John Brunner
Doubleday, New York
1972
Hardback

As I said in another review here, John Brunner is an author that I have been wanting to read more of ever since reading Shockwave Rider, which I discussed in my paper on virtual reality in science fiction. An Englishman, he wrote over sixty-five books and was the winner of the British Fantasy award in 1966. He had impressed me in Shockwave Rider and I wanted to read more of his works.

As I've said else where, during a visit to a book sale at the Jonesboro, Arkansas public library in early January, I found a large number of Brunner's works available in discarded hardback Science Fiction Book Club editions. I was able to purchase them for twenty-five to fifty cents each..

Friday 13: From This Day Forward is a collection of Brunner's short stories. The collection includes:

• "The Biggest Game" - an interesting story of a middle-aged con-man who preys on the weakness of women until he becomes the hunted himself.
• "The Trouble I See" - interesting look at how the future can be interpreted in different ways.
• "An Elixir for the Emperor" - a not-so-interesting story of double-dealing in ancient Rome.
• "Wasted on the Young" - an excellent and terrifying story concerning the price of youth's excesses.
• "Even Chance" - Confusing story that postulates space races that are unaware of us.
• "Planetfall" - a relatively uninteresting romantic encounter between a traveler in the stars and a young girl on earth. It does, however, drive home the idea that the grass is not always greener ...
• "Judas" - Interesting technophobic tale.
• "The Vitanuls" - Interesting view of just what a person's soul is.
• "Factsheet Six" - Relatively uninteresting story of a man's future being told.
• "Fifth Commandment" - Interesting, although dry, story of a future time when children maintain their parents in a fantasy world to protect them from the harshness of reality.
• "Fairy Tale" - A Rip Van Winkle with a twist.
• "The Inception of the Epoch of Mrs. Bedonebyasyoudid" - Confusing story with a so-what ending.
• "The Oldest Glass" - an example of the sestina, a verse-form.

Interesting for its variety, I recommend this book to those looking for more concerning this interesting author. Don't expect to be spellbound by the entire work though.

Copyright © 1998 Paul M. Summitt. All rights reserved.
Revised: July 09, 2005.