Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
The Persistence of Vision
by
John Varley
Cover Artist: Jim Burns
Contents:
The Phantom of Kansas (1976)
Air Raid (1977)
Retrograde Summer (1975)
The Black Hole Passes (1975)
In the Hall of the Martian Kings (1977)
In the Bowl (1975)
Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance (1976)
Overdrawn at the Memory Bank (1976)
The Persistence of Vision (1978)
Contents:
The Phantom of Kansas (1976)
Air Raid (1977)
Retrograde Summer (1975)
The Black Hole Passes (1975)
In the Hall of the Martian Kings (1977)
In the Bowl (1975)
Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance (1976)
Overdrawn at the Memory Bank (1976)
The Persistence of Vision (1978)
Mass Market Paperback, Quantum Science Fiction #4, 316 pages
Published
August 1979
by Dell
(first published February 1977)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
1,213)
Jan 17, 2009
Erik Graff
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
everyone, the title story
Recommended to Erik by:
no one
Shelves:
sf
While "Overdrawn at the Memory Bank" is good, "The Persistence of Vision" is extraordinarily good.
Although set in the near future, "Persistence" has no other science fiction elements. The story is about a vagabound moving from one countercultural community to the next in the southwest, then ending up to stay quite a while with one qualitatively different than the rest. On land leased from the Navaho, this community was set up by several dozen deaf-blind persons who had grown up institutionally t...more
Although set in the near future, "Persistence" has no other science fiction elements. The story is about a vagabound moving from one countercultural community to the next in the southwest, then ending up to stay quite a while with one qualitatively different than the rest. On land leased from the Navaho, this community was set up by several dozen deaf-blind persons who had grown up institutionally t...more
These stories are from the early Varley, circa the Gaia series (Titan being one of them), way before the more recent Thunder and Mars books, with the author at the peak of his creative genius (IMHO). I like his work primarily for the way he paints striking and memorable images: the explorers trapped in the bowl, the blind-deaf-mutes having a meal. The title story is worth the effort if you only have time or patience to read just one. But then, like cinnamon licorice sticks, you won't be able to...more
A mixed bag. Some of the stories are interesting, but the details are almost uniformly silly ("we don't have to worry about infection anymore, because we sterilized the earth") and the narratives tend to feel locked into inevitable courses. Varley's stories fall into that brand of speculative fiction where the resolution and the premise are identical, so once you realize what's going on in any given story there's nothing left for him to say.
The author is obsessed with physicality, and the most i...more
The author is obsessed with physicality, and the most i...more
This is a really solid collection of sci-fi stories. I only wish the order had been tweaked, as the first two stories were too similar, and almost put me off the collection before I got to the really good stories.
I liked "In The Hall Of The Martian Kings" and "The Persistence of Vision" best from this collection.
The first is about a small group of people stranded on Mars after an accident trying to figure out if they can survive until a rescue attempt can be mounted (some 7 years later at the ea...more
I liked "In The Hall Of The Martian Kings" and "The Persistence of Vision" best from this collection.
The first is about a small group of people stranded on Mars after an accident trying to figure out if they can survive until a rescue attempt can be mounted (some 7 years later at the ea...more
John Varley is extraordinary at the short story. Blue Champagne, Ophiuchi Hotline, Millennium, Persistence of Vision (what are the rest? include all of them) all the 70's short story collections hang together to form a sci fi world that's progressive and connected and feminist.... I loved them. Check out ALL his short stories. Skip the novels.
I read A LOT of classic sci fi, hundreds on hundreds of books in the 70s, and these are my favorite, plus some of Heinlein's.
I read A LOT of classic sci fi, hundreds on hundreds of books in the 70s, and these are my favorite, plus some of Heinlein's.
Apr 17, 2011
Nicolas
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
rayon-fantasy-et-sf,
rayon-emprunt,
space-opera,
near-space,
nouvelles,
sexe,
clones,
m-moire,
musique,
temps
Bon, comme c'est mon habitude pour les recueils de nouvelles, quelques lignes sur chaque texte. Disons globalement que ces textes se situent, pour la plupart, dans l'univers du Canal Ophite.
1 - Le Fantôme du Kansas (The Phantom of Kansas), pages 9 à 72
Cette première nouvelle m'a replongé quasiment mot pour mot dans certains passages de Gens de la Lune, je crois, avec ce voyage dans le disneyland du texas, et cette incroyable tempête. L'intrigue, elle, est peut-être moins spectaculaire que ses ro...more
1 - Le Fantôme du Kansas (The Phantom of Kansas), pages 9 à 72
Cette première nouvelle m'a replongé quasiment mot pour mot dans certains passages de Gens de la Lune, je crois, avec ce voyage dans le disneyland du texas, et cette incroyable tempête. L'intrigue, elle, est peut-être moins spectaculaire que ses ro...more
This engaging novelette explores a community of dumb and blind individuals designed and created by its inhabitants. I enjoyed the ideas about how the community could be not only functional, but in fact efficient and in some ways superior to the sighted, hearing mechanisms for cohabitation. I also found the element of using touch to read emotion and communicate compelling, as it is an interesting take on what I know of body language.
It got a little bit over-the-top with the hippy free love and s...more
It got a little bit over-the-top with the hippy free love and s...more
The majority of the short stories in this book are set in a future where man has spread out into the solar system with the help of advanced technology, which allows humans to enhance themselves to exist even in the hostile heat and atmospheric pressure of Venus. Just about anything about the the human body can be changed quickly and easily by the medicos. A change of sex can be done on a whim and is hardly even worth commenting on in Varley's future. Although their world is so different from our...more
In a post-apocalyptic near-future, a middle-aged drifter roams from commune to commune in the Southwest United States. Each of these groups has its own culture and he stays a while at each, doing whatever he needs (e.g., going nude, praying, chanting “Hare Krishna”) to fit in while he’s there. This works well for him — he stays fed and sheltered and moves on when he’s ready for a change of scenery.
But when he comes across a walled-in settlement in the middle of Native American land, he finds tha...more
But when he comes across a walled-in settlement in the middle of Native American land, he finds tha...more
This short story collection showcases Varley at his most Varley. Not a lot of action, but quite a bit of character driven plotting. Light reading but nevertheless enjoyable and in some cases thought provoking. I did find it uneven, and some of the stories were maybe a little bit too focused on just showcasing the Eight Worlds Universe. The title story, “The Persistence of Vision”, is a departure and a wonderful tale of identity seeking.
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=1442
http://www.books.rosboch.net/?p=1442
Excellent collection of stories. The title story is one of the greatest works of short fiction ever written. It is the story of a group of people who lack sight, vision, and hearing. It depicts how they communicate and relate, and the organic culture they create based upon their own lived experience. It will enrich the soul of any reader. Reading this story is like travelling to another planet, where humans understand things we mostly forgot sometime during childhood.
I did it again. I started reading books of the same author because I liked one book. I only did that twice and it didn't work. This book is not bad. I liked it. I guess I'm not happy with it because I compare it to "Gaea" trilogy. It reminds me of eternal peace, escape from everything that's bothering you. :) It's like the good marriage - nothing is perfect, but you like every second of it. Even if it wasn't the best book I've read I would never miss it.
A wonderful thought experiment any student of the senses and ethnographic writing will love. It's amazing how well it aged- written in '78, it had eerily accurate descriptions of the current economic depression. Parts of it made me uncomfortable- probably one of the best features of the book was the author's ability to honestly translate the complex emotions of stepping outside one's own culture.
A very interesting story. And I think that is one of the main reasons why I liked it so much. And when I say interesting, I mean weird, strange just very odd. It is about a commune where the people are deaf and blind and how they all get along with one another. John Varley does a great job at describing the community and how they all live. A fantastic tale, but like I said very odd indeed.
Excellent short story collection. I don't think I'd read any of Varley's stories before and I'm not sure how I missed him. I'll definately be looking to read more of his work both shorter works and novels. I enjoyed both his stand-alone stories and the ones set in his "Eight Worlds" universe.
I particularly enjoyed Air Raid, Retrograde Summer, and In the Hall of the Martian Kings. The only miss for me was Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance and even it had some interesting ideas and alien symbiot.
I particularly enjoyed Air Raid, Retrograde Summer, and In the Hall of the Martian Kings. The only miss for me was Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance and even it had some interesting ideas and alien symbiot.
Sep 13, 2011
Kelly
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Kelly by:
Orson Scott Card's *How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy*
Partially read. I made it through the first four stories before other issues came up and I had to set it aside. Enjoyable, though I haven't gotten caught up in any one of the four I've read. Fairly standard sci-fi fare? My favorite so far has been the last one I read, which I read this afternoon, "The Black Hole passes." I liked how my interpretation of the title changed as the story progressed. The same could be said for the plot of "The Phantom of Kansas," which is one of the reasons I like sc...more
Varley isn't a great stylist, but I love his ability to use science fiction to explore a range of philosophical questions. When I read this years ago in my twenties, I was struck by how, in this one collection, he managed to cover the great majority of philosophical conundrums I was currently musing. Entertaining, thought provoking, and sometimes disturbing.
wow. forgot how weird and wonderful (and erotic!) Varley is. this is a great collection of short stories that mostly take place in a future where humans have colonized the moon, Venus, Mars, etc. the titular piece (which might be called a novella?) is earthbound but no less out there. Jonathan gave this to me a while ago and I finally read it!
An interesting collection of Varley's early short stories-- when this book first came out, his first novel "The Ophiuchi Hotline" had only recently been published. Several of the stories herein were expanded into novels later. They're nice little gems of science fiction with a strong sense of humanity.
Nov 30, 2008
Judy
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
everyone
Shelves:
desert-island,
sci-fi-fantasy
Read this! The Persistence of Vision is one of the best short stories around, the ideas in it stuck with me for a very long time. It involves the creation of a unique society by people with physical disabilities. The book includes other great stories too. It is a great way to get to know Varley's writing.
The story is about a vagabound moving from one countercultural community to the next in the southwest, then ending up to stay quite a while with one qualitatively different than the rest. On land leased from the Navaho, this community was set up by several dozen deaf-blind persons who had grown up institutionally together after a fictional rubella outbreak. Granted money by the government after a series of law suits initiated after they reach their majority, they are able to hire professional he...more
The Persistence of Vision is one of the best speculative-fiction short stories ever -- you could call it "science fiction" but the only science required for the premise of the story is a Rubella outbreak.
This is a very creative book and I instantly fell in love with its technological aspects but I can't help but be a bit disturbed by the influence "free love" has made on some of the stories.
This Hugo and Nebula Award winning short novel is one of the most eye-opening and emotionally rending works that I have ever encountered in a lifetime devoted to reading. Do NOT miss this one.
Nov 27, 2010
Janis Ian
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fantasy-science-fiction
Along with Orson Scott Card and Terry Bisson, simply the best short story/novelette writer in the field. His "Persistence of Vision" is a classic in any field.
I first read this book many years ago. Varley's visionary writing is strangely prescient and wonderful.
I love this collection, plain and simple. Smart, wildly creative and beautifully written sci-fi.
The wandering protagonist of Varley's short story explores the various countercultures of he southwest until he hits upon something unlike any other: a community of the blind.
Vision becomes a liability as "The Persistence of Vision" challenges the social norms and conventions that are traditionally taken for granted. This "challenging" is quite extreme at times, but despite this the novel still retains its message and vision. I learned a bit about the distance fiction can be pushed to while stil...more
Vision becomes a liability as "The Persistence of Vision" challenges the social norms and conventions that are traditionally taken for granted. This "challenging" is quite extreme at times, but despite this the novel still retains its message and vision. I learned a bit about the distance fiction can be pushed to while stil...more
Among the best books of all time.
The Phantom of Kansas (1976)- set in the world of Steel Beach (Luna)
Air Raid (1977)- set in the world of Millenium (time travel from a dystopian future)
Retrograde Summer (1975) - Mercury
The Black Hole Passes (1975) - Deep Space
In the Hall of the Martian Kings (1977) - Mars
In the Bowl (1975) - Venus
Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance (1976) - Saturn
Overdrawn at the Memory Bank (1976) - Virtual Reality
The Persistence of Vision (1978) - Alternate history Earth.
Air Raid (1977)- set in the world of Millenium (time travel from a dystopian future)
Retrograde Summer (1975) - Mercury
The Black Hole Passes (1975) - Deep Space
In the Hall of the Martian Kings (1977) - Mars
In the Bowl (1975) - Venus
Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance (1976) - Saturn
Overdrawn at the Memory Bank (1976) - Virtual Reality
The Persistence of Vision (1978) - Alternate history Earth.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
