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The Company #7.5
Gods and Pawns: Stories of the Company
These eight stories, reprinted for the first time in this collection, delve further into the history and exploits of the Company.
The book opens with the novella, "To the Land Beyond the Sunset," starring Lewis and Mendoza, and involving a strange tribe in Bolivia whose members claim to be gods. "Standing in His Light" features Van Drouten's role in the career of the artist Jan Vermeer. Other stories include "Welcome to Olympus, Mr. Hearst," which opens up intriguing questions about The Company, and the original novelette, "Hellfire at Twilight," which concludes the volume and tells of Lewis infiltrating the famous Hellfire Club in eighteenth century England.
Gods and Pawns is a compelling read for every Baker fan, and essential for Company addicts.
The book opens with the novella, "To the Land Beyond the Sunset," starring Lewis and Mendoza, and involving a strange tribe in Bolivia whose members claim to be gods. "Standing in His Light" features Van Drouten's role in the career of the artist Jan Vermeer. Other stories include "Welcome to Olympus, Mr. Hearst," which opens up intriguing questions about The Company, and the original novelette, "Hellfire at Twilight," which concludes the volume and tells of Lewis infiltrating the famous Hellfire Club in eighteenth century England.
Gods and Pawns is a compelling read for every Baker fan, and essential for Company addicts.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 23, 2007
About the author
Kage Baker
178 books359 followersBorn June 10, 1952, in Hollywood, California, and grew up there and in Pismo Beach, present home. Spent 12 years in assorted navy blue uniforms obtaining a good parochial school education and numerous emotional scars. Rapier wit developed as defense mechanism to deflect rage of larger and more powerful children who took offense at abrasive, condescending and arrogant personality in a sickly eight-year-old. Family: 2 parents, 6 siblings, 4 nieces, 2 nephews. Husbands: 0. Children: 0.
Prior occupations: graphic artist and mural painter, several lower clerical positions which could in no way be construed as a career, and (over a period of years for the Living History Centre) playwright, bit player, director, teacher of Elizabethan English for the stage, stage manager and educational program assistant coordinator. Presently reengaged in the above-listed capacities for the LHC's triumphant reincarnation, AS YOU LIKE IT PRODUCTIONS.
20 years of total immersion research in Elizabethan as well as other historical periods has paid off handsomely in a working knowledge of period speech and details.
In spare time (ha) reads: any old sea stories by Marryat, the Aubrey-Maturin novels by Patrick O'Brien, the Hornblower books, ANYTHING by Robert Louis Stevenson, Raymond Chandler, Thorne Smith, Herman Melville (except Pierre, or the Ambiguities, which stinks) Somerset Maugham, George MacDonald Frasier.
Now happily settled in beautiful Pismo Beach, Clam Capital of the World, in charming seaside flat which is unfortunately not haunted by ghost of dashing sea captain. Avid gardener, birdwatcher, spinster aunt and Jethro Tull fan.
http://www.sfwa.org/2010/01/rip-kage-...
Prior occupations: graphic artist and mural painter, several lower clerical positions which could in no way be construed as a career, and (over a period of years for the Living History Centre) playwright, bit player, director, teacher of Elizabethan English for the stage, stage manager and educational program assistant coordinator. Presently reengaged in the above-listed capacities for the LHC's triumphant reincarnation, AS YOU LIKE IT PRODUCTIONS.
20 years of total immersion research in Elizabethan as well as other historical periods has paid off handsomely in a working knowledge of period speech and details.
In spare time (ha) reads: any old sea stories by Marryat, the Aubrey-Maturin novels by Patrick O'Brien, the Hornblower books, ANYTHING by Robert Louis Stevenson, Raymond Chandler, Thorne Smith, Herman Melville (except Pierre, or the Ambiguities, which stinks) Somerset Maugham, George MacDonald Frasier.
Now happily settled in beautiful Pismo Beach, Clam Capital of the World, in charming seaside flat which is unfortunately not haunted by ghost of dashing sea captain. Avid gardener, birdwatcher, spinster aunt and Jethro Tull fan.
http://www.sfwa.org/2010/01/rip-kage-...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
February 22, 2015
February 23, 2008
I've enjoyed the Company series enormously,and I quite like these short stories. I still hate the covers.
***
February 8, 2015
What I said.I enjoy the stories some of which are emotionally draining, many of which are just plain funny, but I don't find myself thinking about them afterward.
Library copy
I've enjoyed the Company series enormously,and I quite like these short stories. I still hate the covers.
***
February 8, 2015
What I said.I enjoy the stories some of which are emotionally draining, many of which are just plain funny, but I don't find myself thinking about them afterward.
Library copy
July 11, 2018
Some excellent short stories about the immortal cyborgs seeded through time by the time-travelling company as part of an immense scheme to make immense amounts of money in the future when discoveries and antiquities carefully hidden for hundreds or thousands of years and which can now be sold for a mint. Life ain't easy for an immortal cyborg and there are always difficulties and problems to overcome, to say nothing of the machinations of both the Company masters and of certain powerful immortals who think they'd be better off in charge. Baker writes engagingly, it's easy to become addicted.
January 30, 2012
A collection of short stories set in the universe of Dr. Zeus Inc., also known the Company. There are flashes of Baker's wonderful humor, but most of these are rather sad stories.
My two favorites were:
"Standing in his Light" - Facilitator Van Drouten encourages Johannes Vermeer to create extra paintings for the Company to "discover" in the twenty-fourth century. If you're not very familiar with Vermeer's work, it helps to read this while referencing the Wikipedia page about the 34 paintings that are attributed to him.
"Welcome to Olympus, Mr. Hearst" - Joseph and Lewis visit William Randolph Hearst at his famous ranch in California in 1933. Greta Garbo and Clark Gable are in the background of this one - Kage Baker was fond of Old Hollywood.
The rest are all very readable:
"To the Land Beyond the Sunset" - Lewis spends his vacation with Mendoza in prehistoric Bolivia, investigating the origins of terra preta, or Amazonian dark earth.
"The Catch" - Porfirio tracks down a rogue immortal, a victim of a botched attempt to create a cyborg from a human child snatched in 1951 America.
"The Angel in the Darkness" - Porfirio has spent centuries monitoring his mortal brother's descendents, becoming part of their lives whenever possible and "dying" off when necessary. 1991 Los Angeles is not a particularly high point the family history, and this is largely the story of a middle-aged woman struggling with a bad job, an infirm father and an alcoholic sister.
"A Night on the Barbary Coast" - Mendoza and Joseph (I like it when these two get together) make a trip to 1850 San Francisco to find the source of a valuable lichen.
"Hellfire at Twilight" - Lewis attempts to retrieve an ancient document from the aging Sir Francis Dashwood of the infamous Hellfire Club.
My two favorites were:
"Standing in his Light" - Facilitator Van Drouten encourages Johannes Vermeer to create extra paintings for the Company to "discover" in the twenty-fourth century. If you're not very familiar with Vermeer's work, it helps to read this while referencing the Wikipedia page about the 34 paintings that are attributed to him.
"Welcome to Olympus, Mr. Hearst" - Joseph and Lewis visit William Randolph Hearst at his famous ranch in California in 1933. Greta Garbo and Clark Gable are in the background of this one - Kage Baker was fond of Old Hollywood.
The rest are all very readable:
"To the Land Beyond the Sunset" - Lewis spends his vacation with Mendoza in prehistoric Bolivia, investigating the origins of terra preta, or Amazonian dark earth.
"The Catch" - Porfirio tracks down a rogue immortal, a victim of a botched attempt to create a cyborg from a human child snatched in 1951 America.
"The Angel in the Darkness" - Porfirio has spent centuries monitoring his mortal brother's descendents, becoming part of their lives whenever possible and "dying" off when necessary. 1991 Los Angeles is not a particularly high point the family history, and this is largely the story of a middle-aged woman struggling with a bad job, an infirm father and an alcoholic sister.
"A Night on the Barbary Coast" - Mendoza and Joseph (I like it when these two get together) make a trip to 1850 San Francisco to find the source of a valuable lichen.
"Hellfire at Twilight" - Lewis attempts to retrieve an ancient document from the aging Sir Francis Dashwood of the infamous Hellfire Club.
July 6, 2012
I had actually read this once before; I can't be sure about the dates. I wanted to re-read the Porfirio story. (He appeared in Mendoza in Hollywood and The Graveyard Game. I suppose it may not be her best short story ever, but to me it's interesting.
I'm also fond of "Standing in His Light," which features the rarely seen facilitator Van Drouten in a behind-the-scenes-of-history role. "Hellfire at Twilight" is okay, and "A Night on the Barbary Coast" is a mildly amusing Joseph and Mendoza story. "Welcome to Olympus, Mr. Hearst" is ... all right. I'd have to go back and read the later books in the series to be sure (and I don't really want to), but I think it may slightly contradict the canon.
I'm also fond of "Standing in His Light," which features the rarely seen facilitator Van Drouten in a behind-the-scenes-of-history role. "Hellfire at Twilight" is okay, and "A Night on the Barbary Coast" is a mildly amusing Joseph and Mendoza story. "Welcome to Olympus, Mr. Hearst" is ... all right. I'd have to go back and read the later books in the series to be sure (and I don't really want to), but I think it may slightly contradict the canon.
August 18, 2021
So I’m coming into this from a weird place. I haven’t read any of the books from the series these stories come from (that will likely change at some point.) With that being said, I loved coming in from that perspective. I had to learn the rules piecemeal. I had to use my brain to connect vague hints and plot points I would have known otherwise. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience here and I would recommend anyone to spend time with these stories.
My favorite story of the bunch was definitely Welcome to Olympus, Mr. Hearst. It had so much wrapped in one story: mystery, comedy, intrigue, romance, and more.
Shout outs to To the Land Beyond the Sunset as well as The Catch for being fantastic short stories, too.
There wasn’t one dark spot in this book and I hope to start the series at some point soon.
My favorite story of the bunch was definitely Welcome to Olympus, Mr. Hearst. It had so much wrapped in one story: mystery, comedy, intrigue, romance, and more.
Shout outs to To the Land Beyond the Sunset as well as The Catch for being fantastic short stories, too.
There wasn’t one dark spot in this book and I hope to start the series at some point soon.
February 23, 2017
Comfort re-read 6/11/11. I love this series and am glomming/re-reading it this weekend.
9/1/16 Re-read again, skimming through the stories I hadn't read since last time. I really wish she'd written more about van Drouten (sp?) within the Dr. Zeus saga. I always like her calm competence when she shows up. Kage Baker was so great at short stories. I love them all.
As always, Joseph and Lewis are my favorites.
9/1/16 Re-read again, skimming through the stories I hadn't read since last time. I really wish she'd written more about van Drouten (sp?) within the Dr. Zeus saga. I always like her calm competence when she shows up. Kage Baker was so great at short stories. I love them all.
As always, Joseph and Lewis are my favorites.
May 13, 2018
I am not a fan of short stories, but Kage Baker writes excellent short stories and since these are set in the same world and with some of the same characters as her Company series, it was more like reading episodes that didn’t quite make it into any of the novels. Great vignettes of Joseph, Lewis, and Mendoza.
September 19, 2021
This is such an amazing collection. I loved every story here, but if I had to choose three that really stood out, I'd go with "The Catch", "A Night on the Barbary Coast" and "Welcome to Olympus, Mr. Hearst". "An Angel in the Darkness" was also good because it gave us a different outsider perspective on characters we've already been introduced to.
I have to say regarding the characters that Lewis really shines through in a lot of the short stories Kage Baker wrote him in. I think he comes across as much more capable and all around more interesting in the shorts than he does in the regular series. Lewis has easily become my favorite character from the Company books. He's usually the immortal that has kept his humanity the most, and he's often portrayed as the underdog amongst the immortals. He often goes above and beyond the call of his profession. Lewis is a Literature Preservation expert, so he likes the comfort of a good library. Getting him out of his comfort zone makes for a good adventure, and it's provides more growth than other characters get.
"To the Land Beyond the Sunset" - this story contains some spoilers for book 1 and takes place between books 1 and 2. There is some valuable shit to be found in South America. No, really! Mendoza and Lewis win a free vacation, but they wind up working. Who hasn't had that unexpectedly happen? Lewis never made the move on Mendoza and shit like this is why. Shit just always comes up for him. I joke, because they literally find the world's most valuable fertilizer. The story delves into themes of slavery and freedom, and contains a neat little riches-to-rags story of a royal family adapting to a new caste situation.
"The Catch" - I was entirely unprepared for The Catch. It's brilliant. It is one of the best entries of the entire series, and it gives a little bit of backstory to how The Company came to be The Company, and details some of their early failures. It's also an incredibly well done tragedy wrapped up in time travel. It was a time travel concept I'd never seen before, and it's a great illustration of science making sacrifices out of people, done in the name of progress. There are people whose pain and suffering only seem to benefit the lucky success stories that come after, and we get to see more Porfirio, which is always welcome.
"An Angel in the Darkness" Taking place in the early 90s, this is one of the few Company stories with a mortal protagonist. Of course, she slowly gets exposed to Company secrets and has to maneuver her way out of the mess she finds herself in. I loved this story because you have a woman who has some common sense and she talks her way out of a situation that she finds herself in calmly. When certain dark ops Company people show up, it reminds me of a mafia story, in the way that they carry themselves, or threaten people, or deal with fuck ups from their underlings. It's a great character piece. Probably the least science fictiony out of all the stories. But it's more about the lengths you go to for family in the framework of the huge conspiracy/secret that The Company represents.
"Standing in His Light" - Van Drouten showcases her talents at talking people into doing things for the Company by becoming the main patron for the one and only Vermeer. This story has a lot in common with the Robert Louis Stevenson story from "Black Projects, White Knights" entitled "The Literary Agent" in terms of how the immortals deal with (and have to put up with) fickle clients in the far future 23rd century.
This story made me appreciate Van Drouten far more. She's one of the most capable figures in the series, and she's good at her job. Her entire approach to life is to encourage and appreciate mortals while still profiting off of them. You can't help but feel for Vermeer's exasperation upon getting requests for still lifes when it's not really his passion.
"A Night on the Barbary Coast" - Facilitator Joseph and Botanist Mendoza head out to San Francisco in the early days of the Gold Rush. I loved the idea of them walking around San Francisco as it was first being planned and built, and the absolutely insane people that populated it even back in the 1850s. This story takes place between books 2 and 3. Mendoza is super irritable, Joseph is always running around with crises piling, and a bear makes a cameo.
"Welcome to Olympus, Mr. Hearst" - Easily my favorite of this particular collection. It's a very strong story, and one of the funniest entries along with "Mother Aegypt" from In the Company of Thieves. William Randolph Heart fits effortlessly into the series. Joseph and Lewis pop in to make history happen as it's supposed to. Drunk celebrities, a charlatan psychic who is more melodramatic than the actors, a mystery to solve, and Hearst Castle! There is nothing not to love here. Joseph gets stressed more than normal and Lewis finally gets laid! Go Lewis!
"Hellfire at Twilight" - Lewis visits a group of secret Cockney accented pagans in 1700s England while trying to find an ancient scroll. I wanted to see more of Drunk Lewis saying things he shouldn't, but that's a small quibble. More minor historical figures being quirky. This particular story could have been stronger. It seems like just a chance to showcase Lewis, which I don't mind.
I have to say regarding the characters that Lewis really shines through in a lot of the short stories Kage Baker wrote him in. I think he comes across as much more capable and all around more interesting in the shorts than he does in the regular series. Lewis has easily become my favorite character from the Company books. He's usually the immortal that has kept his humanity the most, and he's often portrayed as the underdog amongst the immortals. He often goes above and beyond the call of his profession. Lewis is a Literature Preservation expert, so he likes the comfort of a good library. Getting him out of his comfort zone makes for a good adventure, and it's provides more growth than other characters get.
"To the Land Beyond the Sunset" - this story contains some spoilers for book 1 and takes place between books 1 and 2. There is some valuable shit to be found in South America. No, really! Mendoza and Lewis win a free vacation, but they wind up working. Who hasn't had that unexpectedly happen? Lewis never made the move on Mendoza and shit like this is why. Shit just always comes up for him. I joke, because they literally find the world's most valuable fertilizer. The story delves into themes of slavery and freedom, and contains a neat little riches-to-rags story of a royal family adapting to a new caste situation.
"The Catch" - I was entirely unprepared for The Catch. It's brilliant. It is one of the best entries of the entire series, and it gives a little bit of backstory to how The Company came to be The Company, and details some of their early failures. It's also an incredibly well done tragedy wrapped up in time travel. It was a time travel concept I'd never seen before, and it's a great illustration of science making sacrifices out of people, done in the name of progress. There are people whose pain and suffering only seem to benefit the lucky success stories that come after, and we get to see more Porfirio, which is always welcome.
"An Angel in the Darkness" Taking place in the early 90s, this is one of the few Company stories with a mortal protagonist. Of course, she slowly gets exposed to Company secrets and has to maneuver her way out of the mess she finds herself in. I loved this story because you have a woman who has some common sense and she talks her way out of a situation that she finds herself in calmly. When certain dark ops Company people show up, it reminds me of a mafia story, in the way that they carry themselves, or threaten people, or deal with fuck ups from their underlings. It's a great character piece. Probably the least science fictiony out of all the stories. But it's more about the lengths you go to for family in the framework of the huge conspiracy/secret that The Company represents.
"Standing in His Light" - Van Drouten showcases her talents at talking people into doing things for the Company by becoming the main patron for the one and only Vermeer. This story has a lot in common with the Robert Louis Stevenson story from "Black Projects, White Knights" entitled "The Literary Agent" in terms of how the immortals deal with (and have to put up with) fickle clients in the far future 23rd century.
This story made me appreciate Van Drouten far more. She's one of the most capable figures in the series, and she's good at her job. Her entire approach to life is to encourage and appreciate mortals while still profiting off of them. You can't help but feel for Vermeer's exasperation upon getting requests for still lifes when it's not really his passion.
"A Night on the Barbary Coast" - Facilitator Joseph and Botanist Mendoza head out to San Francisco in the early days of the Gold Rush. I loved the idea of them walking around San Francisco as it was first being planned and built, and the absolutely insane people that populated it even back in the 1850s. This story takes place between books 2 and 3. Mendoza is super irritable, Joseph is always running around with crises piling, and a bear makes a cameo.
"Welcome to Olympus, Mr. Hearst" - Easily my favorite of this particular collection. It's a very strong story, and one of the funniest entries along with "Mother Aegypt" from In the Company of Thieves. William Randolph Heart fits effortlessly into the series. Joseph and Lewis pop in to make history happen as it's supposed to. Drunk celebrities, a charlatan psychic who is more melodramatic than the actors, a mystery to solve, and Hearst Castle! There is nothing not to love here. Joseph gets stressed more than normal and Lewis finally gets laid! Go Lewis!
"Hellfire at Twilight" - Lewis visits a group of secret Cockney accented pagans in 1700s England while trying to find an ancient scroll. I wanted to see more of Drunk Lewis saying things he shouldn't, but that's a small quibble. More minor historical figures being quirky. This particular story could have been stronger. It seems like just a chance to showcase Lewis, which I don't mind.
October 4, 2018
REREAD #1: 30 September 2018 - 30 - September 2018 (8/10)
I'm continuing to thoroughly enjoy my reread through The Company series. I rather suspect everything else is on hold at least until I read the last book again.
ORIGINAL READ: 12 July 2007 - 15 July 2007 (9/10)
Gods and Pawns by Kage Baker.
This was another collection of short stories in Baker's Company universe.
I remain impressed by the way Baker has mastered both the short and long fiction forms and can tell a full and satisfying story either way.
I enjoyed all the stories in this volume, although naturally some more than others. I especially enjoyed more Lewis tales as he has very much grown on me as a character. I'm not sure that I can pick a favourite, as each story had things I liked and they were all deftly written.
My least favourite was probably "The Land Beyond the Sunset" in which Lewis and Mendoza go on a field trip and find an apparently lost civilisation. Again, it was well written and engaging, but didn't work for me as well as some of the others.
I liked the 1930's-set "Welcome to Olympus, Mr Hearst", although the future ramifications of the Company's machinations in this case are rather scary. But the story of the house party was delightful, as was the early cameo by Rudolph Valentino.
Another favourite was "Angel in the Darkness" that showed the complications of Porfirio's continued observation of his mortal family from the point of view of one of those family members rather than one of the cyborgs.
Perhaps not a book to come in and read cold, but a lovely addition to the series.
Gods and Pawns
Kage Baker
9/10
[Copied from LibraryThing.]
I'm continuing to thoroughly enjoy my reread through The Company series. I rather suspect everything else is on hold at least until I read the last book again.
ORIGINAL READ: 12 July 2007 - 15 July 2007 (9/10)
Gods and Pawns by Kage Baker.
This was another collection of short stories in Baker's Company universe.
I remain impressed by the way Baker has mastered both the short and long fiction forms and can tell a full and satisfying story either way.
I enjoyed all the stories in this volume, although naturally some more than others. I especially enjoyed more Lewis tales as he has very much grown on me as a character. I'm not sure that I can pick a favourite, as each story had things I liked and they were all deftly written.
My least favourite was probably "The Land Beyond the Sunset" in which Lewis and Mendoza go on a field trip and find an apparently lost civilisation. Again, it was well written and engaging, but didn't work for me as well as some of the others.
I liked the 1930's-set "Welcome to Olympus, Mr Hearst", although the future ramifications of the Company's machinations in this case are rather scary. But the story of the house party was delightful, as was the early cameo by Rudolph Valentino.
Another favourite was "Angel in the Darkness" that showed the complications of Porfirio's continued observation of his mortal family from the point of view of one of those family members rather than one of the cyborgs.
Perhaps not a book to come in and read cold, but a lovely addition to the series.
Gods and Pawns
Kage Baker
9/10
[Copied from LibraryThing.]
July 12, 2025
2nd readthrough - 2.5 stars overall
Favourite Story: Welcome to Olympus, Mr. Hearst
2nd Favourite Story: Hellfire at Twilight
Least Favourite Story: The Catch
I will always be thankful to this book for introducing me to Kage Baker and her Company series. I'm not sure why I originally bought it. Most likely because it was on sale and I liked the cover. All that being said, most of the stories were just OK or felt inconsequential, with a few exceptions.
Four of the stories feature familiar company characters such as Mendoza, Joseph and Lewis. The Catch and The Angel in the Darkness feature a cyborg character named Porfirio, though unfortunately I didn't really care for either of these. Standing in His Light is a short, sad tale about the Company's acquisition of some Vermeer paintings, and Hellfire at Twilight has Lewis trying to get a scroll of the Eleusinian Mysteries from the possession of Sir Francis Dashwood.
My favourite short story was Welcome to Olympus, Mr. Hearst, which features the dynamic duo of Joseph and Lewis visiting publishing tycoon William Randolph Hearst on important Company business. This story felt like it had the most significance in relation to the Company series overall, and as always, Joseph does what Joseph does best - lies and gets the job done.
To The Land Beyond Sunset and A Night on the Barbary Coast were both fine little adventures, but only reinforced the usual dynamics between the characters (Lewis pining after Mendoza, Joseph feeling bad for what he did to Mendoza) without adding much of substance, either for the characters or the series.
Favourite Story: Welcome to Olympus, Mr. Hearst
2nd Favourite Story: Hellfire at Twilight
Least Favourite Story: The Catch
I will always be thankful to this book for introducing me to Kage Baker and her Company series. I'm not sure why I originally bought it. Most likely because it was on sale and I liked the cover. All that being said, most of the stories were just OK or felt inconsequential, with a few exceptions.
Four of the stories feature familiar company characters such as Mendoza, Joseph and Lewis. The Catch and The Angel in the Darkness feature a cyborg character named Porfirio, though unfortunately I didn't really care for either of these. Standing in His Light is a short, sad tale about the Company's acquisition of some Vermeer paintings, and Hellfire at Twilight has Lewis trying to get a scroll of the Eleusinian Mysteries from the possession of Sir Francis Dashwood.
My favourite short story was Welcome to Olympus, Mr. Hearst, which features the dynamic duo of Joseph and Lewis visiting publishing tycoon William Randolph Hearst on important Company business. This story felt like it had the most significance in relation to the Company series overall, and as always, Joseph does what Joseph does best - lies and gets the job done.
To The Land Beyond Sunset and A Night on the Barbary Coast were both fine little adventures, but only reinforced the usual dynamics between the characters (Lewis pining after Mendoza, Joseph feeling bad for what he did to Mendoza) without adding much of substance, either for the characters or the series.
March 3, 2009
I have been utterly absorbed by the Company novels and even got my wife, who normally does not read sci-fi, to leap frog ahead of me in reading the series. That said, I approached with trepidation because the book is a series of short stories that fills out character development and plot lines in the ever-growing, complex fabric of the Company epic. Two other books in the series takes this approach, with somewhat mixed results. Boy was I pleasantly surprised to find this one of my favorite company books. Baker peeks into scenes across time of our favorite side characters from previous stories, such as Lewis and Porforio, and lovingly explores their flaws and virtues. By drawing us in with these affectionate portraits, she engaged me more successfully than the other novels in the moral ambiguity of the books' premise - an eternal race of human-born cyborgs manipulating civilization for a profit-making company in the distant future. Kage explores the cyborgs who deal with their condition as both a pawn and a god by drawing on human paths to meaning - love, family, art and grief. These may not make their ultimate complicity in company action redeemable, but I think Kage makes the case well that these are things worth living for even in our very short lives as mortals.
December 19, 2007
Baker's Company series has dragged a bit lately, so it was a pleasure to read this collection of short stories. Each is an excellent tale on its own, filled with action, mystery and a lot of characterization. I love the cyborg's wry asides and their anachronistic mindsets. This was also the first book in a while that made me truly like Mendoza, Lewis and Joseph again--for too many books they've been running around doing desperate things without any humor to them, and I really appreciated seeing Mendoza's focused courage, Lewis's kind and slightly hapless attempts at love, and Joseph's optimistic sarcasm. These stories also introduce a few new characters, most memorably the mortal, middle-aged and perpetually over-worked Maria. I loved her, and I loved her smart, independent and very believable reactions to slowly learning about the Company.
May 9, 2008
Kage Baker WHY DO YOU KEEP DOING THIS. MAKING ME HATE ALL OTHER BOOKS BECAUSE YOURS ARE SO MUCH MORE AWESOME.
In all seriousness: Brilliant, imaginative, horrifying short stories in the Company universe. The kind where you find yourself thinking not only "How did she even come up with that??!" but are in awe of how well she pulls off these truly bizarre concepts. Example: An inbred family who believes they are gods and lives on piles of shit in pre-colonial Amazon regions. How do you write that so it doesn't sound contrived, stupid, or just too ridiculous? Somehow, Kage Baker does it over and over and over.
In all seriousness: Brilliant, imaginative, horrifying short stories in the Company universe. The kind where you find yourself thinking not only "How did she even come up with that??!" but are in awe of how well she pulls off these truly bizarre concepts. Example: An inbred family who believes they are gods and lives on piles of shit in pre-colonial Amazon regions. How do you write that so it doesn't sound contrived, stupid, or just too ridiculous? Somehow, Kage Baker does it over and over and over.
January 11, 2008
I think I like Baker's short stories more than her novels. The Company series has been going on and on (and on and on), and the focus often seems to be on Mendoza or her lover(s) (which I find tiresome). I'm much more interested in these little vignettes: the background stories, the eerie anomalies, the little swashbuckling adventures that dance between the novels. The "what happens after" thread of the novels keeps me reading the series, but it's a bit of a slog. These stories reminded me of why I liked Baker in the first place.
December 17, 2014
It was wonderful to be in the world of the Company again, in these stories. Facilitator Joseph, as well as operatives Lewis and Mendoza (my favorite characters from the Company series) are featured in most of the stories. I especially liked Standing in his Light, about the painter Jan Vermeer.
April 15, 2018
This is a collection of short stories set in the universe that Kage Baker has invented. It’s a fascinating place, and these stories explore it further. Some of them cover familiar ground (for those like me who’ve read all the other books in the series), while others go in unexpected directions.
One of the boldest is “Welcome to Olympus, Mr. Hearst”. Kage Baker likes to throw famous people into her novels, usually in odd situations, and she does some very interesting things here with William Randolph Hearst. No, he’s not exactly human.
One of the boldest is “Welcome to Olympus, Mr. Hearst”. Kage Baker likes to throw famous people into her novels, usually in odd situations, and she does some very interesting things here with William Randolph Hearst. No, he’s not exactly human.
December 25, 2018
I'll admit that these books are blending together, and I'm becoming impatient to find out what happens in the year 2355. This felt like a step sideways, filling in background and character relationships, but not really moving us forward.
November 16, 2021
Short stories. A few were good. Most were so-so.
March 8, 2022
Sci Fi shorts that all take place in one story arc
October 6, 2022
Nice back story accompaniment for the Company series. Doesn't fill in a lot of gaps, but puts more focus on some of the characters that keep popping up in the books elsewhere.
January 12, 2018
Another good collection with "Welcome to Olympus, Mr. Hearst" (one of Lewis & Joseph-stories) a stand-out and "Standing in His Light" (Van Drouten) the low point.
September 7, 2012
I read what I believe is the first of Baker's Company novels - about a future corporation that has patented time travel and immortality and sends its cyborg agents throughout history to seek out and preserve lost antiquities - a few years ago and had been interested in seeking out more since then. After hearing that Ms. Baker passed away earlier in 2010, I'd been on the lookout for them, so when I ran across this collection of short stories about the Company on clearance, I had to have it. Having only read one novel, these stories featured characters both familiar and new to me, ranging through centuries and various different aspects of the company and its operatives.
Overall, I was very pleased with this collection. I was already a fan of Baker's writing style and the depths to which she explored the opportunities this world presented were very satisfying. The details about the various places and times explored really drew me in and brought the era and locale vividly to life, and I'm quite impressed by such attention to detail. I was also fascinated by the various different subjects covered by the shorts, delving into not only the operatives' lives and their individual missions, but also shedding light on some dealings of the Company itself, which was left as mostly background information in the first novel, In the Garden of Iden. Aside from that, the characters were very genuine, the stories were engaging, and the whole book was a pleasure to read. This book is certainly also recommended to fans of scifi and/or historical fiction, as the two are very much inextricably linked in the Company series.
Overall, I was very pleased with this collection. I was already a fan of Baker's writing style and the depths to which she explored the opportunities this world presented were very satisfying. The details about the various places and times explored really drew me in and brought the era and locale vividly to life, and I'm quite impressed by such attention to detail. I was also fascinated by the various different subjects covered by the shorts, delving into not only the operatives' lives and their individual missions, but also shedding light on some dealings of the Company itself, which was left as mostly background information in the first novel, In the Garden of Iden. Aside from that, the characters were very genuine, the stories were engaging, and the whole book was a pleasure to read. This book is certainly also recommended to fans of scifi and/or historical fiction, as the two are very much inextricably linked in the Company series.
May 21, 2008
I loved this series, 8 novels time travelling immortal cyborgs, conspiracies over milennia, the it was so good for a time. The last novels did not quite live up to my expectations though. These short stories, and those in other anthologies, felt like an extra bonus. I liked them better than the last couple novels, but at the same time, not quite as much as the first anthology of short stories. Maybe I just overdosed by reading them all at one go, but a couple of the stories seemed quite good, the others were not so memorable and somehow, despite the huge setting of this novel, it´s starting to feel a bit repetitive, and particularly geographically constrained, California again and again and again. Characters we knew about already. Nice, but there have been 8 novels and maybe 40 short stories so far.
Possibly this not so positive impression of mine I might be due to some disappointment. I don´t read blurbs carefully to avoid spoilers, but the bit I read led me to expect Alec. There was no Alec I could spot. There was plenty of Joseph and some Mendoza though. A lot of Lewis. I suppose if this short story collection was one of the characters it would be Lewis which probably says it all.
Possibly this not so positive impression of mine I might be due to some disappointment. I don´t read blurbs carefully to avoid spoilers, but the bit I read led me to expect Alec. There was no Alec I could spot. There was plenty of Joseph and some Mendoza though. A lot of Lewis. I suppose if this short story collection was one of the characters it would be Lewis which probably says it all.
May 14, 2013
Unlike The Children of the Company, this book was published as a short story collection. It's not crucial to the overall plot, but it does fill in some details of The Company series. I especially liked "Welcome to Olympus, Mr. Hearst!" which FINALLY explains why the characters keep mentioning William Randolph Hearst in the novels.
Honestly, I think people should read this book before any of the novels. The stories do a good job of presenting the basic premise of the series while leaving out the overall plot. I think this is a better introduction than In the Garden of Iden, the first Company novel.
Honestly, I think people should read this book before any of the novels. The stories do a good job of presenting the basic premise of the series while leaving out the overall plot. I think this is a better introduction than In the Garden of Iden, the first Company novel.
March 11, 2019
Another great Kate Baker
The loss of Kate Baker to the science fiction community is unbearable. I only discovered her work about five years ago when picking a random book from the library. Since then I started at the beginning of the Company series, savoring each book of short stories or novels. In between times I have read some of her other books as well as a ton of other SF and mysteries and historical books. But I always come back to Kate Baker and savor each book. I’m almost done, but I might start back at the beginning. That’s how great these books are and how wonderful her writing is.
The loss of Kate Baker to the science fiction community is unbearable. I only discovered her work about five years ago when picking a random book from the library. Since then I started at the beginning of the Company series, savoring each book of short stories or novels. In between times I have read some of her other books as well as a ton of other SF and mysteries and historical books. But I always come back to Kate Baker and savor each book. I’m almost done, but I might start back at the beginning. That’s how great these books are and how wonderful her writing is.
July 16, 2012
This collection of stories and novellas take place in Kage Baker's "The Company" universe, but they are not particularly sequential--you can read them anywhere after the first novel and before the last. They're great if you can't get enough of the Company characters and universe; however, there's nothing in them that's absolutely necessary to understanding the novels, except perhaps one piece that explains how Hearst ended up becoming immortal. Well written and interesting, like most of Baker's work.
May 1, 2009
holy moley, kage's writing riveted me from page 1. i've been roller-coasting around the entire company series over the last few weeks, since. out-of-order is just as fun, if not more.
she's at the top of her game, a gifted wordsmith and artist. and she delightully jumps from one character's voice to the next, with beautiful skill and finesse. loving everything i can get my hands on by her!
thank you, public library system!
she's at the top of her game, a gifted wordsmith and artist. and she delightully jumps from one character's voice to the next, with beautiful skill and finesse. loving everything i can get my hands on by her!
thank you, public library system!
February 14, 2013
A re-read of these tangential stories reminding me how much I enjoyed the series the first time through. The time-travel trope allowed Baker to write about pretty much anything she pleased, from William Randolph Hearst to the Eleusinian mysteries to liver flukes, compost, and what to ask for in return for marrying your daughter to the god of the dead. Now I want to buy all the old mass market paperbacks so I can read them through in order in light of how it all comes out.
December 26, 2017
This has been my week to pig out on Kage Baker stories. Gods and Pawns is another collection of her short stories set in The Company universe. The stories are an interesting mix of history, time travel, and adventure. She continues to carry forward the themes of The Company while providing enjoyable reads. I particularly liked the story featuring William Hearst. You don't have to be a history buff to enjoy her stories but it certainly helps.
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