Galileo's Children: Tales of Science vs. Superstition

by Gardner Dozois (Editor), Ursula K. Le Guin (Contributor), Paul Park (Contributor)

This engrossing anthology of 13 tales shows how scientists struggle toward the truth in spite of opposition from religious and political forces arrayed against them. Authors include Arthur C. Clarke, Robert Silverberg, and George R.R. Martin.
Contents
11 • Preface; “It Still Moves!” (Galileo's Children: Tales Of Science vs. Superstition) • (2005) • essay by Gardner Dozois
17 • The Stars Below • (1974) • shortstory by Ursula K. Le Guin
41 • The Will of God • (1991) • novelette by Keith Roberts
73 • The Way of Cross and Dragon • (1979) • novelette by George R. R. Martin
97 • The Pope of the Chimps • (1982) • novelette by Robert Silverberg
123 • The World Is a Sphere • [Tales of a Darkening World] • (1973) • novelette by Edgar Pangborn
149 • Written in Blood • (1999) • shortstory by Chris Lawson
167 • Falling Star • (2004) • shortstory by Brendan DuBois
187 • Three Hearings on the Existence of Snakes in the Human Bloodstream • (1997) • novelette by James Alan Gardner
213 • The Star • (1955) • shortstory by Arthur C. Clarke
221 • The Last Homosexual • (1996) • shortstory by Paul Park
239 • The Man Who Walked Home • (1972) • shortstory by James Tiptree, Jr.
259 • When the Old Gods Die • [Kirinyaga • 9] • (1995) • novelette by Mike Resnick
289 • Oracle • (2000) • novella by Greg Egan

Genres: Science Fiction, Anthologies, Short Stories

346 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2005

About the author

Gardner Raymond Dozois was an American science fiction author and editor. He was editor of Asimov's Science Fiction magazine from 1984 to 2004. He won multiple Hugo and Nebula awards, both as an editor and a writer of short fiction.
Wikipedia entry: Gardner Dozois

http://us.macmillan.com/author/gardne...

Reviews

[Rena Sherwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ambitious concept, but ultimately disappointing. Dozois tries to appease everybody in his lame introduction and rather weak choice of stories. In trying not to offend anybody, the reader is the ultimate loser.

Dozois went nuts on the introductions, often writing over a page, listing nearly every Goddamned book and short story the author ever wrote. Contrast this to his earlier anthologies, when only a paragraph or two would suffice.

Selections:

* "Preface: It Still Moves!" By Our Editor. A brief summary of science verses superstition -- although Dozois refuses to call religion superstition -- even that's exactly what it is.
* "The Stars Below" by Ursula K. LeGuin. More fantasy than sci-fi, this beautiful tale is of an astronomer denied his craft and passion, the stars. Dozois also put this in his 1977 anthology, Another World.
* "The Way of God" by Keith Roberts. Predictable and slow historical fiction from 1589 Germany.
* "The Way of Cross and Dragon" by George R. R. Martin. Since this was first published in 1979, this has wound up in dozens of anthologies. Yes, it's a good story, but I'm getting sick of seeing it. Dozois went all fanboy on the introduction.
* "The Pope of the Chimps" by Robert Silverberg. The chimp is question is named Leo -- therefore, Pope Leo. Once upon a time, chimps were taught sign language, but the experiments were considered too expensive, so the program stopped. Silverberg writes about one such experiment not stopping -- and one of the program members teaches the chimps about religion. WARNING: Many dead chimps here.
* "The World is a Sphere" by Walter Pangborn. A second Roman Republic of sorts rises up in a future fractured America, where slavery has returned, the Emperor is God, and the world is flat.
* "Written in Blood" by Chris Lawson. An old Arab invents a virus that inserts the Koran into the blood marrow. Narrated by a woman. One of the better stories in this anthology.
* "Falling Star" by Brendan DuBois. This witch hunt of an old astronaut takes place in the 2050s, but don't fool yourself -- similar things go on today.
* "Three Hearings on the Existence of Snakes in the Human Bloodstream" by James Alan Gardner. Tongue-biting-cheek humorous alternative history or parallel universe parody about religious fundamentalists using scientists to further their bigotry.
* "The Star" by Arthur C. Clarke. A Jesuit has an internal conflict when he finds evidence of a lost civilization. This 1955 (?) Story has been in many anthologies, for good reasons.
* "The Last Homosexual" by Paul Park. One of those ernest, ambitious stories that makes you wonder just what the point was.
* "The Man Who Walked Home" by James Tiptree, Jr./Alice Hastings Bradley/Alice Sheldon. It's so quaint to read about a nuclear explosion in 1989. Not one of her better stories.
* "When the Old Gods Die" by Mike Resnik. A white guy writing about Blacks. Oh, goody.
* "Oracle" by Greg Egan. Incredibly tedious alternative history of Alan Turing and C. S. Lewis. Dozois claims that both were intellectual giants -- which is totally wrong. Lewis was a mental midget in comparison to Turing.

[Midnight Blue · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good selection of stories dealing with how people react to new ideas when they challenge what they've been taught to believe. Note the title: Tales of Science vs. Superstition......not vs. Religion (which is the usual theme in similar anthologies), which means that even the devout among you could read this anthology without damning yourselves too much. 😎

[Earl Truss · Rating 2 out of 5]

I guess I didn't understand what these stories were about. The key is on the back cover: "This engrossing anthology of 13 tales shows how scientists struggle toward the truth in spite of opposition from religious and political forces arrayed against them. " It turned out to be mostly about religion though. The outstanding story here is The Man Who Walked Home which I had already read before.

[Mark Catalfano · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked “The way of Cross and Dragon” by George R. R. Martin, “The Pope of the Chimps” by Robert Silverberg, and “Three Hearings on the Existence of Snakes in the Human Bloodstream” by James Alan Gardner

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://www.sffworld.com/brevoff/211.html

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://www.strangehorizons.com/review...

[David Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Best: championing
Science. Worst: beating up Faith,
Jabbing Narnia.

[Stephen Mitskavich · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book speaks to the question, Why do we believe what we believe?

[Peter Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Amazon review -

http://www.amazon.com/review/R2CHLSS2...