Product Description
Includes 33 stories that represent Cordwainer Smiths entire SF works except for the novel Norstrilia. These stories are "classics" of the field such as "The Dead Lady of Clown Town," "The Game of Rat and Dragon," "Scanners Live in Vain," and "A Planet Named Shayol." Appearing for the first time in print are "Himself in Anachron" and the completely rewritten adult version of his high school story "War No. 81-Q." Introduction by John J. Pierce.Amazon.com Review
The third story in this volume takes place 16,000 years in the future. Whenyou realize that the 33 stories are ordered chronologically, you begin tograsp the scale of Cordwainer Smith's creation. Regimes, technologies,planets, moralities, religions, histories all rise and fall through hismillennia.

These are futuristic tales told as myth, as legend, as a history of adistant and decayed past. Written in an unadorned voice reminiscent of James TiptreeJr., Smith's visions are dark and pessimistic, clearly a contrast fromthe mood of SF in his time; in the 1940s, '50s, and '60s it was still thoughtthat science would cure the ills of humanity. In Smith's tales, spacetravel takes a horrendous toll on those who pilot the shipsthrough the void. After reaching perfection, the lack of strife stifleshumanity to a point of decay and stagnation; the Instrumentality of Mankindarises in order to stir things up. Many stories describe moral dilemmasinvolving the humanity of the Underpeople, beings evolved from animals intohumanlike forms.

Stories not to be missed in this collection include "Scanners Live inVain," "The Dead Lady of Clown Town,""Under Old Earth," "The Crime and the Glory of Commander Suzdal," "MotherHitton's Littul Kittons," and the truly disturbing "A Planet CalledShayol." Serious SF fans should not pass up the chance to experienceCordwainer Smith's complex, distinctive vision of the far future.--Bonnie Bouman ... Read more

Customer Reviews (54)

Creator of Enduring Myth
I read many of Cordwainer Smith's stories over fifty years ago.Some I have not reread since then, and yet they live in my mind.When I read the titles of some of the stories, "The Ballad of the Lost C'mell," for example, the tears well up instantly, as if I do not even need to remember the stories via thoughts.Somehow my body remembers them on its own.The only writer I can find as a comparison is J. R. R. Tolkein, who wrote in a different genre.Both created sentient beings of mythic proportions, and both created worlds of imagination unlike anything before or since.Don't miss Cordwainer Smith.His work won't be what you expect, whatever you expect, but reading it will change you forever.

Step into the fantastic mind of Cordwainer Smith
Wow, what a mind. Kind of like the literary verson of Salvador Dali. Get past the first few stories and you're on a wild fantasy ride for 600+ pages. Some people will find his writing too weird but I loved it. Original, creative and like nothing else. I was totally drawn in. I love that kind of escape where you leave earth completely because anything remotely tying you to the world you know is completely gone and replaced with a completely new world.

The stories are written as if Mr. Smith has an entire universe spanning thousands of years in his head and only a very small sampling of that universe finds its way to the stories. Not everything is explained and there are gaps but this doesn't take away from the world he creates, it only serves to add depth and mystery. Apparently he lost his notebook, leaving it in a restaurant, and then he died early so who knows what more he would/could have written.

For Serious fans and historians of science fiction
Didn't care for it. The writing just didn't draw me in. The story ideas were sorta good but the authors corny / dumb down naming of objects and peoples cheapens and dates it badly (1955-66). Examples: Fighting Trees (trees used to absorb and neutralize radioactive contamination from past wars), True men, Wise Old Bear (failedbear to human mutation), Unauthorized Men (failed dog to human), Brainbox, Helen America, Mr. Grey-no-more, Sailors (meaning astronauts), "Up-and-Out" (space),"Clown Town the underpeople place" ........

Like others say, and I agree, this is for serious fans of C. Smith and/or historians of science fiction.

Not Free SF Reader
A fine idea to put all Smith's short stories together, although the lesser known work is certainly that for a reason.It is still good to see all the Instrumentality of Mankind stories in one place, as some of them are brilliant, and there isn't a bad piece in the lot.

Even with the weaker unrelated stuff at the end, this still manages to average almost 3.75.Very nice.

Rediscovery of Man : No No Not Rogov! - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : War No. 81-Q revised - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : Mark Elf [Mark XI Vom Acht sisters] - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : The Queen of the Afternoon [Vom Acht sisters] - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : Scanners Live in Vain - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : The Lady Who Sailed The Soul - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : When the People Fell - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : Think Blue Count Two - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : The Colonel Came Back from Nothing-at-All - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : The Game of Rat and Dragon - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : The Burning of the Brain - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : From Gustible's Planet - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : Himself in Anachron - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : The Crime and the Glory of Commander Suzdal - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : Golden the Ship Was Oh! Oh! Oh! - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : The Dead Lady of Clown Town - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : Under Old Earth - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : Drunkboat - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : Mother Hitton's Littul Kittons - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : Alpha Ralpha Boulevard - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : The Ballad of Lost C'Mell - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : A Planet Named Shayol - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : On the Gem Planet [Casher O'Neill] - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : On the Storm Planet [Casher O'Neill] - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : On the Sand Planet [Casher O'Neill] - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : Three to a Given Star [Casher O'Neill] - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : Down to a Sunless Sea - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : War No. 81-Q - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : Western Science Is So Wonderful - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : Nancy [The Nancy Routine] - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : The Fife of Bodidharma - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : Angerhelm - Cordwainer Smith
Rediscovery of Man : The Good Friends - Cordwainer Smith

Soviet science couple's brain needle journey.

4 out of 5


Licence to kill, robots, anyway.

4 out of 5


Manhunter not too helpful for old timer.

3.5 out of 5


Suspended animation Underpeople awakening gives girl an Instrumentality role.

3.5 out of 5


Monopoly is bad, and worth doing something about.

5 out of 5


Solo starnaut sheila's suitor.

4 out of 5


Chinese Venusian megadrop.

3 out of 5


I am sailing, I am spoiling, across the stars, should be freezed.

3.5 out of 5


Lost soul pinlighting.

4 out of 5


Another actual use for a live cat. Fight you little bastich.

4 out of 5


Mind destruction manoeuvre rescue transfer.

3.5 out of 5


I wish they'd duck off.

3.5 out of 5


Time enough for love Knot.

4 out of 5


Lost planet female cancer trannie aggression solution is timeslip cat kill cull.

4 out of 5


Time for war, duckie.

4 out of 5


Witch woman and dead robot animal trial.

4.5 out of 5


Too happy is bad.

3.5 out of 5


Rage through space, really fast to dreams out of space.

4.5 out of 5


Old North Australia's mutant mad mink secret defense doesn't pussyfoot around with thieves and murderers. Or, Stop, You'll Eat Yourself.

5 out of 5


Hard to believe in France.

3 out of 5


Underpeople Lord assisted execution escapage.

4.5 out of 5


Pain punishment makes skin way more deep.

3.5 out of 5


Test dictated for horse help.

3 out of 5


Turtle girl's longevity vigil requires warrior assistant.

4 out of 5


Comeback confrontation dictated.

3.5 out of 5


Cackle-gabble telepathy search eating solution.

3.5 out of 5


Sacrifice power.

4 out of 5


Licence to kill, robots, anyway.

4 out of 5


Fascinated Martian chat.

3 out of 5


Virus life.

4 out of 5


Dainty noise weapon.

2.5 out of 5


Funny voice medium.

3 out of 5


No party mission.

3 out of 5



4.5 out of 5

Talk of a hidden gem
I encountered Cordwainer Smith many many years ago, in a Fantasy-Science Fiction magazine in my home country; by the way, with an introduction by a scholar of CS! Do you know of anyone in the US?. It was "Under Old Earth", which has haunted my soul ever since like no other piece of literature, haute or 'low-brow'. In contrast to my second-favorite SF writer, Phillip K. Dick, CS conveys a sense of poetry and subtlety absent in the rough-edge writing of PKD, while bringing about the unique strength of SF, that of exploring the inner and outer limits of the human experience.

After all these years, I still wonder why CS remains such a hidden treasure. It is perhaps the built-in disdain of literary critics and scholars for SF, understandable but not less a prejudice.

As I write my comments, Kafka keeps popping up in my mind: just change Samsa's bed and the castle for harvested organs and the Instrumentality. Or was the Old Man also a Fantasy writer? ... Read more

Product Description
The Game of Rat and Dragon

By CORDWAINER SMITH


Only partners could fight this deadliest of
wars—and the one way to dissolve the
partnership was to be personally dissolved!

... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Revealing Fragment of the Far Future.
Cordwainer Smith is the pen name of Mr. Paul M. A. Linebarger, who lived a comparatively short (1913 - 1966) and difficult life. He was educated in China, Germany and USA. He loose one eye in an accident being a child. Had a PH degree in Political Sciences, was a university professor and worked undercover for CIA. At the same time he wrote fascinating sci-fi stories.

Cordwainer Smith constructed a huge "Future History" (as Heinlein did) but each short story or novelette shows just a small portion of it. They have internal coherence amongst them, but casual reader won't detect it and more so, the author published them without maintaining a historical sequence. In the long run they all make sense and some researchers have reconstructed the whole chronology (as Pablo Capanna's "El Senor de la Tarde")El senor de la tarde: Conjeturas sobre Cordwainer Smith (Spanish Edition). Also some publishers had printed the whole of Smith's opus The Rediscovery of Man: The Complete Short Science Fiction of Cordwainer Smith.


This is only one short story... but what a great story it is. In "The Game of Rat and Dragon" humans and telepathic cats join forces against dreadful dragons of deep space giving way to a thrilling tale.

This is a wonderful sample from an unjustly underrated author.


Reviewed by Max Yofre.

If You've Never Read Cordwainer Smith, Start Here
Like many fans, I got hooked on science fiction at age 11 or 12 and read little else through most of my adolescence. When I went off to college I found I had way too much other reading to do, so I quit my SF habit cold turkey. Fifteen years later, I decided to check on how the SF field was coming along. I picked up a recent anthology, came across "The Game of Rat and Dragon," and I was hooked again. It's only the second SF story Cordwainer Smith published, but it remains one of his best. With few preliminaries, it gets you deep into his own unique vision of the future history of humankind -- and feline-kind. Once you're there, you'll find it hard to resist going on to the rest of his interconnected stories, all of which are available in two volumes published by NESFA Press: *The Rediscovery of Man* and *Norstrilia.* ... Read more

Product Description
 

In a far-flung future, planoforming ships knit together a galaxy ruled from Earth by the ruthless benevolence of the mysterious Lords of the Instrumentality, who presided over a utopia without death, danger—or freedom. The Underpeople, humanlike beings created from animals to do the work of utopia, had no rights, and could be disposed of at the whim of a human. But they had become more humanlike than their creators, and their leader, the cat woman C’Mell, had a plan for gaining their freedom—which made her much too dangerous a person to be permitted to live. Elsewhere in the galaxy, the planet Norstrilia had power of its own, for it was the only source of stroon, the drug which arrested aging and made humans immortal. Its inhabitants were wealthy beyond comprehension, and one of them, a boy named Rod McBan, with the help of his computer, had manipulated the galactic economy until he completely owned the planet Earth—which made him much too dangerous a person to be permitted to live. But when Rod came to Earth and joined forces with C’Mell and the Underpeople, the petrified utopia of the Instrumentality began to crack and fall apart as freedom was reborn in the galaxy. . . .

... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Underpeople in Search of Freedom!
Cordwainer Smith is the pen name of Mr. Paul M. A. Linebarger, who lived a comparatively short (1913 - 1966) and difficult life.
He was educated in China, Germany and USA. He loose one eye in an accident being a child. Had a PH degree in Political Sciences, was a university professor and worked undercover for CIA. At the same time he wrote fascinating sci-fi stories.

My first contact with the author's stories was "Alpha Ralpha Boulevard". It was obvious for me that this was a fragment of a greater story, full of mysterious and provoking ideas as the Rediscovery of Man, the Eketeli and so on. I was captivated by the imagery and searched for more works from Cordwainer Smith. Little by little they were appearing in different sci-fi magazines and short stories collections.

With this book you have the opportunity to read many of the "fragments" constituting Cordwainer's universe, with consistent references to the underpeople, the Instrumentality and some of the interlaced icons of this particular Myth.

The entire present book stories are remarkable. "Mother Hitton's Littul Kittons", depicting the secret weapon of Norstrilla to keep intruders away and "Under Old Earth" telling the last expedition of an old man to the center of the Mysteries.

Nevertheless special mention must be done for "Ballad of Lost C'Mell" and "The Dead Lady of Clown Town" both dealing with the relationship of humans and underpeople. Mr. Smith had a very particular relation with cats and dogs. He loved them and his underpeople characters show this love.

As final note I may point out that "The Dead Lady..." is a forceful recreation of Joan D'Arc martyrdom.

This book contains a wonderful collection from an unjustly underrated author.

Reviewed by Max Yofre.

Underpeople Liberation Movement Arises!
Cordwainer Smith is the pen name of Mr. Paul M. A. Linebarger, who lived a comparatively short (1913 - 1966) and difficult life.
He was educated in China, Germany and USA. He loose one eye in an accident being a child. Had a PH degree in Political Sciences, was a university professor and worked undercover for CIA. At the same time he wrote fascinating sci-fi stories.

My first contact with the author's stories was "Alpha Ralpha Boulevard". It was obvious for me that this was a fragment of a greater story, full of mysterious and provoking ideas as the Rediscovery of Man, the Eketeli and so on. I was captivated by the imagery and searched for more works from Cordwainer Smith. Little by little they were appearing in different sci-fi magazines and short stories collections.

With this book you have the opportunity to read many of the "fragments" constituting Cordwainer's universe, with consistent references to the underpeople, the Instrumentality and some of the interlaced icons of this particular Myth.

The entire present book stories are remarkable "Mother Hitton's Littul Kittons", depicting the secret weapon of Norstrilla to keep intruders away and "Under Old Earth" telling the last expedition of an old man to the center of the Mysteries.

Nevertheless special mention must be done for "Ballad of Lost C'Mell" and "The Dead Lady of Clown Town" both dealing with the relationship of humans and underpeople. Mr. Smith had a very particular relation with cats and dogs. He loved them and his underpeople characters show this love.

As final note I may point out that "The Dead Lady..." is a forceful recreation of Joan D'Arc martyrdom.

This book contains a wonderful collection from an unjustly underrated author.

Reviewed by Max Yofre.

leonardo
Cordwainer Smith is the Leonardo De Vinccii of the sience fiction writers.
It's a pure pleasure to read his books.
It is a pitty that he wrote so few.

A Classic
I have many, many SF books. Cordwainer Smith rates with the best of the Golden age; this collection should be on the shelf of any SF fan

Rebellion is sparked.
. Cordwainer Smith's WE THE UNDERPEOPLE is set in the future and tells of planoforming ships in which the Underpeople, humanlike beings created from animals to do human work, have no rights --and have become more than workers. When Rod joins forces with the cat woman C'Mell, rebellion is sparked. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the first American hardcover edition of Cordwainer Smith's only SF novel. Originally published as two paperbacks. Includes an introduction by Alen C. Elms. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (26)

Outstanding
If you're searching for a sci-fi classic a bit off the beaten path, look no further.Smith has one of the most unique voices in the genre, but also one of the most versatile.Lyrical, haunting, romantic, heroic.He's got a fresh take on many old sci-fi chestnuts, and there are compelling new ideas on every page.We got robbed that this is his only novel!

Inventive fun read that inspired the masters...
Simply put, if you haven't read Cordwainer Smith - you need to. He only wrote the one novel Norstrilia and a host of inventive short stories (collected in a companion volume called "The Rediscovery of Man" also published by NEFSA.

Smith - actually an academic named Paul Linebarger - combines a storytelling style from classic Chinese literature with his own imagination to create a future history spanning from "the first men in space" to tens of thousands of years in the future. Man changes, loses himself, and rediscovers himself during these years.

In Norstrilia, we see this in miniature in the person of Roderick Frederick Ronald Arnold William MacArthur McBan the Hundred and Fifty-First ("Rod McBan") a young orphaned man who stands to inherit the oldest "station" on his dry dusty planet of Old North Australia (Norstrilia - founded by settlers who wanted to keep things like the old Australian outback). The funny thing is - all Norstrilians are immensely rich since they raise enormous sick sheep who are infected with a virus that can be distilled into an immortality drug (stroon)! (They keep themselves simple by import duties that range up to millions of percent of the purchase price).

Rod (long story) manages to corner about one year's worth of the stroon harvest on the exchanges and is now rich enough to buy much of Earth. All he wants is to see it and possibly get some rare Cape Town stamps (currently the rerest stamps in 2010AD, but a lot rarer now that it's 10,000+ AD and the old world had already collapsed and been rebuilt).

Along the way, he meets a lot of odd folks (including himself - don't ask) and realizes in the end that the thing he really sought was much closer to his dry dusty station on Norstrilia.

The novel can be read alone from Smith's short stories, but the characters and situations in each are interwoven with the other. Therefore, read it all - it will be a much richer experience!

The only thing I can't tell you is which ones (short stories or Norstrilia) to read first. I read the short stories in the mid 70s first and then read Norstrilia right after. Others to whom I've recommended Smith read it in the other order. No one was disappointed! Neither will you.


By the way, one of the reasons to read Smith if you love SF is that many of the past and current masters of the genre (e.g., Lois McMaster Bujold) were inspired by Smith in the 60s to launch their careers. Reading Smith is really opening a door to imagination - grounded in strange people and strange societies that for all their strangeness are strangely familiar!

We Keep Coming Back To It
Cordwainer Smith is indeed lyrical and enchanting.My husband and I read "Norstrilia" and the short stories in the late 1970's, and we have reread them from time to time.We refer back to the ideas, most notably, how does a society maintain its culture and survive affluence?The more we see the effects of prosperity in America, the more considerable the problem appears.In many details, Smith/Linebarger seems to have anticipated a lot of the developments since he wrote his stories. Western Civilization may indeed end up as a minor footnote in Chinese history.As for the structural criticisms of "Norstrilia," I was never bothered by its flaws, which may indeed be as considerable as its critics claim, because I was charmed by the language and poor Ron McBan's plight, which I took seriously.

If one is looking for a book by another writer that might possess some of the same charms, I recommend "Fourth Mansions" by Samuel Lafferty.For just a charming space opera fantasy, not poetic but imaginative, try "The Witches of Karres" by James Schmitz. Jack Vance also deserves more shelf space in the book stores than he gets.I also ran across a book, "Cat Karina," which I think was an attempt to continue the saga of the underpeople and the Instrumentality by Michael Coney, 1987.

Sheep, Stamps, and Real Treasures
Like just about all of his other work, this, Smith's only sf novel, is both unique and highly lyrical. Set within his universe of the Instrumentality of Mankind, it's the story of Rod McBan, 16 year-old heir to his family fortune, which is based on the stroon (a drug that provides near-immortality) his family farm produces from genetically modified giant sheep, if only he can survive the testing that all inhabitants of Norstrilia (Old North Australia) must go through to prove their basic competence and genetic purity. But Rod has problems, being a `broad-band' telepath instead of the normal type, and he can only pass this test after multiple tries. Worse, he's not sure if he really wants to be part of the very conservative Norstrilian society, and concocts a scheme in conjunction with his (proscribed) war games computer to manipulate the galactic futures market, with the net result of his suddenly becoming the owner of Old Old Earth, just so Rod can obtain an old postage stamp. And that's just the beginning.

This book sprawls across the landscape that Smith built over the years in various short stories, which are collected in The Rediscovery of Man: The Complete Short Science Fiction of Cordwainer Smith, and I highly recommend that that volume be read prior to this, as otherwise many items that are only mentioned in passing here will either not make sense or will not provide the intended resonance. Mother Hitton's Little Kittens, Shayol, the various Lords of the Instrumentality, the Underpeople (most especially the cat-girl C'Mell): each of these has a back-story detailed in some of these other stories. And you'll want to catch each of these nuances, for the story here is as engrossing as it is odd, and the universe it details is something you'll wish you could know more about.

There's intrigue and skullduggery, social evils and battling injustice, love, musings on the purpose of life, religion, revolt, and yes, the Store of Heart's Desire, all waiting inside these pages for you to discover and enjoy. All couched in Smith's inimitable style that is like no other author's. Originally published as two rather hacked-up pieces, this volume puts the entire work together again as it was intended to be, a great example of what can be done by a wordsmith of great imagination and great skill.

---Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)

May the Great Sheep Sit on You
CAUTION: MAKE THIS YOUR LAST CORDWAINER SMITH BOOK! This novel was a rather late addition to Smith's expansive and self-contained literary universe, which he had been constructing for decades, and mostly in his voluminous short stories. All interested persons should first become familiar with the stupendous omnibus collection "The Rediscovery of Man: The Short Science Fiction of Cordwainer Smith." (His short stories are collected in a variety of other editions, and at least one is also titled "The Rediscovery of Man," but these are partial collections of varying usefulness.) Over his career, Smith built an immense and astonishing future history spanning tens of thousands of years, during which humanity had spread throughout the universe and pockets of human society became isolated. A group known as the Instrumentality initiated the Rediscovery of Man to bring far-flung human culture back together. This is all mapped out in an astonishing array of Smith's short stories, and "Norstrilia" (his only full-length novel) must be considered an extension of just one portion of that vast literary universe.

For the newbie, I'm not sure if "Norstrilia" fully functions as a stand-alone novel because I was lucky enough to experience the short stories first. Thus I can understand a few of the less favorable reviews here, claiming that the story is diffuse and doesn't make sense. One issue for the newbie is the great source of Smith's genius - his mythology-like non-Western storytelling technique that is laid out more logically in the short stories, while appearing rather abruptly here. That's why fans should become familiar with Smith's progression of short stories first, because then this novel will make more sense, as it's merely piece of a much larger puzzle. Also note that this novel is a bit lighter and more comical as compared to the largely dark and foreboding nature of many of Smith's short stories. In any case, the sci-fi community has criminally overlooked Smith's literary achievements, and "Norstrilia" fits in perfectly as a masterpiece of social observation and an exploration of the enduring quality of humanity, through the lens of a future history in which humanity has been dispersed nearly to the point of extinction. Smith's universe is astonishing in its depth and breadth, and all serious fans of the genre would find great satisfaction in exploring its wonders. It's just important to remember that this novel may not be the best place to start. [~doomsdayer520~] ... Read more

Product Description
A sweeping saga of the centuries to come, from the new dark age that followed a global war, to the new civilization that arose from the ashes to colonize the stars. At first, the colonists use ships with gigantic sails, cruising on the waves of starlight, their captains having to become something part human and part machine; then later moving by planoforming ships which travel faster than light, but must defend themselves against the malevolent, mind-devouring creatures lurking in the dark between the stars. Then came the reign of the all-powerful Lords of the Instrumentality, who ruled Earth and its colony worlds with ruthless benevolence, suffocating the human spirit for millennia—until the time of the Rediscovery of Man, when the strange, lost concept of freedom was reborn. . . . An extraordinary vision of a future unique in science fiction, praised by readers, critics, and major writers in the field.

?Read this. Cordwainer Smith is timeless.? —Terry Pratchett

?. . . a truly unforgettable writer...? —David Brin

?. . . a sophisticated, often poetic writer . . . these stories rank among the finest of all time. . . .?—Publishers Weekly ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A sweeping epic saga
Set centuries in the future, Cordwainer Smith's WHEN THE PEOPLE FELL tells of a new dark age on Earth, following global war, and then a civilization of colonists who arise to journey to the stars. These colonists use ships with big sails, cruising on waves of starlight and journeying faster than light - and fight against mind-eating creatures who lurk in space. A sweeping epic saga of this fantastic universe makes for a riveting drama perfect for science fiction fans of futuristic societies.

A New Collection of Classic Science Fiction
This is the second book in the Baen release of the collected works of Cordwainer Smith, pen name of Paul Linebarger.This volume contains the stories that deal with the Instrumentality of Mankind.A fascinating prolog by Frederik Pohl provides some background into the life of the author and the basis for the stories.

Some of my favorite --but less well known-- works are included, including "No, No, Not Rogov!" and the revised version of "War No. 81-Q."

In addition to the Instrumentality stories, the last six chapters include miscellaneous stories that don't fit into the universe created for the main.Included in this area is the original version of "War No. 81-Q" and the truly amusing "Western Science Is So Wonderful."

I can heartily recommend this collection as a necessary addition to the previous release We the Underpeople. ... Read more

Product Description
1976 Locus Poll Award, Best Single Author Collection (Place: 2). First edition, original hardcover by SFBC; followed by mass paperback reprint by Ballantine Books Sept. 1975. Stories include: Scanners Live in Vain (nominated, 2001 Retro Hugo Award), The Lady Who Sailed the Soul, The Game of Rat and Dragon, The Burning of the Brain, Golden the Ship Was---Oh! Oh! Oh!, The Crime and the Glory of Commander Suzdal, The Dead Lady of Clown Town, Under Old Earth, Mother Hitton's Littul Kittons, Alpha Ralpha Boulevard, The Ballad of Lost C'mell, A Planet Named Shayol. Introduction with notes to each story by J. J. Pierce. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Revealing Fragments of the Future.
Cordwainer Smith is the pen name of Mr. Paul M. A. Linebarger, who lived a comparatively short (1913 - 1966) and difficult life. He was educated in China, Germany and USA. He loose one eye in an accident being a child. Had a PH degree in Political Sciences, was a university professor and worked undercover for CIA. At the same time he wrote fascinating sci-fi stories.

My first contact with the author's stories was "Alpha Ralpha Boulevard" (included in this volume). It was obvious for me that this was a fragment of a greater story, full of mysterious and provoking ideas as the Rediscovery of Man, the Eketeli and so on. I was captivated by the imagery and searched for more works from Cordwainer Smith. Little by little they were appearing in different sci-fi magazines and short stories collections.


There are various editions of collected short stories of the author. This book contains twelve of them, constituting a fair sample of the author's universe giving the reader a broad inkling to it.
Each story of this publication has a short introduction by J. J. Pierce, editor of this collection.


"Scanners Live in Vain" was Cordwainer's first published tale, situated around year 6000 AD, describes a crisis within the Scanners Guild and the emerging of a new type of interstellar flight.

In "The Game of Rat and Dragon" humans and telepathic cats join forces against dreadful dragons of deep space.

The story "The Dead Lady of Clown Town" is an overwhelming recreation Joan D'Arc story transferred to the Underpeople and my favorite one from the author.

The second outstanding story in this volume is "Under Old Earth" describing the pilgrimage of agonizing Lord Sto Odin to the Gebiet a mysterious place under old Earth.

"Alpha Ralpha Boulevard" describes the Rediscovery of Man a sort of Cultural Revolution decided by the Instrumentality and focuses on a young couple trying to cope with the new situation.

Last of my favorite tales in this book is "Ballad o Lost C'Mell" about the lovely cat-girl C'Mell and her impossible love for Lord Jestocost.


Recently all Cordwainer Smith tales has been published in Spanish in a four volume edition and I obviously treasure them!

This is a wonderful sample from an unjustly underrated author.


Reviewed by Max Yofre.

Review of The Best of Cordwainer Smith
What an amazing book! This collection presents Smith's stories chronologically; this allows the reader to become more fully immersed in the amazing universe he has created. The stories are touching, painful, and eerily beautiful.
I highly recommend this book as a must for any classic sci-fi fan.

The Weaver of Cord
In the Old English, "wag" was woven work on a wall, now more commonly, "wainscotting," and no longer woven."Cordwainer Smith" was the pseudonym of Dr. Paul M. A. Linebarger (1913-1966),a weaver of short science fiction which was very unlike most of the genre written before or since.Dr. Linebarger was a prominent US citizen who was accomplished in several fields and languages, who was likely a genius, and who kept his identity to himself until not long before his death.In his Cordwainer Smith role, he was really a weaver of enchanting characters, strange ruling systems, amazing cultures and situations, and bizarre worlds, all of a unique viewpoint.

"The Best of Cordwainer Smith" is just that: a dozen of his best short science fiction stories, and these, for the first time, organized chronologically within Linebarger's "Instrumentality of Mankind".

My book is copyright 1975, begins with a short biography of Cordwainer Smith, followed by the Table of Contents, and a listing of "surrounding events" on the page following. It is 342 pages in a sewn binding and green boards. Each story has a short introduction by the Editor, J. J. Pierce, in addition to his contributions listed above.

Since there are other anthologies extant, it seems prudent to list the contents here in order:

Scanners Live in Vain
The Lady Who Sailed the Soul
The Game of Rat and Dragon
The Burning of the Brain
Golden the Ship Was---Oh! Oh! Oh!
The Crime and the Glory of Commander Suzdal
The Dead Lady of Clown Town
Under Old Earth
Mother Hitton's Littul Kittons
Alpha Ralpha Boulevard
The Ballad of Lost C'mell
A Planet Named Shayol

There is no need to try to rate the stories, as they are all excellent.
Scanners Live in Vain was not Linebarger's first published story, but it was so different and compelling that it started the years-long puzzle as to Cordwainer Smith's actual name.

All of the stories are compelling, each in its own way.

My all time favorite writer
As a second generation science fiction fan, I have happily read SF spread over decades. Time and time again I return to my slim volume of Cordwainer Smith stories. They are unlike any other authors, withfascinating characters and haunting story lines. You'll find yourself thinking about these tales long after you've read them.

Cordwainer's Worlds: from 6,000 AD to 16,000 AD.
This compilation of tales is a great introduction to the people (both real, and animal derived), politicial systems and worlds of Cordwainer Smith. Lyrical prose and haunting poetry are the hallmarks of this great writer, and the cast of characters while often changing from one short story to another have a historical, if not familial continuity - witness the Vomacts who held their name for over 10,000 years. The only downside to this book is that it is a "Best of" and therefore incomplete - hence the rating of 9/10.But it has a great timeline listing with (I think) all the stories listed so that you can complete the series. Note: Reviewed version was printed 1975, paperback from Ballantine Books, JJ Pierce editor. If you like Science Fiction, Cordwainer is a MUST! ... Read more

Product Description
First U.K. edition of Smith's classic. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Unusual Rod
Rod McBan is sixteen and in many ways just like any other wide-eyed youth of that age.But Rod lives on the planet Old North Australia, or as the inhabitants commonly call it, Norstrilia.People need to be tough on this harsh, dry planet.In order to make the people tough the government had long ago banned all luxuries, so now everyone lives simple, hard-working lives that vaguely resemble those lived in that long-gone, original, rural region of Northern Australia.Rod's property, like all those in Norstrilia, raises sheep, or what passes as sheep.They aremutated animals, now huge in size.The sheep are not breed for wool, but for stroon.This is a substance produced by a virus that infects the sheep.When consumed stroon has the effect of extending the life span of humans indefinitely.The virus that produces stroon, however, can only survive in the unique atmosphere of Norstrilia.Stroon means that people can live as long as they want, but in Norstrilia, before an individual becomes an adult, they must pass a test which proves that they are mentally and physically fit.If they fail the test the youths are sent to the 'giggle room', a place where they are drugged and experience a happy and quick death.Rod has a major handicap and so it seems that he might not see seventeen.How can Rod pass the test and what adventures await him after that?

This book explores the issue of social rules.Most societies demand that people behave in certain ways, for example that couples pair of in monogamous relationships.These 'rules' usually exist for the benefit of the members of the society.Monogamous relationships, foe example, provide a stable environment for the raising of children.The question arises, however, are the 'rules' always right in all circumstances, and indeed are there other ways of doing things that might be equally effective?Life on Norstrilia is greatly restricted and the reader finds himself asking: "Should things really be like that?"

Also the question of eugenics is explored in some detail.Should we end life on the basis of handicap?In doing so we prevent suffering and, by purifying the gene pool, prevent reoccurrence of the problem.But how much do the handicapped suffer?Indeed, what if the individual concerned also possessed characteristics of giftedness?What if, in unforeseen circumstances, the 'handicap' was itself an advantage?In this world of abortion and in-uterus genetic testing these questions are less academic than they seem.

The plot of the book moves along in an interesting way.Often a new chapter takes the story in new and unexpected directions.Smith manages to convincingly draw the Norstrilians as 'red-neck' characters, though they come out more like 'backwoods' Americans than 'outback' Australians.Considering the connection with 'real' Australians is, in the story, in the very remote past this does not really matter.

If you feel that this novel ends up-in-the-air and rather suddenly that is because the story continues in a sequel, called The Underpeople, which takes up exactly where this novel leaves off.Smith later combined these two novels, added extra text and published the resulting book under the title Norstrilia (1975).

Unusual Rod
Rod McBan is sixteen and in many ways just like any other wide-eyed youth of that age.But Rod lives on the planet Old North Australia, or as the inhabitants commonly call it, Norstrilia.People need to be tough on this harsh, dry planet.In order to make the people tough the government had long ago banned all luxuries, so now everyone lives simple, hard-working lives that vaguely resemble those lived in that long-gone, original, rural region of Northern Australia.Rod's property, like all those in Norstrilia, raises sheep, or what passes as sheep.They aremutated animals, now huge in size.The sheep are not breed for wool, but for stroon.This is a substance produced by a virus that infects the sheep.When consumed stroon has the effect of extending the life span of humans indefinitely.The virus that produces stroon, however, can only survive in the unique atmosphere of Norstrilia.Stroon means that people can live as long as they want, but in Norstrilia, before an individual becomes an adult, they must pass a test which proves that they are mentally and physically fit.If they fail the test the youths are sent to the 'giggle room', a place where they are drugged and experience a happy and quick death.Rod has a major handicap and so it seems that he might not see seventeen.How can Rod pass the test and what adventures await him after that?

This book explores the issue of social rules.Most societies demand that people behave in certain ways, for example that couples pair of in monogamous relationships.These 'rules' usually exist for the benefit of the members of the society.Monogamous relationships, foe example, provide a stable environment for the raising of children.The question arises, however, are the 'rules' always right in all circumstances, and indeed are there other ways of doing things that might be equally effective?Life on Norstrilia is greatly restricted and the reader finds himself asking: "Should things really be like that?"

Also the question of eugenics is explored in some detail.Should we end life on the basis of handicap?In doing so we prevent suffering and, by purifying the gene pool, prevent reoccurrence of the problem.But how much do the handicapped suffer?Indeed, what if the individual concerned also possessed characteristics of giftedness?What if, in unforeseen circumstances, the 'handicap' was itself an advantage?In this world of abortion and in-uterus genetic testing these questions are less academic than they seem.

The plot of the book moves along in an interesting way.Often a new chapter takes the story in new and unexpected directions.Smith manages to convincingly draw the Norstrilians as 'red-neck' characters, though they come out more like 'backwoods' Americans than 'outback' Australians.Considering the connection with 'real' Australians is, in the story, in the very remote past this does not really matter.

If you feel that this novel ends up-in-the-air and rather suddenly that is because the story continues in a sequel, called The Underpeople, which takes up exactly where this novel leaves off.Smith later combined these two novels, added extra text and published the resulting book under the title Norstrilia (1975).

Unusual Rod
Rod McBan is sixteen and in many ways just like any other wide-eyed youth of that age.But Rod lives on the planet Old North Australia, or as the inhabitants commonly call it, Norstrilia.People need to be tough on this harsh, dry planet.In order to make the people tough the government had long ago banned all luxuries, so now everyone lives simple, hard-working lives that vaguely resemble those lived in that long-gone, original, rural region of Northern Australia.Rod's property, like all those in Norstrilia, raises sheep, or what passes as sheep.They aremutated animals, now huge in size.The sheep are not breed for wool, but for stroon.This is a substance produced by a virus that infects the sheep.When consumed stroon has the effect of extending the life span of humans indefinitely.The virus that produces stroon, however, can only survive in the unique atmosphere of Norstrilia.Stroon means that people can live as long as they want, but in Norstrilia, before an individual becomes an adult, they must pass a test which proves that they are mentally and physically fit.If they fail the test the youths are sent to the 'giggle room', a place where they are drugged and experience a happy and quick death.Rod has a major handicap and so it seems that he might not see seventeen.How can Rod pass the test and what adventures await him after that?

This book explores the issue of social rules.Most societies demand that people behave in certain ways, for example that couples pair of in monogamous relationships.These 'rules' usually exist for the benefit of the members of the society.Monogamous relationships, foe example, provide a stable environment for the raising of children.The question arises, however, are the 'rules' always right in all circumstances, and indeed are there other ways of doing things that might be equally effective?Life on Norstrilia is greatly restricted and the reader finds himself asking: "Should things really be like that?"

Also the question of eugenics is explored in some detail.Should we end life on the basis of handicap?In doing so we prevent suffering and, by purifying the gene pool, prevent reoccurrence of the problem.But how much do the handicapped suffer?Indeed, what if the individual concerned also possessed characteristics of giftedness?What if, in unforeseen circumstances, the 'handicap' was itself an advantage?In this world of abortion and in-uterus genetic testing these questions are less academic than they seem.

The plot of the book moves along in an interesting way.Often a new chapter takes the story in new and unexpected directions.Smith manages to convincingly draw the Norstrilians as 'red-neck' characters, though they come out more like 'backwoods' Americans than 'outback' Australians.Considering the connection with 'real' Australians is, in the story, in the very remote past this does not really matter.

If you feel that this novel ends up-in-the-air and rather suddenly that is because the story continues in a sequel, called The Underpeople, which takes up exactly where this novel leaves off.Smith later combined these two novels, added extra text and published the resulting book under the title Norstrilia (1975).

Unusual Rod
Rod McBan is sixteen and in many ways just like any other wide-eyed youth of that age.But Rod lives on the planet Old North Australia, or as the inhabitants commonly call it, Norstrilia.People need to be tough on this harsh, dry planet.In order to make the people tough the government had long ago banned all luxuries, so now everyone lives simple, hard-working lives that vaguely resemble those lived in that long-gone, original, rural region of Northern Australia.Rod's property, like all those in Norstrilia, raises sheep, or what passes as sheep.They aremutated animals, now huge in size.The sheep are not breed for wool, but for stroon.This is a substance produced by a virus that infects the sheep.When consumed stroon has the effect of extending the life span of humans indefinitely.The virus that produces stroon, however, can only survive in the unique atmosphere of Norstrilia.Stroon means that people can live as long as they want, but in Norstrilia, before an individual becomes an adult, they must pass a test which proves that they are mentally and physically fit.If they fail the test the youths are sent to the 'giggle room', a place where they are drugged and experience a happy and quick death.Rod has a major handicap and so it seems that he might not see seventeen.How can Rod pass the test and what adventures await him after that?

This book explores the issue of social rules.Most societies demand that people behave in certain ways, for example that couples pair of in monogamous relationships.These 'rules' usually exist for the benefit of the members of the society.Monogamous relationships, foe example, provide a stable environment for the raising of children.The question arises, however, are the 'rules' always right in all circumstances, and indeed are there other ways of doing things that might be equally effective?Life on Norstrilia is greatly restricted and the reader finds himself asking: "Should things really be like that?"

Also the question of eugenics is explored in some detail.Should we end life on the basis of handicap?In doing so we prevent suffering and, by purifying the gene pool, prevent reoccurrence of the problem.But how much do the handicapped suffer?Indeed, what if the individual concerned also possessed characteristics of giftedness?What if, in unforeseen circumstances, the 'handicap' was itself an advantage?In this world of abortion and in-uterus genetic testing these questions are less academic than they seem.

The plot of the book moves along in an interesting way.Often a new chapter takes the story in new and unexpected directions.Smith manages to convincingly draw the Norstrilians as 'red-neck' characters, though they come out more like 'backwoods' Americans than 'outback' Australians.Considering the connection with 'real' Australians is, in the story, in the very remote past this does not really matter.

If you feel that this novel ends up-in-the-air and rather suddenly that is because the story continues in a sequel, called The Underpeople, which takes up exactly where this novel leaves off.Smith later combined these two novels, added extra text and published the resulting book under the title Norstrilia (1975).

Unusual Rod
Rod McBan is sixteen and in many ways just like any other wide-eyed youth of that age.But Rod lives on the planet Old North Australia, or as the inhabitants commonly call it, Norstrilia.People need to be tough on this harsh, dry planet.In order to make the people tough the government had long ago banned all luxuries, so now everyone lives simple, hard-working lives that vaguely resemble those lived in that long-gone, original, rural region of Northern Australia.Rod's property, like all those in Norstrilia, raises sheep, or what passes as sheep.They aremutated animals, now huge in size.The sheep are not breed for wool, but for stroon.This is a substance produced by a virus that infects the sheep.When consumed stroon has the effect of extending the life span of humans indefinitely.The virus that produces stroon, however, can only survive in the unique atmosphere of Norstrilia.Stroon means that people can live as long as they want, but in Norstrilia, before an individual becomes an adult, they must pass a test which proves that they are mentally and physically fit.If they fail the test the youths are sent to the 'giggle room', a place where they are drugged and experience a happy and quick death.Rod has a major handicap and so it seems that he might not see seventeen.How can Rod pass the test and what adventures await him after that?

This book explores the issue of social rules.Most societies demand that people behave in certain ways, for example that couples pair of in monogamous relationships.These 'rules' usually exist for the benefit of the members of the society.Monogamous relationships, foe example, provide a stable environment for the raising of children.The question arises, however, are the 'rules' always right in all circumstances, and indeed are there other ways of doing things that might be equally effective?Life on Norstrilia is greatly restricted and the reader finds himself asking: "Should things really be like that?"

Also the question of eugenics is explored in some detail.Should we end life on the basis of handicap?In doing so we prevent suffering and, by purifying the gene pool, prevent reoccurrence of the problem.But how much do the handicapped suffer?Indeed, what if the individual concerned also possessed characteristics of giftedness?What if, in unforeseen circumstances, the 'handicap' was itself an advantage?In this world of abortion and in-uterus genetic testing these questions are less academic than they seem.

The plot of the book moves along in an interesting way.Often a new chapter takes the story in new and unexpected directions.Smith manages to convincingly draw the Norstrilians as 'red-neck' characters, though they come out more like 'backwoods' Americans than 'outback' Australians.Considering the connection with 'real' Australians is, in the story, in the very remote past this does not really matter.

If you feel that this novel ends up-in-the-air and rather suddenly that is because the story continues in a sequel, called The Underpeople, which takes up exactly where this novel leaves off.Smith later combined these two novels, added extra text and published the resulting book under the title Norstrilia (1975). ... Read more

Product Description
Cordwainer Smith's universe of the Instrumentality is one of the most complex, beautiful and fascinating every created. The Concordance to Cordwainer Smith lists and identifies all the people, places, and things in his huge future history. Where known, the origin of the name, place, or thing is given. Many previously unknown references have been added as well as entries from the revised version of "War No. 81-Q.". The book also includes an annotated timeline of the Instrumentality, and an expanded and updated bibliography to the fiction of Paul M. A. Linebarger (Cordwainer Smith, et al.). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good companion to Smith's books
This is a good reference guide to Cordwainer Smith's various books.Do not expect too much, though.Mostly, what you get is one-sentence definitions of many of the people, places and things in Smith's books, and, in some cases, a brief explanation of where the name comes from.A publication guide to Smith's stories is also included.

While there's an introduction, the book's greatest lack is essays and discussions concerning the works and their author (Paul Linebarger, as Smith was his nom de plume).Comparisons of Smith's stories and the myths he took some of them from would be helpful.

Good, but there's work to do in future editions. ... Read more

Product Description
This critical work concentrates on the science fiction writings of Paul Linebarger, who wrote under the pseudonym Cordwainer Smith, as well as other highly developed pseudonyms he created in order to reflect his different writing styles. His writings give voice to concerns about humanity and personal struggle; his ideas about love, loss, alienation, and psychic pain continue to influence science fiction writing today. This work begins with a brief biographical sketch of Cordwainer Smith, linking elements of his past to his writing and focusing on his contributions to science fiction. Also discussed are Smith's published and unpublished novel-length non-science fiction, his revision process, the true man-underpeople dichotomy in his published and unpublished short fiction, his only published novel-length science fiction work Norstrilia, and the author's argument that his importance in the science fiction genre arises from his concern with humanity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Wonderful!
Although "Space Lords" contains only five of Cordwainer Smith's many fantastic science-fiction short stories, each story is a masterwork of language and imagination. A story by Cordwainer Smith reads like nothingelse ever written; there is no way you could mistake him for anotherwriter. His weird and wonderful future universe is entirely his own, andthese key short stories illuminate various important points and events inits unfolding history. "Mother Hitton's Littul Kittons" shows thereader, by truly horrific example, why it is a very bad idea to try and robthe richest planet in the galaxy. The story of Joan of Arc is retold in"The Dead Lady of Clown Town" from a point of view taking placeseveral centuries after the actual incident, so that the reader may comparefamous paintings and poetic reconstructions with the real events. In"Drunkboat" a young man travels through the terrible poetry ofSpace-3 to reach the planet where his love lies dying; "A Planet NamedShayol" is about hell and people and the drug known assuper-condamine. "The Ballad of Lost C'mell" is my singlefavorite piece of science fiction, so anything I say about it is going tobe biased: read it for yourself. All five stories can be found incollections of Smith's work, such as "The Rediscovery of Man" or"The Instrumentality of Mankind," but "Space Lords" hasan added bonus: a preface and afterword by Cordwainer Smith himself. As hedied in 1966-far too early, by this reader's reckoning!-it's a strangesensation feeling that the author is speaking directly to his audience. Butit's great. Read "Space Lords" if you can find it, both for itsstories and for its glimpse into Cordwainer Smith the writer (it's apseudonym, of course, but that's not the point) and his own comments on hiswriting. If not . . . find anything by Cordwainer Smith and read it! Trustme, you won't be disappointed.

Great Book
I first read this book when I was about 11 years old (I'm 46 now).It has always stayed in my mind.In particular, the character C'Mell. ... Read more

Product Description
Welcome to the strangest, most distinctive future ever imagined by a science fiction writer.An insterstellar empire ruled by the mysterious Lords of the Instrumentality, whose access to the drug stroon from the planet Norstrilia confers on them virtual immortality.A world in which wealthy and leisured humanity is served by the underpeople, genetically engineered animals turned into the semblance of people.A world in which the great ships which sail between the stars are eventually supplanted by the mysterious, instantaneous technique of planoforming.A world of wonder and myth, and extraordinary imagination. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Not Free SF Reader
This is also the Best of Cordwainer Smith in a different edition - not to be confused with Rediscovery of Man : the complete stories. Yes, people who name collections the same as an existing collection are annoying.

However, this is outstanding, the story average is 4.04 thanks to not one, but two 5 star stories, in Scanners Live In Vain, and Mother Hitton's Littul Kittons.

Smith is one of those amazing throw you in the middle of wonder kind of writers. (This is partly why I like Terry Dowling so much, someone who actually is one of the Lords of the Instrumentality.) These two gentlemen have two of the highest rated SF collections I have ever read, the other being a writer with a different style completely, in Greg Egan.

Absolutely worth reading.


Best of Cordwainer Smith : Scanners Live in Vain - Cordwainer Smith
Best of Cordwainer Smith : The Lady Who Sailed the Soul - Cordwainer Smith
Best of Cordwainer Smith : The Game of Rat and Dragon - Cordwainer Smith
Best of Cordwainer Smith : The Burning of the Brain - Cordwainer Smith
Best of Cordwainer Smith : The Crime and the Glory of Commander Suzdal - Cordwainer Smith
Best of Cordwainer Smith : Golden the Ship Was Oh! Oh! Oh! - Cordwainer Smith
Best of Cordwainer Smith : The Dead Lady of Clown Town - Cordwainer Smith
Best of Cordwainer Smith : Under Old Earth - Cordwainer Smith
Best of Cordwainer Smith : Mother Hitton’s Littul Kittons - Cordwainer Smith
Best of Cordwainer Smith : Alpha Ralpha Boulevard - Cordwainer Smith
Best of Cordwainer Smith : The Ballad of Lost C'Mell - Cordwainer Smith
Best of Cordwainer Smith : A Planet Named Shayol - Cordwainer Smith


Monopoly is bad, and worth doing something about.

5 out of 5


Solo starnaut sheila's suitor.

4 out of 5


Another actual use for a live cat. Fight you little bastich.

4 out of 5


Mind destruction manoeuvre rescue transfer.

4 out of 5


Lost planet female cancer transsxual aggression solution is timeslip cat kill cull.

4 out of 5


Time for war, duckie.

4 out of 5


Witch woman and dead robot animal trial.

4.5 out of 5


Too happy is bad.

3.5 out of 5


Old North Australia's mutant mad mink secret defense doesn't pussyfoot around with thieves and murderers. Or, Stop, You'll Eat Yourself.

5 out of 5


Hard to believe in France.

3 out of 5


Underpeople Lord assisted execution escapage.

4.5 out of 5


Pain punishment makes skin way more deep.

3.5 out of 5

be forewarned
THIS IS NOT THE COMPLETE SHORT FICTION OF CORDWAINER SMITH, RATHER A COLLECTION BY THE SAME NAME!!! ... Read more

Product Description
Man has conquered space, but not without costs. To maintain the space lanes, Scanners have to undergo an operation in which their brain is severed from their sensory inputs to block the Pain of Space. Martel has made this sacrifice. He must monitor his vital functions via implanted dials and instruments in his chest. His only respite from this isolated existence is his ability to occasionally "cranch" and return to some sort of normalcy with his wife, Luci. But now a man named Adam Stone has claimed that he has a found a way to travel in the deep of space without the use of the Scanners. Through the twisted logic of the community of Scanners, it is decided that Adam Stone must die. Martel, while cranched, realizes the madness of that solution and that all Scanners Live in Vain! Voted by the Science Fiction Writers of America as one of the great stories of all time and is included in "The Science Fiction Hall of Fame" anthology.
... Read more

Product Description
It is the era of the rediscovery of man and Casher O'Neill holds in his hand the conscience of the planet Mizzer. Armed with an all-world travel pass, initially his quest is for freedom - to rid the Twelve Niles of the dictator who has usurped his rightful place - but it changes as time goes on. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Back Cover Description
From world to world with Casher O'Neill.On the Gem Planet: seeking aid to free his home world from a tyrant, he was drafted for the bizarre rescue of an exotic alien being none of his hosts had dreamed of... a horse.On the Storm Planet: The help he needed was offered at a price - murder.O'Neill accepted, but the victim was ready for him - armed with love.On the Sand Planet: He overthrew its implacable dictator - though no one ever knew it - and began a new search for a stranger and stronger goal.

Quest of the Three Worlds
It has been quite awhile since I have even found these titles, in fact I am probably one of the few who knows the authors' real name.Those who have read The Instrumentallity Of Mankind and Norstrillia also know his name and know that the quality and style of writing and wordsmanship are only equalled by authors like Asomov and Clark and maybe Zelasny.In my humble but well read opinion, all of these books are not only worth the mony, but worth the decades that they stay in your, and my, memory.
Thank you,
David Bequette

Read it only if you can read quickly
I bought this book for $2 at a used bookstore - I bought it based on the silly cover and even sillier summary on the back.

This book is a bad book. While the first half is somewhat amusing, the second half of the book is quite painfully bad. You're left scratching your head, wondering what Cordwainer was thinking with the last part. Chicken planet? What?

Only read it if you can read it quickly (2-4 hours) and feel like reading a silly bad sci-fi book.

A long-out-of-print classic from a master
I read this book in the 1960's, when I was a teenager.Many of the images from the book remain clear in my mind thirty years later.Smith, more thanany other recent SF writer, had the ability to depict the far future as ifpart of a remembered and mythic past.I'm trying to find this book onout-of-print search, so I can read it again. ... Read more