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The Airs of Earth
Contents :A Kind of Artistry (1962)How to Be a Soldier (1963)Basis for Negotiation (1962)Shards (1962)"O Moon of My Delight!" (1961)The International Smile (1963)The Game of God (1963)Old Hundredth (1960)
230 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1963
1 person is currently reading
84 people want to read
About the author
Brian W. Aldiss
833 books674 followersPseudonyms: Jael Cracken, Peter Pica, John Runciman, C.C. Shackleton, Arch Mendicant, & "Doc" Peristyle.
Brian Wilson Aldiss was one of the most important voices in science fiction writing today. He wrote his first novel while working as a bookseller in Oxford. Shortly afterwards he wrote his first work of science fiction and soon gained international recognition. Adored for his innovative literary techniques, evocative plots and irresistible characters, he became a Grand Master of Science Fiction in 1999.
Brian Aldiss died on August 19, 2017, just after celebrating his 92nd birthday with his family and closest friends.
Brian W. Aldiss Group on Good Reads
Brian Wilson Aldiss was one of the most important voices in science fiction writing today. He wrote his first novel while working as a bookseller in Oxford. Shortly afterwards he wrote his first work of science fiction and soon gained international recognition. Adored for his innovative literary techniques, evocative plots and irresistible characters, he became a Grand Master of Science Fiction in 1999.
Brian Aldiss died on August 19, 2017, just after celebrating his 92nd birthday with his family and closest friends.
Brian W. Aldiss Group on Good Reads
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
April 18, 2019
Going in reading order first one what stood out for me was, well, the first one - A Kind of Artistry. On surface it is a story about one Derek Ende who comes off as almost your typical pulp era space opera protagonist who can do no wrong and is extremely competent, but that's honestly just a facade for the story where he undertakes a mission to “make liaison” with an alien on behalf of the government. Real theme is the protagonist's underlying relationship with his mistress and her possessive/not really/kinda attitude towards him as well as inherent desire to be free yet wanting to be bound. It's hard to put into words without spoiling, so let's just say she's not merely his mistress and that complicates things. Next one would definitely be O Moon of My Delight! from which the cover I've posted comes from and is honestly kinda simple when you get to it considering it mainly deals with a tech engineer posted to a Tandy Two where Flange system exists aka method to slow down ships coming out of FTL. Explaining reasons and logic behind I won't go into, because that's precisely what our lead does to get the point across to a very sharp little girl, as they're all departing and taking the next ship off-world. It involves romance, sheep herders with malfunctioning robot dogs, and a tragedy waiting to happen no matter where in universe you may be.
Penultimate story I would give attention to would probably be The Game of God with its straightforward twist if that makes any sense. Opening to a god accepting two sacrificial bowls full of freshly extracted guts and hating his followers to it we switch perspective to a team of scientists landing on planet Kakakakaxo where they're seeing a legendary figure Dangerfield who landed there 19 years ago and survived, being the only human to have done so. What's the story behind the primitive reptilian natives and their two slave races? That and more if you read in what is probably the most typical story in the collection, in my opinion. I would end summary with, fittingly enough, final story - Old Hundredth. Problem is I have no idea how to go about it. It is a far future story where humanity seems to have disappeared and Venus now orbits our planet. What replaced humanity are the Impures, or should I say intelligent creatures apparently engineered by old humanity on Venus at some point. Dandi is one of those as our protagonist, a mega sloth of sort, and she wanders the planet while maintaining a mental link with her Mentor. Did I mention Mentor is a intelligent dolphin in an underground tank? Her trade/art is exploring the musical resonance psyche leaves on death. And then something happens to her that changes things, but it's getting into the idea of "musicolumns" where story spends the most time on alongside occasional hints about history now gone which may be fitting considering this is the most out there story of the bunch.
I was planning to also break down my least favorite stories, but this has already dragged out long enough for what was supposed to be short so I'll skip that. Let's just say tat enjoy half of the books is a good deal with an anthology and I didn't actively dislike any stories. Some were very obvious, like the military or smiling drug one, but for the most past I enjoyed The Airs of Earth. Your mileage may obviously vary.
Penultimate story I would give attention to would probably be The Game of God with its straightforward twist if that makes any sense. Opening to a god accepting two sacrificial bowls full of freshly extracted guts and hating his followers to it we switch perspective to a team of scientists landing on planet Kakakakaxo where they're seeing a legendary figure Dangerfield who landed there 19 years ago and survived, being the only human to have done so. What's the story behind the primitive reptilian natives and their two slave races? That and more if you read in what is probably the most typical story in the collection, in my opinion. I would end summary with, fittingly enough, final story - Old Hundredth. Problem is I have no idea how to go about it. It is a far future story where humanity seems to have disappeared and Venus now orbits our planet. What replaced humanity are the Impures, or should I say intelligent creatures apparently engineered by old humanity on Venus at some point. Dandi is one of those as our protagonist, a mega sloth of sort, and she wanders the planet while maintaining a mental link with her Mentor. Did I mention Mentor is a intelligent dolphin in an underground tank? Her trade/art is exploring the musical resonance psyche leaves on death. And then something happens to her that changes things, but it's getting into the idea of "musicolumns" where story spends the most time on alongside occasional hints about history now gone which may be fitting considering this is the most out there story of the bunch.
I was planning to also break down my least favorite stories, but this has already dragged out long enough for what was supposed to be short so I'll skip that. Let's just say tat enjoy half of the books is a good deal with an anthology and I didn't actively dislike any stories. Some were very obvious, like the military or smiling drug one, but for the most past I enjoyed The Airs of Earth. Your mileage may obviously vary.
June 19, 2013
En otra serie de relatos, "Galaxias como Granos de Arena", una historia del futuro, Aldiss describe la evolución del hombre y de la galaxia en tiempos cada vez más lejanos. En este libro, "Cuando la Tierra Esté Muerta", Brian Aldiss describe sociedades contemporáneas, todas originadas en la casi olvidada Tierra -ahora sólo un planeta muerto y cremado- pero tan diferentes entre ellas que podrían tratarse de especies diferentes. Los cuentos muestran una gran imaginación para describir realidades alternativas estructuralmente diferenciadas y el estilo es más rebuscado y sofisticado de lo que es habitual en la CF. A pesar de estos innegables méritos, los cuentos no impactan como uno esperaría. Quizá se ve mucho el esfuerzo consciente de crear múltiples opuestos. Quizá uno reconoce realidades actuales muy terrestres como base de varios cuentos, lo que menoscaba el esfuerzo creador posterior. De todos modos, es una lectura interesante.
June 23, 2011
At least three of the stories in this collection are excellent. O Moon Of My Delight, on which the cover illustration is based, is a poetic flight of fancy set on a world that has been converted into a kind of spaceport for faster-than-light ships. The planet is divided into two hemispheres: one is like Earth, and the other is a sterile vacuum like the Moon. In between, girdling the equator, is the landing strip. Every time a starship comes in, the shock jerks the whole planet around so that day abruptly turns into night, or vice versa. The narrator becomes fond of a little girl he gets to know, but her passion is for the ships.
I wonder what the images mean? They're very memorable, anyway.
I wonder what the images mean? They're very memorable, anyway.
September 3, 2025
For the most part, and for Aldiss, I would consider this a relatively average collection of short stories. They are widely varied in setting and -for the most part, as Aldiss does tend to give way to the downright silly on occasion- tone.
"A Kind of Artistry" would have been better at greater length, as it contains quite a few ideas but seems to focus mainly on a cuckolded son/ lover against a vast galactic background.
"How To Be A Solider" is a tale of future war with a distinctly British feel (Tommies and all).
"Basis For Negotiation" concerns the world on the brink of nuclear annihilation... but Britain declares itself neutral. Dwells more on class and educational differences than anything else, with an almost pure deus ex machina ending.
"Shards" is short, punchy, and concerns the viewpoints of two fish with half a human brain each.
"'Oh Moon of My delight'" was probably my second favourite story, telling of an FTL starship breaking planet and the folk herding sheep upon it.
"The International Smile" sees the world on the brink again, with more Upper Class Twits and a drug that leaves everybody seeing the joke... which just isn't particularly funny.
"The Game of God" is one of those colonialist The Natives Aren't As Stupid As They Seem things, entertaining but perhaps a bit too fluffy.
"Old Hundreth" is my favourite entry here, by quite a bit. A far future Earth, long since departed by humanity, and now populated by the boosted creatures left behind. Whimsical, melancholy, more than a bit beautiful.
Overall, then, somewhat dated. But the influence on later writers is plain to be seen. Aldiss was a Door Opener.
"A Kind of Artistry" would have been better at greater length, as it contains quite a few ideas but seems to focus mainly on a cuckolded son/ lover against a vast galactic background.
"How To Be A Solider" is a tale of future war with a distinctly British feel (Tommies and all).
"Basis For Negotiation" concerns the world on the brink of nuclear annihilation... but Britain declares itself neutral. Dwells more on class and educational differences than anything else, with an almost pure deus ex machina ending.
"Shards" is short, punchy, and concerns the viewpoints of two fish with half a human brain each.
"'Oh Moon of My delight'" was probably my second favourite story, telling of an FTL starship breaking planet and the folk herding sheep upon it.
"The International Smile" sees the world on the brink again, with more Upper Class Twits and a drug that leaves everybody seeing the joke... which just isn't particularly funny.
"The Game of God" is one of those colonialist The Natives Aren't As Stupid As They Seem things, entertaining but perhaps a bit too fluffy.
"Old Hundreth" is my favourite entry here, by quite a bit. A far future Earth, long since departed by humanity, and now populated by the boosted creatures left behind. Whimsical, melancholy, more than a bit beautiful.
Overall, then, somewhat dated. But the influence on later writers is plain to be seen. Aldiss was a Door Opener.
September 6, 2022
3 / 5 for 'The Airs Of Earth' by Brian Aldiss
This is a bit of a mixed bag really - a couple of great stories (Old Hundredth, A Kind Of Artistry) and a couple that were crap (Basis For Negotiation, International Smile) and the rest were just ok. Aldiss writes like a university lecturer, trying to cram every word he can think of, and often makes up his own nonsensical words - this is fine in sci-fi terms, but none of the words are ever really explained.
Some of the stories were written in a high melodrama style, with very 1950s style exclaimed dialogue, whilst others were written with a wry humorous touch. Aldiss's sci-fi, to be fair, really does run the gamut, ranging from near-future politics/world wars, all the way to insane far-future oddities and enjoyably weird alien beings/customs.
It's a shame his writing style didn't quite click with me, as the bare bones of the stories themselves were quite varied and interesting. It's just, for me, Aldiss's execution falls a little flat. You can't judge an author by just one short story collection, though, so I've ordered one of his novels to try too. Perhaps I might enjoy the novel more.
Overall, a couple of great stories, a couple of poop stories and a handful of OK stories.
Hence, 3 / 5.
This is a bit of a mixed bag really - a couple of great stories (Old Hundredth, A Kind Of Artistry) and a couple that were crap (Basis For Negotiation, International Smile) and the rest were just ok. Aldiss writes like a university lecturer, trying to cram every word he can think of, and often makes up his own nonsensical words - this is fine in sci-fi terms, but none of the words are ever really explained.
Some of the stories were written in a high melodrama style, with very 1950s style exclaimed dialogue, whilst others were written with a wry humorous touch. Aldiss's sci-fi, to be fair, really does run the gamut, ranging from near-future politics/world wars, all the way to insane far-future oddities and enjoyably weird alien beings/customs.
It's a shame his writing style didn't quite click with me, as the bare bones of the stories themselves were quite varied and interesting. It's just, for me, Aldiss's execution falls a little flat. You can't judge an author by just one short story collection, though, so I've ordered one of his novels to try too. Perhaps I might enjoy the novel more.
Overall, a couple of great stories, a couple of poop stories and a handful of OK stories.
Hence, 3 / 5.
July 28, 2025
The Airs of Earth is a 1963 collection of eight short stories by Brian Aldiss. My NEL copy boasts a cover by the legendary artist Bruce Pennington, and depicts a scene from one of the stories, O Moon of My Delight. It is an interesting collection, but suffers, I feel, from wordiness and a lack of feeling, or warmth. Some stories work well, others just confused me, and have not dated well, appearing sexist and old-fashioned now. The stories, briefly are:
1) A Kind of Artistry. Derek Flamifew Ende is sent to the Veil Nebula to find a creature called The Cliff. Leaving his unhappy wife behind, he discovers a new yearning for change and transformation.
2) How to be a Soldier. A soldier meets a beautiful woman before an important battle, an encounter that imbues him with a new hope for the future. Drugged into a super-soldier state, he fights with every ounce of his abilities. After the battle, a surprise awaits him.
3) Basis for Negotiation. War breaks out between the US and China. The UK stays controversially neutral. As weapons of mass destruction are deployed, a power struggle within the British echelons plays out, whilst the US reveals a surprising secret.
4) Shards. Two soldiers are transformed into hybrid aquatic creatures in order to spy on an alien species infiltrating the planet.
5) O Moon of My Delight. Settlers farm sheep on the planet Tandy2, as a faster than light travel space port provides a backdrop for infidelity and tragedy.
6) The International Smile. In which the drug polyannamine is discovered, a drug that makes anyone, even politicians, happy. A political crisis erupts between the most powerful nations, but soon people are laughing, uncontrollably.
7) The Game of God. Three astronauts arrive on a planet seeking a legendary hermit marooned twenty years ago. They encounter a species of alligator-like creatures who worship the hermit as a god. But there's a deeper mystery at work involving another species, threatened by the dominant ones.
8) Old Hundredth. A sloth-like creature called Dandi, approaching the end of her life, explores a distant future earth while connected telepathically to her mentor. She is looking for a final adventure and a song to commemorate herself.
1) A Kind of Artistry. Derek Flamifew Ende is sent to the Veil Nebula to find a creature called The Cliff. Leaving his unhappy wife behind, he discovers a new yearning for change and transformation.
2) How to be a Soldier. A soldier meets a beautiful woman before an important battle, an encounter that imbues him with a new hope for the future. Drugged into a super-soldier state, he fights with every ounce of his abilities. After the battle, a surprise awaits him.
3) Basis for Negotiation. War breaks out between the US and China. The UK stays controversially neutral. As weapons of mass destruction are deployed, a power struggle within the British echelons plays out, whilst the US reveals a surprising secret.
4) Shards. Two soldiers are transformed into hybrid aquatic creatures in order to spy on an alien species infiltrating the planet.
5) O Moon of My Delight. Settlers farm sheep on the planet Tandy2, as a faster than light travel space port provides a backdrop for infidelity and tragedy.
6) The International Smile. In which the drug polyannamine is discovered, a drug that makes anyone, even politicians, happy. A political crisis erupts between the most powerful nations, but soon people are laughing, uncontrollably.
7) The Game of God. Three astronauts arrive on a planet seeking a legendary hermit marooned twenty years ago. They encounter a species of alligator-like creatures who worship the hermit as a god. But there's a deeper mystery at work involving another species, threatened by the dominant ones.
8) Old Hundredth. A sloth-like creature called Dandi, approaching the end of her life, explores a distant future earth while connected telepathically to her mentor. She is looking for a final adventure and a song to commemorate herself.
September 23, 2024
A book I have had in my possession for at least 30 years and only now do I finally get round to reading it. This is not an untypical situation for me. Some books on my to-be-read pile wait a lot longer than others, but there doesn't seem to be any special reason why this should be so. It seems to be random.
I love Aldiss and regard him as one of the best writers of any kind in the contemporary world. His short stories are particularly rich and rewarding. I can't say that I enjoyed this collection quite as much as (for example) The Canopy of Time or The Moment of Eclipse but it is still good, very good in fact, and surely superior to most other "science fiction" of the time (the book was published in 1963)
There are eight stories in total in this volume. The two best pieces are the first and last, 'A Kind of Artistry' and 'Old Hundredth', both of them superb, highly original, brilliantly written and genuinely strange. Aldiss is at his best when he allows himself to be more 'literary' and lyrical. The imagery of both stories is remarkable and is embedded in language that is exquisite and highly controlled. Both stories have a slightly melancholic air about them, partly because of their themes and partly because of the style of the prose, and yet Aldiss is a fairly exuberant author in many ways. I find it hard to rationalize this contradiction.
Of the other stories, 'Basis for Negotiation' and 'The International Smile' are political satires that are now dated but still witty. 'How to be a Soldier' and 'Shards' are examples of fairly plausible military SF (but not gung ho in any way). 'O Moon of my Delight' and 'The Game of God' are interstellar (or intergalactic) adventures with strong psychological as well as visceral elements. The latter story is actually a novelette and probably was extremely advanced by normal SF standards when it was first published, but now it seems just a little creaky.
To reiterate, there are two enormously magical stories in this collection, and 'Old Hundredth' must be ranked as one of Aldiss' best stories. It is an absolute gem.
I love Aldiss and regard him as one of the best writers of any kind in the contemporary world. His short stories are particularly rich and rewarding. I can't say that I enjoyed this collection quite as much as (for example) The Canopy of Time or The Moment of Eclipse but it is still good, very good in fact, and surely superior to most other "science fiction" of the time (the book was published in 1963)
There are eight stories in total in this volume. The two best pieces are the first and last, 'A Kind of Artistry' and 'Old Hundredth', both of them superb, highly original, brilliantly written and genuinely strange. Aldiss is at his best when he allows himself to be more 'literary' and lyrical. The imagery of both stories is remarkable and is embedded in language that is exquisite and highly controlled. Both stories have a slightly melancholic air about them, partly because of their themes and partly because of the style of the prose, and yet Aldiss is a fairly exuberant author in many ways. I find it hard to rationalize this contradiction.
Of the other stories, 'Basis for Negotiation' and 'The International Smile' are political satires that are now dated but still witty. 'How to be a Soldier' and 'Shards' are examples of fairly plausible military SF (but not gung ho in any way). 'O Moon of my Delight' and 'The Game of God' are interstellar (or intergalactic) adventures with strong psychological as well as visceral elements. The latter story is actually a novelette and probably was extremely advanced by normal SF standards when it was first published, but now it seems just a little creaky.
To reiterate, there are two enormously magical stories in this collection, and 'Old Hundredth' must be ranked as one of Aldiss' best stories. It is an absolute gem.
December 31, 2013
This collection of short stories emerged as part of the so-called New Wave of science fiction of the '60s and '70s, bringing experimentalism, characterisation and 'literature' to the genre. I've never got on that well with New Wave SF, primarily because the experimentalism is often too much for me. I have no doubt that there's good stuff here, but it often seems like it requires quite a lot of effort, and multiple readings, to appreciate.
In this collection, Shards is the worst for this, while A Kind of Artistry and O Moon of my Delight try to explore character in diverse circumstances. There are a couple of political stories, Basis for Negotiation telling of British neutrality in a third world war and The International Smile being a, from one perspective, somewhat light-hearted story of political chicanery (although from another perspective, it's a grim story of political Realpolitik and the lengths that some will go to for power, and a warning as to what could go wrong).
I'm sure fans of the New Wave will enjoy this a lot, and even for someone like me, who prefers the derring-do of golden age SF to the New Wave, there are some stories to appreciate and enjoy.
In this collection, Shards is the worst for this, while A Kind of Artistry and O Moon of my Delight try to explore character in diverse circumstances. There are a couple of political stories, Basis for Negotiation telling of British neutrality in a third world war and The International Smile being a, from one perspective, somewhat light-hearted story of political chicanery (although from another perspective, it's a grim story of political Realpolitik and the lengths that some will go to for power, and a warning as to what could go wrong).
I'm sure fans of the New Wave will enjoy this a lot, and even for someone like me, who prefers the derring-do of golden age SF to the New Wave, there are some stories to appreciate and enjoy.
June 23, 2011
read this in the early 70s (I was going through a very short sci-fi stage at the time) and it has still stuck with me: imaginative stories. I was reminded of it recently when watching 'Brothers of the Head', a fabulous mockumentary about a punk band fronted by conjoined twins, also written by Aldiss.
February 29, 2012
A Kind of Artistry
How to be a Soldier
Basis for Negotiation
Shards
'O Moon of My Delight!'
The International Smile
The Game of God
Old Hundredth
A collection of eight short stories by Brian Aldiss. I think that my favourite was Old Hundredth followed by How to be a Soldier and 'O Moon of My Delight!'.
How to be a Soldier
Basis for Negotiation
Shards
'O Moon of My Delight!'
The International Smile
The Game of God
Old Hundredth
A collection of eight short stories by Brian Aldiss. I think that my favourite was Old Hundredth followed by How to be a Soldier and 'O Moon of My Delight!'.
February 19, 2014
Good writer, good collection.
May 24, 2015
Like many short story collections a mixed bag. The role of a post nuclear weapon britain in a global conflict was a favourite
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews