Runciter (e)k Yuri Herrera(r)en Ten Planets liburuaren kritika egin du
Mini Puzzles, Intriguingly Told
3 izar
Unfamiliar with Mr. Herrera's previous output or literary / academic pedigree, I picked up this collection of short (1-2 pages, most of them) on the strength of its bold design, cover blurbs, and (honestly) brevity: who says science fiction collections have to be five-pound bricks?
The stories themselves are slightly oblique and off-kilter: vaguely-anatomied aliens pitch story treatments to one another, economically-opposed Terran settlers vie for linguistic dominance on their adopted planet, a literal "smart house" herds its human occupants from one room to another and in- and out-of-doors. It's all very quirky and Borgesian and gratifying. The humor lands, and by the time the stories have outlived their welcome - they're over. How frequently are we granted that gift?
The book loses a potential fourth star for its self-important afterword by translator Lisa Dillman who admits to her previous prejudice against science fiction as the province of the "maladapted …
Unfamiliar with Mr. Herrera's previous output or literary / academic pedigree, I picked up this collection of short (1-2 pages, most of them) on the strength of its bold design, cover blurbs, and (honestly) brevity: who says science fiction collections have to be five-pound bricks?
The stories themselves are slightly oblique and off-kilter: vaguely-anatomied aliens pitch story treatments to one another, economically-opposed Terran settlers vie for linguistic dominance on their adopted planet, a literal "smart house" herds its human occupants from one room to another and in- and out-of-doors. It's all very quirky and Borgesian and gratifying. The humor lands, and by the time the stories have outlived their welcome - they're over. How frequently are we granted that gift?
The book loses a potential fourth star for its self-important afterword by translator Lisa Dillman who admits to her previous prejudice against science fiction as the province of the "maladapted Dungeons & Dragons crowd." Skip her superfluous coattail-riding and move on to the next entry in your to-be-read pile.