09-01-2017, 01:05 AM | #1 |
Wizard
Posts: 3,821
Karma: 19162882
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Te Riu-a-Māui
Device: Kobo Glo
|
James Tiptree, Jr.: "best-of" short stories or full collections?
I'm trying to decide whether to buy the "best-of" omnibus: Her Smoke Rose Up Forever, or the four collections it draws from: Ten Thousand Light-Years from Home; Warm Worlds and Otherwise; Star Songs of an Old Primate; Out of the Everywhere and Other Extraordinary Visions. (The omnibus is about half the word count and about one quarter the price of the full collections.)
If anyone has read them, is there a clear quality divide between the stories that made the omnibus and the ones that didn't? Any stories in particular that should have made the cut but didn't? This is the full list, stories included in the omnibus are marked in green: Spoiler:
|
09-01-2017, 01:57 AM | #2 |
Wizard
Posts: 3,108
Karma: 60231510
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Australia
Device: Kobo Aura H2O, Kindle Oasis, Huwei Ascend Mate 7
|
She is without a doubt one of the very best. I would buy the lot. In fact I did, I think from Kobo India some time ago. The Omnibus seems to have a good selection but there are many excellent stories left out. Some of her best work is included, but I would not say that there is a clear quality divide between those in the omnibus and others. In particular, at a quick glance, you should not miss Mama Come Home, Painwise, "Faithful to Thee, Terra, in Our Fashion", Forever to a Hudson Bay Blanket, Time-Sharing Angel, A Source of Innocent Merriment and Out of the Everywhere. Some other stories I can't recall off the top of my head. But my advice is don't skimp on this author. She is one of my favourites, though of course our tastes may not be similar. She also wrote two novels, regrettably not as good as her short stories, and there was a very good biography of her life, which was quite a remarkable one which ended too soon with her suicide after the death of her husband.
|
Advert | |
|
09-01-2017, 06:46 AM | #3 |
Wizard
Posts: 3,821
Karma: 19162882
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Te Riu-a-Māui
Device: Kobo Glo
|
Thanks Darryl, that is helpful.
Normally I would read some of an author's novels first, and use that as a gauge for how deeply I want to read into their short story collections, but from what you have said and I have read elsewhere, this author's novels might not be the best guide. |
09-01-2017, 05:29 PM | #4 |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 44,712
Karma: 55613375
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Peru
Device: Kindle: Oasis 3, Voyage WiFi; Kobo: Libra 2, Aura One
|
Who has these, by the way?
I'm thinking of buying (perhaps) one of them. Thanks. |
09-01-2017, 05:49 PM | #5 |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 44,712
Karma: 55613375
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Peru
Device: Kindle: Oasis 3, Voyage WiFi; Kobo: Libra 2, Aura One
|
I've never read anything by her, but I recognize the name as well as I recognize the name of Robert A. Heinlein or Ursula K. Le Guin. For some reason, I just haven't bothered to read anything by her.
But that's going to change. I, too, would like to know which ONE ebook is the one to buy. By the way, here's a link to TOR on her: https://www.tor.com/2015/08/18/where...es-tiptree-jr/ -- Thanks. |
Advert | |
|
09-01-2017, 07:44 PM | #6 |
Wizard
Posts: 3,108
Karma: 60231510
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Australia
Device: Kobo Aura H2O, Kindle Oasis, Huwei Ascend Mate 7
|
Looking at the list in Geoff's original post the omnibus, "Her Smoke Rose Up Forever", is not a bad starting point for you. Of course it does not include all of her worthwhile short stories either from the books Geoff mentioned or others. But it is a good sample.
From time to time, no matter how voraciously I read, I occasionally come across an author where my response goes beyond wishing i had come across that author earlier. That response becomes a crusade to remedy an important gap in my literary education. I was fortunate enough to first come across Tiptree in my teens. I loved her work then and I still love it. Had I just discovered her I would now be on a quest to read every story she ever wrote. We are all different and you may not share my opinion, but please do read at least some of her stories. |
09-02-2017, 05:53 AM | #7 |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 44,712
Karma: 55613375
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Peru
Device: Kindle: Oasis 3, Voyage WiFi; Kobo: Libra 2, Aura One
|
^ I'll check out that title and see what all the fuss is about.
Thank you. |
02-12-2018, 12:45 AM | #8 |
Wizard
Posts: 3,821
Karma: 19162882
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Te Riu-a-Māui
Device: Kobo Glo
|
Just to report back, now I've read both of her novels all the available short story collections except for Tales of the Quintana Roo:
Most of the stories I liked best are included in the omnibus Her Smoke Rose Up Forever, the main exceptions being "Your Haploid Heart" and "The Psychologist Who Wouldn’t Do Awful Things to Rats" which were both only in Star Songs of an Old Primate. It could be the omnibus collection was selected for breadth of ideas rather than just quality or popularity, so some good stories were left out because they explored similar ideas to some others that were selected. Last edited by GeoffR; 02-12-2018 at 12:54 AM. Reason: ... rather than just quality ... |
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Use "short" instead of "full" title for title sort & renaming? | wolpi | Library Management | 2 | 08-04-2016 05:25 PM |
"Whispers of the Displaced" - Short stories by Glynn James | jumpingjack42 | Self-Promotions by Authors and Publishers | 2 | 09-16-2011 05:05 AM |
"Dave Riggler's Stories" - 6 Short Stories | bhartman36 | Self-Promotions by Authors and Publishers | 1 | 04-29-2011 09:55 AM |
New Short Story Release: "4 Stories Down, 4 Stories Up" by Sara Elizabeth | UntreedReads | Self-Promotions by Authors and Publishers | 0 | 07-07-2010 11:47 AM |