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H. G. Wells published “Select Conversations With An Uncle (Now Extinct) And Two Other Reminiscences” is a collection of 14 pieces of short fiction in June of 1895, supposedly just one day prior to “The Time Machine” and before “The Wonderful Visit” (...moreH. G. Wells published “Select Conversations With An Uncle (Now Extinct) And Two Other Reminiscences” is a collection of 14 pieces of short fiction in June of 1895, supposedly just one day prior to “The Time Machine” and before “The Wonderful Visit” (September), and “The Stolen Bacillus” (November) which appeared later in the same year. Wells did have two non-fiction books published prior to this one, but this was his first book of fictional stories, though “The Time Machine” was based on an earlier work called “The Chronic Argonauts” which he wrote in school. The stories had previously been published in “The Pall Mall Gazette between 1893 and 1894.
These stories are short mildly humorous works mostly concerning an uncle and his observations on the state of things. They cover fashion, ideals, being photographed, music, being engaged, being in love, being married, and other topics, each being handled as a conversation between the narrator and his uncle. Also included are two other works of short fiction. Though there are 14 stories in all, they are all very short and it does not take much time to read through the entire collection.
Wells is of course known for his works of science fiction which helped to create the genre which is so well known today. However, Wells was quite capable of writing other types of works, and this collection of short fiction is a good example of his early style. I don’t want to give the impression that this is a lost treasure. This work is interesting because it was written by Wells, and there is good reason why it is not one of his better known works, and had it been written by another it would have little interest at all. It is not that it is a bad work, but rather that it is an unexceptional work. This is recommended for those who are interested in H. G. Wells and his development as an author.(less)
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" Yes, though his time frame was a bit short as it certainly was not that way in 1952, but if one treats them as long-term predictions, then he isn't do...moreYes, though his time frame was a bit short as it certainly was not that way in 1952, but if one treats them as long-term predictions, then he isn't doing too bad at all.(less)"
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“The Jungle Book” is a collection of stories (or fables) and songs/poems by Rudyard Kipling, and was originally published in 1894. The book consists of 7 short stories, separated by seven poems. The first three stories involve Mowgli, but the other...more“The Jungle Book” is a collection of stories (or fables) and songs/poems by Rudyard Kipling, and was originally published in 1894. The book consists of 7 short stories, separated by seven poems. The first three stories involve Mowgli, but the other four stories are not part of that series, nor do they all take place in the same jungle or any jungle at all. What these stories do have in common is the anthropomorphizing of animals as characters in these stories. As with all fables, these stories impart a moral message to the reader.
“Mowgli’s Brothers” is the first story in the book and was originally published in January of 1894 in “St. Nicholas Magazine”. The story is about Mowgli being adopted by the wolf family which then raises him. With Shere Khan hunting in their area of the jungle, the Father Wolf (Akela) and the mother (Raksha) find and take in a human baby. At the wolf council, Baloo speaks for the cub, and Bagheera buys his life with a fresh kill. As time passes, Shere Khan turns most of the wolves against Mowgli, and they plot to overthrow Akela as the leader. Mowgli is then sent away from the wolves, vowing to return with Shere Khan’s hide. This story is followed by the “Hunting-Song of the Seeonee Pack”.
“Kaa’s Hunting” is a short study from March-April of 1894. It takes place sometime during the period covered in “Mowgli’s Brothers”, though it isn’t mentioned in that story. It is a story about Mowgli’s abduction by monkees, a.k.a the Bandar-log. Baloo and Bagheera, rescue Mowgli with the aid of Kaa. This story is followed by the “Road Song of the Bandar-Log”.
“Tiger! Tiger!” was a short story published in February of 1894 in magazines before being published in this collection. This covers the confrontation between Mowgli and Shere Khan. Mowgli has been kicked out of the jungle and has been adopted by a couple who believe he is Nathoo, the child that they lost. Mowgli tries to fit in, but he alienates himself from the others because he doesn’t accept their misconceptions about the jungle. Shere Khan returns and is plotting to kill Mowgli, but he is warned by one of his wolf friends (Grey Brother) whom he goes to visit regularly. Mowgli comes up with a plan to kill Shere Khan, but when successful he gets into an argument with Buldeo, the hunger. Buldeo tries to take Shere Khan’s skin, but Mowgli refuses to give it to him, so Buldeo turns the entire village against him and Mowgli finds himself an outcast of both the jungle and the village. This story is followed by “Mowgli’s Song”.
“The White Seal” is a short story published in August of 1893. The story is about Kotick, a rare white-furred seal who spends his life searching for a home where seals will not be hunted by humans. He is isolated from the other seals by his goal, but he finally discovers a place that the Sea Cows know which is free from man. This story is followed by “Lukannon”.
“Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” is a story from November of 1893. In this story an English family save a young mongoose (Rikki Tikki) who becomes their pet. Rikki Tikki first saves the families young boy Teddy from a dust brown snakeling. Rikki Tikki takes to patrolling the house while the family sleeps, and it is during this that he is warned by Chuchundra that there are two cobras (Nag and Nagaina) that are planning to kill the family. Rikki Tikki first takes on Nag, waking the father who kills Nag. Nagaina then swears vengeance, but Rikki Tikki gets help from Darzee (a tailor bird) and locates Nagainaj’s nest and then uses the eggs to distract Nagaina to save Teddy again. This story is followed by “Darzee’s Chant”.
“Toomai of the Elephants” is a short story from the December of 1893. In this story little Toomai is told that he cannot be an elephant handler unless he sees the dance of the elephants. When the great elephant Kala Nag hears the call of the elephant from far off in the jungle, he goes to find the elephants, taking little Toomai with him. This story is followed y “Shiv and the Grasshopper”.
“Her Majesty’s Servants” was originally published in March of 1894. This story is about the various animals used to support Her Majesty’s armed forces in India. The animals discuss their roles in the army, each taking pride in the function they perform. This is followed by “Parade-Song of the Camp Animals” which closes out the book.
This is a good collection of short stories, though there is a definite variability in the quality, and of course they don’t all take place in the jungle. Rudyard Kipling wrote poems, short stories, and novels. Having lived in India, England, and the United States, and also spent a fair amount of time in South Africa. He drew on the rich cultural history that he enjoyed to create some wonderful tales. He remains one of the best known writers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. “The Jungle Book” is one of his best known works, though most know it through films which do not accurately represent the stories within. It blends his short fiction with some of his poems, but I find it a bit too uneven to give it five-stars.(less)
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" What is very surprising is that Salman Rushdie clearly didn't think it would be a problem. I saw a documentary about what occurred, and even with his...moreWhat is very surprising is that Salman Rushdie clearly didn't think it would be a problem. I saw a documentary about what occurred, and even with his friends warnings, he clearly didn't envision the trouble it would cause. I can remember many claims about how he did it to cause controversy and thus sell books, but whether or not that is the case, it works within the story and is not just a gimmick.
The fact is that there is far more in the book that I cannot even pick-up on at this point. For example, when I read the book I had no idea that "Mahound" was a term used by the Christian crusaders to refer to Muhammad, nor that it means "false prophet". The more I come to understand, the more interesting this book becomes.(less)"
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How does one approach reviewing Aeschylus or any of the classics? One is dealing with a work which is thousands of years old and in and of itself a piece of history. Add to that problem that for most of us, there is no choice but to read translatio...moreHow does one approach reviewing Aeschylus or any of the classics? One is dealing with a work which is thousands of years old and in and of itself a piece of history. Add to that problem that for most of us, there is no choice but to read translations of the work, rather than the original. In addition, there are only a few works remaining from only three sources (unless the authorship has been incorrectly given), so one is left to compare Aeschylus, Euripides, and Sophocles, and given that Aeschylus was writing much earlier than the others the comparison would be rather difficult given the changes that Aeschylus made to Greek Theatre. What one can discuss is how readable the translations are, and the supporting material.
Aeschylus I, number 145 in the Loeb Classical Library contains four of Aeschylus’ plays: “Persians”, “Seven Against Thebes”, “Suppliants”, and “Prometheus Bound”. The edition I have read is the 2008 publication which was edited and translated by Alan H. Sommerstein. In the preface, Mr. Sommerstein discusses the state of the Aeschylus volumes prior to this publication and what he attempts to accomplish with this new translation and publication of the plays. This is followed by a superb introduction which discusses Aeschylus, his life, his works, Greek Theatre, and what happened to the plays in history to bring them to the point they are now at. This is followed by the standard Bibliography, Sigla, and Abbreviations which one expects from a Loeb edition, and that brings us to the plays themselves.
Each of the plays is preceded by a section detailing the specifics of the play. When it was believed to be first performed, whether it won the Dionysia competition, what parts of the play may be suspect, what is believed to be the other plays in the production and what is known about those plays. The footnotes in the translations of the plays themselves are also quite extensive, as information about the decisions made in the translation are covered as well as more information to better help understand any unspoken meanings that Aeschylus may have been trying to convey. The translations themselves are excellent. I have read a few translations of some of these plays, and Mr. Sommerstein has done an outstanding job of helping the reader understand the play.
“Persians” opens with the council of Susa (i.e. the chorus) unsure of the fate of their army and concerned because so many men went to war so far away. They are joined by the Queen Mother, Atossa who is also concerned, because of a dream she had. News of the disaster arrives by messenger, and all are distraught. Atossa asks the chorus to summon the ghost of Darius, who at first is completely unaware of what has occurred, and then curses the hubris of his son Xerxes who led his vast army to this disaster, and then prophesizes the defeat at Plataea. Eventually Xerxes himself arrives in rags and laments the defeat and what it means to Persia.
“Seven Against Thebes” begins after Thebes has been under siege for a time, and on a day when it has been prophesized (by Teiresias) that the city will be assaulted on that very day. A scout arrives and gives Eteocles a description of what has happened outside the city and then leaves to gather more information. Eteocles comments on what he has been told and leaves to oversee the defenses. The Theben maidens arrive (i.e. The Chorus) and describe the fear and terror felt inside the city. Eteocles returns and tries to shame the women into being silent and thus not spread any more fear, they agree and Eteocles once again leaves to inspect the defenses. The Chorus continues to comment until the scout returns and Eteocles rushes back to talk to him. The scout describes each of the seven captains who are assaulting the seven gates, finishing with Polyneices Eteocles discusses how each will be dealt with, and when he learns that is brother is at the seventh gate, he decides to go there to face his brother himself. The Chorus is left alone as both the scout and Eteocles have left the stage. The scout returns and we learn that Eteocles and Polyneices have killed each other. The ending is a bit uncertain as it appears that Atigone and Ismene were added to the play for a later production. However, there is a dispute over what to do with the bodies of the two brothers.
“Suppliants” is about the Danaids who are fleeing a forced marriage and make a plea to King Pelasgus of Argos to protect them. He lets the Argive people make the decision, which is to help the Danaids. An Egyptian herald arrives to try to force the Danaids to return for the marriage, but King Pelasgus threatens the herald and pushes the Danaids to go within the walls of Argos for protection. For me, this was the most difficult play to follow, there was not much in the way of action, and significant sections of it are missing or were added in which makes it all the more difficult.
“Prometheus Bound” is the last of the plays in this volume, and along with “Persians” is the most enjoyable one to read. Some question whether Aeschylus actually wrote the play, but regardless it is an interesting one. The play opens with Prometheus being escorted to the wrong to which he will be bound by Power (Kratos), Violence (Bia), and Hephaestus, the smith. Violence never utters a word, nor does Prometheus himself during this initial period, but Power mocks Prometheus and Hephaestus is empathetic to Prometheus’s position. Power pushes Hephaestus until the job is done, and then the three leave Prometheus alone. For the remainder of the play Prometheus is chained to the rock, lamenting his position, and talking to those who come to see him, such as the daughters of Oceanus (Chorus), Oceanus, Io, and at the end Hermes. The play pits the tyranny of Zeus against Prometheus and his (Prometheus’s) love for man.
This is an excellent edition of the Loeb library, and the new translations of Aeschylus are quite good. One could argue that any edition of classic works deserves five stars, but in this case it is really earned.(less)
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Jules Verne is often viewed as one of the creators of the genre of Science Fiction, but there is another French author who is mistakenly overlooked for his contributions. Albert Robida produced the incredible “Le Vingtième Siecle” (“The Twentieth Ce...moreJules Verne is often viewed as one of the creators of the genre of Science Fiction, but there is another French author who is mistakenly overlooked for his contributions. Albert Robida produced the incredible “Le Vingtième Siecle” (“The Twentieth Century”) which was published in 1883. Robida’s future is full of wonderful inventions and predictions, some of which are very accurate (tourism, pollution, etc.) and some of which were nowhere near the mark. Also included are Robida’s illustrations, and Robida is, perhaps, the first SF artist. Regardless, Robida’s imagination is a good partner for Verne’s Voyages Extrodinaires which Verne attempted to keep well grounded in what was definitely possible.
This edition of “The Twentieth Century” by Albert Robida from Wesleyan University Press is the First English Edition of the book, and as far as I am concerned is the best of their “Early Classics of Science Fiction” series thus far. The eleventh book in this excellent series brings together an exciting and interesting work which has never had an English Translation before with a superb introduction and supporting documentation that make this a real five-star effort. I have loved this series from the start, so it was certainly not a given that this would be the best of the first eleven books in the series.
“The Twentieth Century” opens in the year 1952 and is focused on Hélène Colobry, the niece of banker Raphael Ponto. The story follows Hélène’s search for what she wants to do, with her uncle pushing her in different directions. Not surprisingly, a key factor in the story is the environment, and Robida envisions some wondrous technology and some massive political and societal changes in the seventy years between when he wrote the work and when it takes place.
Among the predictions which amaze are: the world becoming media saturated, with news and entertainment merging and advertisements dominating broadcasts. He was a bit early in his prediction, but it is continuing to become more and more accurate. The tunnel under the British Channel is a very specific prediction which also came true later. Telecommunications are another prediction, though not as bold since the Telephone was in existence at the time, just nowhere near as predominate as Robida makes it, and Robida does predict the merging and homogenizing of cultures, as well as the dominance of multinational corporations.
Predictions that have yet to come true are the total equality of women in the workplace, and of course Robida’s political predictions are very far out there, with the Chinese taking half the U.S., and Germany the other half, with a Mormon state squeezed between the two. He also has Italy turning into an amusement park, and other large changes as well. Oddly enough he does predict the Chinese civil war, but given the rest of his predictions are so far off it is difficult to give him much credit for that. Nevertheless, his attempts are an early example of including politics in an SF novel.
All in all, this is a wonderful example of early science fiction, from an author who is largely unknown to those who do not read French. Philippe Willems contributes an excellent introduction as well as a superb translation. One can only hope that Wesleyan uses the same team to provide an English translation of “La Guerre au Vingtième Siècle” (1887) and “Le Vingtième Siècle. La Vie Électrique” (1890) which would add tremendously to both the series as well as the awareness of Robida’s works. No doubt about this book, it is definitely a five-star effort.(less)
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“The Satanic Verses” is a novel which has been overshadowed by its history. Published in late September of 1988, it was on February 14th in 1989 that a fatwa was issued by the Ayatollah Khomeini against the author Salman Rushdie (Happy Valentine’s D...more“The Satanic Verses” is a novel which has been overshadowed by its history. Published in late September of 1988, it was on February 14th in 1989 that a fatwa was issued by the Ayatollah Khomeini against the author Salman Rushdie (Happy Valentine’s Day, Salman). The claim was that the book was very insulting to Muslims, and the controversy itself caused many who had never read the book to issue strong opinions about it. It also had the effect of getting many to buy it that otherwise would not have, and stop people from buying and reading it who otherwise might have. I’m sad to admit that I fall into the latter category, having allowed the controversy to steer me away not only from “The Satanic Verses”, but from all of Salman Rushdie’s works. The loss has been mine.
A story dealing with immigration into a different culture, and the loss of faith, the sections which caused the controversy are the dream sequences of a man who believes he is an angel, and even in the sequence which most applies to the prophet then the names are altered, though clearly Mahound is intended to be a representation of the prophet Muhammad, it is a representation which takes place in the dream of a delusional character. So ultimately, the controversy is about a piece of fiction which includes dreams from an unbalanced mind, and that is pretty much all that needs to be said regarding the supposed blasphemy, and of course free speech still allows one to write what one will, so even if it were blasphemy the violent response to it has been nothing short of obscene.
I found “The Satanic Verses” a difficult read as I struggled with some of his terms, and the narrative structure. It is a very complex storyline, and though I suspect I only picked up on a small part of the totality of what Rushdie included, it was well worth the effort, and this is a book which I will be re-reading in a few years to see what I missed the first time through. I also will be correcting my mistake of not reading any of Rushdie’s other works as I see no reason to deprive myself of such great works simply because others found offense.
The book is comic, with biting commentary not only on religion, but on politics and the secular and capitalistic west. The story is about two Indian actors that are miraculously saved after their plane is blown up by terrorists. One (Gibreel) comes to believe he is an angel), and the other (Saladin) transforms into a devil. The title itself does refer to a controversy early story from the early days of Islam. The story is about the devil tricking Muhammad into indicating that the worship of three pagan goddesses was allowed, but later learning from Gabriel that the devil had tricked him with a false recitation, i.e. a Satanic Verse.(less)
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“Plutarch – His Life, His Parallel Lives, and His Morals” is a collection of five lectures given by Richard Chenevix Trench, the Archbishop of Dublin. Originally published in 1873 as a collection of four lectures, this second edition improves on tha...more“Plutarch – His Life, His Parallel Lives, and His Morals” is a collection of five lectures given by Richard Chenevix Trench, the Archbishop of Dublin. Originally published in 1873 as a collection of four lectures, this second edition improves on that with an additional lecture on Plutarch’s Lives added to the original four. The lectures include one on Plutarch himself, a pair on his “Lives”, and then another pair of lectures on his “Morals”.
There is certainly value in all these lectures, but they also suffer from the bias of the author. It is interesting to note that the Archbishop several times discusses Christianity and Plutarch, in particular in the discussion of “Morals” while Plutarch himself never mentioned Christianity at all. Archbishop Trench seems to feel the need to try to make Plutarch an honorary Christian in his presentation.
If one filters out the Christianity discussion, there is some good material here. The lectures and the book as a whole is a fairly quick read, and it provides some insight into Plutarch as well as Plutarch’s two very significant collections of works. I am not suggesting that one should not read this book due to the author’s bias, but read it with an understanding of the position of the author. The fact is that for most of the content of these lectures the religious bias of the author is not a factor, and even where it comes into play it doesn’t mean that the author’s information is invalid.(less)
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As with the previous books in the series, “The Son of Tarzan” by Edgar Rice Burroughs is an improvement over the installments which came before. Originally published as a 6-part serial between December 4th, 1915 and January 8th, 1916, “The Son of Ta...moreAs with the previous books in the series, “The Son of Tarzan” by Edgar Rice Burroughs is an improvement over the installments which came before. Originally published as a 6-part serial between December 4th, 1915 and January 8th, 1916, “The Son of Tarzan” introduces Tarzan’s son Jack (a.k.a. Korak) as a major character, as well as his wife Meriem.
The improvements are obvious over the earlier books, the plot is less transparent and more involved, and the dangers facing our heroes are a wider variety and thus there is much less repetition in the story. The weaknesses are still significant though as the unbelievable coincidences still occur much too often, and when Jack disappears the reaction of Tarzan and Jane is absent, and thus the reunion later on lacks any kind of feeling as the reader never is made aware of any steps made by the parents to find their son.
Burroughs for once doesn’t use a single main villain throughout the story, and this is another significant improvement in the story. Instead Alexis Paulvitch starts as the foil, but he is out of the story relatively early as many other factors come into play, which lead the story in the direction it takes, and the characters one faces are not quite as two-dimensional as they are in the previous books in the series, though they still are not fully-defined.
Despite its problems, the Tarzan series remains an entertaining one, especially those who enjoy action and adventure. “The Son of Tarzan” in my opinion is the best in the series up to this point, though it does create some problems later with the timeline of other stories, and I would also say that the Barsoom series after its first four novels was the better of the two series. Clearly, though, Tarzan triumphs as far as history is concerned, as he is an iconic figure in fiction while John Carter is remembered only by Burroughs’ fans.(less)
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Edgar Allan Poe is one of the most interesting and intriguing authors of the 19th century. A poet, and master of the short story, he is credited with creating the detective story, and of course his gothic horror stories are well known. The collecti...moreEdgar Allan Poe is one of the most interesting and intriguing authors of the 19th century. A poet, and master of the short story, he is credited with creating the detective story, and of course his gothic horror stories are well known. The collection “The Science Fiction of Edgar Allan Poe” demonstrates that Poe also influenced the development of the genre of Science Fiction. There are 15 works of short fiction, along with the incredible essay/poem “Eureka”. These stories are arranged in chronological order of when they were published.
While these are not typical of stories that one usually considers Science Fiction, for example the first story in the book “MS. Found in a Bottle” is a sea tale which probably would be considered more horror than science fiction, the narrator finds himself aboard the legendary Flying Dutchman, and hints at the idea of a Hollow Earth, but other stories which deal with mesmerism, and life-force, and even a trip to the moon, certainly include elements of science fiction.
For myself, the most interesting and amazing work in this collection is “Eureka”, which isn’t fiction at all, but rather an essay or prose poem containing Poe’s thoughts on science and the nature of things. Though there are certainly many incorrect thoughts contained in the work, he did anticipate the theory of the Big Bang, and the existence of entities like black holes. That being said, one cannot call it a scholarly work, but rather one of inspiration on the part of the author. It is certainly interesting choice, and a good one as well, that this work is included in a collection dedicated to Poe’s works which contain science fiction elements
There are too many works contained in this volume to go over each one, but some of my favorites include “A Tale of The Ragged Mountains”, “Some Words with a Mummy”, “Melonta Tauta”, and “Von Kempelen and His Discovery”. I wouldn’t consider any of the works included to be poor, and the supporting documentation included with the Penguin Classics edition helps the reader to understand Poe, the stories, and the circumstances under which they were published. Overall, I am rounding this work up to 5-stars, even if not all of the stories contained merit a rating that high.(less)
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