Starshine
by Theodore Sturgeon
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A small but mostly enjoyable collection of short stories. Sure, they are a product of their time. Most aggravating is the hard-boiled sexism that today comes across as just plain clunky. But if the reader can look past that annoyance, there are a couple of pretty good stories here. I enjoyed 'The Pod and the Barrier' and 'How To Kill Aunty' the most. What elevated these two stories were the (predictably) twisty endings.
If written today, I'd probably give this 2 stars. Allowing for the mid-1960s publishing date, I am able to be more forgiving.
If written today, I'd probably give this 2 stars. Allowing for the mid-1960s publishing date, I am able to be more forgiving.
"Starshine" presents six of the best short stories from science fiction writer Theodore Sturgeon, ranging from ghosts and mysterious creatures to flights through space and explorations of distant planets.
"Derm Fool": Dr. David Worth spends his days trying to find a cure the effects of a snake bite and winds up with a novel money making scheme. (At first, you think "ew", then it dawns on you how funny it actually is.)
"The Haunt": Bill is in love with Miriam Jensen, a haughty, matter-of-fact woman who won't stand for artifice. Plus, she treats Bill more like a lovesick puppy which convinces him to take her down a notch by tricking her into visiting a "haunted" house (which he and his friend Tommy rigged to scare the wits out of her). But show more something doesn't quite go as planned once they step inside the house. (Probably one of the best haunted house stories around.)
"Artnan Process": Two Earthman -- Slimmy Cob and Bell Bellew -- venture to the planet Artnan with the hope of discovering how the Artnans convert Uranium-238 into the more powerful Uranium-235 before the Martians do. The Martians, already on Artnan, decide to let Cob and Bellew do all the work and plan to steal the secret should they figure it out. Little do those Martians know what they're in for with cob and Bellew....
"The World Well Lost": The Lovebirds, as the alien pair came to be known, arrived on Earth from Dirbanu and wanted nothing more than to be with each other. The government of Dirbanu, however, deems the Lovebirds as criminals and wants them returned immediately. Hoping that the act of returning them will be seen as a way to begin friendly relations with Dirbanu, Earth sends the couple back with a team of Earthmen specially chosen to escort them because of their hardiness when it comes to long space travel: Rootes, the unflappable captain, and Grunty, so named because he hardly speaks. During the trip Grunty finds out he has surprisingly more in common with the Lovebirds than anyone suspects....
"The Pod and the Barrier": the Luanae have many resources to offer the Earth and would give them gladly if it weren't for the barrier they created hundreds of years ago to shield them from marauders and which now keeps them prisoners of their own planet. The Earthmen hurtling toward the barrier believe they have the answer to destroy the barrier once and for all, but could they be wrong? Does their unemployed and disagreeable Crew Girl (a.k.a. prostitute), who's along for the ride, have a better idea?
"How To Kill Aunty": Hubert's aunt takes much delight in watching him fail at everything. Even trying to kill her with one of those newer TV sets. She catches on almost immediately and decides to have some fun, helping him along, then rubbing his nose in it like the stupid man he is. But in the end, is Hubert really as dumb as she thinks?
I'm a fan of the short story, and these are some of the best. From darkly comic to scaring the pants of me to unique twists to the sci-fi genre (the Lovebirds in The World Well Lost turn out to be a same-sex couple, and the story mimics current views on homosexuality), Sturgeon's stories show what can be done in a small amount of words. show less
"Derm Fool": Dr. David Worth spends his days trying to find a cure the effects of a snake bite and winds up with a novel money making scheme. (At first, you think "ew", then it dawns on you how funny it actually is.)
"The Haunt": Bill is in love with Miriam Jensen, a haughty, matter-of-fact woman who won't stand for artifice. Plus, she treats Bill more like a lovesick puppy which convinces him to take her down a notch by tricking her into visiting a "haunted" house (which he and his friend Tommy rigged to scare the wits out of her). But show more something doesn't quite go as planned once they step inside the house. (Probably one of the best haunted house stories around.)
"Artnan Process": Two Earthman -- Slimmy Cob and Bell Bellew -- venture to the planet Artnan with the hope of discovering how the Artnans convert Uranium-238 into the more powerful Uranium-235 before the Martians do. The Martians, already on Artnan, decide to let Cob and Bellew do all the work and plan to steal the secret should they figure it out. Little do those Martians know what they're in for with cob and Bellew....
"The World Well Lost": The Lovebirds, as the alien pair came to be known, arrived on Earth from Dirbanu and wanted nothing more than to be with each other. The government of Dirbanu, however, deems the Lovebirds as criminals and wants them returned immediately. Hoping that the act of returning them will be seen as a way to begin friendly relations with Dirbanu, Earth sends the couple back with a team of Earthmen specially chosen to escort them because of their hardiness when it comes to long space travel: Rootes, the unflappable captain, and Grunty, so named because he hardly speaks. During the trip Grunty finds out he has surprisingly more in common with the Lovebirds than anyone suspects....
"The Pod and the Barrier": the Luanae have many resources to offer the Earth and would give them gladly if it weren't for the barrier they created hundreds of years ago to shield them from marauders and which now keeps them prisoners of their own planet. The Earthmen hurtling toward the barrier believe they have the answer to destroy the barrier once and for all, but could they be wrong? Does their unemployed and disagreeable Crew Girl (a.k.a. prostitute), who's along for the ride, have a better idea?
"How To Kill Aunty": Hubert's aunt takes much delight in watching him fail at everything. Even trying to kill her with one of those newer TV sets. She catches on almost immediately and decides to have some fun, helping him along, then rubbing his nose in it like the stupid man he is. But in the end, is Hubert really as dumb as she thinks?
I'm a fan of the short story, and these are some of the best. From darkly comic to scaring the pants of me to unique twists to the sci-fi genre (the Lovebirds in The World Well Lost turn out to be a same-sex couple, and the story mimics current views on homosexuality), Sturgeon's stories show what can be done in a small amount of words. show less
This collection includes "The World Well Lost," a classic exploration of prejudicial attitudes about homosexuality from a "Golden Age" science fiction writer. I love Sturgeon. Even his minor stories which initially leave you asking "so what was that about?" often result later in you asking, "what WAS that about?" "The Pod and the Barrier" is another good one here.
This aptly named collection of six stories shines brightly and showcases the distinct and diverse talents of one of speculative fiction's most celebrated voices.
"Derm Fool" - While courting a beautiful woman, a man with a disturbing skin disease discovers that she suffers from the same affliction—they both molt like reptiles. After isolating the cause as well as a cure, they decide to put both to a profitable use.
"The Haunt" - Two young men rig an abandoned house with special effects in order to scare an unflappable woman, but the results are far more harrowing than expected.
"Artnan Process" - An alien race known as the Artnans possess the technology to transmute Uranium 238 into Uranium 235, but refuse to reveal the process. Earth show more and Mars each send a crew to the Artnan homeworld in an effort to uncover the secret. Perhaps they'll succeed, if they don't kill each other first.
"The World Well Lost" - A captain and first mate are charged with the task of transporting a pair of alien refugees back to their homeworld. During the journey, the first mate learns that the alien lovers are not only telepaths but of the same gender and for this, they will be executed upon arrival.
"The Pod and the Barrier" - A motley crew of scientists and engineers embark on an expedition to find a way to break through an energy barrier surrounding a planet of benevolent aliens. Each believes that his plan will succeed, but perhaps the power of doubt will be what wins the day.
"How to Kill Aunty" - A willful but crippled elderly woman believes her maladroit nephew is bent on murdering her. Amused by his doltish efforts, she mocks his intelligence by actively aiding his efforts, but the final results are not what she anticipated. show less
"Derm Fool" - While courting a beautiful woman, a man with a disturbing skin disease discovers that she suffers from the same affliction—they both molt like reptiles. After isolating the cause as well as a cure, they decide to put both to a profitable use.
"The Haunt" - Two young men rig an abandoned house with special effects in order to scare an unflappable woman, but the results are far more harrowing than expected.
"Artnan Process" - An alien race known as the Artnans possess the technology to transmute Uranium 238 into Uranium 235, but refuse to reveal the process. Earth show more and Mars each send a crew to the Artnan homeworld in an effort to uncover the secret. Perhaps they'll succeed, if they don't kill each other first.
"The World Well Lost" - A captain and first mate are charged with the task of transporting a pair of alien refugees back to their homeworld. During the journey, the first mate learns that the alien lovers are not only telepaths but of the same gender and for this, they will be executed upon arrival.
"The Pod and the Barrier" - A motley crew of scientists and engineers embark on an expedition to find a way to break through an energy barrier surrounding a planet of benevolent aliens. Each believes that his plan will succeed, but perhaps the power of doubt will be what wins the day.
"How to Kill Aunty" - A willful but crippled elderly woman believes her maladroit nephew is bent on murdering her. Amused by his doltish efforts, she mocks his intelligence by actively aiding his efforts, but the final results are not what she anticipated. show less
A nice little collection of Sturgeon short stories. It's a mixed bag - some feel particularly dated - but Sturgeon's writing makes them all worthwhile, and the final story, 'How to Kill Aunty,' is a great finisher, though not SF.
Sturgeon is on one of the writers from the Golden Age of SF. These stories were average at best. He wrote a few really good stories but I didn't find any in this collection.
“Derm Fool”
The Haunt
Artman Process
The World Well Lost
The Pod and the Barrier
How to Kill Aunty
“Derm Fool”
The Haunt
Artman Process
The World Well Lost
The Pod and the Barrier
How to Kill Aunty
Intelligent, creative... but still, dated and sexist and just not that interesting anymore. And, imo, distasteful in many ways.
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From a 2010 perspective this is not vintage stuff. Things have moved on since these stories were written. They come from an era when the idea was all in SF and show no indication that the New Wave would ever happen (despite Wikipedia citing Sturgeon as a precursor.) I doubt they’d be published today. The stories are for the large part told, not revealed, and there are prodigious info dumps show more or lumps of exposition. The characterisation is crude, too.
Only the last in the collection, How To Kill Aunty, survives this treatment. That story is not SF but rather a mainstream tale of repression and revenge.
Starshine is a historical curiosity only, not one to be recommended as an introduction; either to the SF field or to Sturgeon’s work overall. show less
Only the last in the collection, How To Kill Aunty, survives this treatment. That story is not SF but rather a mainstream tale of repression and revenge.
Starshine is a historical curiosity only, not one to be recommended as an introduction; either to the SF field or to Sturgeon’s work overall. show less
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Author Information
323+ Works 15,912 Members
Theodore Sturgeon was born Edward Hamilton Waldo in New York City on February 26, 1918. He sold his first short story, Heavy Insurance, while serving in the United States Merchant Marine from 1935 to 1938. He won numerous awards including the 1954 International Fantasy Award for More than Human, the 1970 Nebula and Hugo Awards for Slow Sculpture, show more and the 1985 World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement. He was inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 2000. He died of pneumonia in Eugene, Oregon on May 8, 1985. (Bowker Author Biography) Theodore Sturgeon was the author of numerous novels and over 200 stories. He died in 1985. (Publisher Provided) show less
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- Original title
- Starshine
- Original publication date
- 1966 (Collection) (Collection); 1941 (Artnan Process) (Artnan Process); 1940 ('Derm Fool') ('Derm Fool'); 1941 (The Haunt) (The Haunt); 1961 (How to Kill Aunty) (How to Kill Aunty); 1957 (The Pod and the Barrier) (The Pod and the Barrier) (show all 7); 1953 (The World Well Lost) (The World Well Lost)
- Dedication
- For Louis Feinberg and his lovely Anne in gratitude for his friendship and trust
- First words
- I am not generally a fussy man. • • "Derm Fool"
Just a gag, that's all—a gag. • • The Haunt
Slimmy Cob and his hair stood up short, tough and wiry. • • Artnan Process
Al... (show all)l the world knew them as lovebirds, though they were certainly not birds, but humans. • • The World Well Lost
A lousy mission. • • The Pod and the Barrier
"Little Devil," said the old lady admiringly, which was odd, because she detested squirrels, especially when they were after birdseed and suet set out on the feeder. • • How to Kill Aunty - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Poor fellow. • • "Derm Fool"
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)We built our house there and we're very happy in it. • • The Haunt
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)Three lanky figures pounce on it, and a jet of soapy water shot futilely up at them. • • Artnan Process
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)He put out his huge hand and, with a feather touch, stroked the sleeping lips. • • The World Well Lost
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)I climbed back up quietly and went back to my cabin. • • The Pod and the Barrier
(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)The Hubert business was the last thing she had to be busy about; for years it had been everything and the only thing, and now she'd finished it, and though she lingered on for a long while, it was the finish for her. • • How to Kill Aunty - Original language
- English
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