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cellardoor10's review against another edition
3.0
Some really interesting stories in here, but an absolutely breathtaking level of sexism (sometimes subtle) in the basic assumptions and foundations of this world. Interested to see if that holds true for the main Majipoor series, as well.
timinbc's review against another edition
4.0
I'd be interested to read reviews of this by people who haven't read ANY of the Majipoor books. I suspect it might be occasionally baffling, but still good.
Well, I *have* read most of them, some a very long time ago. And this was a delightful treat.
Please don't come in expecting a major contribution to the Majipoor series, seventeen years after the first one. But a highly enjoyable re-visit, yes, you can expect that. Guys who have five Hugos and five Nebulas can usually be relied on to tell you a good story.
They're stories separated in time, and in setting/style. A couple of them plausibly fill some not-critically-important gaps in Majipoor history.
Majipoor is a wonderful place, although I suspect hard SF fans could tear it apart if they wanted to. But who'd want to? Ten times the size of Earth. A ludicrously tall mountain, requiring force fields and atmosphere generators so people can live on it. But I don't recall any discussion of the actual logistics of living there. Such as "nip down to the Labyrinth and give this to the Pontifex, there's a good chap" being an order that might well take a month to carry out.
I stalled briefly on the idea that Valentine - in the last story - is way out in the boonies, having ridden in on "mounts" to stay in tents protected by swords and sticks ..... taking photographs of the crime scene. Hmm. Film? Digital? Imp in a box? Silverberg did well back in the late 90s to avoid getting sucked into that. Narrativium is used liberally to fill cracks and keep the story moving.
In fact, as I write this, I can't tell you why this is a good collection. Just that it is. Perhaps it's that it's told in carefully-crafted sentences, but there's never, ever the slightest hint of "hey, ain't I a great writer?" Just the story. Just the story. Mmmmm.
Well, I *have* read most of them, some a very long time ago. And this was a delightful treat.
Please don't come in expecting a major contribution to the Majipoor series, seventeen years after the first one. But a highly enjoyable re-visit, yes, you can expect that. Guys who have five Hugos and five Nebulas can usually be relied on to tell you a good story.
They're stories separated in time, and in setting/style. A couple of them plausibly fill some not-critically-important gaps in Majipoor history.
Majipoor is a wonderful place, although I suspect hard SF fans could tear it apart if they wanted to. But who'd want to? Ten times the size of Earth. A ludicrously tall mountain, requiring force fields and atmosphere generators so people can live on it. But I don't recall any discussion of the actual logistics of living there. Such as "nip down to the Labyrinth and give this to the Pontifex, there's a good chap" being an order that might well take a month to carry out.
I stalled briefly on the idea that Valentine - in the last story - is way out in the boonies, having ridden in on "mounts" to stay in tents protected by swords and sticks ..... taking photographs of the crime scene. Hmm. Film? Digital? Imp in a box? Silverberg did well back in the late 90s to avoid getting sucked into that. Narrativium is used liberally to fill cracks and keep the story moving.
In fact, as I write this, I can't tell you why this is a good collection. Just that it is. Perhaps it's that it's told in carefully-crafted sentences, but there's never, ever the slightest hint of "hey, ain't I a great writer?" Just the story. Just the story. Mmmmm.
slingersjilly's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This collection of stories are incredibly atmospheric and instantly take you back to the world of Majipoor. The characters are rich and the world interesting. I often found myself unhappy to move onto the next story because I was invested in finding out more about what happened to the characters I had settled into. While I’m not sure each story was successful the book was enjoyable. The pace of these books creates a laid back, hypnotic dream like atmosphere that is unique, original and very alien in some places.
eigendecomp's review against another edition
5.0
Very good.
I am ashamed to say that I had somehow missed the fact that the tales are addenda to an older series. But the collection works very well on it's own.
Perhaps too well - I feel I know so much about Majipoor now that it might be not too urgent to explore more as many other yet unknown worlds await.
I am ashamed to say that I had somehow missed the fact that the tales are addenda to an older series. But the collection works very well on it's own.
Perhaps too well - I feel I know so much about Majipoor now that it might be not too urgent to explore more as many other yet unknown worlds await.
errantdreams's review against another edition
3.0
Disclaimer: I haven’t read Silverberg’s other Majipoor books (this happens when you review books—publishers can send you books from series you haven't read). On the one hand, it’s useful to have a fresh perspective so that new or prospective readers have some idea of where they can and can’t jump into a series. On the other hand, there were setting details that I had issues with, and I freely admit that they might be addressed within the novels. This does mean, however, that this book doesn’t stand entirely on its own.
The prologue briefly establishes the basic premise of Majipoor—how it was settled by humans even though there were natives already present, how the population exploded over time, and how other alien races also eventually came to settle there. It’s a quick introduction, and I thought it would be enough for me to grasp the setting, but after I read a handful of stories I was only more confused.
Where’s the technology? Only sporadic mention or use of any kind of technology is in evidence, and that mostly in the final story. This planet was colonized by settlers from another planet. Various alien races also settled on the planet at various times during its history. A society that should have started with a technological edge and had injections of alien technology at regular intervals somehow took 8,000 years to show much technological advancement at all. (Look at how far humans have come on Earth in that time, and that’s without the advantages the inhabitants of Majipoor should have had.) Most of the stories had a fairly standard fantasy feel with a bizarre little bit of sci-fi tacked on in certain places. Magic seems to come out of nowhere, and it’s never reconciled with the sci-fi aspect of the setting.
Please, someone, tell me that these things are explained in the books! Either way, if you have a tendency to be bothered by world-building holes, I would recommend reading this book after reading the novels, in the hope that they explain these issues.
Overall I found the stories and the sense of time passing to be rather fascinating. I loved seeing the contrast of the depiction of current characters followed by near-mythical views of them in historical contexts. The writing style, however, made me feel detached from most of the characters (perhaps the short form makes it harder for Silverberg to get into his characters? I’d have to read the novels to know for sure), which left me with little emotional investment in the book. Add that to the setting confusions, and overall this wasn’t my favorite book. I’d love to hear from someone who has read the novels and has a sense of whether this is an artifact of reading this as a standalone book, or a pattern from the novels as well.
[NOTE: review book provided by publisher]
For a longer review including a breakdown by story, you can visit my site: http://www.errantdreams.com/reviews/2013/05/03/tales-of-majipoor-robert-silverberg/
The prologue briefly establishes the basic premise of Majipoor—how it was settled by humans even though there were natives already present, how the population exploded over time, and how other alien races also eventually came to settle there. It’s a quick introduction, and I thought it would be enough for me to grasp the setting, but after I read a handful of stories I was only more confused.
Where’s the technology? Only sporadic mention or use of any kind of technology is in evidence, and that mostly in the final story. This planet was colonized by settlers from another planet. Various alien races also settled on the planet at various times during its history. A society that should have started with a technological edge and had injections of alien technology at regular intervals somehow took 8,000 years to show much technological advancement at all. (Look at how far humans have come on Earth in that time, and that’s without the advantages the inhabitants of Majipoor should have had.) Most of the stories had a fairly standard fantasy feel with a bizarre little bit of sci-fi tacked on in certain places. Magic seems to come out of nowhere, and it’s never reconciled with the sci-fi aspect of the setting.
Please, someone, tell me that these things are explained in the books! Either way, if you have a tendency to be bothered by world-building holes, I would recommend reading this book after reading the novels, in the hope that they explain these issues.
Overall I found the stories and the sense of time passing to be rather fascinating. I loved seeing the contrast of the depiction of current characters followed by near-mythical views of them in historical contexts. The writing style, however, made me feel detached from most of the characters (perhaps the short form makes it harder for Silverberg to get into his characters? I’d have to read the novels to know for sure), which left me with little emotional investment in the book. Add that to the setting confusions, and overall this wasn’t my favorite book. I’d love to hear from someone who has read the novels and has a sense of whether this is an artifact of reading this as a standalone book, or a pattern from the novels as well.
[NOTE: review book provided by publisher]
For a longer review including a breakdown by story, you can visit my site: http://www.errantdreams.com/reviews/2013/05/03/tales-of-majipoor-robert-silverberg/
bzedan's review against another edition
5.0
I'm a sucker for a framing device and I like the one used here quite a bit. It's a nice way to bind together short stories originally published seperately.
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