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Ringing Changes
Collects science fiction stories dealing with weird creatures from outer space and the strange world of the future
275 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1979
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About the author
R.A. Lafferty
541 books315 followersRaphael Aloysius Lafferty, published under the name R.A. Lafferty, was an American science fiction and fantasy writer known for his original use of language, metaphor, and narrative structure, as well as for his etymological wit. He also wrote a set of four autobiographical novels, a history book, and a number of novels that could be loosely called historical fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 3, 2022
I really had to write this review, when I saw that all GR reviews of the book are 2- or 3-starred. So, I want to set the record straight. This short story collection is a jewel, a masterpiece. I read it first as a teenager in a partial Italian translation titled "La banda di Barnaby Sheen" and immediately loved it. And did it for over thirty years.
Why should you read this book?
First, you really have to meet Barnaby Sheen and his motley crew. Not all their stories are included here, but some of the best are.
Second, honestly, how many stories do you remember after reading a collection? In this case, you will remember a lot of them, considering that the ideas behind them are too smart and funny to forget: forgotten seasons (Brain Fever Season and Days of Grass Days of Straw), the compression of time in memory (And Read the Flesh Between the Lines), the subjective view of history (Rivers of Damascus), the literally creative nature of art (Dorg), infinity (Been a Long Long Time)... and so on.
Of course, I concede that Lafferty is not for everybody: if you try the book, you might adore it, but you might also hate it. That's a risk. I also concede that Lafferty is not always at his best. Sometimes, his stories are not smart funny but become a little self-serving weird funny and it is difficult to get the point. Well, nobody is perfect. This is why I gave 5 stars to this book. Otherwise, the stars would have been 6.
Why should you read this book?
First, you really have to meet Barnaby Sheen and his motley crew. Not all their stories are included here, but some of the best are.
Second, honestly, how many stories do you remember after reading a collection? In this case, you will remember a lot of them, considering that the ideas behind them are too smart and funny to forget: forgotten seasons (Brain Fever Season and Days of Grass Days of Straw), the compression of time in memory (And Read the Flesh Between the Lines), the subjective view of history (Rivers of Damascus), the literally creative nature of art (Dorg), infinity (Been a Long Long Time)... and so on.
Of course, I concede that Lafferty is not for everybody: if you try the book, you might adore it, but you might also hate it. That's a risk. I also concede that Lafferty is not always at his best. Sometimes, his stories are not smart funny but become a little self-serving weird funny and it is difficult to get the point. Well, nobody is perfect. This is why I gave 5 stars to this book. Otherwise, the stars would have been 6.
June 8, 2022
An unimpressive collection of Lafferty's short science fiction (written between 1968 and 1984). I'm not familiar with any of the author's work, so the other reviewers who say that this is a poor selection of stories may be correct, but nothing here encourages me to read any more of his stuff. Many of these stories made me feel like the author was trying too hard to be clever or wacky. Even the stories that I thought had promise didn't follow through. Only 2 stars because I did finish it.
December 30, 2020
A handful of gems amidst some of what I'd call "not Lafferty's best work."
My favorites were:
Days of Grass, Days of Straw
And Read the Flesh Between the Lines
Rivers of Damascus
Among the Hairy Earthmen
Sky
Interurban Queen
Those last 2 were really amazing. Sky is just the coolest thing to experience until the typical Laff style ending. Interurban Queen was utterly brilliant and really made me feel like he hit the nail on the head with the idea he was shooting for.
Unfortunately, the duds here are plenty and they can be particularly bad. Especially Parthen, In Outraged Stone, and And Some in Velvet Gowns.
It's no 900 Grandmothers - that's for sure! If you've never read a whole Lafferty collection you ought to start there.
My favorites were:
Days of Grass, Days of Straw
And Read the Flesh Between the Lines
Rivers of Damascus
Among the Hairy Earthmen
Sky
Interurban Queen
Those last 2 were really amazing. Sky is just the coolest thing to experience until the typical Laff style ending. Interurban Queen was utterly brilliant and really made me feel like he hit the nail on the head with the idea he was shooting for.
Unfortunately, the duds here are plenty and they can be particularly bad. Especially Parthen, In Outraged Stone, and And Some in Velvet Gowns.
It's no 900 Grandmothers - that's for sure! If you've never read a whole Lafferty collection you ought to start there.
March 13, 2020
Most of the parts that weren't batshit crazy and completely beyond my understanding were perhaps the most interesting things I've ever read. The cadence of Lafferty's prose is really upbeat, down-to-earth yet he compresses meaning in inventive ways to explain concepts that would otherwise take paragraphs in sentences. The way he writes is very vibrant and pays incredible attention to details without detracting from the plot.
October 11, 2021
The weakest story collection from Lafferty that I've read thus far.
February 1, 2017
Wow, this was a horrible book! I didn't get past page 98, so maybe I missed a story that wasn't a drug-induced hallucination the writer once had, but I just couldn't keep reading, no matter how much I hate leaving things unfinished.
My copy of this book claims to be science fiction, but it isn't. I'd classify it as surrealist fiction if that's a thing. The characters like to bloviate about nothing that has anything to do with the story, the plot is pretty much not there and the ending, if there is one, makes no sense. Also, on the back, the writer is praised for his "exuberant foreword". That should have tipped me off before I bought this book, but alas, I was young and foolish back then.
My copy of this book claims to be science fiction, but it isn't. I'd classify it as surrealist fiction if that's a thing. The characters like to bloviate about nothing that has anything to do with the story, the plot is pretty much not there and the ending, if there is one, makes no sense. Also, on the back, the writer is praised for his "exuberant foreword". That should have tipped me off before I bought this book, but alas, I was young and foolish back then.
September 9, 2015
I racconti di Barnaby Sheen sono simpatici, sopratutto per lo stile un po' folleggiante, ma non particolarmente interessanti.
Degni di nota invece i racconti in antologia, nella seconda parte del libro. Mi sono piaciuti in particolare (sempre di R. A. Lafferty):
Ragazze di Primavera: semplice ma geniale.
La dannata porta altamente scientifica: kafkiano
Degni di nota invece i racconti in antologia, nella seconda parte del libro. Mi sono piaciuti in particolare (sempre di R. A. Lafferty):
Ragazze di Primavera: semplice ma geniale.
La dannata porta altamente scientifica: kafkiano
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews