight her readers. In this collection, the "superb storyteller with a narrative pace all her own" (New York Times) does it again.
Stories in this book:
How Many Miles to Babylon?
The Toymaker's Snuffbox
Teddi
Desirable Lakeside Residence
The Long Night of Waiting
Through the Needle's Eye
One Spell Wizard
Outside (the expanded, juvenile novel version of this story)
Moon Mirror
Stories in this book:
How Many Miles to Babylon?
The Toymaker's Snuffbox
Teddi
Desirable Lakeside Residence
The Long Night of Waiting
Through the Needle's Eye
One Spell Wizard
Outside (the expanded, juvenile novel version of this story)
Moon Mirror
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published August 15, 1989
50 people are currently reading
195 people want to read
About the author
Andre Norton
696 books1,388 followersAndre Norton, born Alice Mary Norton, was a pioneering American author of science fiction and fantasy, widely regarded as the Grande Dame of those genres. She also wrote historical and contemporary fiction, publishing under the pen names Andre Alice Norton, Andrew North, and Allen Weston. She launched her career in 1934 with The Prince Commands, adopting the name “Andre” to appeal to a male readership. After working for the Cleveland Library System and the Library of Congress, she began publishing science fiction under “Andrew North” and fantasy under her own name. She became a full-time writer in 1958 and was known for her prolific output, including Star Man’s Son, 2250 A.D. and Witch World, the latter spawning a long-running series and shared universe. Norton was a founding member of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America and authored Quag Keep, the first novel based on the Dungeons & Dragons game. She influenced generations of writers, including Lois McMaster Bujold and Mercedes Lackey. Among her many honors were being the first woman named Gandalf Grand Master of Fantasy and SFWA Grand Master. In her later years, she established the High Hallack Library to support research in genre fiction. Her legacy continues with the Andre Norton Award for young adult science fiction and fantasy.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 29, 2016
I have only read two things by Andre Norton. Well, technically, only one. "Mirror of Destiny" is a fantasy novel I read when I was a teenager and I loved it. I also accidentally stumbled across a collection of short stories called "The Magick of Ithkar" in a used bookstore when I was about 9. It was edited by Andre Norton and I really liked that too. However, this story was definitely a disappointment. A lot of the stories seem like they are just recycling the same ideas. Like, several of them even use the same slang words and terms, even though they aren't set in the same worlds.
How many miles to Babylon?: 2 stars. I read this like 3 days ago and I can't even remember what this short story was about, seriously.
The toymaker's snuffbox: 3 stars. A story about a toymaker who gets a magic snuffbox that grants him 3 wishes.
Teddi: 2.5 stars. This is set on a futurist earth where some people have been genetically engineered to be extra small to help deal with the overpopulation problem. These smaller people are called "little's" and the people who refused to undergo this procedure are called "Nat's", short for natural. The Littles apparently have become twisted and mean due to the procedure and the Nat's live in fear of them in caves and forests, trying to hide from their tyranny. Eventually, a teddy bear, a telepathic alien, and a toddler put an end to all that nonsense. Also, as a side note, this story includes weapons called "Tanglers" and "Stunners", which the short story "Outside" also uses. Further, "Outside" also uses the word "Littles" to refer to children.
Desirable lakeside residence: 3 stars. Set in a polluted world where most people have to live in domed cities and all the water and air is polluted, and all the animals are dead. Some children, a scientific experiment gone awry, a mostly empty neighborhood with a nasty overgrown pond-come-mud puddle, and some moon rocks may be the keys to save the planet.
The long night of waiting: 3.5 stars. A short story about some kids who accidentally fall into fairyland in the late 1800's and come out 110 years later to smog, cars, and subdivisions. They are horrified. After doing some monkey-wrenching they go back to fairyland.
Through the needle's eye: 3.5 stars. A really cool story about a family that, once, long long ago made a deal with "Somebody" to get 6 golden needles. Each needle could be used to embroider a wish into reality, but only if you have the gift.
One spell wizard: 3.5 stars. Pretty predictable, but cute. A hedge-wizard takes an apprentice with a speech impediment, thinking that the speech impediment would prevent the apprentice from stealing his spells. Turns out the apprentice is better at magic than the master. Has a cute ending with a princess.
Outside: 3 stars. Set in the far future of a polluted earth where everyone lives in domed cities because all the outside air is too poison to breathe. All the adults (called "Olds") have died, and only children (called "Littles" are left). However, a "rhyming man" in a jesters outfit is coming around, playing music and singing nursery rhymes leading the children away. But where can he be leading them? There is no where to go...or is there. With the help of an android and telepathy, maybe the world can be saved......Also, remember how I said a lot of these ideas are recycled?
Moon mirror: 2.5-3 stars. I dunno, this one was pretty forgettable too. Some girl who is part of a people called "Hill Cats" is stalking a camp of men, because she is magnetically drawn to their leader. She steals a wallet and find a silver circlet which she puts on. The circlet is somehow magical, as is her connection to the leader of this band of men. At the end they teleport to another dimension? I'm not sure, since I'm having trouble remembering the details even though I only read it a few days ago.
How many miles to Babylon?: 2 stars. I read this like 3 days ago and I can't even remember what this short story was about, seriously.
The toymaker's snuffbox: 3 stars. A story about a toymaker who gets a magic snuffbox that grants him 3 wishes.
Teddi: 2.5 stars. This is set on a futurist earth where some people have been genetically engineered to be extra small to help deal with the overpopulation problem. These smaller people are called "little's" and the people who refused to undergo this procedure are called "Nat's", short for natural. The Littles apparently have become twisted and mean due to the procedure and the Nat's live in fear of them in caves and forests, trying to hide from their tyranny. Eventually, a teddy bear, a telepathic alien, and a toddler put an end to all that nonsense. Also, as a side note, this story includes weapons called "Tanglers" and "Stunners", which the short story "Outside" also uses. Further, "Outside" also uses the word "Littles" to refer to children.
Desirable lakeside residence: 3 stars. Set in a polluted world where most people have to live in domed cities and all the water and air is polluted, and all the animals are dead. Some children, a scientific experiment gone awry, a mostly empty neighborhood with a nasty overgrown pond-come-mud puddle, and some moon rocks may be the keys to save the planet.
The long night of waiting: 3.5 stars. A short story about some kids who accidentally fall into fairyland in the late 1800's and come out 110 years later to smog, cars, and subdivisions. They are horrified. After doing some monkey-wrenching they go back to fairyland.
Through the needle's eye: 3.5 stars. A really cool story about a family that, once, long long ago made a deal with "Somebody" to get 6 golden needles. Each needle could be used to embroider a wish into reality, but only if you have the gift.
One spell wizard: 3.5 stars. Pretty predictable, but cute. A hedge-wizard takes an apprentice with a speech impediment, thinking that the speech impediment would prevent the apprentice from stealing his spells. Turns out the apprentice is better at magic than the master. Has a cute ending with a princess.
Outside: 3 stars. Set in the far future of a polluted earth where everyone lives in domed cities because all the outside air is too poison to breathe. All the adults (called "Olds") have died, and only children (called "Littles" are left). However, a "rhyming man" in a jesters outfit is coming around, playing music and singing nursery rhymes leading the children away. But where can he be leading them? There is no where to go...or is there. With the help of an android and telepathy, maybe the world can be saved......Also, remember how I said a lot of these ideas are recycled?
Moon mirror: 2.5-3 stars. I dunno, this one was pretty forgettable too. Some girl who is part of a people called "Hill Cats" is stalking a camp of men, because she is magnetically drawn to their leader. She steals a wallet and find a silver circlet which she puts on. The circlet is somehow magical, as is her connection to the leader of this band of men. At the end they teleport to another dimension? I'm not sure, since I'm having trouble remembering the details even though I only read it a few days ago.
July 20, 2019
This was a pretty good read overall, but I think in several cases the form was working against Norton.
As is usual for a collection that isn't explicitly in a shared world, all the stories were in different worlds and in several cases I think that hurt them. In five of the nine stories I felt like I was missing crucial information about the word of the story--either they were set in worlds otherwise populated by Norton's novels, or she couldn't develop them adequately in the space. "Moon Mirror" (which had some great moments) was particularly bad in this regard; I actually lost track of the story in several places because I couldn't figure out the world.
I also felt that "Desirable Lakeside Residence", "Outside", and "Teddi" were too closely related to coexist effectively with the other stories. They shared terminology--Littles and Olds; Inside and Outside, "breathers" that made me want them to be in the same world (though I don't think they were) and they were all deeply concerned with environmental issues. I think they would have made better parts in a collection dedicated to those themes, rather than scattered among the wide variety of the other tales.
Similarly, "The Toymaker's Snuffbox," "Through the Needle's Eye" and "One Spell Wizard" (and maybe "Moon Mirror") could have been the seeds of a very interesting collection of stories with a more fairy-tale feel, but they didn't jive well with the harder science fiction of several of the other stories for me. All in all, worth checking out if there's a copy at your local library or cheap at a used bookstore, but I probably wouldn't seek it out unless I was on a mission to read as much Andre Norton as I could.
As is usual for a collection that isn't explicitly in a shared world, all the stories were in different worlds and in several cases I think that hurt them. In five of the nine stories I felt like I was missing crucial information about the word of the story--either they were set in worlds otherwise populated by Norton's novels, or she couldn't develop them adequately in the space. "Moon Mirror" (which had some great moments) was particularly bad in this regard; I actually lost track of the story in several places because I couldn't figure out the world.
I also felt that "Desirable Lakeside Residence", "Outside", and "Teddi" were too closely related to coexist effectively with the other stories. They shared terminology--Littles and Olds; Inside and Outside, "breathers" that made me want them to be in the same world (though I don't think they were) and they were all deeply concerned with environmental issues. I think they would have made better parts in a collection dedicated to those themes, rather than scattered among the wide variety of the other tales.
Similarly, "The Toymaker's Snuffbox," "Through the Needle's Eye" and "One Spell Wizard" (and maybe "Moon Mirror") could have been the seeds of a very interesting collection of stories with a more fairy-tale feel, but they didn't jive well with the harder science fiction of several of the other stories for me. All in all, worth checking out if there's a copy at your local library or cheap at a used bookstore, but I probably wouldn't seek it out unless I was on a mission to read as much Andre Norton as I could.
February 6, 2018
A collection of stories from the Grand Mistress of Fantasy which are mostly from the seventies, with an general theme of environmental problems. My favorite was The Toymaker's Snuffbox, which didn't fit the collection and was written in 1966, quite a bit earlier than the rest.
May 4, 2020
This collection of short stories has a general theme dealing with environmental problems, and fits the collective mindset, based on when most of the collection was written. Overall it isn't something I plan to reread, buy, or collect, as I remember most to be acceptable but not really good reading, with a couple of hidden gems to make it not a complete waste of my reading time.
September 12, 2012
This is a collection of short stories I read in ebook format from Amazon.com, they include:
How Many Miles to Bablyon?
The Toymaker's Snuffbox
Teddi
Desirable Lakeside Residence
The Long Night of Waiting
Through the Needle's Eye
One Spell Wizard
Outside
Moon Mirror
How Many Miles to Bablyon?
The Toymaker's Snuffbox
Teddi
Desirable Lakeside Residence
The Long Night of Waiting
Through the Needle's Eye
One Spell Wizard
Outside
Moon Mirror
Want to read
March 12, 2009This is a collection of Short Stories which contains the Witch World story The One Spell Wizard.
March 15, 2015
donated to smith family charity march 2015
January 16, 2022
An enjoyable collection of short stories.
February 20, 2024
Mixture of sf and fantasy stories. Some are dated, but others emphasize the results of climate change which is still a big issue today.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews