The Best of Randall Garrett

by Randall Garrett, Philip José Farmer, Anne McCaffrey

Cover art by Rowena. A collection of short stories with writing about Randall Garrett by: Philip Jose Farmer; Marion Zimmer Bradley; Isaac Asimov; Poul Anderson; Larry Niven; Ben Bova; Norman Spinrad; Frank Herbert; Anne McCaffrey; Harry Harrison; and Gordon R. Dickson.

Contents:
The Hunting Lodge (1954)
The Waiting Game (1951)
Isaac Asimov's The Caves of Steel: A Review in Verse (1956)
Alfred Bester's The Demolished Man: A Review in Verse (1956)
Poul Anderson's Three Hearts and Three Lions: A Calypso in Search of a Rhyme (1978)
No Connections (1958)
The Best Policy (1957)
Time Fuze (1954)
A Little Intelligence (1958) by Robert Silverberg and Randall Garrett [as by Robert Randall]
The Eyes Have It (1964)
The Spell of War (1978)
Frost and Thunder (1979)

Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Short Stories, Fiction, Anthologies, Collections, Mystery

261 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Randall Garrett's full name was Gordon Randall Phillip David Garrett. For more information about him see https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?239

He was married to Vicki Ann Heydron

His pseudonyms include: Gordon Randall Garrett, Gordon Aghill, Grandal Barretton, Alexander Blade, Ralph Burke, Gordon Garrett, David Gordon, Richard Greer, Ivar Jorgenson, Darrel T. Langart, Blake MacKenzie, Jonathan Blake MacKenzie, Seaton Mckettrig, Clyde (T.) Mitchell, Mark Phillips (with Laurence Janifer), Robert Randall, Leonard G. Spencer, S.M. Tenneshaw, Gerald Vance.

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Due to the success Ballantine (later named Del Rey) had in the mid-'70s with "Best of" books, Pocket and DAW enthusiastically joined in, and almost all of the classic science fiction authors eventually had a "Best of" or "Book of". Unfortunately, in succeeding years the titles were recycled with different contents, leading to lots of bibliographic confusion, and such is the case with Garrett; the Silverberg-edited Pocket/Timescape paperback of 1982 bears no resemblance to the more modern e-book of the same name. Silverberg did a great job in putting this book together, selecting a very wide range of Garrett's work: fiction and non-fiction, poetry and prose, and work from the very beginning of his career right through to the end. Rather than just writing an introduction and moving on, he commissioned comments and appreciations and reminiscences from Garrett's peers and friends and fans, which are liberally interspersed with Garrett's selections. The contributors include Philip Jose Farmer, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Isaac Asimov, Poul Anderson, Larry Niven, Ben Bova, Norman Spinrad, Frank Herbert, Anne McCaffrey, Harry Harrison, Gordon R. Dickson, and, of course, Silverberg himself. (And a lovely Darcy cover by Rowena!) There are a couple of Darcy stories included, and other than them my favorites are The Hunting Lodge and Frost and Thunder. I'm not sure whether or not it's really the best of Garrett (but who am I to question Silverberg, right?), but it's definitely a wonderfully well put together tribute to his career.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Randall Garrett (1927-1987 ) was one of the most prolific contributors to the science fiction magazines in the 50s and 60s. And, even more than that, he was a bigger-than-life presence at science fiction conventions throughout that period. This book is a collection of some of the best of his short stories, but just as interesting are the reminiscences about him offered by various authors who knew him, such as Robert Silverberg ( the editor ), Isaac Asimov, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Philip J. Farmer, and others.
The book includes two of his Lord Darcy series ( which are my favorites ), set in an alternate universe featuring an Anglo-French Empire still ruled by the Plantagenets ( the dynasty founded by Henry II ) and dominating the globe in the mid-Twentieth Century. The Industrial Revolution has occurred, but technology has not advanced as fast as in our reality ( the French and American Revolutions have definitely not occurred ). Most interestingly, magic is used, both "white" and "black." Darcy is an English aristocrat who is a Sherlockian character using magic to solve crimes (in which magic was also used ).
Garrett had a tragic end--he suffered an attack of encephalitis in 1979 and spent his last eight years in a coma.

[Ann aka Iftcan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories, all written by the late Randall Garrett. Robert Silverberg did the editing of this book, and, along with various and sundry other famous authors, gives little snippits of what Randall Garrett was like. Among the other well known people who did intro's for the stories are: Anne MacCaffrey, Philip JOse' Farmer, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Isaac Asimov, Poul Anderson Larry Niven, Ben Bova, Norman Spinrad, Frank Herbert, Harry Harrison and Gordon R. Dickson. A who's-who of authors from the late 50's through the early 80's (when this book was published.)

The original dates of publication of the stories vary, many from the early 50's, others from the 60's and 70's.

A few of the stories that were written in the 50's actually seem to do a little "foretelling" of the way life is now. (The Hunting Lodge, being one example.) Others are just interesting little snapshots into possible other worlds.

There ARE two Lord Darcy shorts in this collection, for those who are fans. One is set before Darcy becomes an Investigator for the Crown, and details how he and Sean met. The second story is one that I had read in another book, but I still enjoyed it.

All of the stories are interesting, in one way or another. I especially love the last story in the book, the only time-travel story.

[Johnny · Rating 5 out of 5]

An anthology of short stories and humorous poetry from a classic writer of fantasy and science-fiction, The Best of Randall Garrett was collated and organized by Grandmaster Robert Silverberg as a means of helping the late writer in a time of medical and financial difficulty. Each short story is introduced by a personal anecdote from one of the Who’s Who of Golden Era Science-Fiction (Poul Anderson, Isaac Asimov, Ben Bova, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Philip Jose Farmer, Gordon R. Dickson, Frank Herbert, Anne McCaffrey, Larry Niven, and Norman Spinrad.
Philip Jose Farmer introduces the pun-entitled “The Hunting Lodge.” This is an exciting, action-filled, far-future assassination story with a twist (and-a-half). Written in the ‘50s, it is precocious in its conceptions of corporate mergers (though Ford-Studebaker was the wrong guess), autonomous driving vehicles, and AI in general. And even though Garrett’s first major short story, “The Waiting Game,” introduced by Marion Zimmer Bradley offers a fascinating concept of overt war versus covert culture war, it is more conceptualization than plot (though vivid conceptualization despite the minimalist plot).

But the anthology is more than short stories. Isaac Asimov introduces a rhyming take on his Caves of Steel and Alfred Bester’s marvelous The Demolished Man Appropriately enough, Poul Anderson introduces the lengthy 1968 “calypso” parody of Anderson’s Three Hearts and Three Lions, replete with forced rhymes like: ly-hints, ly-haunts, Leons, and ly-yawns (among others). Then, even though Larry Niven introduces the story, Asimov plays victim to a pastiche of his Foundation series in “No Connections” with its obvious referent in Ducem Palver (first name from Ducem Barr and last name from Preem Palver). The running joke, especially to those who have wondered what archaeologists would make of some of our existing technology as artifacts, is telegraphed long before the final punchline. Even so, the punchline is worth it. Readers who like humor will definitely enjoy several contributions to this anthology.

The introductions feature more than one description of BayCon/WorldCon, the science-fiction convention in 1968 where Randall Garrett sang a calypso ballad based on Poul Anderson’s Three Hearts and Three Lions, but leave it to Norman Spinrad to describe the event in a provocative (though tongue-in-cheek) style. Let me return the favor to Spinrad by suggesting that this is just what I would expect from a person I always perceived as the wild young man most likely to assume the mantle of Harlan Ellison. But the story introduced by Spinrad is a short piece of ironic fiction that is nearly as provocatively chaotic as Spinrad’s “accusation” in the introduction.

The author of Dune, Frank Herbert, couldn’t help but introduce his story with the account of Randall Garrett’s behavior at a Society for Creative Anachronism event. By using the nickname that Garrett hated, “Randy,” Herbert was able to provide a pun worthy of Garrett himself with which to close the introduction. This story was a collaboration between Garrett and Silverberg featuring a most unexpected protagonist for a science-fiction story, Sister Mary Magdalene. The introduction indicated that a cat was originally included as integral to the plot in order to appeal to editor Anthony Boucher. When one reads the story, one will likely realize why a cat-loving editor might not have found this story of alien peace negotiations to his liking.

Anne McCaffrey introduced the first Lord Darcy story and, to be honest, those are my favorites in the Garrett oeuvre. I really liked the mix of magic, mystery, and psychological obsession in “The Eyes Have It.” [Note: In the serendipity/coincidence department, this title is so often used that I just read a 1944 story in The Spirit comic book by Will Eisner with the same title.] Also in the Darcy canon, but not one I remembered, was one introduced by Harry Harrison. Since Harry and Randall both enjoyed imbibing, it was natural that Harry’s anecdote would involve alcohol, despite involving teetotaler John Campbell. [Note: My observation comes from serving alcohol to Harrison, Hogan, Niven, and Spinrad in the green room at a Los Angeles convention. I enjoyed that more than listening to panels though I apparently missed some rather testy words between Harrison and Pournelle during that convention.] This story features Darcy as a military officer and introduces his licensed sorcerer, Sean O’ Lochlainn, in a rather clever way. It was an extremely interesting anti-war war story.

One would have thought that Gordon R. Dickson, possibly best known for the Dorsai books, would have introduced a war story, but after his story (appropriately enough) about hearing a German cavalry marching song for the first time, the story that followed and concluded the collection was a bizarre time-travel story that mixed target shooting, Norse mythology, and an intriguing pun (certainly to be expected in one of Garrett’s short stories). “Frost and Thunder” was a short and fast-unfolding read.

Clearly, The Best of Randall Garrett was a labor of love as well as a charitable effort. One could sense the joy he brought (often literally but always metaphorically) to the table and the respect from other writers. The camaraderie of each introduction alone makes an solid anthology into something more personal, and as a result, more special. I never thought I would rate an anthology this highly, but here it is.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a delightful sample of the writing of the late Randall Garrett, along with some very funny anecdotes from author colleagues of his. Oddly, the first time I met the man, he was apparently on unusually good behavior, and the second time he may have been at the beginning of his major medical problems. That means that, probably for the better, I never witnessed him doing anything horrifically offensive in the pursuit of either sex or humor.
That said, he was a brilliant short story writer, and this collection contains some of the reasons I say that, including a prequel to his amazing Lord Darcy stories. If you want to see why John Campbell bought so many of his stories for Astounding and Analog, then pick up this collection and read it. If you want to know why so many people were either entertained or offended by his personal behavior, read the pieces by other authors.
This collection was put together by his friends when it was hoped that his medical condition, which included an odd form of amnesia, was temporary. His wife put together several books based on his notes, but he was unable to create any new stories during the final several years of his life.

[Wyktor Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of short stories by Randall Garrett interspersed with humorous anecdotes about him.
A must read for any serious Sci-Fi fans.

[Wichael Tellez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book and a few others down the street in a box labeled "take some, give some." This and other books are in MINT condition. In a short page and a half is the story, "How Randall Changed World History" by Norman Spinrad. The first sentence grabbed my attention:
"Baycon, the 1968 Worldcon in Oakland, California, was probably the most Gonzo Event in Science Fiction History."
It went on to say other stuff. Later Randall went on stage already hammered, he dressed as a Medieval Troudador. For a full hour he sung a heroic ballad based upon a tale by Poul Anderson. That song and lyrics is in this book as well. Its kind of weird but also joyful. It would be astounding if someone could get a actual Chorus to sing it at a future Worldcon Event.

[Howard Brazee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm getting rid of my dead tree books, but would love to get "Frost and Fire" in digital form. Amazon lists this title, but without the short story I have in my printed copy.

Boy this book shows how the SF market was when the books were written! Lots of John W. Campbell style psi stories. Funny technology misses. Mostly near future, but occasional far future (with smoking - even aliens had their alien cigarettes).

But mostly I noticed how, if a story had women in it (no children), they were for background (except for an old lady psi who thought she was Queen Elizabeth I). Women are rewards for the people that do things in his stories.

[Cheryl]

Many of these, and others, are avl on PG.
Still need to look for another reviewer's specifically mentioned Frost and Fire.