I first read The Final War back in 1969 and In the Pocket in 1971 in their ACE Double formats. At that time, I didn’t know “K.M. O’Donnell” was a pseudonym for Barry N. Malzberg. Malzberg’s pseudonym was derived from the names of Henry Kuttner, C. L. Moore, and their joint pseudonym “Lawrence O’Donnell”.

“Final War”, which appeared in the April 1968 The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, made the Nebula final ballot and came close to winning that year’s award for Best Novelette. Given the publication date, it’s natural to assume “Final War” is a Vietnam War allegory. But, I think this story is more of a critique of War in general.

“Death to the Keeper,” “Ascension,” and “By Right of Succession” are assassination stories, a subject that comes up frequently in Malzberg’s work.

In the Pocket is a collection of a variety of Malzberg stories. I really liked “The New Rappacini”, where a man resurrects his dead wife. I found “The Falcon and the Falconeer” very odd: it’s about a Nativity play performed on an alien planet.

Malzberg has long been a critic of the SF field and this is evident in “A Question of Slant” where a Science Fiction writer turns to writing pornography because it pays better than SF. I also enjoyed two time travel stories: “July 24, 1970” and “What Time was That?”.

If you’re a Barry N. Malzberg fan, you’ll enjoy this new Stark House omnibus! If you’re looking for entertaining SF stories, they’re here in a very nice volume. GRADE: B (for both)

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

INTRODUCTION By Barry N. Malzberg — 8

The Final War and Other Fantasies

Final War — 10

Death to the Keeper –37

A Triptych — 56

How I Take Their Measure — 61

Oaten — 66

The Ascension — 73

The Major Incitement to Riot — 77

Cop-Out — 82

We’re Coming Through the Window — 90

The Market in Aliens — 93

By Right of Succession — 96

In the Pocket and Other S-F Stories

In the Pocket — 101

Gehenna — 102

Ah, Fair Uranus — 106

Notes Just Prior to the Fall — 111

As Between Generations — 116

The Falcon and the Falconeer — 127

July 24, 1970 — 130

Pacem Est — 140

The New Rappacini — 142

Bat — 147

A Question of Slant — 150

What Time Was That? — 156

A Soulsong to the Sad, Silly, Soaring Sixties — 165

Addendum — 169

The Idea — 173

Bibliography — 177