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Fanfare, November 1950
Page 13
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just browsin' THE BEST SCIENCE FICTION STORIES: 1949, edited by Bleiler & Dikty (Frederick Fell, $2.95). The editors have chosen what they presumed to be the best stories published in 1948. Although it is true that four or five of the stories here are the best of that year, the others are at the best average. Our choice of the best story in the book is "Thang," by Martin Gardner. Short and sweet, it is everything we could want in a fantasy tale. Ray Bradbury is represented twice, with "Mars Is Heaven" (with which we heartily disagree) and "And the Moon Be Still As Bright," truly one of the best of the year. The book is not something special, but it will give a reader some pleasure in going over the tales again. ((314 pp.)) THE BEST SCIENCE FICTION STORIES: 1950, edited by Bleiler & Dikty (Frederick Fell, $2.95). The second in this proposed yearly anthology is much better than its predecessor; the editors seem to have shown better judgment in the selection. Again Bradbury is represented twice with "Dwellers in Silence" and "The Man." Others who have once again made the grade are Will F. Jenkins, with two tales; Frederic Brown; Wilmar H. Shiras; and Henry Kuttner. Newcomers are Robert Moore Williams, Robert W. Krepps, John D. MacDonald, Clifford D. Simak, Robert Spencer Carr, and Theodore Sturgeon. "In Hiding," in the first anthology, has been followed with the sequel, "Opening Doors." This year there are two stories from the SatEvePost, and those from the pulps are divided in the usual fashion, with three from Astounding. All in all, a worthwhile book. ((347 pp.)) ---Mike Phillips NUDE IN MINK, by Sax Rohmer (Gold Medal Book, Fawcett Publications, 25[[cent symbol]]). Hiding behind the no doubt appealing, but totally inappropriate, title of this new pocket book is Sax Rohmer's newest mystery-fantasy, and one of his best to date. In it are introduced a new detective and villain who are certain to intrigue the reader as much as did Nay-Madonna, alias the Marquise Sumuru. Madonna heads a secret order whose purpose is to remake the world under the rule of beauty, and which "employs the beauty of women to secure the serfdom of men." So insidiously does Sumuru work that some of the top people of the world are inveigled into her order. In fact, so convincingly are her ideals presented that the reader is seriously troubled as to his own reactions if he were to be approached by agents of Our Lady Sumuru. Even non-Rohmer fans will enjoy this one! ---Andrew Duane Editor's note: A recently-received card from L. Sprague deCamp: "Readers of FAN-FARE might like to hear that about Jan. '51 Prime Press will publish my non-fiction book, LOST CONTINENTS: THE ATLANTIS THEME IN HISTORY, SCIENCE, & LITERATURE. It's 90,000 words of text plus 20,000 of appendices & other end matter. Excerpts appear in my recent articles in ASTOUNDING & a forthcoming piece in GALAXY." Since we have never read a bad book by deCamp, we feel reasonably safe in recommending this. In fact, we may buy it ourselves! The Atlantis theme has always interested us, and there is at least one serious society organized to explore the truth and history of the legend. page 13
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just browsin' THE BEST SCIENCE FICTION STORIES: 1949, edited by Bleiler & Dikty (Frederick Fell, $2.95). The editors have chosen what they presumed to be the best stories published in 1948. Although it is true that four or five of the stories here are the best of that year, the others are at the best average. Our choice of the best story in the book is "Thang," by Martin Gardner. Short and sweet, it is everything we could want in a fantasy tale. Ray Bradbury is represented twice, with "Mars Is Heaven" (with which we heartily disagree) and "And the Moon Be Still As Bright," truly one of the best of the year. The book is not something special, but it will give a reader some pleasure in going over the tales again. ((314 pp.)) THE BEST SCIENCE FICTION STORIES: 1950, edited by Bleiler & Dikty (Frederick Fell, $2.95). The second in this proposed yearly anthology is much better than its predecessor; the editors seem to have shown better judgment in the selection. Again Bradbury is represented twice with "Dwellers in Silence" and "The Man." Others who have once again made the grade are Will F. Jenkins, with two tales; Frederic Brown; Wilmar H. Shiras; and Henry Kuttner. Newcomers are Robert Moore Williams, Robert W. Krepps, John D. MacDonald, Clifford D. Simak, Robert Spencer Carr, and Theodore Sturgeon. "In Hiding," in the first anthology, has been followed with the sequel, "Opening Doors." This year there are two stories from the SatEvePost, and those from the pulps are divided in the usual fashion, with three from Astounding. All in all, a worthwhile book. ((347 pp.)) ---Mike Phillips NUDE IN MINK, by Sax Rohmer (Gold Medal Book, Fawcett Publications, 25[[cent symbol]]). Hiding behind the no doubt appealing, but totally inappropriate, title of this new pocket book is Sax Rohmer's newest mystery-fantasy, and one of his best to date. In it are introduced a new detective and villain who are certain to intrigue the reader as much as did Nay-Madonna, alias the Marquise Sumuru. Madonna heads a secret order whose purpose is to remake the world under the rule of beauty, and which "employs the beauty of women to secure the serfdom of men." So insidiously does Sumuru work that some of the top people of the world are inveigled into her order. In fact, so convincingly are her ideals presented that the reader is seriously troubled as to his own reactions if he were to be approached by agents of Our Lady Sumuru. Even non-Rohmer fans will enjoy this one! ---Andrew Duane Editor's note: A recently-received card from L. Sprague deCamp: "Readers of FAN-FARE might like to hear that about Jan. '51 Prime Press will publish my non-fiction book, LOST CONTINENTS: THE ATLANTIS THEME IN HISTORY, SCIENCE, & LITERATURE. It's 90,000 words of text plus 20,000 of appendices & other end matter. Excerpts appear in my recent articles in ASTOUNDING & a forthcoming piece in GALAXY." Since we have never read a bad book by deCamp, we feel reasonably safe in recommending this. In fact, we may buy it ourselves! The Atlantis theme has always interested us, and there is at least one serious society organized to explore the truth and history of the legend. page 13
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