Travellers in Magic

by Lisa Goldstein

The 15 deceptively plain short stories in this collection hum with the harmonics of Lisa Goldstein's novels. In "Tourists," Goldstein visits Amaz, where packs of tarotlike cards circulate and an American tourist is enmeshed in their predictions. A reporter interviewing a revolutionary leader learns that "Death is Different" in Amaz, and in "A Game of Cards," the oracular cards appear in America. Goldstein is fascinated by refugees, travelers, and explorers confronting alien cultures or surviving in exile. Sometimes her characters are subsumed, assimilated; sometimes they maintain an indigestible integrity in their foreign environment. It is always better to adapt to new circumstances, while honoring the past, in Goldstein's worlds, than to deny them. Rigidity is sterile death.

Contents:
Infinite Riches (1993)
Tourists (1985)
Preliminary Notes on the Jang (1985)
Alfred (1992)
Cassandra's Photographs (1987)
Split Light (1994)
Rites of Spring (1994)
Midnight News (1990)
Daily Voices (1986)
Ever After (1984)
A Traveller at Passover (1991)
Death Is Different (1988)
The Woman in the Painting (1993)
Breadcrumbs and Stones (1993)
A Game of Cards (1994)

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Science Fiction, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Speculative Fiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1994

About the author

Aka Isabel Glass.

Lisa Goldstein (b. November 21, 1953 in Los Angeles) is a Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy Award nominated fantasy and science fiction writer. Her 1982 novel The Red Magician won the American Book Award for best paperback novel, and was praised by Philip K. Dick shortly before his death. Goldstein writes science fiction and fantasy; her two novels Daughter of Exile and The Divided Crown are considered literary fantasy.

Elizabeth Joy "Lisa" Goldstein's father was Heinz Jurgen "Harry" Goldstein (b. June 08, 1922 in Krefeld, Germany; d. May 24, 1974 in Los Angeles), a survivor of concentration camp Bergen-Belsen; her mother, Miriam Roth, was born in Czechoslovakia and survived the extermination camp Auschwitz. Her parents came to the United States in 1947 and met in an ESL class.

She has published two fantasy novels under the pen name Isabel Glass. She chose to use a pseudonym to separate the novels from her other work. The "Isabel" is from Point Isabel, a dog park, and "Glass" was chosen because it fits Tor's requirements for pseudonyms.

With her husband since 1986, Douglas A. "Doug" Asherman, she lives in Oakland, California.

Reviews

[C. · Rating 2 out of 5]

A few good tales, but ultimately disapointing. Most try too hard to be a "story-with a twist", which is the usual pit-fall that fantasy authors fall into with short-fiction.

[Asani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stories of uneven quality

A few are really good. One about a woman who hears a voice that tells her what to do, which may or may not be an Alien’s. Another about tourists getting lost in the magical kingdom of Amaz. A wonderful story about the fairytales told by a Jewish mother who’s family had died in concentration camp. But too many seems rather thin, intended to convey a message. Some begin well but the ending is hurried and tied up in a neat moral.

[Tim Gesner · Rating 5 out of 5]

My introduction to Lisa Goldstein was her amazing book, Tourists, and the magic of Amaz. I loved it and kept that book through several reductions in my library of favorites, which is why I picked up Travellers in Magic. I thought TiM was excellent- the three stories that involved Amaz were perfect extensions to Tourists. This book is entertaining, thoughtful, and well-written, showcasing LG’s talent at bringing characters to life in realistic ways.

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Early Bird Book Deal | Interesting, unpredictable, somewhat uneven. | Sorry story collections are always a bit of a crapshoot, especially when you're not already familiar with the author. These were mostly quite good, the disappointments were all in the same vein, indicating that the author has some things she's still trying to puzzle out personally, and has been using her work to try to do so.

[B K McIntire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inventive, well-written short stories

Lisa Goldstein is a terrific writer. Her words pull the reader forward in a seemingly effortless way. I am looking forward to reading more of her work.

[Debra K Levandowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this collection, have not read short stories for a long time. This book made me want to stretch my imagination and write a short story......

[Jacqueline matzen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short stories with magic as a side bar

Interesting tales each different from the other. Magic and mysticism are a part of each story with colorful characters in each.

[Judith · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some stories that were very good but were overshadowed by the ones that weren't. If you like a book filled with short stories, this may be the one for you. It was difficult for me to go from one story to the next without the continuity of a novel. After each short story, Ms. Goldstein writes an "Afterword" about each story which I found unique. I believe the Title of the Book may have been a bit misleading to its content.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one fo those books that changed the way I think about fiction and literature. More than any other writer I've encountered, Goldstein spans the distance beteween fantasy and magical realism. In these stories, magic doesn't just exist; it permeates the world, and everything is connected by subtle, inscrutable threads.

[Brandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming collection of stories that I blazed through. I read so much that I tend to burn out & this was a great way to mix things up after reading a long series.

[Theresa R. SMITH · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful

Had to read it twice. First for the story and second for the rich characters and subtleties of plot. Where there clues given for the surprise plot twists and endings?