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Loading... Jizzle (edition 1978)by John Wyndham
Work InformationJizzle by John Wyndham
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. A great collection of short stories from John Wyndham. Very much of their time (this was first published in 1954) but still very readable. A touch of horror, a touch of humour - some of the endings had me smiling (or laughing) - I don't think there was a disappointing story in this book. A definite keeper. stories: Jizzle / Technical Slip / A Present from Brunswick / Chinese Puzzle / Esmeralda / How Do I Do? / Una / Affair of the Heart / Confidence Trick / The Wheel / Look Natural, Please! / Perforce to Dream / Reservation Deferred / Heaven Scent / More Spinned Against This is a great collection of genre-crossing stories, each of which has at least a whiff of science fiction, fantasy, comedy, and/or horror, but still enough realism to satisfy readers who don't generally opt for whimsy in their fiction. Among Wyndham's subjects are: a mischievous monkey with a penchant for portraiture and homewrecking; the humorous introduction of a Chinese dragon to the home of a salt-of-the-earth Welsh couple; the effect of an encounter with a Frankensteinian horror on an animal-rights activist; the problem with creating the world's most potent perfume; and the consequences of switching places -- even for a day -- with the mythical Arachne. Great stuff. And, as it happens, my introduction to the writing of John Wyndham. no reviews | add a review
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Jizzle by John Wyndham (1974) No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)823.9Literature English & Old English literatures English fiction Modern PeriodLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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An anthology of short stories by an author it’s a pleasure to read; decent writing and well-crafted plot all contribute to an enjoyable reading experience. 2 of the stories are favourites of mine - Chinese Puzzle and Confidence Trick.
They do read very much of their time - the book was originally published in 1954, so the stories would have been written before then, but this does not detract. I am reminded of the writing style of Neville Shute and the story craft of Jane Aiken. In many ways, the stories come across as magical realism rather than science fiction.
Recommended.