Status
Available
Call number
Series
Publication
Berkley Books (New York, 1980). 1st edition, 2nd printing. 260 pages. $3.25.
Description
A collection of short stories from the Hugo and Nebula award-winning author who "has the imagination of six ordinary science fiction writers" (George R.R. Martin)John Varley. Picnic on Nearside includes nine astonishing stories from an author whose imagination has changed the genre and the way that people envision the future.
User reviews
LibraryThing member edgeworth
John Varley is my favourite science fiction author. This is largely due to "The Golden Globe," a light-hearted, whimsical tale of a dashing actor/conman named Sparky Valentine who attempts to make it from Pluto to Luna in under ten months to land a lead role in a production of King Lear, all the
The problem is that I've subsequently read his bibliography in reverse order, and have watched his writing style decline rather than develop. The Barbie Murders is a collection of short stories written between 1974 and 1980, and while they're still very enjoyable, they're clearly the work of a much younger man.
Most of the stories are set in his Eight Worlds universe, in which humanity has been evicted from Earth by the omnipotent Invaders, left to survive on the remaining worlds of the solar system. In order:
"Bagatelle," about a police chief trying to negotiate with an intelligent nuclear bomb that has been placed on the main thoroughfare of Luna's biggest city;
"The Funhouse Effect," about an ill-fated cruise to the sun inside a converted comet;
"The Barbie Murders," about a detective trying to solve a murder committed by a woman from a cult-like community of 7,000 people who are exactly identical;
"Equinoctial," a bizarre story about a society of space-dwelling people who drift through the rings of Saturn;
"Manikins," an even more bizarre story about a woman in a mental ward claiming that all men are controlled by parasites (and the only story not set in the Eight Worlds);
"Beatnik Bayou," about growing up in the unusual education system of Luna;
"Good-Bye, Robinson Crusoe," about a kid living in an enormous underground biome on Pluto modelled to recreate the Pacific Ocean;
"Lollipop and the Tar Baby," about a spacer on the edge of the system who is disturbed to find a black hole talking to her;
and "Picnic on Nearside," the first story Varley ever wrote for the Eight Worlds, about a kid who takes a joyride to the abandoned "nearside" of the moon and discovers a hermit living among the empty ruins.
On the whole, the stories are good, just not quite as good as "The Golden Globe." They're almost up to scratch with "Steel Beach," though, and a whole lot tighter. On the whole, this is a book I bought out of a desire to read the author's entire catalogue, and not something I'd reccomend to the average reader. Do go out and buy the Golden Globe, though.
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while trying to outrun a nigh-invicible mafia hitman. I read it last year and it was not only the best science fiction book I ever read, but one of the best books in general.The problem is that I've subsequently read his bibliography in reverse order, and have watched his writing style decline rather than develop. The Barbie Murders is a collection of short stories written between 1974 and 1980, and while they're still very enjoyable, they're clearly the work of a much younger man.
Most of the stories are set in his Eight Worlds universe, in which humanity has been evicted from Earth by the omnipotent Invaders, left to survive on the remaining worlds of the solar system. In order:
"Bagatelle," about a police chief trying to negotiate with an intelligent nuclear bomb that has been placed on the main thoroughfare of Luna's biggest city;
"The Funhouse Effect," about an ill-fated cruise to the sun inside a converted comet;
"The Barbie Murders," about a detective trying to solve a murder committed by a woman from a cult-like community of 7,000 people who are exactly identical;
"Equinoctial," a bizarre story about a society of space-dwelling people who drift through the rings of Saturn;
"Manikins," an even more bizarre story about a woman in a mental ward claiming that all men are controlled by parasites (and the only story not set in the Eight Worlds);
"Beatnik Bayou," about growing up in the unusual education system of Luna;
"Good-Bye, Robinson Crusoe," about a kid living in an enormous underground biome on Pluto modelled to recreate the Pacific Ocean;
"Lollipop and the Tar Baby," about a spacer on the edge of the system who is disturbed to find a black hole talking to her;
and "Picnic on Nearside," the first story Varley ever wrote for the Eight Worlds, about a kid who takes a joyride to the abandoned "nearside" of the moon and discovers a hermit living among the empty ruins.
On the whole, the stories are good, just not quite as good as "The Golden Globe." They're almost up to scratch with "Steel Beach," though, and a whole lot tighter. On the whole, this is a book I bought out of a desire to read the author's entire catalogue, and not something I'd reccomend to the average reader. Do go out and buy the Golden Globe, though.
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LibraryThing member Philotera
When Herb is good, and in his short stories he is very good indeed, there's no one like him. These are two very fine collections, and it was great to re-read them. While I like some stories better than others, they are all very good. It also struck me, reading them again after such a long time,
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that some of them seem risky now. I mean, adults (in children's body's) having sex with kids. Incest. None of this is smarmy. Or shocking. There's a definite whiff of Kij's Spar in Parameter and Solstice, but in a loving way. There's anarchy. Atheism. A fearlessness and joy. Dare I say optimism? I suddenly feel so retro. The future spread out like a dream before us. We are no longer able to fill his vision but have become small. How sad. Show Less
LibraryThing member isabelx
A book of short stories by one of my favourite authors, set in the same world as other stories of his that I have read, a world where humans have spread throughout the solar system, but are exiled from the earth which has been invaded by aliens. People routinely change sex many times in a lifetime
The title story is a murder mystery set in a town populated by a religious sect all of whom have been surgically altered to look identical (like genderless barbie dolls), so that the police coming from a neighbouring town find it very hard to investigate a crime where the victim, purpetrator and witnesses are all identical. The barbies make things even harder for the police since they don't think of themselves as individuals and don't see why it matters if the wrong person is charged with the crime since they are all interchangeable.
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and other surgical body modifications are common - such as replacing your feet with peds (large handlike appendages) as an adaptation to free-fall.The title story is a murder mystery set in a town populated by a religious sect all of whom have been surgically altered to look identical (like genderless barbie dolls), so that the police coming from a neighbouring town find it very hard to investigate a crime where the victim, purpetrator and witnesses are all identical. The barbies make things even harder for the police since they don't think of themselves as individuals and don't see why it matters if the wrong person is charged with the crime since they are all interchangeable.
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Awards
Locus Award (Finalist — Collection — 1981)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1980
Physical description
260 p.; 7 inches
ISBN
0425071200 / 9780425071205
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