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The General Zapped an Angel
An imaginative, strange, and boldly inventive collection of stories from a singular mind, with a new introduction by Mark Harris
In The General Zapped an Angel, featuring nine supremely entertaining fantasy and science fiction tales, a Vietnam general shoots down what appears to be an angel; a man sells his soul to the devil for a copy of the next day's Wall Street Journal; and a group of alien beings bestow a mouse with human thought and emotion
Fast, one of the bestselling authors of the twentieth century whose career spanned decades and genres, skewers war hawks, oil speculators, and profit-at-all-costs capitalism with wit and empathy, making these stories as relevant today as when they were first published in 1970.
In The General Zapped an Angel, featuring nine supremely entertaining fantasy and science fiction tales, a Vietnam general shoots down what appears to be an angel; a man sells his soul to the devil for a copy of the next day's Wall Street Journal; and a group of alien beings bestow a mouse with human thought and emotion
Fast, one of the bestselling authors of the twentieth century whose career spanned decades and genres, skewers war hawks, oil speculators, and profit-at-all-costs capitalism with wit and empathy, making these stories as relevant today as when they were first published in 1970.
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1970
33 people are currently reading
876 people want to read
About the author
Howard Fast
303 books254 followersHoward Fast was one of the most prolific American writers of the twentieth century. He was a bestselling author of more than eighty works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and screenplays. The son of immigrants, Fast grew up in New York City and published his first novel upon finishing high school in 1933. In 1950, his refusal to provide the United States Congress with a list of possible Communist associates earned him a three-month prison sentence. During his incarceration, Fast wrote one of his best-known novels, Spartacus (1951). Throughout his long career, Fast matched his commitment to championing social justice in his writing with a deft, lively storytelling style.
Pseudonyms: Walter Ericson, E.V. Cunningham
Pseudonyms: Walter Ericson, E.V. Cunningham
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
July 24, 2020
You can’t ask us to destroy you.
The General Zapped an Angel feels exactly like it was written by a White suburban businessman while a war is being waged in Vietnam and the middle class are heading to work. That’s not a bad thing, just the vibe that encompasses this collection of short stories. Each story has elements of science fiction/fantasy—some only loosely.
This collection starts out great but peters out into territory that simply deserves a shrug. A few stories are strong ecological commentaries on the abuses humankind perpetrates against the natural world—I like these stories the best. The rest of the stories are acceptable but uninspiring.
I am giving The General Zapped an Angel four stars because the stories I liked, I really liked. And I think this book is worth the read solely for those stories alone.
“The General Zapped an Angel” - 4 - A story with a strong concept that could have gone far: A general fighting in the jungles of Vietnam accidentally guns down an angel while killing other humans. The angel is a giant, but the soldiers manage to bring the angel back to their base. A priest, a rabbi, and other religious individuals on the base get involved and debate on the meaning of this event. Things gets more serious when the media shows up. The general is forced to face the repercussions of his actions.
“The Mouse” - 5 - My favorite story in the collection: A group of small, densely heavy aliens come to Earth and modify a mouse. The mouse gains consciousness and self-awareness. The mouse collects data for the alien beings, but soon learns that self-awareness can be a dolorous experience, especially when you are the only one of your kind.
“The Vision of Milty Boil” - 2.5 - A ridiculous story with too much focus on the main character’s past: A short man builds his wealth by developing high rise apartments. He becomes famous for fitting more apartments in a single building by shortening the height of each floor. Officials find this preposterous until they decide there is money here and shortness must be made desirable. A marketing campaign ensues and humanity changes forever.
“The Mohawk” - 3 - A story that feels out of place in the collection: A Native Mohawk man decides to meditate on the steps of a Catholic church. The man simply wants to experience being. But a crowd forms around the man and it becomes a spectacle. The church has to decide what to do with the man on their property.
“The Wound” - 4 - Another favorite from the collection, but with a weak build up: A businessman is given the opportunity to invest in a new exciting way to extract oil from the planet by using nuclear bombs. He weighs the pros and cons and finally decides that the bombs being used against Mother Earth rather than against other humans is a good thing. What could go wrong?
“Tomorrow’s Wall Street Journal” - 2.5 - A story with no surprises: The devil shows up at a family’s house offering the next day’s copy of the newspaper. How much for the paper? A soul. What can they do with the next day’s paper? Read the stocks. The husband and wife spend the day trying to find someone willing to let them to buy stocks in too large of a quantity.
“The Interval” - 3 - A story with an interesting concept and weak execution: A man visits the home that he is attempting to sell. He is in a transitional state. Upon looking out the window, he sees that the landscape is literally being rolled up like a carpet and the world is transitioning as well. He drives to the city, seeing the same thing everywhere. He finds a group of people and they experience the transition together.
“The Movie House” - 3.5 - A story with major “The Lottery” vibes but with huge plot holes: A community exists within a movie theater. They have a leader and a set of rules. The films provided by the godlike projectionist are “discoveries.” He is a miracle worker. One young man encounters a locked door. Everyone knows that locked doors cannot be opened. The smartest philosophers have contemplated the issue without answer. Keys do not exists. The young man builds a lathe and creates a key. Anarchy ensues.
“The Insects” - 3 - Another story with an interesting concept and weak execution: A high frequency radio message is broadcast to several locations around the world in several different languages. The message: “You must stop killing us.” But who is the “us?” A committee forms and an investigation begins. The title of the story ruins the surprise. The humans have to decide if they should kill more or be more humane. Humans are exceptionally famous for making the wrong decision.
The General Zapped an Angel feels exactly like it was written by a White suburban businessman while a war is being waged in Vietnam and the middle class are heading to work. That’s not a bad thing, just the vibe that encompasses this collection of short stories. Each story has elements of science fiction/fantasy—some only loosely.
This collection starts out great but peters out into territory that simply deserves a shrug. A few stories are strong ecological commentaries on the abuses humankind perpetrates against the natural world—I like these stories the best. The rest of the stories are acceptable but uninspiring.
I am giving The General Zapped an Angel four stars because the stories I liked, I really liked. And I think this book is worth the read solely for those stories alone.
“The General Zapped an Angel” - 4 - A story with a strong concept that could have gone far: A general fighting in the jungles of Vietnam accidentally guns down an angel while killing other humans. The angel is a giant, but the soldiers manage to bring the angel back to their base. A priest, a rabbi, and other religious individuals on the base get involved and debate on the meaning of this event. Things gets more serious when the media shows up. The general is forced to face the repercussions of his actions.
“The Mouse” - 5 - My favorite story in the collection: A group of small, densely heavy aliens come to Earth and modify a mouse. The mouse gains consciousness and self-awareness. The mouse collects data for the alien beings, but soon learns that self-awareness can be a dolorous experience, especially when you are the only one of your kind.
“The Vision of Milty Boil” - 2.5 - A ridiculous story with too much focus on the main character’s past: A short man builds his wealth by developing high rise apartments. He becomes famous for fitting more apartments in a single building by shortening the height of each floor. Officials find this preposterous until they decide there is money here and shortness must be made desirable. A marketing campaign ensues and humanity changes forever.
“The Mohawk” - 3 - A story that feels out of place in the collection: A Native Mohawk man decides to meditate on the steps of a Catholic church. The man simply wants to experience being. But a crowd forms around the man and it becomes a spectacle. The church has to decide what to do with the man on their property.
“The Wound” - 4 - Another favorite from the collection, but with a weak build up: A businessman is given the opportunity to invest in a new exciting way to extract oil from the planet by using nuclear bombs. He weighs the pros and cons and finally decides that the bombs being used against Mother Earth rather than against other humans is a good thing. What could go wrong?
“Tomorrow’s Wall Street Journal” - 2.5 - A story with no surprises: The devil shows up at a family’s house offering the next day’s copy of the newspaper. How much for the paper? A soul. What can they do with the next day’s paper? Read the stocks. The husband and wife spend the day trying to find someone willing to let them to buy stocks in too large of a quantity.
“The Interval” - 3 - A story with an interesting concept and weak execution: A man visits the home that he is attempting to sell. He is in a transitional state. Upon looking out the window, he sees that the landscape is literally being rolled up like a carpet and the world is transitioning as well. He drives to the city, seeing the same thing everywhere. He finds a group of people and they experience the transition together.
“The Movie House” - 3.5 - A story with major “The Lottery” vibes but with huge plot holes: A community exists within a movie theater. They have a leader and a set of rules. The films provided by the godlike projectionist are “discoveries.” He is a miracle worker. One young man encounters a locked door. Everyone knows that locked doors cannot be opened. The smartest philosophers have contemplated the issue without answer. Keys do not exists. The young man builds a lathe and creates a key. Anarchy ensues.
“The Insects” - 3 - Another story with an interesting concept and weak execution: A high frequency radio message is broadcast to several locations around the world in several different languages. The message: “You must stop killing us.” But who is the “us?” A committee forms and an investigation begins. The title of the story ruins the surprise. The humans have to decide if they should kill more or be more humane. Humans are exceptionally famous for making the wrong decision.
August 28, 2025
The General Zapped an Angel was Howard Fast's second (or maybe third, depending on how you look at it) collection of science fiction, though he began writing in the genre with a story in the October 1932 issue of Amazing Stories written when he was only sixteen. He was, of course, far more famous for his many mainstream works (dude, he wrote Spartacus and so many more), but wrote many sf and fantasy stories, many of which appeared in F & SF magazine. There are nine stories collected in this volume, but only of them is from F & SF; the others all appear to be originals, which seems to be quite unusual. The reprint is The Mouse, and it's my favorite; who cares about building a better mouse trap, build a better mouse! His philosophies of religion and politics creep into his stories a little too much at times, and some of them are surely dated, but he was a very good, slick writer. I remember also enjoying the title story and The Insects.
December 21, 2020
1/10. Se supone que sus relatos estaban a la altura de los grades del género...¡Já!
Y no leí nada más suyo, claro.
Y no leí nada más suyo, claro.
February 2, 2023
Rec. by: MCL, this time
Rec. for: Subversives
Mark Harris' Preface to this 50th-anniversary edition of Howard Fast's collection The General Zapped an Angel is absolutely spot-on: the details in these stories may be a little dated (the book was originally published in 1969, after all), but Fast's satire still bites just as deeply.
Nowhere is this clearer than in the title story. "The General Zapped an Angel" pulls zero punches:
And then there's the sweetly venomous Southernism with which this paragraph ends, after General Mackenzie (an honorable man, whose courage and perseverance have remained steadfast as an adult) suggests to his superior officer General Drummond that they just bury the angel he'd zapped:
To "The Mouse," self-awareness comes as a gift—but at what cost?
In short (heh), "The Vision of Milty Boil" is so crazy it just might work!—although I did have a hard time believing that a single New York City landlord, even one as motivated as Boil, could have this sort of outsized (heh) influence on human evolution.
"The Mohawk." Uh-oh... just what is Clyde Lightfeather up to, when he seats himself on the steps of St. Pat's? Although I think this would be a very difficult story to manage nowadays, it still makes an important point about the land on which we latecomers to North America reside.
I did think it was interesting to note Fast's unquestioned assumption, throughout these stories, that his readers would instantly recognize New York City's landmarks and the habits of its inhabitants, though.
Sure, it's heavy-handed, and the gimmick could be summed up in a one-panel editorial cartoon, but as Harris' Preface points out, "The Wound" is still at least as topical as ever.
"Tomorrow's Wall Street Journal."
Deals with the Devil—well, they never go quite as expected, do they?
Wistful and elegaic, "The Interval" hits differently now that I'm somewhat over fifty years of age and getting so much closer to my own final act.
Poor Kiley! In "The Movie House," a key is just a metaphor, and no one ever opens a locked door.
"The Insects."
"You must stop killing us" wasn't really a request.
*
That's it—that's all. Nine short stories, spanning a mere 142 pages in this slim trade paperback. But the impact of Howard Fast's writing is still being felt, fifty years down the line.
Rec. for: Subversives
Mark Harris' Preface to this 50th-anniversary edition of Howard Fast's collection The General Zapped an Angel is absolutely spot-on: the details in these stories may be a little dated (the book was originally published in 1969, after all), but Fast's satire still bites just as deeply.
Nowhere is this clearer than in the title story. "The General Zapped an Angel" pulls zero punches:
When Mackenzie was only six years old, playing in the yard of his North Carolina home, he managed to kill a puppy by beating it to death with a stone, an extraordinary act of courage and perseverance.The sarcasm here is positively Shakespearean—I was reminded specifically of Marc Antony's speech at Julius Caesar's funeral, the one in which Antony repeatedly calls Caesar's assassins "honorable men."
—p.1
And then there's the sweetly venomous Southernism with which this paragraph ends, after General Mackenzie (an honorable man, whose courage and perseverance have remained steadfast as an adult) suggests to his superior officer General Drummond that they just bury the angel he'd zapped:
"You get a gold star for being creative, Mackenzie. Yes, sir, General—that's what you get. Every marine at Quen-to knows you shot down an angel. Your helicopter pilot and crew know it, which means that by now everyone on this base knows it—because anything that happens here, I know it last—and those snotnose reporters on the base, they know it, not to mention the goddamn chaplains, and you want to bury it. Bless your heart."This story alone is worth the price of admission. But there's more...
—General Drummond, pp.7-8
To "The Mouse," self-awareness comes as a gift—but at what cost?
In short (heh), "The Vision of Milty Boil" is so crazy it just might work!—although I did have a hard time believing that a single New York City landlord, even one as motivated as Boil, could have this sort of outsized (heh) influence on human evolution.
"The Mohawk." Uh-oh... just what is Clyde Lightfeather up to, when he seats himself on the steps of St. Pat's? Although I think this would be a very difficult story to manage nowadays, it still makes an important point about the land on which we latecomers to North America reside.
I did think it was interesting to note Fast's unquestioned assumption, throughout these stories, that his readers would instantly recognize New York City's landmarks and the habits of its inhabitants, though.
Sure, it's heavy-handed, and the gimmick could be summed up in a one-panel editorial cartoon, but as Harris' Preface points out, "The Wound" is still at least as topical as ever.
"Tomorrow's Wall Street Journal."
Deals with the Devil—well, they never go quite as expected, do they?
Wistful and elegaic, "The Interval" hits differently now that I'm somewhat over fifty years of age and getting so much closer to my own final act.
Poor Kiley! In "The Movie House," a key is just a metaphor, and no one ever opens a locked door.
"The Insects."
"You must stop killing us" wasn't really a request.
*
That's it—that's all. Nine short stories, spanning a mere 142 pages in this slim trade paperback. But the impact of Howard Fast's writing is still being felt, fifty years down the line.
Read
September 1, 2024"General Zapped an Angel": 6.25
- A confused allegory, which can do little other than present its scenario, let it sit there, and mug for an impression, any impression. That scenario: lunatic general in Vietnam supposedly shoots down giant, be-winged angel, leading to much speculation by an ecumenical collection of clergy, before it just . A relative of Ballards “Drowned Giant,” and as intent on imparting as much mystery as import, but botching the execution. Best was the tongue-in-cheek line at the beginning about the general killing puppies as a 6yr old, which showed “courage and perseverance.”
- A confused allegory, which can do little other than present its scenario, let it sit there, and mug for an impression, any impression. That scenario: lunatic general in Vietnam supposedly shoots down giant, be-winged angel, leading to much speculation by an ecumenical collection of clergy, before it just . A relative of Ballards “Drowned Giant,” and as intent on imparting as much mystery as import, but botching the execution. Best was the tongue-in-cheek line at the beginning about the general killing puppies as a 6yr old, which showed “courage and perseverance.”
September 27, 2025
"El general derribó a un ángel" es una antología de relatos cortos de ciencia ficción y fantasía especulativa del autor estadounidense Howard Fast, publicada originalmente entre 1969 y 1970, y traducida al español en 1975 por Manuel Barberá. A través de narrativas satíricas, humorísticas y reflexivas, Fast explora temas como la guerra, la tecnología, la conciencia animal y humana, y las absurdidades de la sociedad moderna, cuestionando la realidad y el poder en un tono a menudo irónico y provocador.
El general derribó a un ángel (The General Zapped an Angel, 1970)
En plena guerra de Vietnam, un general curtido en el combate comete un error inesperado que desata un caos teológico y burocrático entre militares, clérigos y periodistas, explorando las tensiones entre fe, violencia y autoridad.
El ratón (The Mouse, 1969)
Un pequeño roedor se ve involucrado en un encuentro con visitantes extraterrestres que alteran su existencia de manera radical, llevando a una reflexión profunda sobre la conciencia, la supervivencia y las diferencias entre especies en un mundo hostil.
Milty Boil, un visionario (The Vision of Milty Boil, 1970)
Milton Boil, un hombre de baja estatura marcado por el rechazo social, asciende como magnate inmobiliario en Nueva York, pero su ambición lo impulsa a perseguir ideas innovadoras que desafían las normas establecidas de su era.
El mohawk (The Mohawk, 1970)
En un futuro distópico donde la identidad cultural se ha diluido, un joven indígena lucha por preservar su herencia ancestral a través de un ritual simbólico, confrontando las presiones de una sociedad homogeneizada y opresiva.
La herida (The Wound, 1970)
Un profesor de geología se ve envuelto en un proyecto controvertido para extraer petróleo de depósitos de esquisto mediante el uso de bombas atómicas, lo que genera intensos dilemas morales sobre la ambición tecnológica y sus impactos ambientales y éticos.
El "Wall Street Journal" de mañana (Tomorrow's Wall Street Journal, 1970)
Un empresario obsesionado con el éxito financiero recibe una entrega misteriosa de un periódico del futuro, lo que lo sumerge en un dilema ético y temporal sobre el poder del conocimiento y las consecuencias de alterar el destino económico.
El intervalo (The Interval, 1970)
En un contexto apocalíptico que sirve de telón de fondo, una pareja de mediana edad enfrenta la inevitabilidad de la muerte y el envejecimiento, explorando temas de aceptación, mortalidad y la fragilidad de la existencia humana a través de escenas introspectivas.
El cine (The Movie House, 1970)
En un cine subterráneo que sirve como refugio y control social, un joven inventor descubre secretos sobre la realidad proyectada y las barreras que separan el mundo interior del exterior, explorando temas de ilusión, libertad y represión.
Los insectos (The Insects, 1970)
Una serie de señales de radio misteriosas captadas globalmente despierta debates científicos y políticos sobre una posible inteligencia colectiva no humana, llevando a una comisión a investigar las implicaciones ecológicas y existenciales de una súplica universal por supervivencia.
El general derribó a un ángel (The General Zapped an Angel, 1970)
En plena guerra de Vietnam, un general curtido en el combate comete un error inesperado que desata un caos teológico y burocrático entre militares, clérigos y periodistas, explorando las tensiones entre fe, violencia y autoridad.
El ratón (The Mouse, 1969)
Un pequeño roedor se ve involucrado en un encuentro con visitantes extraterrestres que alteran su existencia de manera radical, llevando a una reflexión profunda sobre la conciencia, la supervivencia y las diferencias entre especies en un mundo hostil.
Milty Boil, un visionario (The Vision of Milty Boil, 1970)
Milton Boil, un hombre de baja estatura marcado por el rechazo social, asciende como magnate inmobiliario en Nueva York, pero su ambición lo impulsa a perseguir ideas innovadoras que desafían las normas establecidas de su era.
El mohawk (The Mohawk, 1970)
En un futuro distópico donde la identidad cultural se ha diluido, un joven indígena lucha por preservar su herencia ancestral a través de un ritual simbólico, confrontando las presiones de una sociedad homogeneizada y opresiva.
La herida (The Wound, 1970)
Un profesor de geología se ve envuelto en un proyecto controvertido para extraer petróleo de depósitos de esquisto mediante el uso de bombas atómicas, lo que genera intensos dilemas morales sobre la ambición tecnológica y sus impactos ambientales y éticos.
El "Wall Street Journal" de mañana (Tomorrow's Wall Street Journal, 1970)
Un empresario obsesionado con el éxito financiero recibe una entrega misteriosa de un periódico del futuro, lo que lo sumerge en un dilema ético y temporal sobre el poder del conocimiento y las consecuencias de alterar el destino económico.
El intervalo (The Interval, 1970)
En un contexto apocalíptico que sirve de telón de fondo, una pareja de mediana edad enfrenta la inevitabilidad de la muerte y el envejecimiento, explorando temas de aceptación, mortalidad y la fragilidad de la existencia humana a través de escenas introspectivas.
El cine (The Movie House, 1970)
En un cine subterráneo que sirve como refugio y control social, un joven inventor descubre secretos sobre la realidad proyectada y las barreras que separan el mundo interior del exterior, explorando temas de ilusión, libertad y represión.
Los insectos (The Insects, 1970)
Una serie de señales de radio misteriosas captadas globalmente despierta debates científicos y políticos sobre una posible inteligencia colectiva no humana, llevando a una comisión a investigar las implicaciones ecológicas y existenciales de una súplica universal por supervivencia.
June 3, 2016
This may be the first book by Howard Fast that I have read altho I have vague memories of reading bits of my mom's copy of The Immigrants many years ago. I think that is a book that I should seek out one day - I see it now and then.
Fast was not a fantasy or science fiction writer, he was a writer of epic historical fiction, so this little collection of fantasy and science fiction stories is a unique thing and a mildly surprising treat. It was published in 1970 and the opening title story is about a gung-ho 2 star general in Vietnam who likes nothing more than leading his cavalry in the choppers and blazing the machine gun from the side at anything that moves. He's what Tarantino would call a natural born killer. And after returning to base he gets a call from the line that he shot down an angel. A real 20 foot tall angel.
A story that I thought among the best was called "The Mouse". There are not a lot of stories here, just nine, but among them are some very good ones, with unexpectedly strong moral and social commentary elements. Amongst the satire and farce is a bit of silliness that may not have aged so well, but there is thought provoking bits as well. These are by no means "great" stories but I was happy to get in the time machine and go visit 1969-1970 sensibilities briefly. I don't think Fast was really trying to write Fantasy or science fiction stories to stand up to much scrutiny - he was trying to write stories to make you look at the world from a different angle, and think about things.
Fast writes on the flyleaf: "The book is really not about a general who zapped an angel. Rather it is about the general childishness of man, the only form of life that refuses to grow up."
So I took a look at Howard Fast on wikipedia and see this:
"Fast spent World War II working with the United States Office of War Information, writing for Voice of America. In 1943, he joined the Communist Party USA and in 1950, he was called before the House Committee on Un-American Activities; in his testimony, he refused to disclose the names of contributors to a fund for a home for orphans of American veterans of the Spanish Civil War (one of the contributors was Eleanor Roosevelt), and he was given a three-month prison sentence for contempt of Congress.
It was while he was at Mill Point Federal Prison that Fast began writing his most famous work, Spartacus, a novel about an uprising among Roman slaves. Blacklisted by major publishing houses following his release from prison, Fast was forced to publish the novel himself. By the standards of a self published book, it was a great success, going through seven printings in the first four months of publication."
You just never know what the library is throwing away and probably shouldn't ... 3+ stars
Fast was not a fantasy or science fiction writer, he was a writer of epic historical fiction, so this little collection of fantasy and science fiction stories is a unique thing and a mildly surprising treat. It was published in 1970 and the opening title story is about a gung-ho 2 star general in Vietnam who likes nothing more than leading his cavalry in the choppers and blazing the machine gun from the side at anything that moves. He's what Tarantino would call a natural born killer. And after returning to base he gets a call from the line that he shot down an angel. A real 20 foot tall angel.
A story that I thought among the best was called "The Mouse". There are not a lot of stories here, just nine, but among them are some very good ones, with unexpectedly strong moral and social commentary elements. Amongst the satire and farce is a bit of silliness that may not have aged so well, but there is thought provoking bits as well. These are by no means "great" stories but I was happy to get in the time machine and go visit 1969-1970 sensibilities briefly. I don't think Fast was really trying to write Fantasy or science fiction stories to stand up to much scrutiny - he was trying to write stories to make you look at the world from a different angle, and think about things.
Fast writes on the flyleaf: "The book is really not about a general who zapped an angel. Rather it is about the general childishness of man, the only form of life that refuses to grow up."
So I took a look at Howard Fast on wikipedia and see this:
"Fast spent World War II working with the United States Office of War Information, writing for Voice of America. In 1943, he joined the Communist Party USA and in 1950, he was called before the House Committee on Un-American Activities; in his testimony, he refused to disclose the names of contributors to a fund for a home for orphans of American veterans of the Spanish Civil War (one of the contributors was Eleanor Roosevelt), and he was given a three-month prison sentence for contempt of Congress.
It was while he was at Mill Point Federal Prison that Fast began writing his most famous work, Spartacus, a novel about an uprising among Roman slaves. Blacklisted by major publishing houses following his release from prison, Fast was forced to publish the novel himself. By the standards of a self published book, it was a great success, going through seven printings in the first four months of publication."
You just never know what the library is throwing away and probably shouldn't ... 3+ stars
November 2, 2021
Good collection of old school short stories. The stories range from being weird tales of philosophical and spiritual meditation to outright apocalyptic science fiction. Contemporary issues such as unethical application of science, playing god on nature, accelerationism, war, cruelty, dogmatism etc are discussed in forms of speculative fiction.
Oh look at that cover, is that a NEON GENESIS EVANGELION REFERENCE?!!!!
Oh look at that cover, is that a NEON GENESIS EVANGELION REFERENCE?!!!!
December 8, 2024
A little too on the nose but not funny enough to get away with it
September 21, 2019
This collection of stories by Howard Fast is a dead-ringer for surrealistic Twilight Zone episodes, spinning fantastical tales in our time and washing the facade of humanity to show the grit and truth underneath. I highly recommend this read to those who enjoy Philip K. Dick and/or Karen Russell.
September 24, 2008
another freebie on my shelf of old bindings with great cover-art (not what is shown - mine is original 1970 by Krel Thole). So far, it's not too bad considering it's the author's only attempt into the realm of sci-fi/fantasy.
EDIT [after completed]:
The stories in here got better and better. I would like to know how the author would write "The Wound" in this day and age. Every social and global issue that is beating us down as free-thinkers is addressed in one story or another. This may be a difficult book to locate locally; but, ebay may help - that link shows the cover art i have, by the way. If you can find it, or get the urge to drop 5 bucks on shipping a 1 dollar book, you won't be disappointed, i think.
Quick read. Nice Shorts in a dreamy snap-shot style.
EDIT [after completed]:
The stories in here got better and better. I would like to know how the author would write "The Wound" in this day and age. Every social and global issue that is beating us down as free-thinkers is addressed in one story or another. This may be a difficult book to locate locally; but, ebay may help - that link shows the cover art i have, by the way. If you can find it, or get the urge to drop 5 bucks on shipping a 1 dollar book, you won't be disappointed, i think.
Quick read. Nice Shorts in a dreamy snap-shot style.
January 21, 2020
The ebook description on my library's site ends with "making these stories as relevant today as when they were first published in 1970." They're right. The stories were irrelevant then and even more so today. When you combine a screed with idiotic writing you get a mess. The stories have too much in the way of polemics and too little in the way of story telling. "Mouse" was almost good, but too simply told and the author missed the obvious solution -- the aliens could have made another. The rest of the stories are worse.
December 31, 2019
This collection of stories was kind of hit or miss for me. I nearly gave up on the book just a few pages in, when the first story described a war general's animal cruelty while growing up. But, hoping things would get better, I pressed on. My favorite dealt with a mouse's alien encounter ("The Mouse"). I also enjoyed "The Mohawk", "The Movie House", and "The Vision of Milty Boil". Some of the endings were a bit unsatisfying.
December 31, 2021
Fantastic collection of short stories! My two favorites were the title piece “The General Zapped an Angel” and “The Mouse”. But really I liked every story in the book. Short and sweet, pointed, fascinating glimpses of worlds and people in flux. Top book and a definite favorite!!
August 19, 2024
Zany stories with unvarnished messages.
The General Zapped an Angel had me at the title. I looked forward to a contemporary of Vonnegut's humour but instead found a writer who emphasised precise satirical analogy over character and world-building.
It is my belief that Fast penned amusing prose that wasn't afraid to turn plain when delivering an impassioned message about war, politics and the natural world.
While such honesty is admirable, it did sometimes remind me why I love stories with adornment. Witty turns of phrase and small characterful observations strengthen a short story by making it quotable. There are a few sentences in this collection that are inspiring, but they get lost in a tide of functional prose serving particular arguments.
That being said, the spec fic premises in The General Zapped an Angel are exactly my taste. Angels and devils critique human nature, science is misused on a grand scale, and oppressive societies are threatened by peculiar upheaval. The stories are fantastic but they clearly serve a more noble purpose than to simply entertain.
Nevertheless, if you're after a selection of left-leaning allegories with more cynicism than whimsy, I recommend The General Zapped an Angel.
Notable Stories
• The General Zapped an Angel - a sharp, celestial critique of American ideals during the Vietnam war.
• The Interval - a detached yet moving interpretation of the end of the world, at least for one man.
• The Insects - an environmental apocalypse that would do Christopher and Wyndham proud.
The General Zapped an Angel had me at the title. I looked forward to a contemporary of Vonnegut's humour but instead found a writer who emphasised precise satirical analogy over character and world-building.
It is my belief that Fast penned amusing prose that wasn't afraid to turn plain when delivering an impassioned message about war, politics and the natural world.
While such honesty is admirable, it did sometimes remind me why I love stories with adornment. Witty turns of phrase and small characterful observations strengthen a short story by making it quotable. There are a few sentences in this collection that are inspiring, but they get lost in a tide of functional prose serving particular arguments.
That being said, the spec fic premises in The General Zapped an Angel are exactly my taste. Angels and devils critique human nature, science is misused on a grand scale, and oppressive societies are threatened by peculiar upheaval. The stories are fantastic but they clearly serve a more noble purpose than to simply entertain.
Nevertheless, if you're after a selection of left-leaning allegories with more cynicism than whimsy, I recommend The General Zapped an Angel.
Notable Stories
• The General Zapped an Angel - a sharp, celestial critique of American ideals during the Vietnam war.
• The Interval - a detached yet moving interpretation of the end of the world, at least for one man.
• The Insects - an environmental apocalypse that would do Christopher and Wyndham proud.
Read
July 13, 2023A pretty quick read, and some stories are definitely thought-provoking (if not hitting you over the head with the allegory). The writing style is interesting -- very direct and to the point. I like that it doesn't explain certain things and just lets them be. The endings are definitely abrupt sometimes, but in a way that feels intentional.
Favorites: The Mouse (heartbreaking), The Movie House (fun Allegory of the Cave retelling); runner up: The Insects
Least favorite: The Interval (maybe it was just me, but I felt like it dragged)
Favorites: The Mouse (heartbreaking), The Movie House (fun Allegory of the Cave retelling); runner up: The Insects
Least favorite: The Interval (maybe it was just me, but I felt like it dragged)
May 21, 2024
saw a review that listed their favorites! so mine would be:
1. the general zapped an angel
2. the wound
3. the vision of milty boil
4. tomorrow's wall street journal
like many others, i discovered this collection because of the book cover that evangelion referenced! sci-fi (thriller) and surreal (horror) are two genres i've been enjoying recently, but somehow i did not enjoy that overlap (as much as i wanted to) here. :/ some of the social commentary just falls flat, and in the stories where it's supposedly more speculative than realistic, it's not interesting enough. the story that the collection is named after is actually the best balance of that commentary and absurdity that i'm looking for!
would love to get more surreal, sci-fi/speculative fiction book recommendations tho!
1. the general zapped an angel
2. the wound
3. the vision of milty boil
4. tomorrow's wall street journal
like many others, i discovered this collection because of the book cover that evangelion referenced! sci-fi (thriller) and surreal (horror) are two genres i've been enjoying recently, but somehow i did not enjoy that overlap (as much as i wanted to) here. :/ some of the social commentary just falls flat, and in the stories where it's supposedly more speculative than realistic, it's not interesting enough. the story that the collection is named after is actually the best balance of that commentary and absurdity that i'm looking for!
would love to get more surreal, sci-fi/speculative fiction book recommendations tho!
December 7, 2025
Fascinating to read sci-fi from half a century ago. I think the writing is better than the concepts, but the concepts are a lot of fun. Something that feels out of date is the globalization of the Christian god, which I think is stronger in some stories (the titular one) and weaker in others (the one about the Native American man). For the angel, it’s interesting that he’s explicitly a blonde-haired and blue-eyed man in the jungles of Vietnam. I wonder how the story might have changed had he been Vietnamese, or a woman, idk.
July 2, 2020
Great speculative 70s stuff. Fast is one of those characters I wish I'd known about sooner -- jailed for not naming names to HUAC, writer of SPARTACUS, and (judging from this collection) a fascinatingly prolific writer. The stories in here are definitely classic speculative stories, with wry twists or blatant commentary on humanity. I'm so pleased Ecco reprinted this collection; now it's time to find more!
May 29, 2023
This is the third anthology of short stories I've read this year, the other two being Liberation Day by George Saunders and Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russel. This is my favorite of the three. I'd never heard of this book. I came across it mentioned in a discussion of Neon Genesis Evangelion regarding this book's original cover artwork as possible inspiration for imagery in the anime.
Like all anthologies, the stories vary somewhat in quality and effectiveness. My favorites here were the title work, The Wound, and The Mouse.
I read that at the time of publication, this collection received some criticism for being too obvious. I can understand, particularly with stories like The Wound. These aren't overly subtle, for sure. The intended morals are often decidedly on the nose.
Like all anthologies, the stories vary somewhat in quality and effectiveness. My favorites here were the title work, The Wound, and The Mouse.
I read that at the time of publication, this collection received some criticism for being too obvious. I can understand, particularly with stories like The Wound. These aren't overly subtle, for sure. The intended morals are often decidedly on the nose.
September 1, 2023
This is more like Aesop’s Fables than anything else, with thin parables about war, environmentalism, greed, and other stuff.
Starting the collection by talking about a general who used to get money for killing puppies and kittens is certainly a cover the author made. Most interesting bit is the thing about using nuclear weapons to try to do fracking, which is only slightly crazier than some of the real things people actually did with nukes.
Starting the collection by talking about a general who used to get money for killing puppies and kittens is certainly a cover the author made. Most interesting bit is the thing about using nuclear weapons to try to do fracking, which is only slightly crazier than some of the real things people actually did with nukes.
December 17, 2023
Eh, it's as good as many other collections, if a bit skimpy.
If you allow for their age, they're fine, and a couple stand out.
I left with the feeling that a smart guy saw an idea and immediately expresssed his thoughts on it in a short story, and that if you threw 50 more concepts at him you'd have 50 more stories by the end of the month.
Best of all, the writing always feels effortless and non-intrusive, with a consistent style.
If you allow for their age, they're fine, and a couple stand out.
I left with the feeling that a smart guy saw an idea and immediately expresssed his thoughts on it in a short story, and that if you threw 50 more concepts at him you'd have 50 more stories by the end of the month.
Best of all, the writing always feels effortless and non-intrusive, with a consistent style.
November 14, 2017
La ciencia ficción de mediados del siglo XX siempre me termina remitiendo a Dimensión Desconocida, también hay un sabor de inevitabilidad en el desenlace de cada historia. Aunque el cuento que le da nombre al libro es interesante, me resultaron más disfrutábles, e intrigantes, las historias del cinema, los insectos y el intervalo.
April 27, 2025
Una excelente colección de relatos satíricos que critican rotundamente nuestra sociedad actual. Algunos se encuadran en la ciencia ficción, otros en la fantasia, y algunos quizá pueden considerarse como fábulas. Aunque escritos durante la Guerra Fría, en mi opinión traspasan esa realidad y pueden aplicarse sin problemas a nuestro mundo actual.
August 2, 2025
I feel like I expected too much from the cover and title. The first story is pretty interesting, but almost every story felt simultaneously too on-the-nose but also too vague to make a good point. It’s rare to read something that drops lines and metaphors I agree with (as far as I can u understand the metaphors) but also be unable to pinpoint what the message even is.
January 29, 2020
In the forward to this book, Mark Harris writes (and I have nothing more astute to add), “the stories ... are not subtle, fussed- over pieces of prose. Straightforward and blunt, most of them read like a good day’s ... work written in plain English to get the point across.”
January 15, 2022
I've been wanting to read TGZaA for a long time, admittedly, only because of its cover. There was, however, some fun and charm in there, just enough to elevate Howard Fast above the level of midwit writer.
October 16, 2023
É uma coletânea bem interessante de ficção científica, umas histórias melhores outras mais fraquinhas mas na média são boas. Abordam temas e premissas interessantes, nem sempre desenvolvem muito mas todas competentes.
January 19, 2020
A quirky, mildly entertaining mix of short stories that seem very much in the vein of a Twilight Zone episode. “The Insects” and “The General Zapped an Angel” where my favorites.
April 15, 2020
surprinsgly good collection of still very relevant short stories
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