What do you think?
Rate this book
Comic Tales of Fantasy #2
Čaroplavci
Fantasy fiction has a long and honourable history of parodying its own traditions and, in The Flying Sorcerers, Peter Haining has collected a wide range of comic fiction from the genres of fantasy, horror, and sf. The 24 stories span the century, from P.G. Wodehouse's hilarious "A Slice of Life", about the inventor Wilfred Mulliner and the dastardly baronet Sir Jasper ffinch-ffarrowmere, through the likes of C S Lewis, Kurt Vonnegut Jr and Mervyn Peake to stories by more recent favourites such as Roald Dahl and, of course, Terry Pratchett, whose story "Turntables of the Night", featuring DEATH, opens the collection.
The stories range from Michael Moorcock's hilarious spoof of heroic fantasy, "The Stone Thing", to more considered twists on conventional themes, as in Angela Carter's story of a reluctant vampire, "The Lady of the House of Love". Arthur C. Clarke even manages to find humour in the end of the world, with the closing story: "No Morning After".
Haining introduces each story with a brief but informative biography of its writer so, if you like the stories here, you will be able to find more by the same authors. This makes the collection an excellent introduction to the wide range of comic fantasy and sf writing produced this century. -- Elizabeth Sourbut
Comprising:
Turntables of the Night by Terry Pratchett
A Slice of Life by P.G. Wodehouse
The Better Mousetrap by L. Sprague de Camp & Fletcher Pratt
Sam Small's Better Half by Eric Knight
Danse Macabre by Mervyn Peake
The Shoddy Lands by C.S. Lewis
Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
Possible to Rue by Piers Anthony
The Right Side by John Collier
Nasty by Fredric Brown
The Gripes of Wraith by Nelson Bond
The Roaches by Thomas M. Disch
The Lady of the House of Love by Angela Carter
The Stone Thing by Michael Moorcock
The Shrink and the Mink by Robert Bloch
Ah Sweet Mystery of Life by Roald Dahl
The Man in Asbestos by Stephen Leacock
Female of the Species by John Wyndham
A Good Shellacking by Stanislaw Lem
From 'Gustible's Planet' by Cordwainer Smith
Specialist by Robert sheckley
The Adventures of the Martian Moons by William F. Nolan
The Golden Years of the Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison
No Morning After by Arthur C. Clarke
402 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
About the author
Peter Haining
334 books99 followersPeter Alexander Haining was an English journalist, author and anthologist who lived and worked in Suffolk. Born in Enfield, Middlesex, he began his career as a reporter in Essex and then moved to London where he worked on a trade magazine before joining the publishing house of New English Library.
Haining achieved the position of Editorial Director before becoming a full time writer in the early Seventies. He edited a large number of anthologies, predominantly of horror and fantasy short stories, wrote non-fiction books on a variety of topics from the Channel Tunnel to Sweeney Todd and also used the pen names "Ric Alexander" and "Richard Peyton" on a number of crime story anthologies. In the Seventies he wrote three novels, including The Hero (1973), which was optioned for filming.
In two controversial books, Haining argued that Sweeney Todd was a real historical figure who committed his crimes around 1800, was tried in December 1801, and was hanged in January 1802. However, other researchers who have tried to verify his citations find nothing in these sources to back Haining's claims. A check of the website Old Bailey at for "Associated Records 1674-1834" for an alleged trial in December 1801 and hanging of Sweeney Todd for January 1802 show no reference; in fact the only murder trial for this period is that of a Governor/Lt Col. Joseph Wall who was hanged 28 January 1802 for killing a Benjamin Armstrong 10 July 1782 in "Goree" Africa and the discharge of a Humphrey White in January 1802. Strong reservations have also been expressed regarding the reliability of another of Haining's influential non-fiction works, The Legend and Bizarre Crimes of Spring Heeled Jack.
He wrote several reference books on Doctor Who, including the 20th anniversary special Doctor Who: A Celebration Two Decades Through Time and Space (1983), and also wrote the definitive study of Sherlock Holmes on the screen, The Television Sherlock Holmes (1991) and several other television tie-ins featuring famous literary characters, including Maigret, Poirot and James Bond. Peter Haining's most recent project was a series of World War Two stories based on extensive research and personal interviews: The Jail That Went To Sea (2003), The Mystery of Rommel's Gold (2004), Where The Eagle Landed (2004), The Chianti Raiders (2005) and The Banzai Hunters (2007).
He won the British Fantasy Awards Karl Edward Wagner Award in 2001.
Haining achieved the position of Editorial Director before becoming a full time writer in the early Seventies. He edited a large number of anthologies, predominantly of horror and fantasy short stories, wrote non-fiction books on a variety of topics from the Channel Tunnel to Sweeney Todd and also used the pen names "Ric Alexander" and "Richard Peyton" on a number of crime story anthologies. In the Seventies he wrote three novels, including The Hero (1973), which was optioned for filming.
In two controversial books, Haining argued that Sweeney Todd was a real historical figure who committed his crimes around 1800, was tried in December 1801, and was hanged in January 1802. However, other researchers who have tried to verify his citations find nothing in these sources to back Haining's claims. A check of the website Old Bailey at for "Associated Records 1674-1834" for an alleged trial in December 1801 and hanging of Sweeney Todd for January 1802 show no reference; in fact the only murder trial for this period is that of a Governor/Lt Col. Joseph Wall who was hanged 28 January 1802 for killing a Benjamin Armstrong 10 July 1782 in "Goree" Africa and the discharge of a Humphrey White in January 1802. Strong reservations have also been expressed regarding the reliability of another of Haining's influential non-fiction works, The Legend and Bizarre Crimes of Spring Heeled Jack.
He wrote several reference books on Doctor Who, including the 20th anniversary special Doctor Who: A Celebration Two Decades Through Time and Space (1983), and also wrote the definitive study of Sherlock Holmes on the screen, The Television Sherlock Holmes (1991) and several other television tie-ins featuring famous literary characters, including Maigret, Poirot and James Bond. Peter Haining's most recent project was a series of World War Two stories based on extensive research and personal interviews: The Jail That Went To Sea (2003), The Mystery of Rommel's Gold (2004), Where The Eagle Landed (2004), The Chianti Raiders (2005) and The Banzai Hunters (2007).
He won the British Fantasy Awards Karl Edward Wagner Award in 2001.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
June 10, 2025
This is the second anthology I read, and I gotta say, this one had great scifi stories. There's a little for everyone I guess, the fantasy ones I didn't quite enjoy as much as with book one though, but I got a chance to read unknown stories from some authors I really like and I got to know others I had never heard of. There's only one book missing in the trilogy, so I hope to get to that one soon.
May 7, 2017
I couldn’t decide whether to give this a four or a five, but in the end, I made the call and I’m happy with it. This book is fascinating in many ways, and it’s pretty much the perfect introduction to the genres of comic fantasy and comic science fiction. Because it’s a collection of short stories, you get to meet a huge range of authors as diverse as Terry Pratchett, C. S. Lewis, Roald Dahl and Arthur C. Clarke.
For some reason, I wasn’t expecting much when I started reading this. I mean, I’m a fan of a bunch of the contributors, but I just didn’t think it was going to be as good as it was. In the end, though, it turned out to be the best collection of assorted stories that I’ve ever read. It’s the kind of book that you just can’t stop reading – there’s so much to take in that you can really read it how you want, whether you decide to dip in and out of it or whether you prefer to work your way through it in one sitting.
It’s hard for me to pick a favourite from the stories in the collection, but I will say that I was surprised by the quality of each of the authors – and not just the ones that I already liked to begin with. In fact, this is almost a rallying call for the genres of comic fantasy and comic science fiction, and it signals the arrival of a serious genre of literary significance. It gives you a buzz to see how fictional worlds can be used to reflect the real life situations of the authors who wrote them, and you’ll have a laugh along the way at the same time.
Overall, then, if you have an interest in the genre – or if you’d simply like to get started with a comprehensive introduction – there isn’t anywhere better to get started. This book belongs on your bookcase, whatever you’re into. It’s one of those rare books that have a broad appeal – and you might meet a new favourite author.
For some reason, I wasn’t expecting much when I started reading this. I mean, I’m a fan of a bunch of the contributors, but I just didn’t think it was going to be as good as it was. In the end, though, it turned out to be the best collection of assorted stories that I’ve ever read. It’s the kind of book that you just can’t stop reading – there’s so much to take in that you can really read it how you want, whether you decide to dip in and out of it or whether you prefer to work your way through it in one sitting.
It’s hard for me to pick a favourite from the stories in the collection, but I will say that I was surprised by the quality of each of the authors – and not just the ones that I already liked to begin with. In fact, this is almost a rallying call for the genres of comic fantasy and comic science fiction, and it signals the arrival of a serious genre of literary significance. It gives you a buzz to see how fictional worlds can be used to reflect the real life situations of the authors who wrote them, and you’ll have a laugh along the way at the same time.
Overall, then, if you have an interest in the genre – or if you’d simply like to get started with a comprehensive introduction – there isn’t anywhere better to get started. This book belongs on your bookcase, whatever you’re into. It’s one of those rare books that have a broad appeal – and you might meet a new favourite author.
August 29, 2017
Short story collection, so suitable for a commute or plane ride. The stories have nothing to do with flying, the way the book's blurb described it. I also can't agree that it's a collection of comic science fiction and fantasy. It falls more in the category of funny peculiar than funny ha-ha. I will say it includes short stories by some of the classic authors in the genre. That makes it a nice overview of the field.
July 18, 2019
Fenomenalny zbiór. Opowiadania są na szkolną szóstkę, a w najgorszym przypadku na czwórkę. Na niektóre historie mógłbym się normalnie nie natknąć, bo zdarzają się bardzo stare perełki, raczej ciężko dostępne. Nie mogłem się oderwać. Natychmiast zakupiłem pozostałe 2 tomy opowiadań - w jednym z nich m.in. Woody Allen :)
April 10, 2012
So far I haven't finished this, but the only thing that raised a chuckle was PG Wodehouse. Even Terry Pratchett's one wasn't as good. I'll read it to the end, but don't hold out much hope so far....
June 26, 2013
Marvyn Peake's "Danse Macabre" is lovely, but I have no idea why it's included in a collection of comic SF&F stories, and the same with Angela Carter's "The Lady of the House of Love" - while some of the other stories are not necessarily comic in nature, they all have humorous element, but not so much with these two.
Piers Anthony's "Possible to Rue" is probably my favourite of all the stories in this book, it starts like a nice little bit of domesticity and then whams you right in the paradigm. "Specialist" by Robert Sheckley is another story that upends some established concepts about the nature of things and people.
William F. Nolan's retelling of The Hound of the Baskerville's "The Adventure of the Martian Moons" is wonderful, but it mixes four things I love: SF, Sherlock Holmes, hard-boiled detective stories, and a fourth one I'm not disclosing because it would spoil the end. Either way, I might be a bit biased here.
Also loved "The Right Side" by John Collier, "The Roaches" by Thomas M. Disch, "A Good Shellacking" by Stanislaw Lem, and Harry Harrison's "The Golden Years of The Stainless Steel Rat"
Piers Anthony's "Possible to Rue" is probably my favourite of all the stories in this book, it starts like a nice little bit of domesticity and then whams you right in the paradigm. "Specialist" by Robert Sheckley is another story that upends some established concepts about the nature of things and people.
William F. Nolan's retelling of The Hound of the Baskerville's "The Adventure of the Martian Moons" is wonderful, but it mixes four things I love: SF, Sherlock Holmes, hard-boiled detective stories, and a fourth one I'm not disclosing because it would spoil the end. Either way, I might be a bit biased here.
Also loved "The Right Side" by John Collier, "The Roaches" by Thomas M. Disch, "A Good Shellacking" by Stanislaw Lem, and Harry Harrison's "The Golden Years of The Stainless Steel Rat"
May 4, 2009
This collection is a mixed bag. In fact, I only liked one of the stories in the third section. It was "From Gustible's Planet".
Part of the poem is that Haining seems to be using the terms "fantasy" and "comic" very boardly. Wodehouse's story, "A Slice of Life" is funny, but it isn't really fantasy. "Danse Macabre" by Peake is a really good spooky story, but it's not funny (neither is the story "Roaches" for that matter).
There are some good stories though. "Turntables of the Night" by Terry Pratchett is good and features Death outside of the Disc. "Sam Small's Better Half" by Eric Knight is a funny and very touching story about a marriage. I didn't know Lassie's creator wrote fantasy. Now I want to find more of his work. "Nasty" by Fredric Brown might just be the best story in the collection, unless it is "The Stone Thing" by Michael Moorcock.
Part of the poem is that Haining seems to be using the terms "fantasy" and "comic" very boardly. Wodehouse's story, "A Slice of Life" is funny, but it isn't really fantasy. "Danse Macabre" by Peake is a really good spooky story, but it's not funny (neither is the story "Roaches" for that matter).
There are some good stories though. "Turntables of the Night" by Terry Pratchett is good and features Death outside of the Disc. "Sam Small's Better Half" by Eric Knight is a funny and very touching story about a marriage. I didn't know Lassie's creator wrote fantasy. Now I want to find more of his work. "Nasty" by Fredric Brown might just be the best story in the collection, unless it is "The Stone Thing" by Michael Moorcock.
April 28, 2017
Četl jsem to v rámci dočítání všech kousků od Pratchetta, přičemž ten samotný mě docela zklamal (jde hned o první kousek). Dalších povídek všech možných autorů je v knize ale víc než dost a dost z nich je zajímavých, překvapivých a povedených. Velká část je však podivuhodná a podivuhodně divná. Někdy jsem si opravdu říkal, že nemám šajn, co to vlastně čtu. Bavilo mě to ale celou dobu :)
PS: Co mě naopak nebavilo, byly úvodní medailonky autorů. To bych dal někam na konec jako vysvětlení, ale mezi povídky bych to nepletl. Zvláště, když to někdy odhalovalo pointu. Asi ve čtvrtině jsem je tak začal cíleně přeskakovat...
PS: Co mě naopak nebavilo, byly úvodní medailonky autorů. To bych dal někam na konec jako vysvětlení, ale mezi povídky bych to nepletl. Zvláště, když to někdy odhalovalo pointu. Asi ve čtvrtině jsem je tak začal cíleně přeskakovat...
May 12, 2014
Less funny "ha ha," and more funny "huh."
Stanislaw Lem makes the entire book worth reading. Even though it's a collection and sure, you could just read the one Lem story, the comparison to everything else in the book only makes it stand out as spectacular that much more.
Of course, there were other truly great stories, but the Lem story so overshadows everything else, it deserves mention. The Clarke story is also very impressive.
Sherlock Holmes in space did want me to smack my head, but it was fun.
Stanislaw Lem makes the entire book worth reading. Even though it's a collection and sure, you could just read the one Lem story, the comparison to everything else in the book only makes it stand out as spectacular that much more.
Of course, there were other truly great stories, but the Lem story so overshadows everything else, it deserves mention. The Clarke story is also very impressive.
Sherlock Holmes in space did want me to smack my head, but it was fun.
May 27, 2015
Old sci-fi & fantasy is interesting to read in that it often has a completely different feel to it than more modern pieces. This is a collection of short stories, including one by Terry Pratchett (and the reason why I picked this up). I enjoyed it, but I've found that these types of books are best for discovering new authors, rather than amazing you with their stores. There are some gems, but some that aren't as exciting. So, read it if you'd like to explore old-school writers & potentially dig up a 'new' favorite, but otherwise you can skip it.
August 24, 2015
This is a rich and diverse collection of fantasy, science fiction and horror, all having humour in common. What makes it so bountiful is the range of writing styles, stories and three different genres (despite the book initially appearing to be fantasy only). Excellent diversity and a good pointer to many other authors.
I really enjoyed this compilation. Hope you do too :)
I really enjoyed this compilation. Hope you do too :)
July 11, 2015
What I like about this book was how it introduced me to authors and sun-genres of SF I had not encountered. I agree with other reviews that there were few laugh-out-loud moments, but each was humourous in its own way. A good read and worth the time if you want a summary of SF history.
May 20, 2017
The Flying Sorcerers is a collection of short stories from different authors with unique writing styles; as such, a reader is likely to enjoy some of the stories more than others. The stories are not all funny or, at least, not all funny in the same way.
July 10, 2008
I found the quality of these stories varied a bit, although there were some I quite enjoyed and some of the ideas were pretty interesting. I thought the final story was a good way to end the book.
December 18, 2008
A collection of fantasy short stories, good bad and indifferent.
December 27, 2010
Lots of cool, funny stories in this book. I loved it!
Read
August 6, 2011lekkie i przyjemne historyjki!
November 4, 2012
OK. Got from a bookswap, not a keeper.
January 4, 2013
Excellent.
October 21, 2013
These stories, some of which have nothing to do with Sorcerers or Flying, are not stories that stick with you. This is not one of the better anthologies out there.
April 15, 2019
Book #:7
Title: The Flying Sorcerers
Editor: Peter Haining
Popsugar Category: Advanced: Two books that share the same title (Book 2)
Popsugar Category: Basic: A book set in space
Popsugar Category: Basic: A book inspired by mythology, legend, or folklore
Popsugar Category: Basic: A book about someone with a superpower
Popsugar Category: Basic: A book featuring an extinct or imaginary creature
Popsugar category: Basic: A ghost story
Goodreads Category: A book from one of the top 5 money making genres (science fiction/fantasy/horror)
Goodreads Category: A book where the author’s name contains A, T, and Y (Piers Anthony)
Dagonell Category: A book about Sherlock Holmes NOT written by A.C.Doyle
A-Z Title: F for Flying
A-Z Author: H for Haining
Format: Paperback, Interlibrary Loan
Rating: ***** five out of five stars
I don't actually intend to use the book for all of the categories listed. It seems a bit of a cheat as the categories apply to individual stories rather than the entire book. That being said, I'm amazed at the book's very existence! It has the identical title as a book I loved in high school, I've never heard of the editor, and the index of authors reads like a who's who of fantasy, science fiction and horror! Piers Anthony, Robert Bloch, Arthur C. Clarke, Roald Dahl, L.Sprague De Camp, Harry Harrison, Stanislaw Lem, C.S. Lewis, Terry Pratchett, Kurt Vonnegut Jr. etc.
While I have read a few of the short stories before, the majority of them were new to me. Normally, a collection of short stories is all over the map with some great stories, some so-so, and some clunkers. Not the case, here. Great stories by great authors, you can't go wrong with that.
Title: The Flying Sorcerers
Editor: Peter Haining
Popsugar Category: Advanced: Two books that share the same title (Book 2)
Popsugar Category: Basic: A book set in space
Popsugar Category: Basic: A book inspired by mythology, legend, or folklore
Popsugar Category: Basic: A book about someone with a superpower
Popsugar Category: Basic: A book featuring an extinct or imaginary creature
Popsugar category: Basic: A ghost story
Goodreads Category: A book from one of the top 5 money making genres (science fiction/fantasy/horror)
Goodreads Category: A book where the author’s name contains A, T, and Y (Piers Anthony)
Dagonell Category: A book about Sherlock Holmes NOT written by A.C.Doyle
A-Z Title: F for Flying
A-Z Author: H for Haining
Format: Paperback, Interlibrary Loan
Rating: ***** five out of five stars
I don't actually intend to use the book for all of the categories listed. It seems a bit of a cheat as the categories apply to individual stories rather than the entire book. That being said, I'm amazed at the book's very existence! It has the identical title as a book I loved in high school, I've never heard of the editor, and the index of authors reads like a who's who of fantasy, science fiction and horror! Piers Anthony, Robert Bloch, Arthur C. Clarke, Roald Dahl, L.Sprague De Camp, Harry Harrison, Stanislaw Lem, C.S. Lewis, Terry Pratchett, Kurt Vonnegut Jr. etc.
While I have read a few of the short stories before, the majority of them were new to me. Normally, a collection of short stories is all over the map with some great stories, some so-so, and some clunkers. Not the case, here. Great stories by great authors, you can't go wrong with that.
December 31, 2020
100 % Terry Pratchett: Gramofony noci
60 % Pelham Grenville Wodehouse: Ze života
70 % Lyon Sprague de Camp & Murray Fletcher Pratt: Zdokonalená pastička na myši
70 % Eric Knight: Lepší polovina Sama Smalla
70 % Mervyn Peake: Tanec smrti
80 % C. S. Lewis: Krajina bez výrazu
90 % Kurt Vonnegut, jr.: Harrison Bergeron
80 % Piers Anthony: Naříkat až olitovat
70 % John Collier: Ta správná strana
60 % Fredric Brown: Ohava
90 % Nelson Slade Bond: Špiritistická seance
70 % Thomas Michael Disch: Švábi
60 % Angela Carter: Paní z domu lásky
70 % Michael John Moorcock: Kamenná věc
100 % Robert Albert Bloch: Cvokař a kočka
100 % Roald Dahl: Ach, to sladké tajemství života!
70 % Stephen Leacock: Muž v azbestu
90 % John Wyndham: Samička svého druhu
90 % Stanisław Lem: Řádský výprask
100 % Cordwainer Smith: Z Melsounovy planety
60 % Robert Sheckley: Specialista
80 % William Francis Nolan: Dobrodružství marsovských měsíců
80 % Harry Harrison: Ocelová krysa na zaslouženém odpočinku
90 % Arthur C. Clarke: Žádné další ráno
60 % Pelham Grenville Wodehouse: Ze života
70 % Lyon Sprague de Camp & Murray Fletcher Pratt: Zdokonalená pastička na myši
70 % Eric Knight: Lepší polovina Sama Smalla
70 % Mervyn Peake: Tanec smrti
80 % C. S. Lewis: Krajina bez výrazu
90 % Kurt Vonnegut, jr.: Harrison Bergeron
80 % Piers Anthony: Naříkat až olitovat
70 % John Collier: Ta správná strana
60 % Fredric Brown: Ohava
90 % Nelson Slade Bond: Špiritistická seance
70 % Thomas Michael Disch: Švábi
60 % Angela Carter: Paní z domu lásky
70 % Michael John Moorcock: Kamenná věc
100 % Robert Albert Bloch: Cvokař a kočka
100 % Roald Dahl: Ach, to sladké tajemství života!
70 % Stephen Leacock: Muž v azbestu
90 % John Wyndham: Samička svého druhu
90 % Stanisław Lem: Řádský výprask
100 % Cordwainer Smith: Z Melsounovy planety
60 % Robert Sheckley: Specialista
80 % William Francis Nolan: Dobrodružství marsovských měsíců
80 % Harry Harrison: Ocelová krysa na zaslouženém odpočinku
90 % Arthur C. Clarke: Žádné další ráno
July 1, 2019
Entertaining and thought-provoking story-lines - a collection A motley collection of humorous fantasy fiction tales with a mix of both science fiction and the supernatural.
What makes the book really special is:
A) It has the earlier works of some of the best names in the business - Terry Pratchett, Arthur Clarke, PG Wodehouse ( I was surprised too!!), CS Lewis to list a few
B) Every story begins with a little background on storytelling in that genre and its interesting to learn more about authors and literature in that category
C) And lastly but most importantly is the collection of stories itself. Loosely classified under 'Comic tales of fantasy', each story is written with a sense of irony or humor. No story takes itself too seriously and therein lies the entertainment.
For detailed review (& more book reviews) go here - https://shadesofwords.com/the-flying-...
What makes the book really special is:
A) It has the earlier works of some of the best names in the business - Terry Pratchett, Arthur Clarke, PG Wodehouse ( I was surprised too!!), CS Lewis to list a few
B) Every story begins with a little background on storytelling in that genre and its interesting to learn more about authors and literature in that category
C) And lastly but most importantly is the collection of stories itself. Loosely classified under 'Comic tales of fantasy', each story is written with a sense of irony or humor. No story takes itself too seriously and therein lies the entertainment.
For detailed review (& more book reviews) go here - https://shadesofwords.com/the-flying-...
February 8, 2020
This was great fun though I found it to begin a little clumsily. Of course, it is a collection of stories, but the initial part, except for the Pratchett 'Turntables of the Night', wasn't that great. The other sections attracted me more, with the 'Vacant Space' being the best for me. 'Specialist' by Robert Sheckley, about spaceships made up of living beings that are specialised for a particular function (walls, engine, talker) definitely sticks in the mind.
Generally though, I found the first volume of the anthology ('The Wizards of Odd') a stronger
and more memorable collection.
Generally though, I found the first volume of the anthology ('The Wizards of Odd') a stronger
and more memorable collection.
May 25, 2026
trigger warning
I forgot that I stopped exploring early sci fi because at it's best, it felt samey and at it's worst, it was so very sexist and racist. If I were to re-read this, I'd skip the Shrink and the Mink, and possibly the short one directly before that. At some point I was annoyed with myself for having bought this and Knights of Madness, but not all were that bad.
I forgot that I stopped exploring early sci fi because at it's best, it felt samey and at it's worst, it was so very sexist and racist. If I were to re-read this, I'd skip the Shrink and the Mink, and possibly the short one directly before that. At some point I was annoyed with myself for having bought this and Knights of Madness, but not all were that bad.
August 6, 2023
One of the best anthologies I've read.
Robert Sheckley's "Specialist" stand out as one of the absolute best and most creative pieces of writing.
The story "Nasty" I had already read in the 1st mayflower Book of Black Magic stories.
Robert Sheckley's "Specialist" stand out as one of the absolute best and most creative pieces of writing.
The story "Nasty" I had already read in the 1st mayflower Book of Black Magic stories.
May 27, 2025
Some good solid stories here, though very of it's time, especially the second half of the book. Not exactly a large demographic mix of protagonists despite the wide scope of story type.
There's horror, science fiction and comedy.
An ok read with lots of very well known authors.
There's horror, science fiction and comedy.
An ok read with lots of very well known authors.
July 28, 2019
A collection if allegedly funny fantasy short stories, some of which are not funny and others are not fantasy. Mediocre.
November 22, 2020
Fun anthology of short stories by awesome authors of comic fantasy. :D
Read
December 31, 2021Enjoyed the many dirrent stories in this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews