Standard Candles: The Best Short Fiction of Jack McDevitt

by Jack McDevitt

Jack McDevitt was a fixture for years inside the pages of the top science-fiction magazines. This edition brings together for the first time sixteen of McDevitt’s greatest tales. It is here where the full extent of McDevitt’s talent is at last on display. In Standard Candles, wonders abound, with the lucidity and grace that have become McDevitt’s trademarks.

Editorial review:
McDevitt has done a number of very interesting novels, of which the last two were The Engines of God and Ancient Shores. The short fiction has been accumulating for years - clever, insightful, often marked by oddly inconclusive endings, and quite neglected in the sense of fame, fortune, and awards. Two of the sixteen stories thus ring of personal relevance: the title story concerns an astronomer who, though he has never flared as brightly as a nova has had a long and glowing career; "The Fort Moxie Branch" offers the notion of a future library that preserves the work of neglected writers and materializes rather like an Isher weapons shop to offer affirmation when a writer needs it most. "Auld Lang Boom" is the butterfly whose wings cause hurricanes - every time two old friends meet, something awful happens in the world; the surviving heir of one, reading the diary left behind, gets quite spooked. "Cryptic" is the tale of closing down a SETI operation and finding the files of an old computer disk with frightening implications. "Time Travelers Never Die" plays fast and loose with continuity when even after death a time traveler is able to maintain contact with his lover. "The Jersey Rifle" concerns the discovery of the world's greatest chess player, an unassuming druggist who can beat anyone. And more.
-Analog

Contents

"Standard Candles"
"Tidal Effects"
"Translations from the Colosian"
"Black to Move"
"The Fort Moxie Branch"
"Promises to Keep"
"Gus"
"To Hell with the Stars"
"Ellie"
"The Jersey Rifle"
"Cruising through Deuteronomy"
"Tyger"
"Auld Lang Boom"
"Dutchman"
"Cryptic"
"Time Travelers Never Die"

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Fiction

250 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1996

About the author

Jack McDevitt is a former English teacher, naval officer, Philadelphia taxi driver, customs officer and motivational trainer. His work has been on the final ballot for the Nebula Awards for 12 of the past 13 years. His first novel, The Hercules Text, was published in the celebrated Ace Specials series and won the Philip K. Dick Special Award. In 1991, McDevitt won the first $10,000 UPC International Prize for his novella, "Ships in the Night." The Engines of God was a finalist for the Arthur C. Clarke Award, and his novella, "Time Travelers Never Die," was nominated for both the Hugo and the Nebula awards.

McDevitt lives in Georgia with his wife, Maureen, where he plays chess, reads mysteries and eats lunch regularly with his cronies.

Reviews

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first stories by McDevitt that I read appeared in Science fiction magazines in the 80's and 90's, primarily Asimov's science fiction magazine where he was featured often. This 1996 collection pulls together some very good to excellent stories from that era, some of which I read all those years ago. They could certainly have put more of his stories in here, but there are 16, and they are all worth the read. I can't say that I remembered any one of these stories very well, since short stories, being short, tend to fade from memory pretty easily. A few had that strong sense of familiar. What I did remember is liking his stories when they appeared. McDevitt has some big ideas to wrap his stories around, but what makes these stories good is that they are well written character studies, almost without exception. McDevitt has become a well regarded novelist, but this is where he started. Just some excellent stuff here.

This really put me in the mood to have a go with some of McDevitt's novels. Haven't read one in many years.

[Earl Truss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only read four of the sixteen stories in this book because all the rest are also in the book "Cryptic". The four I read were Standard Candles, The Jersey Rifle, Tidal Effects, and Translations from the Colosian. Of the three only the last was what I would call science fiction which is the genre assigned to the book. The others were excellent stories though. I would consider the first as the best. I'm sure I read this story somewhere else but I cannot think of where it was. I liked McDevitt's novels Ancient Shores and Thunderbird and have just gotten started with his short fiction. I'm looked forward to reading more.

[H · Rating 3 out of 5]

McDevitt far-future people are still sitting around in houses in the hills drinking the same booze listening to music and reading books. Classical of course.
They still have jobs we'd recognize, the same social troubles, complain about the same things.

There is a theme to the short stories too. Signals from space, meeting the aliens. Who are not very different from us.

His works show a white middle aged to old American viewpoint.
But some of the stories are ok

[Mal Watts · Rating 4 out of 5]

,

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

McDevitt has become so well known for his novels in recent years that it's easy to forget that he wrote some excellent short fiction early in his career. This volume collects sixteen stories ranging from 1982 to 1996. I remembered reading many of them in Asimov's magazine when they first appeared. There are a couple of good chess stories, a couple of religious speculations, the original version of "Time Travelers Never Die," and several that highlight his fascination with history and how it can (or should) impact the future. My favorites were "Ellie," "Cryptic," and "Dutchman," though I enjoyed them all.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent stories that break no new ground. The stories with computers sometimes have outdated technologies, such as a future where floppy disks are regularly used.