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Triax: Three Original Novellas
Contents:
- Molly Zero by Keith Roberts
In an England two hundred years hence all children are brought up in single sex creches: the Blocks. Molly Zero, young and intelligent, resilient and loving, is a product of the Blocks and is destined for the Elite
- If I Forget Thee by James E. Gunn
Jeri, a onetime surgeon is caught up in a cycle of vengeance where a machine allows him to experience various pasts where women seek horrible revenge.
- Freitzke's Turn by Jack Vance
Miro Hetzel is an Effectuator—think expensive private investigator. He takes on a case involving the disappearance of one of his ex-classmates, Faurence Dacre, from his childhood days at a private academy.
- Molly Zero by Keith Roberts
In an England two hundred years hence all children are brought up in single sex creches: the Blocks. Molly Zero, young and intelligent, resilient and loving, is a product of the Blocks and is destined for the Elite
- If I Forget Thee by James E. Gunn
Jeri, a onetime surgeon is caught up in a cycle of vengeance where a machine allows him to experience various pasts where women seek horrible revenge.
- Freitzke's Turn by Jack Vance
Miro Hetzel is an Effectuator—think expensive private investigator. He takes on a case involving the disappearance of one of his ex-classmates, Faurence Dacre, from his childhood days at a private academy.
214 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 28, 1977
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 6, 2023
Average rating: 4.3/5 stars. I rounded this up to 5 because of the strength of Keith Roberts’ Molly Zero. One of the most engaging novellas I’ve ever read. Vance was fun but kinda mindless whereas Gunn felt a little too ‘out there’.
Molly Zero by Keith Roberts - 5/5
This was such an engaging and powerful story. My first introduction to Roberts was his alt history book, Pavane, which was a huge let down for me. Molly Zero, on the other hand, was deeply immersive, engaging, thought-provoking, and tense. Each scene had me yearning for more and more to know what happens next. The genius of writing the story in the second-person—to make you experience this world from the intimate perspective of Molly Zero, was ingenious. It also shows the power of the novella in this form that can capture, hold, and maintain the reader until the perfect point. This is a spectacular work that alone was worth the price of the book.
If I Forget Thee by James Gunn - 4/5
An interesting read about a surgeon whose life is marred by betrayal throughout human history. There was some interesting themes about forgiveness, loneliness, misogyny, and self-perpetuation of hatred. Very potent stuff but it didn’t grip me. Even the reveal at the end felt obvious, but the entire story was quite cinematic and the parallels between the main character’s growth and evolution were interesting.
Freitzke’s Turn by Jack Vance - 4/5
My first time reading Jack Vance. I don’t know what I was expecting for this novella, especially when Vance has quite the reputation for being an excellent writer. What I got was the science fiction equivalent of Agatha Christie’s Poirot. Eccentric interplanetary hopping fun and easy to read. I think the ending could’ve been more interesting or poignant, but private investigator in space was perfectly serviceable.
Molly Zero by Keith Roberts - 5/5
This was such an engaging and powerful story. My first introduction to Roberts was his alt history book, Pavane, which was a huge let down for me. Molly Zero, on the other hand, was deeply immersive, engaging, thought-provoking, and tense. Each scene had me yearning for more and more to know what happens next. The genius of writing the story in the second-person—to make you experience this world from the intimate perspective of Molly Zero, was ingenious. It also shows the power of the novella in this form that can capture, hold, and maintain the reader until the perfect point. This is a spectacular work that alone was worth the price of the book.
If I Forget Thee by James Gunn - 4/5
An interesting read about a surgeon whose life is marred by betrayal throughout human history. There was some interesting themes about forgiveness, loneliness, misogyny, and self-perpetuation of hatred. Very potent stuff but it didn’t grip me. Even the reveal at the end felt obvious, but the entire story was quite cinematic and the parallels between the main character’s growth and evolution were interesting.
Freitzke’s Turn by Jack Vance - 4/5
My first time reading Jack Vance. I don’t know what I was expecting for this novella, especially when Vance has quite the reputation for being an excellent writer. What I got was the science fiction equivalent of Agatha Christie’s Poirot. Eccentric interplanetary hopping fun and easy to read. I think the ending could’ve been more interesting or poignant, but private investigator in space was perfectly serviceable.
March 24, 2022
A collection of three novellas, a length that our editor believes tends to produce particularly good SF. See also his
The Time Travellers
.
Molly Zero , q.v., by Keith Roberts.
If I Forget Thee by James E. Gunn. I am very glad that I've never had to cope with emotions this overwhelming. I have to take it on trust that this is a plausible portrayal, and do so based only on previous experience of the author and editor.
Freitzke’s Turn , q.v., by Jack Vance.
Molly Zero , q.v., by Keith Roberts.
If I Forget Thee by James E. Gunn. I am very glad that I've never had to cope with emotions this overwhelming. I have to take it on trust that this is a plausible portrayal, and do so based only on previous experience of the author and editor.
Freitzke’s Turn , q.v., by Jack Vance.
January 25, 2020
3.75/5 (collated rating: Good)
Triax (1977) contains three original novellas written specifically for the volume. I concur with Robert Silverberg’s defense of the novella form in the introduction, “it allows the leisurely development of an idea, the careful and elaborate exploration of the consequences of the fictional situation, while at the same time not requiring the intricate plot-and-counterplot scaffolding [...]
Full review: https://sciencefictionruminations.com...
Triax (1977) contains three original novellas written specifically for the volume. I concur with Robert Silverberg’s defense of the novella form in the introduction, “it allows the leisurely development of an idea, the careful and elaborate exploration of the consequences of the fictional situation, while at the same time not requiring the intricate plot-and-counterplot scaffolding [...]
Full review: https://sciencefictionruminations.com...
September 18, 2022
3 novellas from 1977 chosen/commissioned by Silverberg.
**** Molly Zero • Keith Roberts
**** If I Forget Thee • James E. Gunn
**** Freitzke's Turn • Jack Vance
I am tempted to give this anthology five stars, even though I am not yet inclined to give any of the three individual contributions the five stars, simply because here is more proof Silverberg must have been the best sf anthologist of all time, whether best of the year anthologies, historical or thematic take a look back anthologies, or original first publication anthologies like this one. The three novellas are disparate in style and subject - a dystopia, a what is reality mind-bender, and a mystery-sf hybrid - all clocking in at an equally balanced 60 pages give or take, but united in quality - artistic, imaginative. While it is true there was a lot of sf back in the day that was popular and now deservedly more or less forgotten - any best-of from a few decades ago has a number of what were they thinking moments - it is also true that there were books like this - collections of excellent stories by the sf old guard pro's pros that were never reprinted and still outshine the heavily promoted current crop of sf publications.
**** Molly Zero • Keith Roberts
**** If I Forget Thee • James E. Gunn
**** Freitzke's Turn • Jack Vance
I am tempted to give this anthology five stars, even though I am not yet inclined to give any of the three individual contributions the five stars, simply because here is more proof Silverberg must have been the best sf anthologist of all time, whether best of the year anthologies, historical or thematic take a look back anthologies, or original first publication anthologies like this one. The three novellas are disparate in style and subject - a dystopia, a what is reality mind-bender, and a mystery-sf hybrid - all clocking in at an equally balanced 60 pages give or take, but united in quality - artistic, imaginative. While it is true there was a lot of sf back in the day that was popular and now deservedly more or less forgotten - any best-of from a few decades ago has a number of what were they thinking moments - it is also true that there were books like this - collections of excellent stories by the sf old guard pro's pros that were never reprinted and still outshine the heavily promoted current crop of sf publications.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews