Status Updates From Virtual Unrealities: The Sh...

I love the old-style science fiction, and Alfred Bester is especially great at it. The stories are really pretty off-the-wall, and I'm only a quarter of the way through the book.

A surprising number of stories are post-apocalyptic - in the case of "Adam and No Eve" with a nice twist ;-)

...there is too much to mention, but I really liked the portrayal of the genius scientist in "The men who murdered Mohammed" - very much not what I expected, but nice! And "They don't make life like the used to" is full of interesting twists and a weird atmosphere.

"Ody and Id" and "Starlight, Starbright" are based on somewhat similar premises - the first is better, but both are a bit pedestrian. "5,271,009" (plus or minus 1000) is very different, very experimental, and very Freudian. It leaves me a bit perplexed...

I really liked "Disappearing Act" - full of subtle and not-so-subtle jibes against militarism and blind patriotism, and with a nice twist at the end. I was very surprised when I found out that this story dates back to 1953, long before the jading experience of Vietnam.

Ouch, some of these shorts stories are just bad.
Just finished a good story that still left me annoyed because I have an actual degree in history.

Some of these short stories read like something stolen to write the Twilight Zone. Some are really bad.

Some of these stories are kind of bad. Though unlike many writings early writings of someone famous these stories are well written and easy to read just not that good story wise.

Some stories are good.. Others meh.
But man Alfred Bester cannot write women to save his life! And all of his men are super violent.