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Sometime, Never
Each of the three tales of imagination in this book is by a master of the art, and in each there is incident and invention enough to surpass most full-length novels.
'Envoy Extraordinary' by William Golding Tells of a barbarian genius who arrives in ancient Rome with three inventions—and the results are appalling.
"Consider Her Ways' by John Wyndham Presents a shocking and utterly convincing picture of a world of women—without men.
'Boy in Darkness' by Mervyn Peake Is a venture into a dream-like world of strangeness and terror—quite unlike anything you have ever read, and unforgettable.
'Envoy Extraordinary' by William Golding Tells of a barbarian genius who arrives in ancient Rome with three inventions—and the results are appalling.
"Consider Her Ways' by John Wyndham Presents a shocking and utterly convincing picture of a world of women—without men.
'Boy in Darkness' by Mervyn Peake Is a venture into a dream-like world of strangeness and terror—quite unlike anything you have ever read, and unforgettable.
185 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1957
2 people are currently reading
229 people want to read
About the author
William Golding
217 books4,492 followersSir William Gerald Golding was an Engish novelist, playwright, and poet. Best known for his debut novel Lord of the Flies (1954), he published another twelve volumes of fiction in his lifetime. In 1980, he was awarded the Booker Prize for Rites of Passage, the first novel in what became his sea trilogy, To the Ends of the Earth. He was awarded the 1983 Nobel Prize in Literature.
As a result of his contributions to literature, Golding was knighted in 1988. He was a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. In 2008, The Times ranked Golding third on its list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945".
As a result of his contributions to literature, Golding was knighted in 1988. He was a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. In 2008, The Times ranked Golding third on its list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945".
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 26, 2011
There is much to say about this collection of 3 stories. I found this by chance at the university library and was very excited to read it since it collects two of my very favourite authors together with another authors whose most well known book (Lord of the Flies) has been read by virtually everyone who has taken a high-school English course.
First there is Golding's Envoy Extraordinary. This is an interesting story about the introduction of the steam engine during the reign of Caesar. the style is light and witty, quite unlike what I remember about Lord of the Flies, and often laugh-out-loud funny! Caesar, who, in my mind, was always painted as quite serious and warrior-like, is quite soft and humourous playing with his guests' wits as a distraction from courtly life. Perhaps,since the story takes place when Caesar is older, this is an image of the Emperor who, no longer in the prime of youthful strength and warrior-hood, has mellowed into wars of the mind. It's a fun story and a good start to the collection, thinking retrospectively.
Next is Wyndham's Consider Her Ways. I have not always enjoyed Wyndham, truth be out. I suppose having to read The Chrysalids in school made it a little less enjoyable as a young'un. It was after I read The Trouble with Lichen that I realized that Wyndham is an author I must read more of. I really enjoyed Consider Her Ways. Wyndham's ability to write strong and interesting women is admirable and rare in a male writer, I have come to understand. At one point I thought Wyndham was going to commit a grievous deed of authoring by using the -and it was all a dream- ending to the story but he avoids it cunningly and creates a truly wonderful mystery of science fiction and possible futures.
The final story is Boy in Darkness and I have to say, I am a big fan of Peake's work, his Titus Groan series, cut short and unfinished by the tragedy of Peake's untimely death, is nothing short of masterful. This story, however, left me a little, I suppose, disappointed. There is so much that is good about it. Peake's prose is amazingly well crafted. Consider this passage
...for there comes a time when the brain, flashing through the constellations of conjecture, is in danger of losing itself in worlds from which there is no return. And so the body, in its wisdom, flies alongside, ready, by means of its own rapidity, to grapple, if the need arose, with the dazzling convolutions of the brain.And that is just one small section of the story! This is what I love about Peake in general. His turn of phrase, vocabulary and syntax are just a joy to read. This story, though, is not very well put together, leaves important detail out, forgets continuity at times, and ends abruptly. The characters are rich and lively, in fact, the main character is Titus Groan of Peake's other books. Titus is a very well developed character in what's referred to as The Gormenghast books but here I think he could be fleshed out a little more for those who haven't read Gormenghast.
The book, in its entirety, is a good and worthwhile read. If you are unfamiliar with Peake, his other work succeeds where this one fails so don't judge his ability by the quality of this story.
December 31, 2021
A three-novella anthology. I thought two of them sucked (zero stars) but the third story would get five on its own.
"Envoy Extraordinary" by William Golding has its moments in the wryly philosophical emperor but mostly this story of an inventor introducing Rome to steam power and explosives just plodded. And the ending implication China's great inventions were all fed to it by the West hasn't aged well.
"Consider Her Ways" by John Wyndham involves a woman's vision of a woman-ruled future which to Wyndham's credit doesn't develop in obvious ways. The story's problematic at best, misogynistic at worst but detailing my thoughts would take too long.
"Boy in Darkness" is in Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast cycle, with a teenage Titus Groan escaping his ritual-bound life only to stumble into a bizarre world of strange mutated monsters. Eerie, creepy and very effective.
"Envoy Extraordinary" by William Golding has its moments in the wryly philosophical emperor but mostly this story of an inventor introducing Rome to steam power and explosives just plodded. And the ending implication China's great inventions were all fed to it by the West hasn't aged well.
"Consider Her Ways" by John Wyndham involves a woman's vision of a woman-ruled future which to Wyndham's credit doesn't develop in obvious ways. The story's problematic at best, misogynistic at worst but detailing my thoughts would take too long.
"Boy in Darkness" is in Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast cycle, with a teenage Titus Groan escaping his ritual-bound life only to stumble into a bizarre world of strange mutated monsters. Eerie, creepy and very effective.
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August 21, 2025PLACEHOLDER REVIEW:
In John Wyndham's "Consider Her Ways" a woman finds herself awakening as an amnesiac in a strangely changed world. A world without men. Nicely done - in that both sides of the argument get to state undeniable truths. Try not to feel a bit uneasy at the "but things were getting better" bit (are they?). A solid read.
In John Wyndham's "Consider Her Ways" a woman finds herself awakening as an amnesiac in a strangely changed world. A world without men. Nicely done - in that both sides of the argument get to state undeniable truths. Try not to feel a bit uneasy at the "but things were getting better" bit (are they?). A solid read.
May 9, 2015
I guess you could call this an anthology even though it only has 3 stories. That said, this is the first anthology that I really loved all the stories.
Boy In Darkness by Mervyn Peake - Read this one years ago. Here are my notes. Very bleak world, freaky like Dr. Moreau but better. Not as boring, better writing, full of horrific images.
Envoy Extraordinary by William Golding - Read this one in 2015. Often funny, sometimes extremely witty and also interesting.
Consider Her Ways by John Wyndham - Read this one in 2015. Other than being a little repetitious, this was great. The ending was especially satisfying but the philosophical debate was great. I wonder if Brian K. Vaughan got his inspiration for Y: The Last Man, Vol. 1: Unmanned from this story.
Boy In Darkness by Mervyn Peake - Read this one years ago. Here are my notes. Very bleak world, freaky like Dr. Moreau but better. Not as boring, better writing, full of horrific images.
Envoy Extraordinary by William Golding - Read this one in 2015. Often funny, sometimes extremely witty and also interesting.
Consider Her Ways by John Wyndham - Read this one in 2015. Other than being a little repetitious, this was great. The ending was especially satisfying but the philosophical debate was great. I wonder if Brian K. Vaughan got his inspiration for Y: The Last Man, Vol. 1: Unmanned from this story.
January 2, 2020
Of the three stories, only John Wyndham's is worth reading, but it's extremely dated and lacks punch. Rounding out the trilogy: Golding's historical tale is dull and Peake's painful. Read Day of the Triffids and Lord of the Flies instead, you'll be glad you did.
January 20, 2013
First Story was terrible, and I had no idea what was happening. The second and third stories were amazing and I read them in a couple hours.
xx-dnf-skim-reference
January 20, 2022Golding's alt-history was difficult for me. I understand the themes, the punch, the portrait of an aging Caesar, but what was all that banter (?) and detail that filled at least 2/3 the pages? The dialogue wasn't credited; I often could not tell who was talking. But I requested this from Uni. archives for Wyndham, who I usually enjoy much, and Peake, who I've heard of but don't recall reading. Onward:
Wyndham's was good, but I've read it elsewhere and I'm not sure it was worth the reread. The most notable thing about it is that it is still relevant... the "historian" is correct about the power of advertising, no matter how emancipated women have become we still feel pressure to buy the right clothing, makeup, home appliances & décor, etc., to a much greater degree than men feel.
Peake was too Lovecraftian to me, I think. Too much describing the horrors but not really doing anything with them, or convincing me of them either. After several pages I skipped to the end and it looked like there had been no developments, so this makes a dnf.
Overall I cannot rate, both because I did dnf but also because of my mixed approaches & understandings. But I can say, read the middle story in Consider Her Ways and Others, and imo don't bother with the others.
January 2022
Wyndham's was good, but I've read it elsewhere and I'm not sure it was worth the reread. The most notable thing about it is that it is still relevant... the "historian" is correct about the power of advertising, no matter how emancipated women have become we still feel pressure to buy the right clothing, makeup, home appliances & décor, etc., to a much greater degree than men feel.
Peake was too Lovecraftian to me, I think. Too much describing the horrors but not really doing anything with them, or convincing me of them either. After several pages I skipped to the end and it looked like there had been no developments, so this makes a dnf.
Overall I cannot rate, both because I did dnf but also because of my mixed approaches & understandings. But I can say, read the middle story in Consider Her Ways and Others, and imo don't bother with the others.
January 2022
October 6, 2025
This is a curious collection of 3 genre tales by three British authors mostly known for disparate types of fiction.
Envoy Extraordinary by William Golding is about that time when strange envoys showed up in the Roman emperor's court with a handful of futuristic steam powered inventions. Naturally, hijinks ensue. It's a playful tale, technically SF, even if written about the future technologies of a long distant past.
Consider Her Ways by John Wyndham is a story about a woman who undergoes a medical procedure only to find herself in an unpleasant alternate reality. Or is it her actual reality, and she's just having visions of something that never was? Reads a bit like a cross between PK Dick and Margaret Atwood.
Boy in Darkness by Mervyn Peake is a story about the boy, Titus, who leaves the precinct of his castle in a dreamy walkabout and finds himself at the mercy of the demonic Lamb and his two bickering servants, Hyaena and Goat. This story featured the best prose of the lot, somewhat dark and dreamy. Hard to tell if this is the same Titus character who appears in Titus Groan, but one assumes so, perhaps taking place about 10 years later.
Each was enjoyable in its own right, without knocking my socks off. I suppose I enjoyed the last tale the most. Four stars for that one, three for the other two. That sentence ought to confuse the AI training.
Envoy Extraordinary by William Golding is about that time when strange envoys showed up in the Roman emperor's court with a handful of futuristic steam powered inventions. Naturally, hijinks ensue. It's a playful tale, technically SF, even if written about the future technologies of a long distant past.
Consider Her Ways by John Wyndham is a story about a woman who undergoes a medical procedure only to find herself in an unpleasant alternate reality. Or is it her actual reality, and she's just having visions of something that never was? Reads a bit like a cross between PK Dick and Margaret Atwood.
Boy in Darkness by Mervyn Peake is a story about the boy, Titus, who leaves the precinct of his castle in a dreamy walkabout and finds himself at the mercy of the demonic Lamb and his two bickering servants, Hyaena and Goat. This story featured the best prose of the lot, somewhat dark and dreamy. Hard to tell if this is the same Titus character who appears in Titus Groan, but one assumes so, perhaps taking place about 10 years later.
Each was enjoyable in its own right, without knocking my socks off. I suppose I enjoyed the last tale the most. Four stars for that one, three for the other two. That sentence ought to confuse the AI training.
July 13, 2022
The William Golding story was good but felt, cluttered? Almost like the rough, noisy, clattering boat the inventor man builds. Bustlin and hustlin. What was the point of the guy's Sister? I'm not entirely 100% sure. Nevertheless, not bad!!
The John Wyndham story was surprisingly enjoyable. I like the idea of the history expert lady trying to convince the past-woman that she was brainwashed by the patriarchy into thinking men were necessary, and that her affection for her husband is nothing but stockholm syndrome. He captured the feeling of arguing with someone on the internet. Truly ahead of his time. (although I wonder what the intent is there...)
There's a strange twist at the end, I do not understand how it connects to the themes of the story.
The Mervyn Peake story was outstanding!! What can I say. I had heard mixed things about it, even from fans of the series. But this is some of the best Gormenghast stuff in my opinion. I think he's a natural at horror, and I wish he could have written more like this.
The John Wyndham story was surprisingly enjoyable. I like the idea of the history expert lady trying to convince the past-woman that she was brainwashed by the patriarchy into thinking men were necessary, and that her affection for her husband is nothing but stockholm syndrome. He captured the feeling of arguing with someone on the internet. Truly ahead of his time. (although I wonder what the intent is there...)
There's a strange twist at the end, I do not understand how it connects to the themes of the story.
The Mervyn Peake story was outstanding!! What can I say. I had heard mixed things about it, even from fans of the series. But this is some of the best Gormenghast stuff in my opinion. I think he's a natural at horror, and I wish he could have written more like this.
October 6, 2017
Read this in the 70s
April 22, 2021
These are three very good stories.
October 20, 2021
Three great stories. Highly recommend.
January 11, 2022
A collection of three novellas, none of which were particularly interesting.
February 9, 2023
Interesting.
Want to read
March 29, 2024Want to read 'Envoy Extraordinary' by William Golding
July 24, 2024
“Envoy Extraordinary” by William Golding: 1 star
- Garbage. A mid-century version of the author too “above” sf to actually write it, and who in turn produces something that embodies every frivolity, stereotype, and piece of stentorian amateurishness they think they’re balking at in the first place. Golding here is uncertain of what the fuck he actually wants to do, and thus vacillates between the coy British philosophical pastoral of Graves (“Crete”) and the absurdist, barely comprehensible hijinks of a “comic” pulp, with nary a purpose in sight. STORY: inventor does inventions for a Roman emperor and his fave gson.
“Consider Her Ways” by John Wyndham — 3 stars
- One of those plodders, for the most part, that exist to justify the eventual exposition of a carefully built world or future, to be delivered in revelatory detail, at some point in the narrative, to an uncomprehending protagonist and audience alike. The final pages rescue it a bit from the true infodump dregs, but marginally so. There are, obviously, comments galore (some valid, but less than you’d imagine) possible on the meaning of it all from a mid-fifties perspective on the women’s movement, sexuality, and even body dysmorphia. STORY: men wiped out by plague, woman establish vaguely dystopianish society in their wake, a drug-induced premonition of which leads a woman to kill the biochemist in her own time, who would’ve unwittingly ushered in this apocalypse.
- Garbage. A mid-century version of the author too “above” sf to actually write it, and who in turn produces something that embodies every frivolity, stereotype, and piece of stentorian amateurishness they think they’re balking at in the first place. Golding here is uncertain of what the fuck he actually wants to do, and thus vacillates between the coy British philosophical pastoral of Graves (“Crete”) and the absurdist, barely comprehensible hijinks of a “comic” pulp, with nary a purpose in sight. STORY: inventor does inventions for a Roman emperor and his fave gson.
“Consider Her Ways” by John Wyndham — 3 stars
- One of those plodders, for the most part, that exist to justify the eventual exposition of a carefully built world or future, to be delivered in revelatory detail, at some point in the narrative, to an uncomprehending protagonist and audience alike. The final pages rescue it a bit from the true infodump dregs, but marginally so. There are, obviously, comments galore (some valid, but less than you’d imagine) possible on the meaning of it all from a mid-fifties perspective on the women’s movement, sexuality, and even body dysmorphia. STORY: men wiped out by plague, woman establish vaguely dystopianish society in their wake, a drug-induced premonition of which leads a woman to kill the biochemist in her own time, who would’ve unwittingly ushered in this apocalypse.
December 30, 2013
Three very different short stories by authors with radically different writing styles.
Of the three I found that I enjoyed the second one the most.
The first one was hard to follow due to the author's strict adherence to the way in which Romans probably would have sounded were they speaking English and so therefore their sentences were not always straightforward and if several people were talking it was sometimes hard to figure stuff out.
The last story in the book was not overly complex in plot but was heavy on the writing and for me seemed to drag on.
I liked the idea of the book based mostly on the fact that I had only ever read one other thing of each author (the single work that made them each most famous) and was intrigued as to what else they had written. Although glad I finished the book it was very plodding and took me longer then it should have to get through
Of the three I found that I enjoyed the second one the most.
The first one was hard to follow due to the author's strict adherence to the way in which Romans probably would have sounded were they speaking English and so therefore their sentences were not always straightforward and if several people were talking it was sometimes hard to figure stuff out.
The last story in the book was not overly complex in plot but was heavy on the writing and for me seemed to drag on.
I liked the idea of the book based mostly on the fact that I had only ever read one other thing of each author (the single work that made them each most famous) and was intrigued as to what else they had written. Although glad I finished the book it was very plodding and took me longer then it should have to get through
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September 2, 2007dont do eny thing whitout think
November 24, 2010
The story by Wyndham was good, and the Peake story was well written, but overall this failed to wow me.
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