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FORGOTTEN BOOKS #404: IF THIS GOES WRONG… Edited by Hank Davis


I’ve been a big fan of Hank Davis’s anthologies for BAEN BOOKS. If This Goes Wrong… was published this week. It follows the tried-and-true Hank Davis method: mix some classic Science Fiction stories with some new SF stories. This time, Hank Davis includes two Heinlein stories and two Fredric Brown stories. I also enjoyed rereading Fritz Leiber’s “The Creature from the Cleveland Depths.” It’s still not too late to buy A Cosmic Chirstmas, A Cosmic Christmas 2 You, Future Wars, In Space No One Can Hear You Scream, and As Time Goes By. Great stories and fun reading! Reading these books would really make your New Year jolly!
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
“Complaint” by Robert a. Heinlein, first appeared as part of a private letter dated November 30, 1975. First public publication was in New Worlds to Conquer, Volume XXXIV of the Virginia Edition of the Complete Works of Robert A. Heinlein, ©2010 The Virginia Edition. Reprinted with the permission of the Robert A. and Virginia Heinlein Prize Trust, and the Spectrum Literary Agency.

“Moxon’s Master” by Ambrose Bierce, originally appeared in Can Such Things Be, © 1893, Cassell Publishing Company. The story is in the public domain.

“Whiskaboom” by Alan Arkin, originally appeared in Galaxy, August 1955, © 1955 Galaxy Publishing Co. The story is in the public domain.

“Computers Don’t Argue” by Gordon R. Dickson, originally appeared in Analog, September 1965, © 1965 by Conde Nast. Reprinted by permission of David Wixon, agent for the authog’s estate.

“The Snowball Effect” by Katherine MacLean, originally appeared in Galaxy, September 1952. © 1952 by Galaxy Publishing Corp. Reprinted by permission of the author and the author’s agents, the Virginia Kidd Agency.

“Well Worth the Money” by Jody Lynn Nye, originally appeared in Don’t Forget Your Spacesuit, Dear, Baen, 1996. © 1996 by Jody Lynn Nye. Reprinted with the permission of the author.

“Tic Toc” by Sarah A. Hoyt, appears here for the first time. © 2017 by Sarah A. Hoyt. Published by permission of the author.

“Day of Truce” by Clifford D. Simak, originally appeared in Galaxy, February 1963, © 1963 Galaxy Publishing Corp. Reprinted by permission of David Wixon, agent for the author’s estate.

“A Subway Named Moebius” by A. J. Deutsch originally appeared in Astounding Science-Fiction, December, 1950. © 1950, Street & Smith Publishing. The story is in the public domain.

“Experiment” by Fredric Brown, originally appeared in Angels and Spaceships, E. P.
Dutton & Co. © 1954 by Fredric Brown. Reprinted by permission of Barry Malzberg for the author’s estate.

“Answer” by Fredric Brown, originally appeared in Galaxy, February 1954. © by Fredric
Brown. Reprinted by permission of Barry Malzberg for the author’s estate.

“Manners of the Age” by H. B. Fyfe, originally appeared in Galaxy, March 1952. © 1952 by Galaxy Publishing Corporation. The story is in the public domain.

“The Dwindling Sphere” by Richard E. F. Hawkins, originally appeared in Astounding Science-Fiction, March 1940, © Street & Smith Publications. The story is in the public domain.

“The Creature from Cleveland Depths” by Fritz Leiber, originally appeared in Galaxy, December 1962, © 1962, Galaxy Publishing Corp. Reprinted with the permission of Richard Meredith Associates for the author’s estate.

“Time Fuze” by Randall Garrett, originally appeared in If: Worlds of Science Fiction, March 1954. © 1954 by . The story is in the public domain.

“—And He Built a Crooked House” by Robert A. Heinlein, originally appeared in Astounding Science-Fiction, 1940, © 1940 by Street & Smith Publications. Reprinted with the permission of the Robert A. and Virginia Heinlein Prize Trust, and the Spectrum Literary Agency.

SONY XBR X850D ‑ 65″ LED Smart TV ‑ 4K UltraHD


Christmas came early at the Kelley household. Diane decided since Patrick and Katie were home, they could help us choose and install a new HDTV. Our trusty SONY 46″ Bravia was obsolete and it was time to upgrade. Patrick researched HDTVs and found the SONY XBR X850D offered the best value. Diane and I have had very good luck with our other SONY products over the years. We considered SAMSUNG but with their phones catching on fire and their washers flinging parts around, we decided to make the Safe and Dependable choice. The new HDTV was delivered a couple days ago, Patrick set it up, and now we’re enjoyed the bigger, crisper brilliant screen and the enhanced sound. Highly recommended!

Hope Santa leaves that Special Gift you’ve been yearning for under your tree!

FORGOTTEN BOOKS #403: THE TWELVE CRIMES OF CHRISTMAS Edited by Carol Lynn Rossel Waugh, Martin Harry Greenberg, and Isaac Asimov

the-twelve-crimes-of-christmas
I’ve been a fan of the Waugh, Greenberg, and Asimov anthologies. This Avon paperback appeared in 1981. I liked Ellery Queen’s “The Dauphin’s Doll,” Edward D. Hoch’s “The Problem of the Church Steeple,” Stanley Ellin’s “Death of Christmas Eve,” and August Derleth’s “The Adventure of the Unique Dickensians.” If you’re looking for mystery stories to put you in the Christmas spirit, I recommend The Twelve Crimes of Christmas. GRADE: A-
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
INTRODUCTION: Noel, Noel! by Isaac Asimov
CHRISTMAS PARTY by Rex Stout
DO YOUR CHRISTMAS SHOPLIFTING EARLY by Robert Somerlott
THE NECKLACE OF PEARLS by Dorothy L. Sayers
CELEBRATES CHRISTMAS by Alice Scanlan Reach
THE CHRISTMAS MASQUE by S. S. Rafferty
THE DAUPHIN’S DOLL by Ellery Queen
BY THE CHIMNEY WITH CARE by Nick O’Donohoe
THE PROBLEM OF THE CHRISTMAS STEEPLE by Edward D. Hoch
DEATH ON CHRISTMAS EVE by Stanley Ellin
THE ADVENTURE OF THE UNIQUE DICKENSIANS by August Derleth
BLIND MAN’S HOOD by John Dickson Carr
THE THIRTEENTH DAY OF CHRISTMAS by Isaac Asimov

JADE DRAGON MOUNTAIN By Elsa Hart

jade-green-mountain
If you’re a fan of Robert van Gulik’s Judge Dee mysteries, you’ll enjoy Elsa Hart’s Jade Dragon Mountain. An itinerant scholar, Li Du, arrives in a village just a week before the Emperor of China is due to visit. Li Du talks to a Jesuit astronomer about the upcoming eclipse. Li Du also hears an argument between the Jesuit and an East India Company merchant. Shortly thereafter, Li Du finds the body of the murdered Jesuit. The magistrate asked Li Du to investigate the crime and he uncovers many secrets. As the day of the Emperor’s arrival approaches, the tension increases as plots abound. If you enjoy twisty plots, political intrigue, and red herrings, Jade Dragon Mountain is the mystery for you! I hope Elsa Hart writes another mystery featuring the brainy Li Du! GRADE: B

MISTER MONKEY By Francine Prose

mister-monkey
Francine Prose’s latest novel is a screwball comedy involving a musical play based on a best selling children’s book titled Mister Monkey. The play is terrible but kids love it. It’s the story of a larcenous pet chimpanzee and his antics in New York City. The play generates a lot of jobs and money. Prose shows how many of the principle characters involved in the play react to its continuing success. Ray, the author of the best selling children’s book, realizes the musical is bad but the allure of the money overwhelms him. Lakshmi, the musical’s costume designer, imagines herself as the star of the production. Margot, who plays the chimpanzee’s lawyer in the musical, struggles with her success in a dreadful production and begins to see her acting career goals slipping away. Wacky, surprising, and funny, Mister Monkey tells a tale of success and its costs. GRADE: B