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The Knights of the Limits
Nine highly original, provocative science fiction tales by British master of the genre. The Exploration of Space, The Bees of Knowledge, Exit from City 5, Me and My Antronoscope, All the King's Men, An Overload, Mutation Planet, The Problem of Morley's Emission, and The Cabinet of Oliver Naylor; 218 pages.
218 pages, Hardcover
First published February 27, 1978
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About the author
Barrington J. Bayley
72 books41 followersBarrington J. Bayley published work principally under his own name but also using the pseudonyms ofAlan Aumbry, Michael Barrington (with Michael Moorcock), John Diamond and P.F. Woods.
Bayley was born in Birmingham and educated in Newport, Shropshire. He worked in a number of jobs before joining the Royal Air Force in 1955; his first published story, "Combat's End", had seen print the year before in UK-only publication Vargo Statten Magazine.
During the 1960s, Bayley's short stories featured regularly in New Worlds magazine and later in its successor, the paperback anthologies of the same name. He became friends with New Worlds editor Michael Moorcock, who largely instigated science fiction's New Wave movement. Bayley himself was part of the movement.
Bayley's first book, Star Virus, was followed by more than a dozen other novels; his downbeat, gloomy approach to novel writing has been cited as influential on the works of M. John Harrison, Brian Stableford and Bruce Sterling.
Bayley was born in Birmingham and educated in Newport, Shropshire. He worked in a number of jobs before joining the Royal Air Force in 1955; his first published story, "Combat's End", had seen print the year before in UK-only publication Vargo Statten Magazine.
During the 1960s, Bayley's short stories featured regularly in New Worlds magazine and later in its successor, the paperback anthologies of the same name. He became friends with New Worlds editor Michael Moorcock, who largely instigated science fiction's New Wave movement. Bayley himself was part of the movement.
Bayley's first book, Star Virus, was followed by more than a dozen other novels; his downbeat, gloomy approach to novel writing has been cited as influential on the works of M. John Harrison, Brian Stableford and Bruce Sterling.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 21, 2024
A collection of short stories by the still criminally ignored master, Barrington Bayley.
City 5 - Superb. A dome-enclosed city suspends among the endless expanses of the void. A demarcation event has occurred, where the observable sidereal universe from City 5 is shrinking into nothingness. Galaxies occupy ranges of less than a mile, and once gargantuan gaseous nebulae are now small clouds tunneling into collapse. Meanwhile, the event horizon between the two barely accepts the transference of matter. The city’s governmental factions are inherently conservative in an effort to retain humanity’s existence for infinity. A liberal movement, beginning with the arts and sciences, arises in the populace and the government, causing a civil war. A young man and his partner escape in a shuttle, rocketing through the vacuum of empty void. Is anything out there? Can humanity do nothing else but swallow itself whole?
An Overload - Superb. An underground city known as Megapolis is ruled by a syndicate of plutocratic officials bearing the names of 20th-century Hollywood actors. The party has gained complete control and occupancy of all forms of commerce and industry, successfully ruling over an ignorant populace. A new candidate arises in order to bring power back to the people. Two of his campaign members attempt to uncover the truth behind this seemingly unshakable ruling class. Can they overthrow that which controls all, or will the truth uncover an even deeper, maligning overlord?
Mutation Planet - Superb. Probably my favorite story in the collection. Meet “Dominus” of Planet 5, a roving, gelatinous entity of enormous size storming down the terrain of his planet, a landscape of which he is master and commander. Along the entire 8,000-mile expanse of his planet’s single continent, he has paved a road, one mile in width, to travel across at great velocity, leaving droplets of his genetic code along the way. This process ensures that no competing entity will ever grow more powerful than Dominus. One day, as he travels—he senses an object in his atmosphere in discordance with his environment.
Arriving on Planet 5 are five researchers: a team of two humans and three aliens, all from separate galaxies. They are all on a unified voyage for the discovery of knowledge across the universe and are each a representative of their own species, being the most intelligent of their kind. Something strange is occurring on Planet 5 that goes beyond the wondrous Dominus. Any SF lover will not regret following this one to the end.
“We all inhabit a vast dark, for which there is neither rhyme nor reason.”
All the King’s Men - Very Good. Ten years from now, three separate alien races have “peacefully” overthrown Earth’s native governments and nations. In this story, we are concerned with the alien king that presides over Britain. There is a thread so far in Bayley’s stories: Can any life form successfully sympathize with the existential goals of another? Are we able to extract purpose from the vastness of space in juxtaposition with our grain-of-sand predicament? Bayley approaches most stories with a calm stoicism, a humble bow and acknowledgment of humanity’s ignorance. As is also a common theme with Bayley, our alien king finds himself at odds with a human being staging an uprising to bring Britain back under the rightful claim of our species. Bayley’s extraterrestrials are all completely removed from the human experience. Human psychology, for them, is a labyrinth of vales and mountainous regions, while the aliens adopt a seemingly stoic observation of the circumstances of all life forms. Power is an illusion of importance.
Me and My Antronoscope - Good. At some point in a now-forgotten past, humanity took to drilling underground. Thousands of miles of drilling resulted in the discovery of empty cavities of rock, where now a large population of human life resides. In this enclosed space, humanity has relapsed into conservative instincts, governing their society through religious fundamentalism. The story is observed by an alien life form that is intrigued by this mode of living, where any being could believe the universe to be primarily dominated by solid matter. As the alien—presiding in the vacuums of infinite space understands, the universe is the opposite. Two scientific voyagers go against their government and set out on an expedition to discover more caverns in their rock-infested universe. Will they uncover the truth of their reality? A story of how one’s environment largely dictates their understanding and belief structure of the world.
The Bees of Knowledge - Superb. Again, Bayley gets a round of applause for the sheer degree of imagination he is able to conjure onto the page. What is most impressive is that Bayley can do this without crowding his stories with an excess of description. The prose is direct and sharp-edged; he doesn’t fall into the trap of paragraph upon paragraph of detail. He takes us to his worlds with ease.
In this story, our protagonist is the sole survivor of a shipwreck journeying in space. He is able to board an escape shuttle and guns it for the nearest planet. The planet has a hospitable environment for humans, and upon landing, he prepares to send a signal beaconing for help. As he’s working, a steady drone becomes audible upon the horizon, and two enormous bees pick him up and take him to their hive. Upon landing there, he’s forced to confront a strange environment and learn the mysterious truth behind these creatures, hopefully hatching an escape.
The Cabinet of Oliver Naylor - Superb. This is Bayley’s most prophetic story. I believe historical credit is needed for Bayley here; this is an early example of cyberpunk sprinkled with the flair of golden-age SF. Bayley deals with the question of identity using a novel VR device created by the protagonist. Here, Bayley is at his most exceedingly clever, integrating his love of Eastern philosophy with highly imaginative future technologies. A classic Bayley ending sends us off into the deepest recesses of the black void.
Bayley is a key writer of genre fiction. He is unwaveringly himself even whilst retaining a sort of conservatism from his pulp inspired roots. Bayley takes this inspiration and weaves it into his stunning imagination. An author that is still severely underrated and that sadly may not change.
City 5 - Superb. A dome-enclosed city suspends among the endless expanses of the void. A demarcation event has occurred, where the observable sidereal universe from City 5 is shrinking into nothingness. Galaxies occupy ranges of less than a mile, and once gargantuan gaseous nebulae are now small clouds tunneling into collapse. Meanwhile, the event horizon between the two barely accepts the transference of matter. The city’s governmental factions are inherently conservative in an effort to retain humanity’s existence for infinity. A liberal movement, beginning with the arts and sciences, arises in the populace and the government, causing a civil war. A young man and his partner escape in a shuttle, rocketing through the vacuum of empty void. Is anything out there? Can humanity do nothing else but swallow itself whole?
An Overload - Superb. An underground city known as Megapolis is ruled by a syndicate of plutocratic officials bearing the names of 20th-century Hollywood actors. The party has gained complete control and occupancy of all forms of commerce and industry, successfully ruling over an ignorant populace. A new candidate arises in order to bring power back to the people. Two of his campaign members attempt to uncover the truth behind this seemingly unshakable ruling class. Can they overthrow that which controls all, or will the truth uncover an even deeper, maligning overlord?
Mutation Planet - Superb. Probably my favorite story in the collection. Meet “Dominus” of Planet 5, a roving, gelatinous entity of enormous size storming down the terrain of his planet, a landscape of which he is master and commander. Along the entire 8,000-mile expanse of his planet’s single continent, he has paved a road, one mile in width, to travel across at great velocity, leaving droplets of his genetic code along the way. This process ensures that no competing entity will ever grow more powerful than Dominus. One day, as he travels—he senses an object in his atmosphere in discordance with his environment.
Arriving on Planet 5 are five researchers: a team of two humans and three aliens, all from separate galaxies. They are all on a unified voyage for the discovery of knowledge across the universe and are each a representative of their own species, being the most intelligent of their kind. Something strange is occurring on Planet 5 that goes beyond the wondrous Dominus. Any SF lover will not regret following this one to the end.
“We all inhabit a vast dark, for which there is neither rhyme nor reason.”
All the King’s Men - Very Good. Ten years from now, three separate alien races have “peacefully” overthrown Earth’s native governments and nations. In this story, we are concerned with the alien king that presides over Britain. There is a thread so far in Bayley’s stories: Can any life form successfully sympathize with the existential goals of another? Are we able to extract purpose from the vastness of space in juxtaposition with our grain-of-sand predicament? Bayley approaches most stories with a calm stoicism, a humble bow and acknowledgment of humanity’s ignorance. As is also a common theme with Bayley, our alien king finds himself at odds with a human being staging an uprising to bring Britain back under the rightful claim of our species. Bayley’s extraterrestrials are all completely removed from the human experience. Human psychology, for them, is a labyrinth of vales and mountainous regions, while the aliens adopt a seemingly stoic observation of the circumstances of all life forms. Power is an illusion of importance.
Me and My Antronoscope - Good. At some point in a now-forgotten past, humanity took to drilling underground. Thousands of miles of drilling resulted in the discovery of empty cavities of rock, where now a large population of human life resides. In this enclosed space, humanity has relapsed into conservative instincts, governing their society through religious fundamentalism. The story is observed by an alien life form that is intrigued by this mode of living, where any being could believe the universe to be primarily dominated by solid matter. As the alien—presiding in the vacuums of infinite space understands, the universe is the opposite. Two scientific voyagers go against their government and set out on an expedition to discover more caverns in their rock-infested universe. Will they uncover the truth of their reality? A story of how one’s environment largely dictates their understanding and belief structure of the world.
The Bees of Knowledge - Superb. Again, Bayley gets a round of applause for the sheer degree of imagination he is able to conjure onto the page. What is most impressive is that Bayley can do this without crowding his stories with an excess of description. The prose is direct and sharp-edged; he doesn’t fall into the trap of paragraph upon paragraph of detail. He takes us to his worlds with ease.
In this story, our protagonist is the sole survivor of a shipwreck journeying in space. He is able to board an escape shuttle and guns it for the nearest planet. The planet has a hospitable environment for humans, and upon landing, he prepares to send a signal beaconing for help. As he’s working, a steady drone becomes audible upon the horizon, and two enormous bees pick him up and take him to their hive. Upon landing there, he’s forced to confront a strange environment and learn the mysterious truth behind these creatures, hopefully hatching an escape.
The Cabinet of Oliver Naylor - Superb. This is Bayley’s most prophetic story. I believe historical credit is needed for Bayley here; this is an early example of cyberpunk sprinkled with the flair of golden-age SF. Bayley deals with the question of identity using a novel VR device created by the protagonist. Here, Bayley is at his most exceedingly clever, integrating his love of Eastern philosophy with highly imaginative future technologies. A classic Bayley ending sends us off into the deepest recesses of the black void.
Bayley is a key writer of genre fiction. He is unwaveringly himself even whilst retaining a sort of conservatism from his pulp inspired roots. Bayley takes this inspiration and weaves it into his stunning imagination. An author that is still severely underrated and that sadly may not change.
September 26, 2007
Rhys Hughes calls Bayley the "pulp Borges", and that is a pretty accurate description. Essaying many of the concerns that Calvino,Borges, and Lem write about, but addressing them with pulpy prose and situations(similiar ground to some of Philip K. Dick's stuff also). So you get questions of reality, identity,theology discussed in stories featuring talking chess sets,intelligent giant bees,a city ruled by electronic ghosts of movie stars and gangsters, a television that only shows iteself being made, a universe made of rock, and other strange worlds. Bayley takes ideas and warps into very odd shapes while staying entertaining, it should be noted that every story in this book is absolutely bleak. Brilliant but bleak. M.John Harrison, Michael Moorcock,William S. Burroughs are all huge fans of Bayley and I can see why.
September 12, 2025
With global incompetence showing its entropic strain on day-to-day-living, what better way to turn the page on hard/ugly reality, ditch the barbed clickbait of newsfeeds, and enter a fantastical universe terraformed and engineered by mad king, Barrington Bayley. This is top-shelf SF work here despite all its insane logic, two-bit characters in a universe where women don't seem to exist (unless fondled by tentacled beasts), and enough wargame destruction to satisfy the EE Doc Smithsonian School of blowing shit up, and doing it so colorfully and so unabashedly pulpy.
- The Exploration of Space • (1972)
An opium addict converses with an alien entity possessing the miniature knight of a chess board. The alien culture lives sideways only - they transcend through lengths only. All is described in wonky wordplay, where these two intelligences discuss the physics of lateral 'stereo spaces' along a grid-like universe where null spots show sporadically like danger zones -- cancers, perhaps -- both uninhibited yet dangerous. For some, too talky and too abstract, Barrington forges ahead with a nice opener playing with Edwin Abbot's novel 'Flatland' while conjuring flat course pathways of a disco-ized Tron landscape much more sinister than its video game veneer.
-The Bees of Knowledge • (1975)
Robinson Crusoe plays Jules Verne on some Fantastic Planet. Our lone space traveler is kidnapped by giant bees, and brought to a a hive world planet where he befriends curious flies, finds various junk from other civilizations, all while the beehive world around him destroys and rebuilds itself with an unknown and otherworldly evolution. Bayley has a fun time playing with his Crusoe template while indulging in all the otherworldy buggish shenanigans of Keith Robert's 'The Furies'. Oddly, there is a sense of Utopia at play here.
- Exit from City 5 • (1971)
F**k me, this story is so fun. Dome city is a mile-wide abode traveling in a deep space that has no life, no hope, and no dimension. The universe around City 5 is rapidly shrinking and is at the turning point of becoming non-existent, dunzo. While factions split within the dome ship settlement - one for free thought, the other for hard idealism - an attempt is made to breach the void. Has it all come to Destination Null, or will the rebels find a last scrap of solidity to call home?
- Me and My Antronoscope • (1973)
This time, a society is embedded deep into a planet, living a subterranean existence that has no hope for ever breaching towards light. However, all it takes is a rebel who journeys out through the solid mass of soil and rock in hopes of discovering new life, new settlements. However, with another consciousness entering the narrative, we wonder of the viability of the universe, and as readers, we in turn become the joke. Rich, evocative, and kind of silly in a BEM offhanded flourish.
- All the King's Men • (1965)
Alien kings come to Earth, take over Brazil and England. Each country advances with the alien technology however humans become restrained under the otherworldly logic of their new king, one that is both familiar and obtuse to lordships of old. When war wages out, loyalties are divided and intents are playfully obscured with espionage and patriotism combining a toxic rebirth. I'm feeling a bit of Iain Banks' 'Use of Weapons' vibe in this one, warships and neverending laser blast along the shores of sanity.
- An Overload • (1973)
A society is ruled by holovisual images of Burt Lancaster, James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, Frank Sinatra and Dutch Schultz. But the fringes of society wonder of the intentions of these fabricated Hollywood leaders. Can you usurp a digitized crime lord? How can you revolt against downloaded iconography? Very strange blend of pre-Cyberfunk and dime pulp sensibilities.
- Mutation Planet • (1973)
A brilliant horror novella. The creature Dominus oversees a planet with one-sided authority. This entity is evolution in itself, a massive slop of chromosomes and biojunk that floats over the planet both lord and spectator, a one-trick pony accelerating life cycles on hyperspeed. Mutations of creatures multiply within 24 hours only to be extinguished by the temperamental Dominus, while scientists from different planets team up and try to understand the beast's backward logic. Throw in a buxom astronaut attacked in a ropy pink mass of tentacles, and Barrington hits all the bullet points when it comes to gaudy and repulsive evo-grue.
- The Problem of Morley's Emission • (1978)
Energy fields, human hive-mind, social evolution. All come to play here in a pseudo-science report by a mad doctor. Come to think of it, is there a sane character in the entire Bayley universe?
- The Cabinet of Oliver Naylor • (1976)
A fine closer that is beyond muddled. The focus here is identity amidst the great cosmos, and how one would locate themselves in a borderless universe while also finding themselves hardfixed in Aristotle's play at solid reality/self. While by no means an easy read, 'The Cabinet of Oliver Naylor' shows that Bayley has little care for caution, and unravels the cerebral for the sole sense of cutting the cords on the readers and letting them find themselves anew, floating in dead space, living to die another day.
Essential. New Wave Wonders. A perfect companion for SF readers needing the best kind of bad trip.
- The Exploration of Space • (1972)
An opium addict converses with an alien entity possessing the miniature knight of a chess board. The alien culture lives sideways only - they transcend through lengths only. All is described in wonky wordplay, where these two intelligences discuss the physics of lateral 'stereo spaces' along a grid-like universe where null spots show sporadically like danger zones -- cancers, perhaps -- both uninhibited yet dangerous. For some, too talky and too abstract, Barrington forges ahead with a nice opener playing with Edwin Abbot's novel 'Flatland' while conjuring flat course pathways of a disco-ized Tron landscape much more sinister than its video game veneer.
-The Bees of Knowledge • (1975)
Robinson Crusoe plays Jules Verne on some Fantastic Planet. Our lone space traveler is kidnapped by giant bees, and brought to a a hive world planet where he befriends curious flies, finds various junk from other civilizations, all while the beehive world around him destroys and rebuilds itself with an unknown and otherworldly evolution. Bayley has a fun time playing with his Crusoe template while indulging in all the otherworldy buggish shenanigans of Keith Robert's 'The Furies'. Oddly, there is a sense of Utopia at play here.
- Exit from City 5 • (1971)
F**k me, this story is so fun. Dome city is a mile-wide abode traveling in a deep space that has no life, no hope, and no dimension. The universe around City 5 is rapidly shrinking and is at the turning point of becoming non-existent, dunzo. While factions split within the dome ship settlement - one for free thought, the other for hard idealism - an attempt is made to breach the void. Has it all come to Destination Null, or will the rebels find a last scrap of solidity to call home?
- Me and My Antronoscope • (1973)
This time, a society is embedded deep into a planet, living a subterranean existence that has no hope for ever breaching towards light. However, all it takes is a rebel who journeys out through the solid mass of soil and rock in hopes of discovering new life, new settlements. However, with another consciousness entering the narrative, we wonder of the viability of the universe, and as readers, we in turn become the joke. Rich, evocative, and kind of silly in a BEM offhanded flourish.
- All the King's Men • (1965)
Alien kings come to Earth, take over Brazil and England. Each country advances with the alien technology however humans become restrained under the otherworldly logic of their new king, one that is both familiar and obtuse to lordships of old. When war wages out, loyalties are divided and intents are playfully obscured with espionage and patriotism combining a toxic rebirth. I'm feeling a bit of Iain Banks' 'Use of Weapons' vibe in this one, warships and neverending laser blast along the shores of sanity.
- An Overload • (1973)
A society is ruled by holovisual images of Burt Lancaster, James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, Frank Sinatra and Dutch Schultz. But the fringes of society wonder of the intentions of these fabricated Hollywood leaders. Can you usurp a digitized crime lord? How can you revolt against downloaded iconography? Very strange blend of pre-Cyberfunk and dime pulp sensibilities.
- Mutation Planet • (1973)
A brilliant horror novella. The creature Dominus oversees a planet with one-sided authority. This entity is evolution in itself, a massive slop of chromosomes and biojunk that floats over the planet both lord and spectator, a one-trick pony accelerating life cycles on hyperspeed. Mutations of creatures multiply within 24 hours only to be extinguished by the temperamental Dominus, while scientists from different planets team up and try to understand the beast's backward logic. Throw in a buxom astronaut attacked in a ropy pink mass of tentacles, and Barrington hits all the bullet points when it comes to gaudy and repulsive evo-grue.
- The Problem of Morley's Emission • (1978)
Energy fields, human hive-mind, social evolution. All come to play here in a pseudo-science report by a mad doctor. Come to think of it, is there a sane character in the entire Bayley universe?
- The Cabinet of Oliver Naylor • (1976)
A fine closer that is beyond muddled. The focus here is identity amidst the great cosmos, and how one would locate themselves in a borderless universe while also finding themselves hardfixed in Aristotle's play at solid reality/self. While by no means an easy read, 'The Cabinet of Oliver Naylor' shows that Bayley has little care for caution, and unravels the cerebral for the sole sense of cutting the cords on the readers and letting them find themselves anew, floating in dead space, living to die another day.
Essential. New Wave Wonders. A perfect companion for SF readers needing the best kind of bad trip.
August 25, 2024
Nice collection of intelligent, thought provoking stories which mostly play with human emotions and are full of novel concepts, ideas and new ways of thinking about intelligence, human or alien. The stories in detail:
The Exploration of Space: An overconfident physics professor receives visitors from another world/space while playing chess. They seem to live in a chess-like world, without being able to move continuously in space, but rather like chess pieces moving discontinuously from one place to another. They communicate through the chess figures to him. It is full of physical detail and I am quite sure that I have explained it inadequately. A rather weak start to the collection for me, as it is rather an essay than a story. 2/5
The Bees of Knowledge: The sole survivor of a space expedition finds himself on an unknown planet and is captured by giant bees in their hive. Are they intelligent beings? How can he save himself? Is there another sentient being on this planet? This story got me, the ending is what short stories should be, very good! 4.5/5
Exit from City 5: The known universe has shrunk to non-existence, so rescue missions have been conducted to save at least some of humanity by somehow managing to escape into another space (again, the physical explanation is hard to grasp), but only one city has survived. Now, a long time later, the inhabitants of this City 5 live in deep space under a huge dome, but there is no one else around. Quite similar in theme to Arthur C. Clarke's The City and the Stars. The ending and the writing style of this story got me! 4/5
Me and My Antronoscope: An intertwined story of bipedal beings that are living in a giant cavity and assume that there may exist other such cavities, but due to their "faith" they have prohibited "space" travel. The ending seems to be off-topic, at least are told from another, quite funny perspective. 3.5/5
All the King's Men: Britain is ruled by an alien king and goes to war with the king of Brazil, which is also in alien hands. Can the humans free themselves, or does it really matter who rules and wins the war? A short story about first contact and the importance of the actions of individual people and cultures against the backdrop of the universe. Clever! 4/5
An overload: Two separate megacities, one above and one below the surface. The latter is ruled by polycracy and the 6 leaders seem to resemble old Hollywood stars. They can communicate with so-called ipse holo where one has the feeling that the hologram is really in the same room. Interesting ideas with a surprising ending. 3/5
Mutation Planet: A star-travelling menagerie of humans and aliens arrives on a planet where all inhabitants are able to alter their genes and produce altered offspring so that the species is not bound to random mutations. A very gripping and intelligent story where all protagonists are looking for their own goal... Absolutely great! 5/5
The Problem of Morley's Emission: An innovative essay on the two opposing but inseparable poles of individuality and society. Interesting ideas and consequences, but difficult to grasp on first reading. Perhaps needs to be read again. 2.5/5
The Cabinet of Oliver Naylor: Maybe the most ambitious story in this collection. It depicts the inventive mind of Oliver Naylor who travels the universe in his space habitat developing and improving a VR device. It‘s a story about identity and modesty or loneliness which is filled with unreal (?) drama plays. Very good! 4/5
Overall Score: 3.6/5
The Exploration of Space: An overconfident physics professor receives visitors from another world/space while playing chess. They seem to live in a chess-like world, without being able to move continuously in space, but rather like chess pieces moving discontinuously from one place to another. They communicate through the chess figures to him. It is full of physical detail and I am quite sure that I have explained it inadequately. A rather weak start to the collection for me, as it is rather an essay than a story. 2/5
The Bees of Knowledge: The sole survivor of a space expedition finds himself on an unknown planet and is captured by giant bees in their hive. Are they intelligent beings? How can he save himself? Is there another sentient being on this planet? This story got me, the ending is what short stories should be, very good! 4.5/5
Exit from City 5: The known universe has shrunk to non-existence, so rescue missions have been conducted to save at least some of humanity by somehow managing to escape into another space (again, the physical explanation is hard to grasp), but only one city has survived. Now, a long time later, the inhabitants of this City 5 live in deep space under a huge dome, but there is no one else around. Quite similar in theme to Arthur C. Clarke's The City and the Stars. The ending and the writing style of this story got me! 4/5
Me and My Antronoscope: An intertwined story of bipedal beings that are living in a giant cavity and assume that there may exist other such cavities, but due to their "faith" they have prohibited "space" travel. The ending seems to be off-topic, at least are told from another, quite funny perspective. 3.5/5
All the King's Men: Britain is ruled by an alien king and goes to war with the king of Brazil, which is also in alien hands. Can the humans free themselves, or does it really matter who rules and wins the war? A short story about first contact and the importance of the actions of individual people and cultures against the backdrop of the universe. Clever! 4/5
An overload: Two separate megacities, one above and one below the surface. The latter is ruled by polycracy and the 6 leaders seem to resemble old Hollywood stars. They can communicate with so-called ipse holo where one has the feeling that the hologram is really in the same room. Interesting ideas with a surprising ending. 3/5
Mutation Planet: A star-travelling menagerie of humans and aliens arrives on a planet where all inhabitants are able to alter their genes and produce altered offspring so that the species is not bound to random mutations. A very gripping and intelligent story where all protagonists are looking for their own goal... Absolutely great! 5/5
The Problem of Morley's Emission: An innovative essay on the two opposing but inseparable poles of individuality and society. Interesting ideas and consequences, but difficult to grasp on first reading. Perhaps needs to be read again. 2.5/5
The Cabinet of Oliver Naylor: Maybe the most ambitious story in this collection. It depicts the inventive mind of Oliver Naylor who travels the universe in his space habitat developing and improving a VR device. It‘s a story about identity and modesty or loneliness which is filled with unreal (?) drama plays. Very good! 4/5
Overall Score: 3.6/5
December 14, 2014
A profoundly engrossing, if not, wholly mind-bending collection of deeply philosophical sf by a truly unheralded Grand master of the form, Barrington Bayley. Some others have likened his style to Philip K. Dick, but I actually felt that Bayley's maudlin art was entirely his own. There is a blackened pessimism to these wildly disparate tales that got me on numerous occasions, especially 'Exit City 5' with its truly heart-freezing denouement; gritty stuff indeed, and certainly not for the faint of heart; added to that, there is a palpable sense of claustrophobia here; stifling; thereby creating a grim paradox, which many other sf authors boggled by the sheer expanse of space, with Bayley drawing the walls tight around the reader, until one is soon lost in the giddy, intemperate worlds of inner space. I especially enjoyed 'Mutation Planet' and 'The Cabinet of Oliver Naylor', both of these erudite tales agitated my synapses in a frightfully appealing manner. 'The Knights of The Limits' is damn near essential reading to any serious fan of bold and imaginative science fiction. I have never really understood the ubiquity of the phase 'mind-bending', an erroneous claim, since all minds are bent from their natal inception: I might suggest that, and I hope this doesn't sound trite, this remarkable collection is a generously mind-feeding affair.
March 8, 2024
Very good high-concept SF short stories.
August 13, 2024
A mixed bag of short stories, some I did enjoy, and some I didn't. The collection was significantly elevated by the inclusion of 'Mutation Planet' which was excellent and would make for an awesome big-budget movie.
January 16, 2022
This is a collection of early works that is highly prised amongst British New Wave sf fans. There are distinct glimmerings of the brilliance that created such dazzling masterpieces as The Star Virus, Garments of Caean, Soul of the Robot and Fall of Chronopolis, but overall there is too much content here for the short story form. The prose is dense rather than lyrical and it's easy to get lost. As a period piece, The Knights of the Limits is superlative but to enjoy Barrington J Bayley at his flamboyant best, look to his novels, wherein the longer form allows his bizarre imagination room to breathe. Interesting but ultimately a disappointment.
December 3, 2024
Average rating: 2.7/5 stars
It’s very possible this collection was simply 1) not for me and 2) too smart for me.
Science fiction is often celebrated as the genre of ideas, and Knights of the Limits certainly leans into that reputation. However, I believe the best science fiction does more than just present provocative concepts—it uses prose, plot, characters, and worldbuilding to create an immersive, emotionally engaging experience that elevates those ideas. Unfortunately, Bayley’s collection frequently felt like the ideas were carrying the stories rather than the other way around.
That said, Bayley’s imagination is undeniable, and he explores bold, unconventional concepts with a precision and intellect reminiscent of Borges. Yet, for me, the lack of emotional resonance and sometimes overly dry delivery made it a challenge to stay engaged.
”The Exploration of Space” - 2/5
Man gets high on opium, hallucinates that his chess pieces are talking to him about space-time.
An odd beginning to this short story collection, “The Exploration of Space” does exactly was it says that it’s doing: it’s discussing space-time and the hypothetical makeup of different levels of the universe. It’s expressed between a man and his chess pieces, framing concepts between what you and I experience against what a chess piece would experience as they move across the board.
One of the most Borges-esque of the collection. I found it too dry and cerebral for my liking.
”The Bees of Knowledge” - 2/5
A sole survivor of a spaceship wreck finds himself on a planet seemingly dominated by man-sized bees. There he survives in the beehive, tasting of the knowledge the bees collect.
Bayley has a lot of unique ideas here. His exploration of the difference between intelligence and knowledge was well done. But I felt the prose and narration style was stiff, distant, and unemotive. Again, it gave me heavy Borges vibes.
I was just hoping for some emotional anchor to help thrust me through the heavy science fiction. I worry I might be too dumb for Bayley, guys. (Spoilers: it looks like I am.)
”Exit from City 5” - 3/5
A little less esoteric, “Exit from City 5” follows the perspectives of two men on the only surviving dome after the shrinking collapse of space-time. Humanity wrestled with the fear of their future, resulting in the burgeoning of a civil war. However, one man decides to escape it with his girlfriend and try to find another island of space-time like City 5. Instead he finds sensory deprivation sex. No joke.
Bayley was exploring the soft sciences here—asking if humanity could ever survive itself. It’s a great question that’s built upon a unique foundation of science. Yet it felt stifled to me. I yearned for something far more, whether that was plot or character depth, or perhaps more writing flair. Regardless, it just felt alright, which—to be fair—is a step up from the last two stories.
”Me and My Antronoscope” - 4/5
A fun, clever take on why ignoring space exploration is a mistake.
The story is framed by multiple beings watching two men explore the confines of their subterranean world. You see, humanity has lived underground for centuries and they only believe in one cavity of space. Now, the two men are fighting the system and exploring their world despite the controlling aristocracy.
Thus far, this was the first time I enjoyed reading Bayley. It’s not a masterpiece. It doesn’t have beautiful structure or prose. But it is a solid story with a great premise: your environment dictates your perception of reality.
”All the King’s Men” - 3/5
After humanity is “peacefully” conquered, the new ruling class of aliens rule with something close to benevolence. But humanity can’t stand to be under the thumb much longer. Following the perspective of the King’s right-hand man, we follow the burgeoning uprising against the new alien overlords.
Without belaboring the point, Bayley explores how small our perspective can be when we focus on nations compared to the expanse of the universe. But perhaps a stronger heft might’ve helped land his point home.
”An Overload” - 3/5
A subterranean world is controlled by the syndicate, a plutocracy made up of 20th century actors. No seriously.
The reveal at the end could have been cool if it wasn’t so painfully obvious. I mean, a guy who 1) is physically described as looking like Frank Sinatra, 2) is literally called Frank Sinatra, and 3) talks exactly like Frank Sinatra—surprise, surprise, he turns out to be a simulacrum of Frank Sinatra!
The idea of a literal, physically palatable charisma is pretty neat though. And the idea is pretty cool that [spoilers] the computer system has been psychologically altering humanity to stay underground with them. But the puzzle pieces don’t mesh well together. It still feels to jagged with gaps missing.
Honestly, this story reads well, it just is missing the extra oomph to make it a good story. I wish Bayley could take an idea like this and push it to the next level!
”Mutation Planet” - 4/5
An investigation team of humans and aliens land on a world where evolution doesn’t converge, but instead reacts to the stimulus around it.
This is probably the best story in the collection. The idea is fresh, alien, and unique. The ending is evocative and leaving you thinking without relying on a big “twist” or anything. Its tone reminds me of old SF writers like Asimov or Clarke in that it’s mostly an idea-driven story.
On one hand, that’s good! It keeps you focused on the ideas Bayley is presenting. On the other hand, I found it lacking emotional weight which took me out of the story. Namely, [spoilers], a character dies horribly and no one—not even the love interest—seems emotionally distraught.
”The Problem of Morley’s Emission” - 1/5
My eyes glazed over as I read this one. It read more like a college paper lecture, which I think was the point. I started speed-reading to get through it.
”The Cabinet of Oliver Naylor” - 3/5
If anything, this collection has been consistent. Bayley continues to show off his imaginative chops. I’m sure it’s a little repetitive to say, but—man!—I just wanted something more out of this.
”xxxxxxxx” - x/5
It’s very possible this collection was simply 1) not for me and 2) too smart for me.
Science fiction is often celebrated as the genre of ideas, and Knights of the Limits certainly leans into that reputation. However, I believe the best science fiction does more than just present provocative concepts—it uses prose, plot, characters, and worldbuilding to create an immersive, emotionally engaging experience that elevates those ideas. Unfortunately, Bayley’s collection frequently felt like the ideas were carrying the stories rather than the other way around.
That said, Bayley’s imagination is undeniable, and he explores bold, unconventional concepts with a precision and intellect reminiscent of Borges. Yet, for me, the lack of emotional resonance and sometimes overly dry delivery made it a challenge to stay engaged.
”The Exploration of Space” - 2/5
Man gets high on opium, hallucinates that his chess pieces are talking to him about space-time.
An odd beginning to this short story collection, “The Exploration of Space” does exactly was it says that it’s doing: it’s discussing space-time and the hypothetical makeup of different levels of the universe. It’s expressed between a man and his chess pieces, framing concepts between what you and I experience against what a chess piece would experience as they move across the board.
One of the most Borges-esque of the collection. I found it too dry and cerebral for my liking.
”The Bees of Knowledge” - 2/5
A sole survivor of a spaceship wreck finds himself on a planet seemingly dominated by man-sized bees. There he survives in the beehive, tasting of the knowledge the bees collect.
Bayley has a lot of unique ideas here. His exploration of the difference between intelligence and knowledge was well done. But I felt the prose and narration style was stiff, distant, and unemotive. Again, it gave me heavy Borges vibes.
I was just hoping for some emotional anchor to help thrust me through the heavy science fiction. I worry I might be too dumb for Bayley, guys. (Spoilers: it looks like I am.)
”Exit from City 5” - 3/5
A little less esoteric, “Exit from City 5” follows the perspectives of two men on the only surviving dome after the shrinking collapse of space-time. Humanity wrestled with the fear of their future, resulting in the burgeoning of a civil war. However, one man decides to escape it with his girlfriend and try to find another island of space-time like City 5. Instead he finds sensory deprivation sex. No joke.
Bayley was exploring the soft sciences here—asking if humanity could ever survive itself. It’s a great question that’s built upon a unique foundation of science. Yet it felt stifled to me. I yearned for something far more, whether that was plot or character depth, or perhaps more writing flair. Regardless, it just felt alright, which—to be fair—is a step up from the last two stories.
”Me and My Antronoscope” - 4/5
A fun, clever take on why ignoring space exploration is a mistake.
The story is framed by multiple beings watching two men explore the confines of their subterranean world. You see, humanity has lived underground for centuries and they only believe in one cavity of space. Now, the two men are fighting the system and exploring their world despite the controlling aristocracy.
Thus far, this was the first time I enjoyed reading Bayley. It’s not a masterpiece. It doesn’t have beautiful structure or prose. But it is a solid story with a great premise: your environment dictates your perception of reality.
”All the King’s Men” - 3/5
After humanity is “peacefully” conquered, the new ruling class of aliens rule with something close to benevolence. But humanity can’t stand to be under the thumb much longer. Following the perspective of the King’s right-hand man, we follow the burgeoning uprising against the new alien overlords.
Without belaboring the point, Bayley explores how small our perspective can be when we focus on nations compared to the expanse of the universe. But perhaps a stronger heft might’ve helped land his point home.
”An Overload” - 3/5
A subterranean world is controlled by the syndicate, a plutocracy made up of 20th century actors. No seriously.
The reveal at the end could have been cool if it wasn’t so painfully obvious. I mean, a guy who 1) is physically described as looking like Frank Sinatra, 2) is literally called Frank Sinatra, and 3) talks exactly like Frank Sinatra—surprise, surprise, he turns out to be a simulacrum of Frank Sinatra!
The idea of a literal, physically palatable charisma is pretty neat though. And the idea is pretty cool that [spoilers] the computer system has been psychologically altering humanity to stay underground with them. But the puzzle pieces don’t mesh well together. It still feels to jagged with gaps missing.
Honestly, this story reads well, it just is missing the extra oomph to make it a good story. I wish Bayley could take an idea like this and push it to the next level!
”Mutation Planet” - 4/5
An investigation team of humans and aliens land on a world where evolution doesn’t converge, but instead reacts to the stimulus around it.
This is probably the best story in the collection. The idea is fresh, alien, and unique. The ending is evocative and leaving you thinking without relying on a big “twist” or anything. Its tone reminds me of old SF writers like Asimov or Clarke in that it’s mostly an idea-driven story.
On one hand, that’s good! It keeps you focused on the ideas Bayley is presenting. On the other hand, I found it lacking emotional weight which took me out of the story. Namely, [spoilers], a character dies horribly and no one—not even the love interest—seems emotionally distraught.
”The Problem of Morley’s Emission” - 1/5
My eyes glazed over as I read this one. It read more like a college paper lecture, which I think was the point. I started speed-reading to get through it.
”The Cabinet of Oliver Naylor” - 3/5
If anything, this collection has been consistent. Bayley continues to show off his imaginative chops. I’m sure it’s a little repetitive to say, but—man!—I just wanted something more out of this.
”xxxxxxxx” - x/5
September 7, 2015
3 and a half stars. 4 for the madly inventive ideas, and the brilliant concept that links them. but then on the other hand, barely 3 for the actual writing, which reads a whole lot like Brian Stapleton, which okay, okay, goes with the concept, but is nevertheless hard shovelling all the same. altogether, required reading, and let's admit it's an absolute classic, one of a kind and a logical conceit carried brilliantly to its (il)logical conclusion, while along the way a lot of science guys and philosophers get usefully hoist to their own petards. but caveat: that doesn't mean the reading thereof is gonna bring the fun.
January 20, 2018
A bunch of short stories to stretch the imagination. Not what I was expecting or hoping for, and I've needed to go back over them to refresh my memory of the impression they made. So, they do not flow nicely into a compelling story and require a bit more patience as they each have an extreme aspect to them - translation out of the current universe, for example, or travel through the multiverse. They stretch the imagination and explore radical ideas, mainly physics but also in biology, but have an abstract nature which is sometime the narration of the authors explanations. Not bad but a bit of a slog.
January 13, 2014
I have misgivings about this collection's pacing--it starts with its weakest story, then later on has two stories back-to-back that are very similar in feel--but I was generally very impressed by the vigor and diversity of the ideas on display. In some ways Bayley reminds me of Dick, except that his examination of human nature is pointed outward to the environment and its influence on the individual rather than inward to the psyche. Surprisingly good!
October 14, 2022
A collection of downbeat New Wave SF stories from Michael Moorcock's friend Barrington J. Bayley. Bayley takes the reader from an opium addict's conversation with an interdimensional traveler, to a world where alien insects hoard knowlege, a universe seemingly made of solid stone and beyond. New Wave SF is usually hit-or-miss with me, this collection is mostly hits.
May 1, 2024
Not aging well. New wave ideas but presented in almost 1950s style writing and political
(In)correctness. I fought to get over the anachronisms ( which all sci fi will of course suffer but this more than many).
(In)correctness. I fought to get over the anachronisms ( which all sci fi will of course suffer but this more than many).
October 8, 2014
Sci-fi short stories about space, time, and consciousness.
February 21, 2023
Interestingly different. Obvious dated (as old as me). But some of the stories are fantastic, the last one, The cabinet if Oliver Naylor, being my favourite.
October 30, 2024
While amazingly forward-thinking at times (AIs that are based on mass produced media? A computer that can generate random stories?) this book's real strength is as a series of experiments, most of them of dubious results, on what a story really needs to function as a story.
Does a story really need characters? (The Exploration of Space, The Problem of Morley's Emission) Does a story really need motivation? (The Bees of Knowledge) Does a story really need an ending? (Exit from City 5) Should you make your story a closed line, with beginning, middle and end, or should you leave whole plot threads dangling off like vestigial limbs? (Me and my Antronoscope, The Cabinet of Oliver Naylor)
By the second half of the book, where stories begin to make actual front-to-back sense and actual characters are included, mostly of the "Victorian English somehow in the 23rd century" and "she breasted boobily down the stairs" variety, the writing becomes almost dull in comparison.
Does a story really need characters? (The Exploration of Space, The Problem of Morley's Emission) Does a story really need motivation? (The Bees of Knowledge) Does a story really need an ending? (Exit from City 5) Should you make your story a closed line, with beginning, middle and end, or should you leave whole plot threads dangling off like vestigial limbs? (Me and my Antronoscope, The Cabinet of Oliver Naylor)
By the second half of the book, where stories begin to make actual front-to-back sense and actual characters are included, mostly of the "Victorian English somehow in the 23rd century" and "she breasted boobily down the stairs" variety, the writing becomes almost dull in comparison.
May 21, 2025
Barrington is an Idea Engine
Never have I encountered an author so fresh on ideas. Almost as if it were a currency and he were determined to make his millions in them. You will encounter incredibly deep concepts full of intrigue and likely to have never otherwise entered thy dome. It’s truly refreshing and incredibly unique.
You won’t enjoy every single concept or story but you will experience wonder and respect for this man’s curiosity. The writing is also quite good and the character portrayals are thick. He also pulls no punches so expect the unexpected. Overall I can see why this man was so influential in the field of science fiction, especially the New Wave
Never have I encountered an author so fresh on ideas. Almost as if it were a currency and he were determined to make his millions in them. You will encounter incredibly deep concepts full of intrigue and likely to have never otherwise entered thy dome. It’s truly refreshing and incredibly unique.
You won’t enjoy every single concept or story but you will experience wonder and respect for this man’s curiosity. The writing is also quite good and the character portrayals are thick. He also pulls no punches so expect the unexpected. Overall I can see why this man was so influential in the field of science fiction, especially the New Wave
March 3, 2019
This would have been two stars, but there's no doubting the wealth of ideas going on here. That's part of the problem; Bayley just doesn't know when to stop. He overloads each 'story' with idea after idea, few even tangentially linked, at the expense of any solid narrative. He is not a good storyteller (two stories coming one after the other are virtually identical). Nor can he create characters. Nor can he write particularly elegantly. There's also a very old school 'Britishness' permeating everything that makes you constantly check when this was published. He sticks in some sexual references just to show he has lived through the Sixties, but it's all very old-fashioned. What stories feature women are invariably horribly sexist. It is all extremely off-putting and often boring. I would even quibble that his ideas sometimes are not all that radical (consider his 'The Exploration of Space' versus something like Abbott's much earlier 'Flatland'). But...there are so many ideas here. I think 'Mutation Planet' and 'The Cabinet of Oliver Naylor' come closest to knitting their various concepts into something almost cohesive. They won the extra star for me, but reading this is not an experience I want to repeat.
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