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The Mind Spider and Other Stories
There can be no doubt that Fritz Leiber is one of the foremost talents writing Science Fiction and Fantasy today. The unique ideas and techniques he has created for his novels and stories have earned him an impressive reputation - both in and out of the Science Fiction world.
The stories included in the collection you now hold are some of the finest examples of the high quality, imagination, and pure reading pleasure that the world has come to expect from the genius of Fritz Leiber.
• The Haunted Future - (1959)
• Damnation Morning - (1959)
• The Oldest Soldier - (1960)
• Midnight in the Mirror World - (1964)
• The Number of the Beast - (1958)
• The Mind Spider - (1959)
The stories included in the collection you now hold are some of the finest examples of the high quality, imagination, and pure reading pleasure that the world has come to expect from the genius of Fritz Leiber.
• The Haunted Future - (1959)
• Damnation Morning - (1959)
• The Oldest Soldier - (1960)
• Midnight in the Mirror World - (1964)
• The Number of the Beast - (1958)
• The Mind Spider - (1959)
148 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1961
3 people are currently reading
211 people want to read
About the author
Fritz Leiber
1,334 books1,055 followersFritz Reuter Leiber Jr. was one of the more interesting of the young writers who came into HP Lovecraft's orbit, and some of his best early short fiction is horror rather than sf or fantasy. He found his mature voice early in the first of the sword-and-sorcery adventures featuring the large sensitive barbarian Fafhrd and the small street-smart-ish Gray Mouser; he returned to this series at various points in his career, using it sometimes for farce and sometimes for gloomy mood pieces--The Swords of Lankhmar is perhaps the best single volume of their adventures. Leiber's science fiction includes the planet-smashing The Wanderer in which a large cast mostly survive flood, fire, and the sexual attentions of feline aliens, and the satirical A Spectre is Haunting Texas in which a gangling, exo-skeleton-clad actor from the Moon leads a revolution and finds his true love. Leiber's late short fiction, and the fine horror novel Our Lady of Darkness, combine autobiographical issues like his struggle with depression and alcoholism with meditations on the emotional content of the fantastic genres. Leiber's capacity for endless self-reinvention and productive self-examination kept him, until his death, one of the most modern of his sf generation.
Used These Alternate Names: Maurice Breçon, Fric Lajber, Fritz Leiber, Jr., Fritz R. Leiber, Fritz Leiber Jun., Фриц Лейбер, F. Lieber, フリッツ・ライバー
Used These Alternate Names: Maurice Breçon, Fric Lajber, Fritz Leiber, Jr., Fritz R. Leiber, Fritz Leiber Jun., Фриц Лейбер, F. Lieber, フリッツ・ライバー
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
February 14, 2024
El cuento medianoche en el mundo de los espejos se ha tratado con mayor detalle en el programa de Gabinete de Curiosidades: 15 cuentos de terror para pasar Halloween: https://go.ivoox.com/rf/118780045
Fritz Leiber es considerado como el autor que acuñó el término Espada y Brujería para definir ese género habitado por bárbaros semidesnudos en pugna con oscuros nigromantes en mundos medievales y exóticos en los que los buenos no son tan buenos pero los malos, desde luego, son terribles. O sea, el precursor del grimdark. O sea, Conan el bárbaro. O sea, lo que hizo famoso a Fritz Leiber. Sin embargo, puede que Fafhrd y el Ratonero Gris sean la saga más recordada de este autor, pero es solo una pequeña muestra de su versatilidad como narrador de género, pues cultivó tanto la fantasía, el terror como la ciencia ficción, género este último en el que se hizo con todos los Hugo y Nebulas habidos y por haber, especialmente en el formato corto. Porque sí, Leiber era un titán del relato corto, y ha escrito varios cuentos que me parecen de lo mejorcito del género. Eso sí, ninguno se encuentra en esta antología. Miento: hay uno.
Los relatos incluidos en esta antología son los siguientes:
-El futuro encantado (***): en una sociedad americana post-nuclear anestesiada por los adelantos en psiquiatría y farmacología, los peores instintos y vicios del ser humano han sido suprimidos. Lo que parece todo un avance se revela al poco, en realidad, una sociedad pusilánime, incapaz de gestionar sus emociones y sentimientos y absolutamente subyugada por la química. Algunos científicos ya se han percatado de este problema y encuentran una solución a esta alienación. Es un relato que acierta bastante a la hora de señalar cómo el abuso de ciertos fármacos solo ponen parche a un grave problema. Guarda ligeros parecidos con Demolition Man y podría ser un gran relato de no ser por su estructura.
-La mañana de la condena (**): un relato que nos introduce en el universo de La guerra del cambio, en el que, al morir, los seres humanos son extraídos de su línea temporal para luchar en un conflicto entre dos facciones que buscan cambiar la historia. Suena muy bien, pero no os llevéis a error. Este relato es tan abstracto que apenas se entiende que quiere contar Leiber. No se si la culpa la habrá tenido la traducción, pero desde luego que es de las historias de viajes en el tiempo que menos he disfrutado.
-El soldado veterano (***): en una taberna en la que se varias generaciones de veteranos de guerra, Max destaca de entre todos ellos por las pintorescas batallitas que cuenta. Si hubiera que creerle, se diría que ha combatido en todas las guerras, pasadas y futuras. Uno de los parroquianos, el narrador, ha conectado mucho con Max, y decide acompañarle a su casa para continuar la conversación cuando, por el camino, un extraño ser perruno les anda siguiendo. Un relato llamativo mezcla de terror y ciencia ficción que, según he leído en internet, también pertenecería a la Guerra del cambio.
-Medianoche en el mundo de los espejos (*****): este es uno de los relatos de mi vida, uno de los pocos que, cuando lo leí en su momento, me produjo un estremecimiento como no he vuelto a sentir más que con otros relatos igual de excelentes. Y es que solo la premisa es acongojante. Un erudito, aislado del mundo en su torreón, con la única compañía de su piano, su telescopio y su ajedrez, una noche observa el reflejo del reflejo del espejo, esa sucesión de escenas que se repiten hasta el infinito. En uno de esos muchos reflejos, en el séptimo, hay una figura borrosa. A la siguiente noche, la figura está un espejo más cerca del observador. Es tan, pero tan inquietante su inicio, tan sugerente su escenario, que le perdono lo previsible que es su desenlace. Y es que cuando Leiber es bueno es muy bueno.
-El número de la bestia (***): la especie humana quiere forjar una alianza con una raza extraterrestre. Sin embargo, las negociaciones se han visto comprometidas debido al asesinato de uno de los líderes extraterrestres por parte de un asesino a sueldo. La policía ha logrado dar con cuatro asesinos, cuatro profesionales contratados por cuatro potencias desconocidas. El problema es que estos asesinos son telépatas, por lo que cualquier interrogatorio convencional está condenado al trabajo. El narrador, el policía encargado de la investigación, esta en un callejón sin salida, por lo que acude a un superior retirado que dará con la clave utilizando el pensamiento lateral. Una anécdota simpática si te gustan las matemáticas.
-La mente araña (**): debe de ser de los pocos casos en que el relato homónimo es de los peores del conjunto. La familia Horn son telépatas. Esto no quiere decir que puedan leer la mente de las personas ni de los animales, ni tampoco controlar los pensamientos de otros o mover objetos con la mente. Su telepatía está restringida a los miembros de su familia. Sin embargo, una entidad desconocida se ha introducido dentro de su universo mental amenazando con tomar posesión de la personalidad de los cinco integrantes de la familia. Muy, muy flojo, con unas imágenes de ese limbo telepático muy confusas y poco inspiradas.
Fritz Leiber es considerado como el autor que acuñó el término Espada y Brujería para definir ese género habitado por bárbaros semidesnudos en pugna con oscuros nigromantes en mundos medievales y exóticos en los que los buenos no son tan buenos pero los malos, desde luego, son terribles. O sea, el precursor del grimdark. O sea, Conan el bárbaro. O sea, lo que hizo famoso a Fritz Leiber. Sin embargo, puede que Fafhrd y el Ratonero Gris sean la saga más recordada de este autor, pero es solo una pequeña muestra de su versatilidad como narrador de género, pues cultivó tanto la fantasía, el terror como la ciencia ficción, género este último en el que se hizo con todos los Hugo y Nebulas habidos y por haber, especialmente en el formato corto. Porque sí, Leiber era un titán del relato corto, y ha escrito varios cuentos que me parecen de lo mejorcito del género. Eso sí, ninguno se encuentra en esta antología. Miento: hay uno.
Los relatos incluidos en esta antología son los siguientes:
-El futuro encantado (***): en una sociedad americana post-nuclear anestesiada por los adelantos en psiquiatría y farmacología, los peores instintos y vicios del ser humano han sido suprimidos. Lo que parece todo un avance se revela al poco, en realidad, una sociedad pusilánime, incapaz de gestionar sus emociones y sentimientos y absolutamente subyugada por la química. Algunos científicos ya se han percatado de este problema y encuentran una solución a esta alienación. Es un relato que acierta bastante a la hora de señalar cómo el abuso de ciertos fármacos solo ponen parche a un grave problema. Guarda ligeros parecidos con Demolition Man y podría ser un gran relato de no ser por su estructura.
-La mañana de la condena (**): un relato que nos introduce en el universo de La guerra del cambio, en el que, al morir, los seres humanos son extraídos de su línea temporal para luchar en un conflicto entre dos facciones que buscan cambiar la historia. Suena muy bien, pero no os llevéis a error. Este relato es tan abstracto que apenas se entiende que quiere contar Leiber. No se si la culpa la habrá tenido la traducción, pero desde luego que es de las historias de viajes en el tiempo que menos he disfrutado.
-El soldado veterano (***): en una taberna en la que se varias generaciones de veteranos de guerra, Max destaca de entre todos ellos por las pintorescas batallitas que cuenta. Si hubiera que creerle, se diría que ha combatido en todas las guerras, pasadas y futuras. Uno de los parroquianos, el narrador, ha conectado mucho con Max, y decide acompañarle a su casa para continuar la conversación cuando, por el camino, un extraño ser perruno les anda siguiendo. Un relato llamativo mezcla de terror y ciencia ficción que, según he leído en internet, también pertenecería a la Guerra del cambio.
-Medianoche en el mundo de los espejos (*****): este es uno de los relatos de mi vida, uno de los pocos que, cuando lo leí en su momento, me produjo un estremecimiento como no he vuelto a sentir más que con otros relatos igual de excelentes. Y es que solo la premisa es acongojante. Un erudito, aislado del mundo en su torreón, con la única compañía de su piano, su telescopio y su ajedrez, una noche observa el reflejo del reflejo del espejo, esa sucesión de escenas que se repiten hasta el infinito. En uno de esos muchos reflejos, en el séptimo, hay una figura borrosa. A la siguiente noche, la figura está un espejo más cerca del observador. Es tan, pero tan inquietante su inicio, tan sugerente su escenario, que le perdono lo previsible que es su desenlace. Y es que cuando Leiber es bueno es muy bueno.
-El número de la bestia (***): la especie humana quiere forjar una alianza con una raza extraterrestre. Sin embargo, las negociaciones se han visto comprometidas debido al asesinato de uno de los líderes extraterrestres por parte de un asesino a sueldo. La policía ha logrado dar con cuatro asesinos, cuatro profesionales contratados por cuatro potencias desconocidas. El problema es que estos asesinos son telépatas, por lo que cualquier interrogatorio convencional está condenado al trabajo. El narrador, el policía encargado de la investigación, esta en un callejón sin salida, por lo que acude a un superior retirado que dará con la clave utilizando el pensamiento lateral. Una anécdota simpática si te gustan las matemáticas.
-La mente araña (**): debe de ser de los pocos casos en que el relato homónimo es de los peores del conjunto. La familia Horn son telépatas. Esto no quiere decir que puedan leer la mente de las personas ni de los animales, ni tampoco controlar los pensamientos de otros o mover objetos con la mente. Su telepatía está restringida a los miembros de su familia. Sin embargo, una entidad desconocida se ha introducido dentro de su universo mental amenazando con tomar posesión de la personalidad de los cinco integrantes de la familia. Muy, muy flojo, con unas imágenes de ese limbo telepático muy confusas y poco inspiradas.
January 6, 2022
I enjoyed most of the stories in this collection, as they weren't necessarily "high science fiction" (if that makes any sense) but "futuristic fiction" of the stripe that Ray Bradbury or Charles Beaumount might've written. The characters were very relatable, and while there's a little bit of "dated" sci fi jargon, extremely readable, also. This was my first foray into Leiber's fiction; it certainly won't be my last, especially as he's written horror, also.
December 27, 2024
This is a collection of six Leiber stories that was first published in 1961 as half of one of Ace's grand Double Books (it was bound back-to-back and oriented in opposition to his novel The Big Time, with a nifty cover painting for each title by Ed Emshwiller), and then issued on its own in 1976 with a kind of muddy blue Walter Rane monster cover. This second edition substitutes Midnight in the Mirror World for Try and Change the Past for some unknown reason. (It doesn't make sense because all of the stories in the initial selection were science fiction stories in his Change War sequence, but the new one is not and is a fantasy to boot. It's a very good story, but just doesn't fit.) The five Change War stories were first published 1958-'60 in genre digest magazines, one each in Galaxy and F & SF, and the rest in Fantastic, which was edited by the under-appreciated Cele Goldsmith. They're very well written works, and all stand well on their own, though the more one reads about the Spiders and the Snakes and their endless conflict the more one appreciates the sweep of Leiber's genius. This one is a companion volume to Changewar, another Ace title that collects all of the rest of the affiliated short works.
March 23, 2020
I thought there was a story here of the Changewar series that I had not yet read -- I was incorrect. However, of the six stories, three were new to me -- "The Haunted Future", "The Number of the Beast", and "The Mind Spider".
"The Haunted Future" -- a lot of old tropes that were probably new at the time, it winds up being just a science fiction account of the pressures the future brings.
"The Number of the Beast" was a quick little detective story in an alien future.
"The Mind Spider" -- think "The Thing", but with telepathy. Ages better than you wold think.
"The Haunted Future" -- a lot of old tropes that were probably new at the time, it winds up being just a science fiction account of the pressures the future brings.
"The Number of the Beast" was a quick little detective story in an alien future.
"The Mind Spider" -- think "The Thing", but with telepathy. Ages better than you wold think.
December 28, 2015
Decent collection of more or less SF stories by Fritz Leiber. The collection is structurally odd in that it includes a few stories that are clearly part of the Changewar series, a few that clearly are not, and one that ... might be. The title story is about a telepathic Mind Spider threatening the existence of Earth, and the Changewar series is about time-travelling telepathic factions called Snakes and Spiders, so there is a suggestion of a link, but if so, how it works is not clear in this context. The story itself falls rather flat. Leiber's concepts are generally interesting (especially the story about the dead witch in the mirror), and his recurrent interest in the association between the fantastic and the subjective mental state of his characters adds some texture to the stories, but the stories themselves often seem to be underdeveloped, and Leiber--at least in these early stories--is far from a master of plausible dialogue.
September 7, 2016
Like many collections of short stories, there's a mix of quality in this one, but some really stand out as excellent 5-star stories, with others being merely entertaining. The opening story, "The Haunted Future" is not only compelling, but does an amazing job at fast forwarding the impact of a futuristic world where worrying about what everyone else thinks and complying to societal norms is far more important than actually being happy and an individual. It's even more amazing considering that it was written in 1959, long before the current day internet and issues of feeling disconnected from people due to the rise of the distance that only interacting with people online has in our current society (already well futuristic to the 1959 Leiber.) The themes and issues the story addresses seem just as realistic a concern now as they did over 50 years ago. In the story, people are constantly undergoing hypnotherapy and drug induced lassitude to conform with a well ordered society, and those who don't fit in are forcibly removed to a city-like asylum. And in a society so tightly wound as this, when people break down, they do so in fantastic style.
"Midnight in the Mirror World" is the other outstanding story of the collection, a pleasant mix of horror and science fiction, postulating the infinite worlds that exist in the recursive spaces formed by two mirrors facing each other. When the narrator notices that one of the many reflections seems to be screaming in horror, he becomes obsessed with understanding how and why...
The other stories in the collection are a mix of entertaining and amusing. The two weakest of the collection actually expand on the Time War setting in the novella The Big Time, but are more vignettes providing an interesting window into that setting without adding stories of much substance.
Overall, a fun read, and well worth the price just for the two standout stories.
"Midnight in the Mirror World" is the other outstanding story of the collection, a pleasant mix of horror and science fiction, postulating the infinite worlds that exist in the recursive spaces formed by two mirrors facing each other. When the narrator notices that one of the many reflections seems to be screaming in horror, he becomes obsessed with understanding how and why...
The other stories in the collection are a mix of entertaining and amusing. The two weakest of the collection actually expand on the Time War setting in the novella The Big Time, but are more vignettes providing an interesting window into that setting without adding stories of much substance.
Overall, a fun read, and well worth the price just for the two standout stories.
December 22, 2018
1/10. Media de los 6 libros leídos del autor : 2/10
La nota y la media lo dice todo, ¿no?. Leiber es otro de mis autores "malditos". Leí cosas suyas solo porque las pillaba de oferta de chaval.
La nota y la media lo dice todo, ¿no?. Leiber es otro de mis autores "malditos". Leí cosas suyas solo porque las pillaba de oferta de chaval.
October 24, 2022
Very sick. Lots of good short stories with interesting twists, turns, and premises. Definitely a reccomendation for any sci-fi fan
February 16, 2019
The stories in this collection by stellar Fritz Leiber are too rooted in 50's sociology, too plainly colored by their time, to give any satisfaction as science fiction. The foreword is best of the bunch:
Years ago my window at the University of Chicago overlooked the west stands of Stagg Field. One evening I watched a lightning storm playing over the Loop.
Nature was badly off key that night. The thunder didn't rumble or roar. It screamed faintly, four seconds after each flash. I remember thinking that if lightning could twang the rails of Chicago's elevated tracks they might make such a sound. Several other persons heard it and shivered as I did.
Ten years later electronic experts discovered that on rare occasions lightning generates a radio signal that circles the earth and returns to its point of origin as an audible whistle. Maybe that was my scream.
But also ten years later there was built below the west stands of Stagg Field the graphite-dark atomic furnace that first released on earth the energy of the suns. Maybe the molecules felt that coming and screamed a warning.
Either way it's a weird and wonderful world. Just consider: an infinite universe... stars that are living hydrogen bombs... trillions of atomic worlds in a grain of dust... jungles in a drop of water... black gulfs of space around each planet... black Freudian forests around each conscious mind-you know, I sometimes think the powers that created the universe were chiefly interested in maximizing its mystery.
That's why I write science fiction.
Years ago my window at the University of Chicago overlooked the west stands of Stagg Field. One evening I watched a lightning storm playing over the Loop.
Nature was badly off key that night. The thunder didn't rumble or roar. It screamed faintly, four seconds after each flash. I remember thinking that if lightning could twang the rails of Chicago's elevated tracks they might make such a sound. Several other persons heard it and shivered as I did.
Ten years later electronic experts discovered that on rare occasions lightning generates a radio signal that circles the earth and returns to its point of origin as an audible whistle. Maybe that was my scream.
But also ten years later there was built below the west stands of Stagg Field the graphite-dark atomic furnace that first released on earth the energy of the suns. Maybe the molecules felt that coming and screamed a warning.
Either way it's a weird and wonderful world. Just consider: an infinite universe... stars that are living hydrogen bombs... trillions of atomic worlds in a grain of dust... jungles in a drop of water... black gulfs of space around each planet... black Freudian forests around each conscious mind-you know, I sometimes think the powers that created the universe were chiefly interested in maximizing its mystery.
That's why I write science fiction.
January 24, 2024
"The Haunted Future" 4/5 stars. In this leadoff novelet, Leiber rather cleverly assumes the role of armchair psychologist. The editors of Ace chose wisely in starting with this longish (54-page) story, which is one of Leiber's more intriguing pieces.
"Damnation Morning" 1/5 stars. See my review for Changewar.
"The Oldest Soldier" 3/5 stars. Ditto. (Incidentally, I rather like the cover art, which goes with this story.)
"Midnight in the Mirror World" 4/5 stars. See my review for Heroes and Horrors.
"The Number of the Beast" 2/5 stars. A middling mystery story involving telepathic aliens.
"The Mind Spider" 2/5 stars. Here Leiber wastes a great title and premise by sloppy execution. It's almost as if this were a rough draft.
"Damnation Morning" 1/5 stars. See my review for Changewar.
"The Oldest Soldier" 3/5 stars. Ditto. (Incidentally, I rather like the cover art, which goes with this story.)
"Midnight in the Mirror World" 4/5 stars. See my review for Heroes and Horrors.
"The Number of the Beast" 2/5 stars. A middling mystery story involving telepathic aliens.
"The Mind Spider" 2/5 stars. Here Leiber wastes a great title and premise by sloppy execution. It's almost as if this were a rough draft.
September 12, 2019
This was much better than The Big Time, which is odd because most of the stories take place in the same world. I particularly enjoyed the one about the guy who doesn't remember who he is, but he thinks he might have killed someone in the hotel room he wakes up in. The twist is easy to spot (I think it's supposed to be), but it's a lot of fun. Then there is the titular story, and I am 99.999999% certain that it influenced Stephen King's It. This is more like the Fritz Leiber I remember. I recommend this one.
September 6, 2025
El futuro encantado (The Haunted Future) ***.
La mañana de la condena (Damnation Morning) ****.
El soldado veterano (The Oldest Soldier) ****.
Medianoche en el mundo de los espejos (Midnight in The Mirror World) *****.
El número de la bestia (The Number of The Beast) ****.
La mente araña (The Mind Spider) ****.
La mañana de la condena (Damnation Morning) ****.
El soldado veterano (The Oldest Soldier) ****.
Medianoche en el mundo de los espejos (Midnight in The Mirror World) *****.
El número de la bestia (The Number of The Beast) ****.
La mente araña (The Mind Spider) ****.
February 19, 2020
No le doy 2 estrellas porque no me haya gustado, claro que no, simplemente creo que esperaba más ciencia ficción y que fuese más bien horror (o esa impresión me dio) me decepcionó un poco. De decir, por cierto, que el relato de los espejos me pareció sumamente tétrico.
January 25, 2019
Los cuentos sin muy buenos aunque al inicio me costó agarrarle gusto a la lectura. Los recomiendo.
Read
July 27, 2023*El número de la bestia - 3
August 9, 2016
Las obras de ciencia ficción o de fantasía de Leiber han envejecido muy bien, sobre todo por el buen oficio como escritor. Las mejores las de la guerra del cambio, la que menos me gustó la que da título al libro.
January 10, 2011
Some great stories in this book, including the title work. Leiber was great at both intriguing concepts and dark atmosphere, and he did a superb job of both in this collection of short stories.
Read
August 22, 2008The Mind Spider and Other Stories by Fritz Leiber (1976)
October 6, 2010
Some nice ideas but not all were well developed. You could certainly see Leiber's views on current (at the time) society slipping through.
November 7, 2015
Some pretty good stories here. Turns out you can definitely read this even if you haven't read "The Big Time" since only 3 stories are really part of the time war sequence.
September 25, 2024
There is literally a spider at my window--it looks so vibrant in colors, I could almost call it rainbow if it had some purple in it too.
March 30, 2017
See my review of the Ace Double edition here: http://www.skjam.com/2017/03/29/book-...
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews