Short Story Collections
Interesting science fiction short fiction collection, incl. the Nebula winner "The Planners".
Collects two novellas: "The Plastic Abyss" which was nominated for the 1971 Nebula Award for Best Novella, and "Stranger in the House." Enter Kate Wilhelm's realm of extrasensory perception, alternate universes, alien monsters, and something else, something much more strange—the abyss that lurks near each of us, ready to destroy us, or set us free.
A collection containing two short stories ("Semper Fi" and "Baby, You Were Great"), seven poems, and autobiographical introductions.
Includes four provocative novellas--"The Winter Beach" and "With Thimbles, with Forks, and Hope," previously unpublished, and "Moongate" and "Julian"--as well as an essay on the author's philosophy of fiction, "The Uncertain Edge of Reality"
Children of the Wind (1989)The Gorgon Field (1985)A Brother to Dragons, a Companion of Owls (1974)The Blue Ladies (1983)The Girl Who Fell into the Sky (1986)
A collection of twelve fantasy tales by the author of Death Qualified: A Mystery of Chaos and Cambio Bay includes the Nebula-winning story "Forever Yours, Anna," the chilling "The Scream," and "The Look Alike."
If you are in a plague-ridden spaceship with no idea what is killing off your passengers and crew one by one, what do you do? How will you deal with the panic and the fear, and your own feelings of despair that you may not be able to save the people you love? The protagonist’s sense of helplessness in this story—one of Kate Wilhelm’s early science fiction work—leaps off the page, making it clear why Wilhelm is considered one of the great writers of her time. She provides psychological depth to her characters, and although the themes may be common, they are never trite. Most of the stories in this collection of her early work are about love. However these present a vastly different picture of love from the clichés of romance novels. It is forbidden love developing in a tense evacuation of a planet under threat of extinction, the ultimate sacrifice of love vis-à-vis a lifelong ambition to go into space, and the love taking roots in the heart of a solitary man for his robot wife. It is also the love of two people who have been shunned all their lives for their difference, and the love of monks for their God and their mission, willing to be together for hundreds of years with only a card game to stave off their boredom on their long space travels. More than just love stories, though, this collection talks about what it means to be fully human. Wilhelm deftly shows how, in the age of space travel and android beings, we can hold on to our humanity.
The Bird Cage is a collection of four stories. The Bird Cage - The research is in cold sleep, suspended animation allowing those with incurable diseases to survive until cures are found. Chimps have been the subjects, but the dying millionaire who is funding the research has ordered the team to proceed to the next step: a human subject. The body sleeps but does the mind? Changing The World – Conspiracy theories, instant communication, blogs that go viral, a public ready to accept and believe… If you could change the world, would you? Should you? Unintended consequences could result. The Fountain Of Neptune – She did everything right, got a second opinion, and then went to Rome where the old gods may still be alive. Rules Of The Game – It wasn't fair for her husband to be haunting her since she'd had nothing to do with his demise at the hands of a hit and run driver. With his ghost in tow she sets out to find his killer and turn over custody to the one who deserves him.
Music Makers is a collection of five stories. Music Makers - Jake is sent to Memphis to do a puff article about an old, recently-deceased jazz pianist. There he learns about the true power of music, especially the “other music” that permeates an old southern mansion. Shadows On The Wall Of The Cave - Joey was six when he vanished in the limestone cave in Kentucky, and he was six when he reappeared years later. Mockingbird - Outwardly identical twins, inwardly two distinct individual women, Yin and Yang, day and night, right brain and left brain. If only one can win, will the other survive? The Late Night Train - In the bitter cold of winter, the train whistle sounded as if it were coming closer and closer. Mother, father and adult daughter live together in a paralyzing impasse, but the late night train offers a way out. An Ordinary Day With Jason - The strange thing about Jason is that a mysterious staircase might suddenly appear when he is innocently playing with his toys. Neither he nor anyone else should ascend the stairs, at least not yet.
From 1966 to 1980, Damon Knight created the Orbit anthologies series of science fiction, representing the finest writing in the genre. Nineteen of Kate Wilhelm’s stories were included in this series of 21 volumes. Among these are “Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang,” an exploration of infertility and cloning in the aftermath of global environmental collapse. It won the Locus, Jupiter, and Hugo Awards for Best Novel in 1977. “The Planners” reaches into the moral conflicts of a primate researcher, which won the Nebula Award for Best Short Story in 1968. Other stories include: a road trip into a woman’s psyche; primal fears through the eyes of a wise and empathetic alien; an encounter in a bus depot during a raging winter storm; the first “interactive” reality TV show. Ms. Wilhelm’s stories are prophetic, yet as recognizable as a story in this morning’s paper.
From 1966 to 1980, Damon Knight created the Orbit anthologies series of science fiction, representing the finest writing in the genre. Nineteen of Kate Wilhelm’s stories were included in this series of 21 volumes. Among these are “Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang,” an exploration of infertility and cloning in the aftermath of global environmental collapse. It won the Locus, Jupiter, and Hugo Awards for Best Novel in 1977. “The Planners” reaches into the moral conflicts of a primate researcher, which won the Nebula Award for Best Short Story in 1968. Other stories include: a road trip into a woman’s psyche; primal fears through the eyes of a wise and empathetic alien; an encounter in a bus depot during a raging winter storm; the first “interactive” reality TV show. Ms. Wilhelm’s stories are prophetic, yet as recognizable as a story in this morning’s paper.
Yesterday’s Tomorrows contains 11 new short fiction work by Kate Wilhelm. Opening the collection is the title story, “Yesterday’s Tomorrows,” a haunting tale about a woman who glimpses another side of time. It was the feature novella in the 2001 Special Kate Wilhelm Tribute Issue of Fantasy & Science Fiction. Other stories include “Forget Luck,” “The Happiest Day of Her Life,” “Earth’s Blood,” “Merry Widow,” “Plan B,” “The Moment,” “Strangers When We Meet,” “The Haunting House,” “The Man on the Persian Carpet,” and “Don’t Get Caught.” This is a new volume of collected works by a master storyteller.