I’m a big fan of Alastair Reynolds and his space operas. In Belladonna Nights and Other Stories, Reynolds captures the immensity of Space with its isolated, disparate human habitats. “Plague Music” explores the aspects of a future Pandemic. I’ve read Reynolds’ SF novels about Prefect Dreyfus who is a future law enforcer. “Open and Shut” takes Prefect Dreyfus into some very unpleasant corners of the extreme libertarian-democratic Glitter Band culture, where personal freedom collides with necessary limitations, hard choices, and harder punishments.
My favorite story in Belladonna Nights is “Night Passage,” a grim encounter with alien technology and its unanticipated effects. If you’re looking for well-told tales of the future, I highly recommend Belladonna Nights and Other Stories. They possess that elusive “sense of wonder.” GRADE: A
Table of Contents:
- Introduction: Winter Did Come
- Belladonna Nights
- Different Seas
- For the Ages
- Visiting Hours
- Holdfast
- The Lobby
- A Map of Mercury
- Magic Bone Woman
- Providence
- Wrecking Party
- Sixteen Questions for Kamala Chatterjee
- Death’s Door
- A Murmuration
- Open and Shut
- Plague Music
- Night Passage
- Story Notes
I doubt I have ever read a science fiction short story. But I guess I have seen more than one on the Twilight Zone.
Patti, Rod Serling used plenty of Science Fiction stories for the basis of many of the TWILIGHT ZONE and NIGHT GALLERY scripts.
My contribution to your anthologyDISCOUNT NOIR was one, if indeed a very modest one. So, at least one!
I’m a big fan of Reynolds. I have read most of his novels. I’ll have to order this.
Steve, BELLADONA NIGHTS is a little pricey, but worth it. I have the new Alastair Reynolds SF novel, INHIBITOR PHASE, in the On-Deck Circle.
The hardcover is pricey but it is only $5.99 on kindle.
Steve, if you buy the hardcover edition of BELLADONNA NIGHTS, Subterranean Books also gives you the Kindle edition free.
I like Reynolds too. Will definitely get this one, which is just out and not yet in the library.
Jeff, you’ll like the stories in BELLADONNA NIGHTS!
Nice cover, but I’m not a fan of Reynolds writing. I’m glad you find that sense of wonder in his stuff, but I don’t. I do, see similarities to Vance, whom I know is a favorite of yours.
Rick, both Jack Vance and Alastair Reynolds create vivid futures full of wonder…and menace!
I don’t remember reading any of Reynolds’s short stories but just looked him up in my little database:
1REVELATION SPACE (SIGNED HARDCOVER) (INHIBITOR 1)
1REDEMPTION ARK (SIGNED HARDCOVER) (INHIBITOR 2)
The only problem is that I’m in Hungary right now while the books are in Germany – and international travel in Europe right now is kind of risky and time-consuming.
Wolf, I’m a big fan of Alastair Reynolds’ REVELATION SPACE series!
I am not familiar with Reynold’s novels or short stories. Sometime I will have to try something by him.
I haven’t yet read enough (full stop) Reynolds, but I endorse George’s citation of him as one of the innovators in space opera and related sorts of epic sf.
Todd, Alastair Reynolds helped ignite the renewed interest in the Space Opera genre 30 years ago. And, he’s still at it!
Tracy, Alastair Reynolds tends to write very long books. But one of his best (and shortest) is The Prefect (aka, Aurora Rising). That would be a good place to start.