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Strange Relations
The Lovers: One of the most controversial and groundbreaking novels in science fiction. Sent by the religious tyranny of a future Earth to the planet Ozagen, Hal Yarrow met Jeanette, an apparently human fugitive, hiding in ancient ruins built by a long-vanished race. Unconsecrated contact with any female was forbidden to Yarrow-and love for an alien female was an unspeakable sin. But Yarrow's lifelong conditioning was no match for his strange attraction to Jeanette.
Flesh: The starship captain had made the mistake of landing on a forgotten planet colonized centuries ago by believers in ancient pagan rituals. Unless he could escape, he would be made part of a fertility rite which would conclude with his very unpleasant death.
Strange Relations: Five novelettes of unbounded imagination telling of strange encounters between man and alien.
Previously published as separate books, these three works are published here together for the first time.
Flesh: The starship captain had made the mistake of landing on a forgotten planet colonized centuries ago by believers in ancient pagan rituals. Unless he could escape, he would be made part of a fertility rite which would conclude with his very unpleasant death.
Strange Relations: Five novelettes of unbounded imagination telling of strange encounters between man and alien.
Previously published as separate books, these three works are published here together for the first time.
496 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1960
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553 people want to read
About the author
Philip José Farmer
592 books884 followersPhilip José Farmer was an American author, principally known for his science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories. He was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, but spent much of his life in Peoria, Illinois.
Farmer is best known for his Riverworld series and the earlier World of Tiers series. He is noted for his use of sexual and religious themes in his work, his fascination for and reworking of the lore of legendary pulp heroes, and occasional tongue-in-cheek pseudonymous works written as if by fictional characters.
Farmer is best known for his Riverworld series and the earlier World of Tiers series. He is noted for his use of sexual and religious themes in his work, his fascination for and reworking of the lore of legendary pulp heroes, and occasional tongue-in-cheek pseudonymous works written as if by fictional characters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
July 3, 2015
(ADVERTENCIA: ÉSTE NO ES UN LIBRO USUAL DEL GÉNERO, O TE GUSTA Y ENTRAS EN SUS HISTORIAS O TE DISGUSTA DESDE UN BUEN COMIENZO..PERO OS SUGIERO QUE LEÁIS POR LO MENOS LA RESEÑA QUE VIENE A CONTINUACIÓN Y VALORÉIS MÁS EN PROFUNDIDAD ANTES DE ADENTRAROS EN SU LECTURA)
Philip José Farmer es un autor del que siempre, sea cual sea el nivel y calado de su obra, VALE LA PENA LEER. Escritor IMAGINATIVO, ALGO ‘INDIE’ EN UNA ÉPOCA REPLETA DE AUTORES NOTABLES PERO CLÁSICOS EN CONCEPTOS DE EJECUCIÓN (que no ideas). Farmer siempre hace que sus libros RESULTEN INTERESANTES, ACTRACTIVOS Y DIFERENTES, CÓMO ES EL CASO DEL PRESENTE.
Relaciones extrañas es una obra que consta de cinco relatos, muy ramdom, todos ellos CON UNA FUERTE CARGA PSICOLÓGICA Y QUE HACE MUCHO HINCAPIÉ EN EL TEMA BIOLÓGICO. Con sus más y menos ( recordemos que es hijo de su tiempo y su educación, ya que hay ciertos excesos en lo relativo a la sexualidad y la santidad, a la par que no resulta del todo equilibrado en cuanto a ritmo o conclusión de las historias), hay que resaltar LA ORIGINALIDAD DE LA MEZCLA QUE OTORGA A LAS HISTORIAS DE UNA LECTURA INTERESANTE Y POR LO TANTO ÁGIL, QUE TIENE ENCANGHE Y ES DIFERENTE DENTRO DE LOS RELATOS CORTOS DE SCI FI.
Por ello, le otorgo cómo nota general cuatro estrellas, POR SER INTERESANTÍSIMO, ESPECIAL Y CURIOSO DE LEER.
Allá voy con el argumento y comentario de cada una de las historias:
1/ Madre:
Paula Fetts, una patóloga y su hijo Eddie, un adulto con un visible síndrome de Edipo a medio desarrollar, son los únicos supervivientes del choque con un meteoro contra el crucero estelar que los llevaba a un estudio biológico de sistemas planetarios (la última oportunidad de su madre para impedir el internamiento de Eddie). Ambos, en el desconocido planeta Baudelaire, intentarán explorar y sobrevivir... ***COMIENZA SPOILER***
pero lo que Eddie no sabe es que le espera un encuentro con una ‘ madre’ muy especial, que le sosegará su dualidad afectiva y síndrome que padece... ***ACABA SPOILER**
EXTRAÑISIMA Y FASCINANTE HISTORIA PSICOLÓGICA Y BIOLÓGICA, CON TOQUES DE BSDM INCLUDOS. ES INCREÍBLE COMO LO COTIDIANO, MEDIANTE EL ENVOLTORIO, ENTORNO Y MEZCLA DE CONCEPTOS, SE VUELVE IMAGINATIVO, ORIGINAL Y ATMOSFÉRICO EN MANOS DEL AUTOR.
ME HA GUSTADO MUCHO.
2/ Hija:
En el segundo relato seguimos la estela de su predecesor y la peculiar’ familia híbrida’ formada en el primero.*** COMIENZA SPOILER***
Aquí, en primera persona y a modo aleccionador para el lector, una de las hijas ( cabezadura) de Madre Babbo y padre humano Eddie, nos narra su expulsión de las entrañas de su progenitora ,junto a sus hermanas, para emprender su madurez, preparación de coraza, suministros y futura maternidad.*** ACABA SPOILER***
La narradora nos explicará las ventajas de haber tenido a un móvil ‘diferente’ como padre, ya que le ayudará a evitar peligros y a pensar de modo diferente de su hermanas Babbo.
CURIOSÍSIMO RELATO, QUE RESULTA INTERESANTE DE LEER, CON LOS TEMAS DE JERARQUÍAS, DESTETE Y EMANCIPACIÓN DE OTRAS CRIATURAS ALIENAS A LOS HUMANOS Y DEL RESULTADO DE SU MEZCLA , CON AÑADIDURA DE CIERTO TOQUE DE CAPERUCITA EN SU PARTE FINAL.
ME HA GUSTADO MUCHO.
3/ Padre:
Un trasbordador espacial, en el que se encuentra un reducido pero variopinto grupo de pasajeros con diversos problemas, es desviado de su trayectoria por una avería y obligado a aterrizar en Abatos. Allí, y tras un primer contacto placentero con el territorio, el Obispo Andre y el padre Carmony, se encuentran con la presencia de ‘ EL DIOS O PADRE’ de ése ‘ perfecto’ planeta y con su insólita petición de admitirle cómo pasajero para ir a la Tierra, dejando en su lugar a uno de ellos cómo sustituto y aprendiendo su perfección y sabiduría...
Éste es el relato MENOS ‘ EXTRAÑO’ Y MÁS AMBICIOSO DEL LIBRO, A NIVEL FILOSÓFICO, ya que abarca el significado de ‘PADRE’ en toda su extensión: el biológico, el ser divino, el progenitor, el padre postizo espiritual ( sobretodo en la figura de Carmony). Pero no solamente trata eso, ya que cuestiona lo siguiente:
- Lo divino en general, la perfección y el sosiego del mundo ideal
- El poder real en sí. Si no somos nosotros mismos capaces de llevarlo a cabo, mediante los avances tecnológicos y no con la evolución de la psique ( un espejismo del ser supremo otorgado a nuestros ojos para servirle y no dudar de él)
- ..y por tanto: la existencia y base de los milagros. Si no es tan sólo Padre un catalizador o transmisor entre el origen y el receptor de éstos (Teoría que puede extrapolarse a otros mundos)
- La existencia real del IDEAL PADRE, quizá un ser avanzado de otra órbita que mediante el laboratorio de su antigua nave haya reproducido cambios genéticos en ése planeta ( base del Argumento teórico del posterior tratado Caballo de Troya, y sin llegar al desarrollo del planteamiento del Mesías de otro planeta como en su contemporánea :Forastero en tierra extraña)
Y es también:
- Un auténtico repaso a varios preceptos de la religión y la fe, a modo filosófico y práctico mediante la experiencia de los personajes del relato.
- Cuestiona lo puro e impuro y su bien o mal sobre los humanos
RELATO INTERESANTE Y MÁS COMPLEJO DE LO QUE PARECE, PERO EXCESIVO EN PAGINAS Y DESMEDIDO EN LENGUAJE.
ENTRE UN 2.5 Y UN 3, O SEA: entre ESTÁ BIEN Y ME HA GUSTADO
4/ Hijo:
Jones resulta ser el único náufrago embarcado en un crucero, del cual pretende huir de su esposa y refugiarse nuevamente en los ‘seguros brazos’ de su madre.
Experto electrónico, es capturado por el enemigo mediante una nave submarina inteligente (véase el género femenino) que pretende llevarlo con su ‘camaradas’ cómo profesional útil.
A resultas de un incidente en el cuerpo de la nave, Jones es obligado a enfrentarse a sus más profundos terrores (los cuales le hicieron enmararse). *** COMIENZA SPOILER*** Sin embargo, gracias a ésa terrible situación resolverá su trauma y crecerá cómo persona, de niño a adulto.*** ACABA SPOILER***
RELATO SUMAMENTE PSICOLÓGICO CON UNA CLARA EVOLUCIÓN DEL PERSONAJE PRINCIPAL RESPECTO AL DEL PRIMER RELATO.
ME HA GUSTADO MUCHO.
5/ Hermano de mi hermana:
Lane, uno de los miembros terrícolas de una misión de exploración en Marte, va en búsqueda de su compañeros desaparecidos. Allí, en la entrada de un muro híbrido, encontrará un mundo subterráneo poblado de una especie del planeta, con su propio ciclo vital, además de ser rescatado por otra ‘espécimen’ de una galaxia aliena, Marcia, que guarda cierto parentesco al suyo. Ambos tendrán que convivir, a pesar de sus diferencias de origen y principios de vida...el terrestre, se planteará muchas cosas...pero, ¿ es posible el entendimiento y la aceptación de otros seres, además de la convivencia, e incluso, la atracción hacía éstos?
RELATO MUY ATMOSFÉRICO Y BIEN DEFINIDO, QUE CONSTRUYE TODA UNA COMPLEJO CICLO BIOLÓGICO, ADEMÁS, DEL PRESENTARNOS EL ETERNO DILEMA DE LA DESCONFIANZA Y CONFLICTO ENTRE DIFERENTES ESPECIES, Y LAS ‘ MENOS’ EVOLUCIONADAS COMO EL SER HUMANO.
VÉASE DE DATO, QUE EN ÉSTA HISTORIA HAY DESCRIPCIONES ANATÓMICAS, DE MODUS OPERANDI Y DE ENTORNO DE LOS MARCIANOS QUE DESPUÉS FUERON UNA CLARA INFLUENCIA PARA LA CREACIÓN DE ‘ ALIEN’ (AMÉN, CLARO ESTÁ, DE HEINLEIN Y SU PREDECESORA‘ AMO DE TÍTERES’ EN LA PARTE FINAL DE LA NOVELA)
ME HA GUSTADO MUCHO
Philip José Farmer es un autor del que siempre, sea cual sea el nivel y calado de su obra, VALE LA PENA LEER. Escritor IMAGINATIVO, ALGO ‘INDIE’ EN UNA ÉPOCA REPLETA DE AUTORES NOTABLES PERO CLÁSICOS EN CONCEPTOS DE EJECUCIÓN (que no ideas). Farmer siempre hace que sus libros RESULTEN INTERESANTES, ACTRACTIVOS Y DIFERENTES, CÓMO ES EL CASO DEL PRESENTE.
Relaciones extrañas es una obra que consta de cinco relatos, muy ramdom, todos ellos CON UNA FUERTE CARGA PSICOLÓGICA Y QUE HACE MUCHO HINCAPIÉ EN EL TEMA BIOLÓGICO. Con sus más y menos ( recordemos que es hijo de su tiempo y su educación, ya que hay ciertos excesos en lo relativo a la sexualidad y la santidad, a la par que no resulta del todo equilibrado en cuanto a ritmo o conclusión de las historias), hay que resaltar LA ORIGINALIDAD DE LA MEZCLA QUE OTORGA A LAS HISTORIAS DE UNA LECTURA INTERESANTE Y POR LO TANTO ÁGIL, QUE TIENE ENCANGHE Y ES DIFERENTE DENTRO DE LOS RELATOS CORTOS DE SCI FI.
Por ello, le otorgo cómo nota general cuatro estrellas, POR SER INTERESANTÍSIMO, ESPECIAL Y CURIOSO DE LEER.
Allá voy con el argumento y comentario de cada una de las historias:
1/ Madre:
Paula Fetts, una patóloga y su hijo Eddie, un adulto con un visible síndrome de Edipo a medio desarrollar, son los únicos supervivientes del choque con un meteoro contra el crucero estelar que los llevaba a un estudio biológico de sistemas planetarios (la última oportunidad de su madre para impedir el internamiento de Eddie). Ambos, en el desconocido planeta Baudelaire, intentarán explorar y sobrevivir... ***COMIENZA SPOILER***
pero lo que Eddie no sabe es que le espera un encuentro con una ‘ madre’ muy especial, que le sosegará su dualidad afectiva y síndrome que padece... ***ACABA SPOILER**
EXTRAÑISIMA Y FASCINANTE HISTORIA PSICOLÓGICA Y BIOLÓGICA, CON TOQUES DE BSDM INCLUDOS. ES INCREÍBLE COMO LO COTIDIANO, MEDIANTE EL ENVOLTORIO, ENTORNO Y MEZCLA DE CONCEPTOS, SE VUELVE IMAGINATIVO, ORIGINAL Y ATMOSFÉRICO EN MANOS DEL AUTOR.
ME HA GUSTADO MUCHO.
2/ Hija:
En el segundo relato seguimos la estela de su predecesor y la peculiar’ familia híbrida’ formada en el primero.*** COMIENZA SPOILER***
Aquí, en primera persona y a modo aleccionador para el lector, una de las hijas ( cabezadura) de Madre Babbo y padre humano Eddie, nos narra su expulsión de las entrañas de su progenitora ,junto a sus hermanas, para emprender su madurez, preparación de coraza, suministros y futura maternidad.*** ACABA SPOILER***
La narradora nos explicará las ventajas de haber tenido a un móvil ‘diferente’ como padre, ya que le ayudará a evitar peligros y a pensar de modo diferente de su hermanas Babbo.
CURIOSÍSIMO RELATO, QUE RESULTA INTERESANTE DE LEER, CON LOS TEMAS DE JERARQUÍAS, DESTETE Y EMANCIPACIÓN DE OTRAS CRIATURAS ALIENAS A LOS HUMANOS Y DEL RESULTADO DE SU MEZCLA , CON AÑADIDURA DE CIERTO TOQUE DE CAPERUCITA EN SU PARTE FINAL.
ME HA GUSTADO MUCHO.
3/ Padre:
Un trasbordador espacial, en el que se encuentra un reducido pero variopinto grupo de pasajeros con diversos problemas, es desviado de su trayectoria por una avería y obligado a aterrizar en Abatos. Allí, y tras un primer contacto placentero con el territorio, el Obispo Andre y el padre Carmony, se encuentran con la presencia de ‘ EL DIOS O PADRE’ de ése ‘ perfecto’ planeta y con su insólita petición de admitirle cómo pasajero para ir a la Tierra, dejando en su lugar a uno de ellos cómo sustituto y aprendiendo su perfección y sabiduría...
Éste es el relato MENOS ‘ EXTRAÑO’ Y MÁS AMBICIOSO DEL LIBRO, A NIVEL FILOSÓFICO, ya que abarca el significado de ‘PADRE’ en toda su extensión: el biológico, el ser divino, el progenitor, el padre postizo espiritual ( sobretodo en la figura de Carmony). Pero no solamente trata eso, ya que cuestiona lo siguiente:
- Lo divino en general, la perfección y el sosiego del mundo ideal
- El poder real en sí. Si no somos nosotros mismos capaces de llevarlo a cabo, mediante los avances tecnológicos y no con la evolución de la psique ( un espejismo del ser supremo otorgado a nuestros ojos para servirle y no dudar de él)
- ..y por tanto: la existencia y base de los milagros. Si no es tan sólo Padre un catalizador o transmisor entre el origen y el receptor de éstos (Teoría que puede extrapolarse a otros mundos)
- La existencia real del IDEAL PADRE, quizá un ser avanzado de otra órbita que mediante el laboratorio de su antigua nave haya reproducido cambios genéticos en ése planeta ( base del Argumento teórico del posterior tratado Caballo de Troya, y sin llegar al desarrollo del planteamiento del Mesías de otro planeta como en su contemporánea :Forastero en tierra extraña)
Y es también:
- Un auténtico repaso a varios preceptos de la religión y la fe, a modo filosófico y práctico mediante la experiencia de los personajes del relato.
- Cuestiona lo puro e impuro y su bien o mal sobre los humanos
RELATO INTERESANTE Y MÁS COMPLEJO DE LO QUE PARECE, PERO EXCESIVO EN PAGINAS Y DESMEDIDO EN LENGUAJE.
ENTRE UN 2.5 Y UN 3, O SEA: entre ESTÁ BIEN Y ME HA GUSTADO
4/ Hijo:
Jones resulta ser el único náufrago embarcado en un crucero, del cual pretende huir de su esposa y refugiarse nuevamente en los ‘seguros brazos’ de su madre.
Experto electrónico, es capturado por el enemigo mediante una nave submarina inteligente (véase el género femenino) que pretende llevarlo con su ‘camaradas’ cómo profesional útil.
A resultas de un incidente en el cuerpo de la nave, Jones es obligado a enfrentarse a sus más profundos terrores (los cuales le hicieron enmararse). *** COMIENZA SPOILER*** Sin embargo, gracias a ésa terrible situación resolverá su trauma y crecerá cómo persona, de niño a adulto.*** ACABA SPOILER***
RELATO SUMAMENTE PSICOLÓGICO CON UNA CLARA EVOLUCIÓN DEL PERSONAJE PRINCIPAL RESPECTO AL DEL PRIMER RELATO.
ME HA GUSTADO MUCHO.
5/ Hermano de mi hermana:
Lane, uno de los miembros terrícolas de una misión de exploración en Marte, va en búsqueda de su compañeros desaparecidos. Allí, en la entrada de un muro híbrido, encontrará un mundo subterráneo poblado de una especie del planeta, con su propio ciclo vital, además de ser rescatado por otra ‘espécimen’ de una galaxia aliena, Marcia, que guarda cierto parentesco al suyo. Ambos tendrán que convivir, a pesar de sus diferencias de origen y principios de vida...el terrestre, se planteará muchas cosas...pero, ¿ es posible el entendimiento y la aceptación de otros seres, además de la convivencia, e incluso, la atracción hacía éstos?
RELATO MUY ATMOSFÉRICO Y BIEN DEFINIDO, QUE CONSTRUYE TODA UNA COMPLEJO CICLO BIOLÓGICO, ADEMÁS, DEL PRESENTARNOS EL ETERNO DILEMA DE LA DESCONFIANZA Y CONFLICTO ENTRE DIFERENTES ESPECIES, Y LAS ‘ MENOS’ EVOLUCIONADAS COMO EL SER HUMANO.
VÉASE DE DATO, QUE EN ÉSTA HISTORIA HAY DESCRIPCIONES ANATÓMICAS, DE MODUS OPERANDI Y DE ENTORNO DE LOS MARCIANOS QUE DESPUÉS FUERON UNA CLARA INFLUENCIA PARA LA CREACIÓN DE ‘ ALIEN’ (AMÉN, CLARO ESTÁ, DE HEINLEIN Y SU PREDECESORA‘ AMO DE TÍTERES’ EN LA PARTE FINAL DE LA NOVELA)
ME HA GUSTADO MUCHO
May 16, 2024
This is one weird fucking book. It’s nominally a collection of five lengthy short stories about human/alien interactions, with sexual undertones. However, what it really breaks down to is:
1) The first story, which is the best and most creepy. A dude with enough mommy issues to make Freud’s head explode ends up in a co-dependent, quasi-sexual relationship with what’s basically a giant alien snail. Mom comes to an unpleasant end. This story is incredibly compelling, and really, really disturbing. I wish the whole collection had been more like it, although then I may have needed to shower for several days after finishing it.
2) The second story, which is told from the POV of one of the snail-like creatures from the first. Has nothing to with human/alien encounters, though it’s kind of interesting from an anthropological standpoint.
3) Man vs. an evil submarine controlled by an AI. The AI is female. Farmer has some issues with women, methinks.
4) A ship containing several priests, an old drunken lady, an annoying young couple, and possibly some other characters crash lands on a planet controlled by a being with godlike powers. Wackiness ensues. Trin begins to suspect that she has been led astray a bit regarding the premise of this book.
5) Um…I have no memory of what the fifth story was actually about.
In summation: While the first story made for a pretty amazing head-fuck, the rest were not all that compelling or memorable (in one case, quite literally). If you are looking for sexy sex with sexy aliens, once again, you are looking in the wrong place. And by “you,” I sadly mean me.
1) The first story, which is the best and most creepy. A dude with enough mommy issues to make Freud’s head explode ends up in a co-dependent, quasi-sexual relationship with what’s basically a giant alien snail. Mom comes to an unpleasant end. This story is incredibly compelling, and really, really disturbing. I wish the whole collection had been more like it, although then I may have needed to shower for several days after finishing it.
2) The second story, which is told from the POV of one of the snail-like creatures from the first. Has nothing to with human/alien encounters, though it’s kind of interesting from an anthropological standpoint.
3) Man vs. an evil submarine controlled by an AI. The AI is female. Farmer has some issues with women, methinks.
4) A ship containing several priests, an old drunken lady, an annoying young couple, and possibly some other characters crash lands on a planet controlled by a being with godlike powers. Wackiness ensues. Trin begins to suspect that she has been led astray a bit regarding the premise of this book.
5) Um…I have no memory of what the fifth story was actually about.
In summation: While the first story made for a pretty amazing head-fuck, the rest were not all that compelling or memorable (in one case, quite literally). If you are looking for sexy sex with sexy aliens, once again, you are looking in the wrong place. And by “you,” I sadly mean me.
January 19, 2010
An excellent omnibus collection of three early Philip Jose Farmer novels. I read the second one, Flesh, first, because I owned it when I was younger and never got round to reading it, then I lost it. A fast paced pulp adventure, it is firmly tongue in cheek but has barely a fraction of the shock value it undoubtedly had when it was first published in the 1960s. And yet Farmer's writing is always good.
After Flesh I read the short stories that make up the Strange Relations collection. Some of these stories are linked, some aren't. The first one, 'Mother', is one of the best SF stories I've ever read. Absolutely perfect in every way: the pacing, the way that every little detail has been engineered to fit together. Marvellous! Then I read The Lovers... A classic in every sense.
After Flesh I read the short stories that make up the Strange Relations collection. Some of these stories are linked, some aren't. The first one, 'Mother', is one of the best SF stories I've ever read. Absolutely perfect in every way: the pacing, the way that every little detail has been engineered to fit together. Marvellous! Then I read The Lovers... A classic in every sense.
September 27, 2015
Conjunto de relatos que por si algo destacan es por su originalidad.
Puntuando por separado los relatos...
Madre: 4*
Hija: 4*
Padre: 1*
Hijo: 2*
Hermano de mi hermana: 5*
Total: 16/25 --> 3/5
En mi opinión, el conjunto es un tanto irregular aunque se incluyen relatos muy interesantes como el de Madre e Hija.
Me ha gustado especialmente el último, un personaje muy humano que tiene contacto con vida extraterrestre. Dicho contacto pasa por varias fases como la curiosidad, el afecto, repulsión, etc. Muy redondo.
Puntuando por separado los relatos...
Madre: 4*
Hija: 4*
Padre: 1*
Hijo: 2*
Hermano de mi hermana: 5*
Total: 16/25 --> 3/5
En mi opinión, el conjunto es un tanto irregular aunque se incluyen relatos muy interesantes como el de Madre e Hija.
Me ha gustado especialmente el último, un personaje muy humano que tiene contacto con vida extraterrestre. Dicho contacto pasa por varias fases como la curiosidad, el afecto, repulsión, etc. Muy redondo.
August 16, 2013
I thoroughly enjoyed this imaginative collection of short stories by Farmer. This cosmic breadth of his imagination is boundless. Much of the highly transgressive, polymorphously-inclined sex tropes here predate Cronenberg by decades! (there is a Ballardian richness to his bravura style) As has been mentioned previously, the first story 'Mother' is arguably one of the finest sf short stories ever conceived.
September 5, 2019
Every story is about a completely different kind of interspecies romance. One of Farmer's better efforts. Don't miss this one.
September 11, 2015
Si tuviera que resumir este libro, con el título bastaría: este libro va sobre relaciones extrañas.
Con el eje en común de la familia, Farmer explora las distintas figuras del entorno familiar en 5 relatos: Madre, Hija, Padre, Hijo y Hermano/Hermana.
El gran acierto de Farmer es lograr que un tema tan humano como las relaciones familiares pueda llevarse a otras razas alienígenas y a otros planetas y sigan siendo válidos esos valores.
Los dos primeros relatos me parecen una obra maestra, me han recordado al Solaris de Lem o al relato central de Los Propios Dioses de Isaac Asimov.
Sin embargo, en los otros tres relatos, a pesar de lo interesante del tema Farmer los alarga demasiado y me he llegado a aburrir en algunos momentos.
Con el eje en común de la familia, Farmer explora las distintas figuras del entorno familiar en 5 relatos: Madre, Hija, Padre, Hijo y Hermano/Hermana.
El gran acierto de Farmer es lograr que un tema tan humano como las relaciones familiares pueda llevarse a otras razas alienígenas y a otros planetas y sigan siendo válidos esos valores.
Los dos primeros relatos me parecen una obra maestra, me han recordado al Solaris de Lem o al relato central de Los Propios Dioses de Isaac Asimov.
Sin embargo, en los otros tres relatos, a pesar de lo interesante del tema Farmer los alarga demasiado y me he llegado a aburrir en algunos momentos.
September 17, 2015
En este libro el título está realmente bien puesto y tras su lectura queda claro el por qué del mismo :)
El conjunto de relatos desborda creatividad e imaginación para describir las posibles interacciones y relaciones entre criaturas de otros mundos, y entre estas y los humanos, aunque en mi opinión la calidad de los capítulos difiere bastante.
Las dos primeras historias, "Madre" e "Hija", son distintas perspectivas yuxtapuestas de unos hechos concretos y me han parecido lo mejor del libro. De esas narraciones que no puedes dejar hasta llegar al final para averiguar cual es la conclusión de la trama.
"Padre" me resultó mucho menos interesante y creo que podría haberse planteado y resuelto en bastantes menos páginas. "Hijo" es sumamente breve y poco estimulante.
Finalmente, "Hermano de mi hermana" remonta de nuevo el vuelo y pone un broche de calidad al libro, al plantear un descubrimiento marciano y el paralelismo y las diferencias entre especies muy diferentes, que en algún momento me hizo recordar a la criatura de "Alien, el octavo pasajero".
El conjunto de relatos desborda creatividad e imaginación para describir las posibles interacciones y relaciones entre criaturas de otros mundos, y entre estas y los humanos, aunque en mi opinión la calidad de los capítulos difiere bastante.
Las dos primeras historias, "Madre" e "Hija", son distintas perspectivas yuxtapuestas de unos hechos concretos y me han parecido lo mejor del libro. De esas narraciones que no puedes dejar hasta llegar al final para averiguar cual es la conclusión de la trama.
"Padre" me resultó mucho menos interesante y creo que podría haberse planteado y resuelto en bastantes menos páginas. "Hijo" es sumamente breve y poco estimulante.
Finalmente, "Hermano de mi hermana" remonta de nuevo el vuelo y pone un broche de calidad al libro, al plantear un descubrimiento marciano y el paralelismo y las diferencias entre especies muy diferentes, que en algún momento me hizo recordar a la criatura de "Alien, el octavo pasajero".
November 28, 2023
Farmer nos presenta una muy extravagante familia en estos relatos de ciencia ficción alienígena, donde el hombre es un mero accidente enfrentado a fuerzas y entes desconocidos, la mayoría de las veces vía terapias de shock en ambientes blandos y pegajosos. La primera historia, "Madre", es todo un clásico en este tipo de relatos, mezcla de asquerosidad y psicología extraterrestre, sorprendente de principio a fin y muestra ejemplar de la loca inventiva del autor. Continua con "Hija", de desarrollo más divertido (extraordinario homenaje a los tres cerditos, jaja), para seguir luego con "Padre", el relato más largo y con más elucubraciones religiosas y existenciales del volumen, cortesía de uno de los principales héroes farmerianos, el padre John Carmody. Del "Hijo" no tengo mayores recuerdos, pero sí del último relato, "Hermano de mi hermana", visión alienígena horrenda y angustiante, imposible de olvidar.
En fin, este libro es una invitación al asco y al desconcierto, no deja para nada indiferente, pobre de aquellos amantes del hard que se le acerquen.
En fin, este libro es una invitación al asco y al desconcierto, no deja para nada indiferente, pobre de aquellos amantes del hard que se le acerquen.
July 8, 2022
Ok, yes, I got this book because of that cover. I figured, "why not read some space smut?" It fact, I left this book around the house as an open announcement that I was, in fact, reading "SPACE SMUT". Turns out, though, it wasn't exactly space smut -- at least not as overtly suggested by the cover. It's an interesting collection of Farmer's science fiction stores dealing with themes of religion and sexuality in a science fiction setting. These stories were written in the '50s and '60s and much of the writing was thematically groundbreaking for its time. Although the story, "Flesh", was simply bat-shit crazy, I found the novel-length "The Lovers" quite good. The remaining shorter stories were somewhat hit-and-miss.
August 16, 2023
An awesome thematic collection of novels and short stories. Whereas the cover would have you convinced this is just an alien smut book, it’s actually quite clean. Farmer fades to black before describing the dirty parts. Despite breaking the sexual boundaries in science fiction at the time, the included novels “The Lovers” and “Flesh” are much more nuanced in their sexual content. Likewise the short story collection “Strange Relations”. Perhaps I’m just jaded by the sexually-charged world we live in, but I wouldn’t call this pornographic or erotic. It just happens to feature interspecies relationships and interactions as its main themes.
I think novel “The Lovers”, and the short stories “Son” and “My Sister’s Brother” (also published as “Open to Me, My Sister”) stood out the most. All three worked for me by having very engaging protagonists which played off the main “female” leads (female in quotes because these leading ladies aren’t human, exactly). These characters aren’t necessarily relatable, but they were living, breathing people.
Overall, this is a great omnibus collection, and if you Philip José Farmer, go no further.
I think novel “The Lovers”, and the short stories “Son” and “My Sister’s Brother” (also published as “Open to Me, My Sister”) stood out the most. All three worked for me by having very engaging protagonists which played off the main “female” leads (female in quotes because these leading ladies aren’t human, exactly). These characters aren’t necessarily relatable, but they were living, breathing people.
Overall, this is a great omnibus collection, and if you Philip José Farmer, go no further.
January 3, 2018
Strange Relations is not your typical soft science fiction that looks at how technology or alien species would impact society. Instead, it focuses on an individual human and their intimate relationship with an extremely exotic alien life form or sentient robot.
Farmer's greatest strength in this book is he creativity of these bizarre yet fascinating worlds and creatures that he has dreamed up. The first two stories were extremely strong since they featured living organisms that were not humanoid in the least bit and lived in a manner much different to mankind's way of life. In addition to that, I appreciated how these two tales were about different generations of the extraterrestrial species that interacted with the human being and how he impacted their society.
I was a bit confused with this book as I moved onto the third story and did not realize that the remaining tales had nothing to do with first part of the book. While the latter part of the book was of interest, it was not as strong as the beginning. One thing that irked me was the introduction of humanoid aliens. When put into the perspective of the entire galaxy, there is noting mandating that intelligent life forms have to take on human like forms. The only reason for this is the familiarity of this body type for us Earth bound readers. While these stories do have their own positive aspects, the lack of truly unprecedented life forms in the third and fifth stories left me feeling a bit let down.
Despite my criticisms, Philip José Farmer is still an author that expands my horizons in the world of science fiction and is enjoyable to read.
Farmer's greatest strength in this book is he creativity of these bizarre yet fascinating worlds and creatures that he has dreamed up. The first two stories were extremely strong since they featured living organisms that were not humanoid in the least bit and lived in a manner much different to mankind's way of life. In addition to that, I appreciated how these two tales were about different generations of the extraterrestrial species that interacted with the human being and how he impacted their society.
I was a bit confused with this book as I moved onto the third story and did not realize that the remaining tales had nothing to do with first part of the book. While the latter part of the book was of interest, it was not as strong as the beginning. One thing that irked me was the introduction of humanoid aliens. When put into the perspective of the entire galaxy, there is noting mandating that intelligent life forms have to take on human like forms. The only reason for this is the familiarity of this body type for us Earth bound readers. While these stories do have their own positive aspects, the lack of truly unprecedented life forms in the third and fifth stories left me feeling a bit let down.
Despite my criticisms, Philip José Farmer is still an author that expands my horizons in the world of science fiction and is enjoyable to read.
September 22, 2015
Vale que han pasado muchos años, medio siglo, y que muchos de los clichés sobre otros planetas se han quedado anticuados. Vale que la ciencia ficción ha ideado muchas formas de reproducción alienígena con sus modelos sociales derivados. Vale que he leído cosas extrañas y que he perdido la capacidad de asombrarme. ¿Debería darle mejor puntuación? No lo creo. Un texto debe emocionar la margen del tiempo que ha pasado desde su publicación, y este libro solo lo ha conseguido en un par de momentos, seguramente porque ha sido copiado en cientos de relatos.
De todo el libro me quedo con la versión estelar de los Tres Cerditos y con el cuento del Hijo.
De todo el libro me quedo con la versión estelar de los Tres Cerditos y con el cuento del Hijo.
December 18, 2018
5 historias de distinta calidad pero, por su rabiosa originalidad en el panorama e la CF de su momento, no me resisto a darle la máxima nota. Admito mi debilidad -en su momento- por este autor y por esta obra.
10/10. Media de los 23 libros que he leído de este autor : 7/10
10/10. Media de los 23 libros que he leído de este autor : 7/10
March 15, 2020
Full review: https://sciencefictionruminations.com...
4/5
"Blanchard’s abstract vaginal cover for the 1960 first edition of Philip José Farmer’s Strange Relations (1960) hints, just obliquely enough to avoid being explicit, at the collection’s radical and groundbreaking contents. Nothing else existed like this from the 50s! Having exploded onto the scene with the “transgressive” (SF encyclopedia) novella “The Lovers” (1953) (later expanded to novel length), Strange Relations (1960) collects a [...]"
4/5
"Blanchard’s abstract vaginal cover for the 1960 first edition of Philip José Farmer’s Strange Relations (1960) hints, just obliquely enough to avoid being explicit, at the collection’s radical and groundbreaking contents. Nothing else existed like this from the 50s! Having exploded onto the scene with the “transgressive” (SF encyclopedia) novella “The Lovers” (1953) (later expanded to novel length), Strange Relations (1960) collects a [...]"
August 1, 2024
Don’t be fooled by the cover. This isn’t that kind of book. Mostly.
I found it because the cover was posted to Reddit in the /badscificovers subreddit. It’s actually a collection of three novellas, which are all pretty good. For the cover price of one book, getting three good sized novellas of this caliber is a great deal.
I found it because the cover was posted to Reddit in the /badscificovers subreddit. It’s actually a collection of three novellas, which are all pretty good. For the cover price of one book, getting three good sized novellas of this caliber is a great deal.
January 8, 2020
Five excellent stories by Farmer.
January 26, 2023
This is a review solely of the original book consisting of five short stories, not the omnibus of three books (including this one).
Four stories linked by themes of grotesque human/alien relations and bizarre xenobiology (mostly), as well as the spectre of failed masculinity and resulting personal stasis. The first three stories take place in the same universe, the latter two are not explicitly connected.
"Mother" (1953) and "Daughter" (1954): These two are directly linked, and follow a mama's boy stranded on an alien planet, going from the smothering arms of his human mother to the uterine cavern of an alien "Mother". The bulk of the story explains the bizarre biology of the sessile Mothers, who are dependent on "mobiles" to facilitate their parthenogenetic reproduction. Farmer misses many opportunities for description of a truly grotto-esque environment, but there is great creativity on display, . "Daughter" follows one of the children of the protagonist of the first story, and gives some redemption to his character: the "not-so" stories he has told to his daughters provide a vital advantage to the survival of his most attentive child.
Only these two were represented in Barlowe's Guide, and it was a solid choice. The Mothers are the most physically bizarre aliens in the collection, not corresponding directly to anything on Earth, and their method of reproduction is unique.
One of only two illustrations presented in situ, the picture doesn't convey well the scale of the thing, the interior chamber being 30 feet wide. Each of the thin tentacles would be as long as a person is tall. The veined texture of the wall is good, but the drawing overall is a bit too clean and dry looking (and bright). It hardly looks like the interior of a mollusc-like organism.
"Father" (1955): The longest story at 70 pages, it's also the most highly developed, having more than two characters. A religiously themed story, it seems a precursor to the priest's tale in Hyperion, in which a bizarre phenomenon on a remote planet makes a mockery of the Christian miracle of resurrection, and presents both a threat and a temptation to the institution of the Church. The story follows an exuberant priest, companion to a severe bishop who becomes ensnared by the wonders of the miraculous alien Father. This story presents several twists and turns, some action, and more psychological focus than the first two. Also notable for the extremely bizarre clothing of the cast, in which legs are not clothed, but painted, and the upper body is clothed with a shirt front and suspenders, all in bright colours. The wild swerves of fashion across the ages are too often ignored in science fiction. Best story in the collection. The protagonist Carmody features in another collection of stories by Farmer, Father to the Stars, which I'll have to check out.
"Son", originally "Queen of the Deep" (1954): The weakest and shortest story in the collection, notable only for the "twist" ending. It does feature another male on the verge of failing as a man, but there is no xenobiology on display, the story being about a robot.
"My Brother's Sister", originally "The Strange Birth" (1959): A contender for best of the collection, Farmer goes all out on strange alien reproduction in this one. I thought I had figured out the scheme, but he managed to exceed my expectations massively. There are several layers to the story here, and some misleading foreshadowing. The Martian dekapods would have been a good choice for Barlowe's Guide, but he already chose a metamorphosing alien, and portraying the varied life cycle of the dekapods would've been quite a bit of work. I can see why he went with the Mother instead.
Farmer does have a few distracting quirks (the listing out of equipment being one of them), but overall this was an excellent themed story collection, and it made a much better impression than his very pulpy Hadon of Ancient Opar.
Four stories linked by themes of grotesque human/alien relations and bizarre xenobiology (mostly), as well as the spectre of failed masculinity and resulting personal stasis. The first three stories take place in the same universe, the latter two are not explicitly connected.
"Mother" (1953) and "Daughter" (1954): These two are directly linked, and follow a mama's boy stranded on an alien planet, going from the smothering arms of his human mother to the uterine cavern of an alien "Mother". The bulk of the story explains the bizarre biology of the sessile Mothers, who are dependent on "mobiles" to facilitate their parthenogenetic reproduction. Farmer misses many opportunities for description of a truly grotto-esque environment, but there is great creativity on display, . "Daughter" follows one of the children of the protagonist of the first story, and gives some redemption to his character: the "not-so" stories he has told to his daughters provide a vital advantage to the survival of his most attentive child.
Only these two were represented in Barlowe's Guide, and it was a solid choice. The Mothers are the most physically bizarre aliens in the collection, not corresponding directly to anything on Earth, and their method of reproduction is unique.
One of only two illustrations presented in situ, the picture doesn't convey well the scale of the thing, the interior chamber being 30 feet wide. Each of the thin tentacles would be as long as a person is tall. The veined texture of the wall is good, but the drawing overall is a bit too clean and dry looking (and bright). It hardly looks like the interior of a mollusc-like organism.
"Father" (1955): The longest story at 70 pages, it's also the most highly developed, having more than two characters. A religiously themed story, it seems a precursor to the priest's tale in Hyperion, in which a bizarre phenomenon on a remote planet makes a mockery of the Christian miracle of resurrection, and presents both a threat and a temptation to the institution of the Church. The story follows an exuberant priest, companion to a severe bishop who becomes ensnared by the wonders of the miraculous alien Father. This story presents several twists and turns, some action, and more psychological focus than the first two. Also notable for the extremely bizarre clothing of the cast, in which legs are not clothed, but painted, and the upper body is clothed with a shirt front and suspenders, all in bright colours. The wild swerves of fashion across the ages are too often ignored in science fiction. Best story in the collection. The protagonist Carmody features in another collection of stories by Farmer, Father to the Stars, which I'll have to check out.
"Son", originally "Queen of the Deep" (1954): The weakest and shortest story in the collection, notable only for the "twist" ending. It does feature another male on the verge of failing as a man, but there is no xenobiology on display, the story being about a robot.
"My Brother's Sister", originally "The Strange Birth" (1959): A contender for best of the collection, Farmer goes all out on strange alien reproduction in this one. I thought I had figured out the scheme, but he managed to exceed my expectations massively. There are several layers to the story here, and some misleading foreshadowing. The Martian dekapods would have been a good choice for Barlowe's Guide, but he already chose a metamorphosing alien, and portraying the varied life cycle of the dekapods would've been quite a bit of work. I can see why he went with the Mother instead.
Farmer does have a few distracting quirks (the listing out of equipment being one of them), but overall this was an excellent themed story collection, and it made a much better impression than his very pulpy Hadon of Ancient Opar.
January 16, 2020
This is a book of short stories, but it may deceive you at first, since the first two stories share characters and world-setting. The other stories are completely unrelated. The “theme,” if there is one, is that each story is named for a family member, at least as published here, although some were published under other titles in magazines at some other time. Taken together, they demonstrate the unique voice of Farmer – one which is somewhat creepy and Lovecraftian, and yet somewhat more self-conscious and Freudian at the same time – which most people probably either love or hate. Or, maybe, like myself, a lot end up uncertain which way to jump. I would say that his vision is wonderfully creative and at the same time depressingly bleak. I will quickly review each of the stories below.
“Mother” is the story that brought me to the book. It is about an alien being that looks like a boulder from the outside, but actually focuses much of its consciousness internally. It “swallows” (being eaten is a very common metaphor in Farmer) a young man who is dominated by his mother, and becomes a kind of surrogate-mother to him as he becomes comfortable within her womb-like surroundings. The man’s corruption by the alien causes him to seem less than human by the end, although he wasn’t much of a human even at the beginning.
“Daughter” is about some of the offspring of the creature from the first story, who have been raised with the hero of the first story as their surrogate-father. It somewhat demonstrates his corrupting influence on the planet, since one of these offspring is now dominant, telling her story in retrospect. It follows the story structure of a familiar fairy tale, and also introduces a new, nasty alien, a predator that feeds on the “mothers.”
“Father” is a story that takes place in a totally different world, and probably (?) universe. An inter-stellar spaceship crash-lands with an ensemble of characters with different motivations. Two of these characters are priests in a hybrid future Catholic church. They encounter an alien that has the ability to raise the dead and perform other miracles, and must decide whether this being is God, in a plotline that may have been partially borrowed for “Star Trek V.” The god-creature is male, but because of its intense jealousy only creates female beings. It also allows itself to be torn to bits regularly in a crucifixion-and-resurrection ritual. Once again, the story seems to be about human weakness, although the humans do more or less come out on top this time.
“Son” is a story set closer to contemporary times, in which two technically advanced nuclear superpowers vie for domination of the planet. When an American ship is downed by an “enemy” submarine (the USSR is implicitly, but never explicitly, identified), a survivor is taken into its interior and kept alive by the feminine computer that runs the ship. Again, we have a somewhat ineffectual and repressed male inside the womb of a female being, but in this case, because he discovers his capacity for “normal” love of a human woman, he is able to break her control. In some ways the happy ending feels disingenuous.
“My Sister’s Brother” is both the most well-thought out, and probably the most disturbing of the stories. A man in the near future is part of a mission to explore Mars that goes awry. In trying to find out what happened to his companions, he is saved/captured by a female alien whose life cycle puzzles him. For once, he is not swallowed, although orality is a major theme in other ways, and they do dwell together in a womb-like cave. Another theme we’ve seen before is the protagonist’s efforts to reconcile his belief in God with new data. Ultimately, his inability to accept her differences causes him to commit an atrocity, which seems to be a statement about either human intolerance or male violence or both.
“Mother” is the story that brought me to the book. It is about an alien being that looks like a boulder from the outside, but actually focuses much of its consciousness internally. It “swallows” (being eaten is a very common metaphor in Farmer) a young man who is dominated by his mother, and becomes a kind of surrogate-mother to him as he becomes comfortable within her womb-like surroundings. The man’s corruption by the alien causes him to seem less than human by the end, although he wasn’t much of a human even at the beginning.
“Daughter” is about some of the offspring of the creature from the first story, who have been raised with the hero of the first story as their surrogate-father. It somewhat demonstrates his corrupting influence on the planet, since one of these offspring is now dominant, telling her story in retrospect. It follows the story structure of a familiar fairy tale, and also introduces a new, nasty alien, a predator that feeds on the “mothers.”
“Father” is a story that takes place in a totally different world, and probably (?) universe. An inter-stellar spaceship crash-lands with an ensemble of characters with different motivations. Two of these characters are priests in a hybrid future Catholic church. They encounter an alien that has the ability to raise the dead and perform other miracles, and must decide whether this being is God, in a plotline that may have been partially borrowed for “Star Trek V.” The god-creature is male, but because of its intense jealousy only creates female beings. It also allows itself to be torn to bits regularly in a crucifixion-and-resurrection ritual. Once again, the story seems to be about human weakness, although the humans do more or less come out on top this time.
“Son” is a story set closer to contemporary times, in which two technically advanced nuclear superpowers vie for domination of the planet. When an American ship is downed by an “enemy” submarine (the USSR is implicitly, but never explicitly, identified), a survivor is taken into its interior and kept alive by the feminine computer that runs the ship. Again, we have a somewhat ineffectual and repressed male inside the womb of a female being, but in this case, because he discovers his capacity for “normal” love of a human woman, he is able to break her control. In some ways the happy ending feels disingenuous.
“My Sister’s Brother” is both the most well-thought out, and probably the most disturbing of the stories. A man in the near future is part of a mission to explore Mars that goes awry. In trying to find out what happened to his companions, he is saved/captured by a female alien whose life cycle puzzles him. For once, he is not swallowed, although orality is a major theme in other ways, and they do dwell together in a womb-like cave. Another theme we’ve seen before is the protagonist’s efforts to reconcile his belief in God with new data. Ultimately, his inability to accept her differences causes him to commit an atrocity, which seems to be a statement about either human intolerance or male violence or both.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 26, 2010
I got this book to be a little daring. It was a big sensations at the time it came out(1961). Supposedly, this was to explore sex, sensuality and such in SciFi. I read the first novel- The Lovers.
Well, it drove me crazy! How things have changed. Point one: the sex is almost non existent. It's like- He looked at her with those thoughts and then they go into the bedroom and scene fades. Could be watching an old movie.
Point two-I suppose the other part was that a human male decided to have sex with an alien female. OK, fine, I could see how that might freak people out particularly with a Bug Eyed Monster, but this alien was very much like a human except better. What is called the Super Stimulus-exaggerating certain aspects of the sexual organs. In this case they were perfectly shaped large breasts with red nipples and equally red lips on the face. Now I don't see why anyone would think that was strange, especially men, well maybe women would find it unfairly competitive and Mr. Farmer did include that in some of the explanation.
What really got me though is the female alien was killed and she was killed in a way that suggests she was supposed to die. I am referring to how authors have treated lesbians and I suppose female heroines especially if they try to emulate a man too much. If the story had ended where the man had found out "in time" and managed to "save her" because he had gotten over the "OMG she's not human" part and "found the answer" I would have liked it better. It would have proven that, in the end, we can rise above instinct and "do the right thing". Well, in this story the alien Did the Right Thing, and the human caught up to slow and is "very sad" about it all.
The second novel-Flesh-was just as bad. It starts out with a spaceship returning to Earth after many centuries and finding a world that has gone back into the "dark ages" with a female priestess and weird rituals involving sex and fertility, etc. The captain of the ship is taken captive and made the male centerpiece of a ceremony, giving him drugs until the point where all he's interested in is nailing the priestess. I gave up. It may have been interesting at the time to see a society successfully held by females but they all were so stupid-no one saw the problems except for some of the spaceship crew that were quickly being assimilated. It was bad!
Well, it drove me crazy! How things have changed. Point one: the sex is almost non existent. It's like- He looked at her with those thoughts and then they go into the bedroom and scene fades. Could be watching an old movie.
Point two-I suppose the other part was that a human male decided to have sex with an alien female. OK, fine, I could see how that might freak people out particularly with a Bug Eyed Monster, but this alien was very much like a human except better. What is called the Super Stimulus-exaggerating certain aspects of the sexual organs. In this case they were perfectly shaped large breasts with red nipples and equally red lips on the face. Now I don't see why anyone would think that was strange, especially men, well maybe women would find it unfairly competitive and Mr. Farmer did include that in some of the explanation.
What really got me though is the female alien was killed and she was killed in a way that suggests she was supposed to die. I am referring to how authors have treated lesbians and I suppose female heroines especially if they try to emulate a man too much. If the story had ended where the man had found out "in time" and managed to "save her" because he had gotten over the "OMG she's not human" part and "found the answer" I would have liked it better. It would have proven that, in the end, we can rise above instinct and "do the right thing". Well, in this story the alien Did the Right Thing, and the human caught up to slow and is "very sad" about it all.
The second novel-Flesh-was just as bad. It starts out with a spaceship returning to Earth after many centuries and finding a world that has gone back into the "dark ages" with a female priestess and weird rituals involving sex and fertility, etc. The captain of the ship is taken captive and made the male centerpiece of a ceremony, giving him drugs until the point where all he's interested in is nailing the priestess. I gave up. It may have been interesting at the time to see a society successfully held by females but they all were so stupid-no one saw the problems except for some of the spaceship crew that were quickly being assimilated. It was bad!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 1, 2019
Judging from other people's reviews this book has been published in 2 forms. A collection of 5 stories or a collection of 7. I read the 5 story version. These stories had all previously been published in various science fiction magazines during the 1950s. The theme that links them all together is alien sex and/or family relationships.
Mother (28 pages, 1953) an overprotective mother and her son crash land on a planet and he is captured by a sentient being that communicates by radio. Eventually, he learns to communicate with it (her) and forms a relationship that mirrors the one with his mother. He also learns how to participate in the alien reproductive cycle.
Daughter (12 pages, 1954) the sequel to Mother. One of her offspring describes what she learned from her 'father' (the human) and how that makes her a more successful creature.
Father (70 pages, 1955) another crash landing on a different planet, where sexual reproduction does not exist, resurrection is normal and sexual intercourse is disapproved of. All creatures except one are female. As the main protagonist is a priest, he takes a religious view of the situation. The themes cover God the Father, the priest as father and father-child relationships.
Son (18 pages, 1954) is another man in the womb story. This time the 'womb' is robotic.
My Sister's Brother (50 pages, 1959) is set on Mars, where a lone astronaut discovers two alien species with very different reproductive cycles. One humanoid and the other very much not.
In Mother, the most unheroic character on the spaceship is the ultimate survivor by adapting to the situation. Daughter is the funniest story in the collection. Father is a rambling and somewhat unfocused story starring the most likeable characters. Son barely fits in this collection. My Sister's Brother is my favourite.
While reproduction is covered in most of the stories it is the relationships that are more important. Male violence turns up in almost all the stories but sexual attraction appears only in the last one.
Mother (28 pages, 1953) an overprotective mother and her son crash land on a planet and he is captured by a sentient being that communicates by radio. Eventually, he learns to communicate with it (her) and forms a relationship that mirrors the one with his mother. He also learns how to participate in the alien reproductive cycle.
Daughter (12 pages, 1954) the sequel to Mother. One of her offspring describes what she learned from her 'father' (the human) and how that makes her a more successful creature.
Father (70 pages, 1955) another crash landing on a different planet, where sexual reproduction does not exist, resurrection is normal and sexual intercourse is disapproved of. All creatures except one are female. As the main protagonist is a priest, he takes a religious view of the situation. The themes cover God the Father, the priest as father and father-child relationships.
Son (18 pages, 1954) is another man in the womb story. This time the 'womb' is robotic.
My Sister's Brother (50 pages, 1959) is set on Mars, where a lone astronaut discovers two alien species with very different reproductive cycles. One humanoid and the other very much not.
In Mother, the most unheroic character on the spaceship is the ultimate survivor by adapting to the situation. Daughter is the funniest story in the collection. Father is a rambling and somewhat unfocused story starring the most likeable characters. Son barely fits in this collection. My Sister's Brother is my favourite.
While reproduction is covered in most of the stories it is the relationships that are more important. Male violence turns up in almost all the stories but sexual attraction appears only in the last one.
December 19, 2015
The first short story in this collection is an excellent example of why I don't read short story's. I loved it. I think it was a brilliant short story. The main character was very fucked up, and thus very interesting, and the aliens were without a doubt very, very alien. I read it in one go, and then spent several days with a massive hangover, wishing that the story had been longer, and I could have known more about Eddy and his life with the molluscs on Baudelaire.
The third short story was not my cup of tea. I think the problem is mainly that I don't believe religion will still exist in the future. The story was without a doubt very outdated, but that never stopped me from reading anything before. I didn't like the way the story was told. I kept having the feeling that the way the characters acted was very unrealistic; they crashed on an unknown planet, but didn't seem to be worried about that fact at all, nor did they bother to work very hard to solve the problem. When they got into a conflict with the native alien, they discussed it amongst themselves, without bothering to investigate the subject very much; in fact, Carmody was the only one who had explored the situation, and then only for a bit.
The last two storys are okay, for short storys, I guess. They were too short for me to care much about the situation or the characters.
The last short story is, again, a bit out dated. It is hard for me to get that an astonaut from the future, who has actually travelled to Mars, can live by such narrow minded ideas. Maybe that's why I didn't understand Lane's violent reaction to Mahrseeya and her baby. Although it was not very clear to me why Mahrsheeya reacted to him the way she did.
The third short story was not my cup of tea. I think the problem is mainly that I don't believe religion will still exist in the future. The story was without a doubt very outdated, but that never stopped me from reading anything before. I didn't like the way the story was told. I kept having the feeling that the way the characters acted was very unrealistic; they crashed on an unknown planet, but didn't seem to be worried about that fact at all, nor did they bother to work very hard to solve the problem. When they got into a conflict with the native alien, they discussed it amongst themselves, without bothering to investigate the subject very much; in fact, Carmody was the only one who had explored the situation, and then only for a bit.
The last two storys are okay, for short storys, I guess. They were too short for me to care much about the situation or the characters.
The last short story is, again, a bit out dated. It is hard for me to get that an astonaut from the future, who has actually travelled to Mars, can live by such narrow minded ideas. Maybe that's why I didn't understand Lane's violent reaction to Mahrseeya and her baby. Although it was not very clear to me why Mahrsheeya reacted to him the way she did.
February 8, 2016
Bueno chicos, hoy por fin lo he terminado de leer. Tengo que decir que es un libro que en muchas ocasiones se me ha atragantado y no he conseguido entrar en las historias (tal vez, porqué he estado bastante ocupada y leía cuando podía). También decir que no soy muy fan de los libros que cuentan varios relatos cortos.
El propio nombre del título ya lo deja bien claro, relaciones extrañas... y tanto...
De todas las historias la que más me ha gustado es la segunda la de hija, me ha parecido genial. Una metáfora sobre la emancipación, la combinación de culturas, etc. La de madre, puede que tal vez sea, porqué era la primera y me esperaba otra cosa, que no terminé de encontrarle el feeling.
Luego con Padre, aunque pareciéndome un relato largo y extenso, me pareció interesante, al menos al principio, poco a poco fue desinflándose.
La cuarta historia brevísima, sobre vencer los miedos profundos y convertirse en un hombre. Y la última, me pareció también interesante la relación de miedo y desconfianza- ¿y sexual? - entre dos especies.
MADRE: 2/5.
HIJA: 5/5.
PADRE: 3/5.
HIJO: 1/5.
HERMANO DE MI HERMANA: 4/5.
En resumen, me ha parecido que la calidad de los relatos oscila bastante de unos a otros, supongo que para la época, 1960, sí que resultaron impactantes.
SOLO PARA LOS AMANTES DEL SCI-FI.
PS: Eso sí, ya tengo "los amantes" como libro pendiente. Voy a darle otra oportunidad a Farmer! :)
El propio nombre del título ya lo deja bien claro, relaciones extrañas... y tanto...
De todas las historias la que más me ha gustado es la segunda la de hija, me ha parecido genial. Una metáfora sobre la emancipación, la combinación de culturas, etc. La de madre, puede que tal vez sea, porqué era la primera y me esperaba otra cosa, que no terminé de encontrarle el feeling.
Luego con Padre, aunque pareciéndome un relato largo y extenso, me pareció interesante, al menos al principio, poco a poco fue desinflándose.
La cuarta historia brevísima, sobre vencer los miedos profundos y convertirse en un hombre. Y la última, me pareció también interesante la relación de miedo y desconfianza- ¿y sexual? - entre dos especies.
MADRE: 2/5.
HIJA: 5/5.
PADRE: 3/5.
HIJO: 1/5.
HERMANO DE MI HERMANA: 4/5.
En resumen, me ha parecido que la calidad de los relatos oscila bastante de unos a otros, supongo que para la época, 1960, sí que resultaron impactantes.
SOLO PARA LOS AMANTES DEL SCI-FI.
PS: Eso sí, ya tengo "los amantes" como libro pendiente. Voy a darle otra oportunidad a Farmer! :)
April 18, 2024
The first 2 stories "Mother" and "Daughter" belong together.
Farmer starts from a mother and son who crashland on an unknown planet. They get separated and meet the local lifeforms. That is when it becomes more than werid. Farmer goes all out to draw us a picture of a lifeform that is completely alien to us but still quite believable. The reaction to a male opposed to the reaction to a female invader is amazing to say the least. And presents us with some gruesome diatary details that will linger in the imagination. After that and especially in the sequel "Daughter" the tone becomes lighter and it is real fun to read.
"Father" puts us on an Eden-like planet where a person "Father" seems to have God-like powers. But it does not feel easy, something is amiss. Farmer brings here a horror-like scenario.
In "Son" we meet a surivor of an exploded ship who gets picked up by an alien spaceship that works autonomous and whose people are at war with Earth. A mother-son relation develops, but also here with a frightening twist.
In the last story of this bundle Farmer goes all-out both in weirdness of an alien race and in the violant way that a human reacts to that. The sympathy goes to the aliens. Even when they have a very strange and to (most) humans revolting way of reproduction they know love and care for each other but also for, in their eyes, the weird human. Psychological very heavy and the human race does not come out of this unharmed.
Farmer starts from a mother and son who crashland on an unknown planet. They get separated and meet the local lifeforms. That is when it becomes more than werid. Farmer goes all out to draw us a picture of a lifeform that is completely alien to us but still quite believable. The reaction to a male opposed to the reaction to a female invader is amazing to say the least. And presents us with some gruesome diatary details that will linger in the imagination. After that and especially in the sequel "Daughter" the tone becomes lighter and it is real fun to read.
"Father" puts us on an Eden-like planet where a person "Father" seems to have God-like powers. But it does not feel easy, something is amiss. Farmer brings here a horror-like scenario.
In "Son" we meet a surivor of an exploded ship who gets picked up by an alien spaceship that works autonomous and whose people are at war with Earth. A mother-son relation develops, but also here with a frightening twist.
In the last story of this bundle Farmer goes all-out both in weirdness of an alien race and in the violant way that a human reacts to that. The sympathy goes to the aliens. Even when they have a very strange and to (most) humans revolting way of reproduction they know love and care for each other but also for, in their eyes, the weird human. Psychological very heavy and the human race does not come out of this unharmed.
March 31, 2015
First off, let's tackle the issue of that cover. It makes this book look like second-rate porn. It's not. In fact, it's not remotely erotic or sexy. It is sexual in the sense that it focuses on sexual issues — much like The Left Hand of Darkness does (i.e. from a dispassionate observational standpoint).
This books comprises two novellas and a bunch of short stories. The first novella, The Lovers, starts out well. It looked like it was going to out-do The Handmaid's Tale in terms of a study in repressive society and the effect on individuals. But then it went off in a completely different direction and forgot to make use of what seemed to be the theme of the first 90% of the story.
The second novella started out strangely. Then it got stranger. Usually I like strange, but this was just incomprehensible. I didn't like any of the characters, but I didn't especially hate them either — which makes for a pretty dull read.
I started the first of the short stories at the end, but then decided that I was just punishing myself for no reason.
This books comprises two novellas and a bunch of short stories. The first novella, The Lovers, starts out well. It looked like it was going to out-do The Handmaid's Tale in terms of a study in repressive society and the effect on individuals. But then it went off in a completely different direction and forgot to make use of what seemed to be the theme of the first 90% of the story.
The second novella started out strangely. Then it got stranger. Usually I like strange, but this was just incomprehensible. I didn't like any of the characters, but I didn't especially hate them either — which makes for a pretty dull read.
I started the first of the short stories at the end, but then decided that I was just punishing myself for no reason.
February 23, 2018
3.5 estrellas
En general, una lectura amena e interesante. Mi mayor problema esta en los personajes, que no son lo que dice agradables, interesantes o atrayentes, aunque eso bien puede haber sido algo intencional.
La imagen de la portada de mi edición digital es absurdamente sugestiva, es lo único que diré al respecto.
Madre: 3.5 estrellas
Como que hubo un algo (quizás los personajes) que no logró convencerme.
Hija: 4 estrellas
Me pareció muy interesante la narración desde el punto de vista de un ser que, aunque influenciado desde el nacimiento por un humano, decididamente no es humano.
Padre: 4 estrellas
Mi favorito y, en mi opinión, el que mejor explícita el choque entre dos especies sentientes y humanoides, pero por lo demás increíblemente distantes una de la otra. Por otro lado, se me hizo bien largo, y algo lento en los primeros capítulos.
Hijo: 2 estrellas
Decepcionante, aunque no falto de su ingenio.
Hermano de mi hermana: 4 estrellas
También un buen ejemplo de la distancia entre dos especies que (erróneamente) parecen tan cercanas, aunque Lane como hombre de ciencia me pareció pobre.
En general, una lectura amena e interesante. Mi mayor problema esta en los personajes, que no son lo que dice agradables, interesantes o atrayentes, aunque eso bien puede haber sido algo intencional.
La imagen de la portada de mi edición digital es absurdamente sugestiva, es lo único que diré al respecto.
Madre: 3.5 estrellas
Como que hubo un algo (quizás los personajes) que no logró convencerme.
Hija: 4 estrellas
Me pareció muy interesante la narración desde el punto de vista de un ser que, aunque influenciado desde el nacimiento por un humano, decididamente no es humano.
Padre: 4 estrellas
Mi favorito y, en mi opinión, el que mejor explícita el choque entre dos especies sentientes y humanoides, pero por lo demás increíblemente distantes una de la otra. Por otro lado, se me hizo bien largo, y algo lento en los primeros capítulos.
Hijo: 2 estrellas
Decepcionante, aunque no falto de su ingenio.
Hermano de mi hermana: 4 estrellas
También un buen ejemplo de la distancia entre dos especies que (erróneamente) parecen tan cercanas, aunque Lane como hombre de ciencia me pareció pobre.
May 16, 2024
SF REDISCOVERY #1!
Again, I love this series for the art and format. They are just so...70s.
Unfortunately, the short stories here are from the 50s and the author has some issues with women. Luckily, he doesn't seem to be a misogynist. Just idiotic. Maybe that's too harsh. Just silly? See, I have an agreement with the author. I will read his stories, but I'm not going to sit around for his issues...it's a "boundary I am setting", as they say.
There are other versions of this collection with a few more stories appended (one of which, "The Lovers", I guess is pretty infamous). This one didn't have those. Weak. This just has 5 shorts from various sources, all about interactions with aliens.
I'm not saying I won't read Farmer again. He has another book in the Rediscovery series I've collected. I AM saying that despite his good imagination, my first impression was not that good.
Again, I love this series for the art and format. They are just so...70s.
Unfortunately, the short stories here are from the 50s and the author has some issues with women. Luckily, he doesn't seem to be a misogynist. Just idiotic. Maybe that's too harsh. Just silly? See, I have an agreement with the author. I will read his stories, but I'm not going to sit around for his issues...it's a "boundary I am setting", as they say.
There are other versions of this collection with a few more stories appended (one of which, "The Lovers", I guess is pretty infamous). This one didn't have those. Weak. This just has 5 shorts from various sources, all about interactions with aliens.
I'm not saying I won't read Farmer again. He has another book in the Rediscovery series I've collected. I AM saying that despite his good imagination, my first impression was not that good.
April 21, 2010
I had forgotten how much I liked this book the first time I read it. All the stories center around 'relations' between a human and another species, or even genus! And though a bit dated, at the same time they are a reflection of the attitudes of that time towards aliens and space travel in general. Phillip José's stories can be found to be a bit hokey at times, but I think these keep you interested.
October 10, 2013
This one is a short story anthology, so I'm reading stories in-between other reading. 1) The first story, 'The Lovers' was a pretty good one. It had an interesting far-future world and world-view, with some engaging characters.
Finally finished this one. I liked some stories better than others, but gave it 3 stars over-all. If you're not too squeamish about sexually explicit stories, it might be something you'd like, too.
Finally finished this one. I liked some stories better than others, but gave it 3 stars over-all. If you're not too squeamish about sexually explicit stories, it might be something you'd like, too.
November 9, 2018
Libro de ciencia ficción que leo y mágicamente me fascina, esta es la primera obra que me adentra al autor y que mejor manera a través de recopilación de relatos, cada uno asociado a un miembro familiar y detrás de cada historia nuestros miedos más profundos y las maneras como lidiamos con ellos, claro en un entorno extra planetario, con razas alienígenas complicadas. Recomendación: no se dejen vencer con los primeros minutos del primer relato y sigan adelante.
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