The Collected Stories of Vernor Vinge
by Vernor Vinge
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Since his first published story, "Apartness," appeared in 1965, Vernor Vinge has forged a unique and awe-inspiring career in science fiction as his work has grown and matured. He is now one of the most celebrated science fiction writers in the field , having won the field's top award, the Hugo, for each of his last two novels.Now, for the first time, this illustrious author gathers all his short fiction into a single volume. This collection is truly the definitive Vinge, capturing his show more visionary ideas at their very best. It also contains a never-before-published novella, one that represents precisely what this collection encapsulates - bold, unique, challenging science fictional ideas brought to vivid life with compelling storytelling.Including such major pieces as "The Ungoverned" and "The Blabber," this sumptuous volume will satisfy any reader who loves the sense of wonder, and the excitement of great SF. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
I generally don't like short story collections, but this one is an exception. I enjoyed every story in this collection, I only wish there were more of them! Some of them are familiar, as they were excerpts from books turned into novels, but that only added to the enjoyment. Good solid sci-fi. Please write more, Vernor!
This is a collection of Vernor Vinge's short piece from his first published piece in 1965 to a 2001 novella, "Fast Times at Fairmont High" that first appeared here. The only short stories by Vinge written up to publication not included is "True Names" and a story that would later be expanded into Tatja Grimm's World. It suffered a bit from my having just reread the collected stories of Isaac Asimov. I hadn't read those stories for decades, yet often I could remember them as soon as I saw the title or just a few paragraphs into the story. Few stories here were as memorable on my reread of these a decade later. Although in at least one way the collections aren't comparable. In the Foreword Vinge writes that his ideal length for his shorts show more is about 12,000 words, novelette length in other words, while Asimov's stories tended to be much shorter, so his first volume of collected short stories packed in 46 works, while with Vinge there are only 17 chances to impress. Still, is there anything here to compare to Asimov's "Nightfall," "The Dead Past," "The Ugly Little Boy" or "The Last Question?" Not really. While I think Asimov is even better in his short stories than his novels, with Vinge I think it's the reverse, and I wouldn't recommend this as an introduction to him.
"The Ungoverned" was the one story I remembered just from the title. A few others took just a few paragraphs to come back to mind: "Bookworm, Run!" "Apartness," "Long Shot," "The Blabber." I did like all the stories in the collection though, there wasn't one complete dud, although I remember leaving "Fast Times at Fairmont High" unfinished the first time, and it did take a while for me to get into. I think back in 2001 the virtual plugged in world was just a bit too alienating for me. The scary thing is that a bit over ten years later it sounds like our near future. And actually there is something reminiscent of Asimov in the twists to many of these stories. I like the way Vinge pushes at how technology might drive a very radical change in what is human, and he's good at imagining truly alien perspectives. So, to name my five favorites in the order they appeared in the collection:
"Bookworm, Run!" - This 1966 story is the first one Vinge wrote that he ever was able to sell--he was still in high school at the time. I really liked his chimpanzee protagonist.
"The Ungoverned" - This is a cult classic among libertarians and had even been pointed to me as an argument for anarcho-capitalism. Color me skeptical it would change any minds, but it certainly is memorable and thought-provoking.
"Long Shot" - About the odyssey of a space probe, this has a fantastic premise and is among Vinge's best stories.
"Original Sin" - In the afterward Vinge said this 1970 story was for years his favorite of his own stories. It's rather brutal, but for that very reason unforgettable. One of the more original, truly alien aliens I've encountered in science-fiction.
"The Blabber" - A story of a young man and his extraterrestrial pet. Maybe I'm just a sucker for animal stories, but I did really love this one. As much as any in the collection. show less
"The Ungoverned" was the one story I remembered just from the title. A few others took just a few paragraphs to come back to mind: "Bookworm, Run!" "Apartness," "Long Shot," "The Blabber." I did like all the stories in the collection though, there wasn't one complete dud, although I remember leaving "Fast Times at Fairmont High" unfinished the first time, and it did take a while for me to get into. I think back in 2001 the virtual plugged in world was just a bit too alienating for me. The scary thing is that a bit over ten years later it sounds like our near future. And actually there is something reminiscent of Asimov in the twists to many of these stories. I like the way Vinge pushes at how technology might drive a very radical change in what is human, and he's good at imagining truly alien perspectives. So, to name my five favorites in the order they appeared in the collection:
"Bookworm, Run!" - This 1966 story is the first one Vinge wrote that he ever was able to sell--he was still in high school at the time. I really liked his chimpanzee protagonist.
"The Ungoverned" - This is a cult classic among libertarians and had even been pointed to me as an argument for anarcho-capitalism. Color me skeptical it would change any minds, but it certainly is memorable and thought-provoking.
"Long Shot" - About the odyssey of a space probe, this has a fantastic premise and is among Vinge's best stories.
"Original Sin" - In the afterward Vinge said this 1970 story was for years his favorite of his own stories. It's rather brutal, but for that very reason unforgettable. One of the more original, truly alien aliens I've encountered in science-fiction.
"The Blabber" - A story of a young man and his extraterrestrial pet. Maybe I'm just a sucker for animal stories, but I did really love this one. As much as any in the collection. show less
Having loved A Deepness in the Sky and A Fire Upon the Deep, and as a lover of short story collections, I had high hopes for this collection. While there are 2 or 3 interesting stories, and at least 1 very good one, the majority were bland and at some times rediculous (one of his earlier works showcased herein utilizes a tedious phonetic gimmick). I began and did not finish 2 or 3 stories. If you're a VV fan, you may like this as long as you know what you're getting into. Again, there are some quite good stories, so it may be worth it to the dedicated fan.
These are hard SF stories loosely centered around the idea that technology is advancing at such a pace that eventually we'll reach a societal singularity where life and motivations on the other side is fundamentally different and non-comprehensible from life and motivations on this.
Wonderful!
It’s convenient to have most (unfortunately not all) of Vernor Vinge’s short fiction together in one place, though I’d prefer to have it arranged in chronological order.
He started off as a writer of short stories, and he says himself that he had difficulty with novels, but I think it’s fair to say by now that his novels are more impressive than his short stories. However, his novella “True names” (not included here!) was indeed impressive in 1981, and remains good.
Most collections of short stories are a very mixed bag; this one is less mixed than usual, in that all of the 17 stories are quite agreeable to read and reread, while none of them are great classics. They often involve interesting and original ideas.
My personal show more favourites here are “The peddler’s apprentice” and “The Blabber”, followed by “The ungoverned”, “Fast times at Fairmont High” (which won a Hugo Award), and “Bookworm, run!”.
“The Blabber” introduces the Zones of Thought universe that was further developed in three subsequent novels, while “Fast times at Fairmont High” introduces the near-future world that was further developed in the novel Rainbows End. “The ungoverned” is set in the same world as The Peace War and Marooned in Real Time, and takes place in between those two novels. show less
He started off as a writer of short stories, and he says himself that he had difficulty with novels, but I think it’s fair to say by now that his novels are more impressive than his short stories. However, his novella “True names” (not included here!) was indeed impressive in 1981, and remains good.
Most collections of short stories are a very mixed bag; this one is less mixed than usual, in that all of the 17 stories are quite agreeable to read and reread, while none of them are great classics. They often involve interesting and original ideas.
My personal show more favourites here are “The peddler’s apprentice” and “The Blabber”, followed by “The ungoverned”, “Fast times at Fairmont High” (which won a Hugo Award), and “Bookworm, run!”.
“The Blabber” introduces the Zones of Thought universe that was further developed in three subsequent novels, while “Fast times at Fairmont High” introduces the near-future world that was further developed in the novel Rainbows End. “The ungoverned” is set in the same world as The Peace War and Marooned in Real Time, and takes place in between those two novels. show less
Dec 17, 2024 (Edited)English (UK)
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Contains
1 by Vernor Vinge
2 by Vernor Vinge
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title*
- Ложная тревога
- Original publication date
- 2001-11-17 (collection) (collection); 1975 (The Peddler's Apprentice) (The Peddler's Apprentice)
- Dedication
- To all my editors (including those who have rejected my stories) for their help over the years.
- First words
- They knew what he'd done.
There was a thief on my staff.
Lord Buckry I of Fyffe lounged on his throne, watching his two youngest sons engaged in mock battle in the empty Audience Hall.
Al's Protection Racket operated out of Manhattan, Kansas.
They named her Ilse, and of all Earth's creatures, she was to be the longest lived—and perhaps the last.
... But he saw a light! (show all 17)
This all happened a long time ago, and almost twenty light-years from where we're standing now.
The defense station high in the Laguna Mountains had been on alert since dawn.
Prince Lal e'Dorvik dilated his mouth hole, and casually picked at pointy fangs.
My offices are under the tidal-wave breaker wall.
The summer of 1957 should have been Sanda's most wonderful vacation.
In its orbit about Jupiter, an artificial star flickered briefly, its essence oscillating between matter and energy.
First twilight glowed diffusely from the fog.
Some dreams take a long time in dying.
Win a Nobel Prize!
Wealth, Chicks, the Secrets of the Universe—
They Call All Be Yours
Fair Haven at South Cape was a squalid little town.
Juan kept the little blue pills in an unseen corner of his bedroom. - Publisher's editor
- Frenkel, James
- Blurbers
- Brin, David
*Some information comes from Common Knowledge in other languages. Click "Edit" for more information.
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