The Flying Sorcerers: More Comic Tales of Fantasy
by Peter Haining (Editor)
Comic Tales of Fantasy (2)
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This sparkling sequel to WIZARDS OF ODD once again turns logic on its head with a galaxy of star writers and stories. Terry Pratchett, the arch-priest of the genre, leads off with the eccentric figure of DEATH on new and curious mission, Roald Dahl plays havoc with country superstition, and Arthur C. Clarke shows the funny side of cosmic doom. Add to these dazzling contributions from masters such as Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Angela Carter, C.S. Lewis, P.G. Wodehouse and Michael Moorcock, and you show more have a blend of comic fantasy, supernatural extravaganza and sf that is almost literally in orbit. The title of the book stems from the fact that many of the stories feature characters who can fly - either under their own power or by machines - or they simply run into trouble with aerial objects of one sort or another. Bringing together some of the best fantasy available, THE FLYING SORCERERS is a gloriously bizarre, wonderfully varied collection of stories. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
This is the second collection of short stories edited by Peter Haining. I enjoyed it very much - the stories themselves are great, but I enjoyed the brief introductory comments just as much. The editor gives us a lightning resume of the authors life and other works and the odd entertaining anecdote too. He also briefly puts the story into the context of the development of the genre.
A great way to broaden your list of "authors I buy".
I have now put the first of these books (The Wizards of Odd) on my wish list.
A great way to broaden your list of "authors I buy".
I have now put the first of these books (The Wizards of Odd) on my wish list.
Not funny.
Ok well, it's slightly funny sometimes. But basically these are not the best offerings of any of the writers selected, many of whom are otherwise really well known for either their humour or the quality of their writing. Even the tery Pratchett story isn't funny. This is perhaps the key point, some of these are very good short stories but they aren't funny. Not even slightly comic. They are examples of fantasy and SF short stories broadly divided into Fantasy, Supernatural and SF. Each story is introduced by P Haining, a very brief bio of the author and some of their key works followed by an almost spoiler of the short story, adn then the story itself. Not one of Haining introductions was interesting, informative, funny or show more otherwise worth reading.
There are 24 stories in the book which ar 383 pages makes many of them quite short indeed. Some have appeared in other collections but many were totally new to me. And make a very good introduction into the works of some authors I didn't know, but will have to follow up. Of particular note:
The adventure of the Martian moons, a Sherlock holmes pastiche set on mars with a robo-sherlock; Specialist by Robert Sheckly on the variety of aliens; A good Shellacking by Stanislaw Lem - always a favourite author, this is a neat competition betwen two inventors; Possible to Rue by Piers Anthony - dictonary related puns.
Overall though, it fails in its tated purpose of being a collection of comic fantasy - at least half isn't fantasy at all, and probably less than half is actually comic. show less
Ok well, it's slightly funny sometimes. But basically these are not the best offerings of any of the writers selected, many of whom are otherwise really well known for either their humour or the quality of their writing. Even the tery Pratchett story isn't funny. This is perhaps the key point, some of these are very good short stories but they aren't funny. Not even slightly comic. They are examples of fantasy and SF short stories broadly divided into Fantasy, Supernatural and SF. Each story is introduced by P Haining, a very brief bio of the author and some of their key works followed by an almost spoiler of the short story, adn then the story itself. Not one of Haining introductions was interesting, informative, funny or show more otherwise worth reading.
There are 24 stories in the book which ar 383 pages makes many of them quite short indeed. Some have appeared in other collections but many were totally new to me. And make a very good introduction into the works of some authors I didn't know, but will have to follow up. Of particular note:
The adventure of the Martian moons, a Sherlock holmes pastiche set on mars with a robo-sherlock; Specialist by Robert Sheckly on the variety of aliens; A good Shellacking by Stanislaw Lem - always a favourite author, this is a neat competition betwen two inventors; Possible to Rue by Piers Anthony - dictonary related puns.
Overall though, it fails in its tated purpose of being a collection of comic fantasy - at least half isn't fantasy at all, and probably less than half is actually comic. show less
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- Canonical title
- The Flying Sorcerers: More Comic Tales of Fantasy
- Original publication date
- 1997
- Epigraph
- So full of shapes is fancy,
That it alone is high fantastical.
William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night - First words
- Thirty years ago I first saw a memorable cartoon by Gahan Wilson, the American fantasy artist, whose jokes give expression to his macabre and wicked sense of humour.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)And there wasn't a fourth day, of course.
- Disambiguation notice
- Introduction -- 1. Hordes of the things : comic fantasies: Turntables of the night / by Terry Pratchett ; Slice of life / by P.G. Wodehouse ; Better mousetrap / by L. Sprague de Camp & Fletcher Pratt ; Sam Small's better half... (show all) / by Eric Knight ; Danse macabre / by Mervyn Peake ; Shoddy lands / C.S. Lewis ; Harrison Bergeron / by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. ; Possible to rue / by Piers Anthony -- 2. Deadly nightshapes : tales of the supernatural: Right side / by John Collier ; Nasty / by Frederic Brown ; Gripes of wraith / by Nelson Bond ; Roaches / by Thomas M. Disch ; Lady of the house of love / by Angela Carter ; Stone thing / by Michael Moorcock ; Shrink and the mink / by Robert Bloch ' Ah sweet mystery of life / by Roald Dahl -- 3. Vacant space : stories of science fiction: Man in asbestos / by Stephen Leacock ; Female of the species / by John Wyndham ; Good shellacking / by Stanislaw Lem ; From Gustible's planet / by Cordwainer Smith ; Specialist / by Robert Sheckley ; Adventure of the Martian moons / by William F. Nolan ; Golden years of the stainless steel rat / by Harry Harrison ; No morning after / by Arthur C. Clarke.
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- 5 — Czech, English, German, Hungarian, Polish
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