-Feature---------------- BOOK REVIEW ROOMS OF PARADISE, ed. Lee Harding (Quartet Melbourne, 182 pp) Reviewed by David Grigg Anthologies are not easy things to review. Too often the contents are so varied in quality and style as to make it impossible to talk about the book as a whole. It is a rare pleasure, then, to be able to discuss an anthology such as ROOMS OF PARADISE in which the quality of the writing is uniformly high, far higher than is the average in science fiction. It is rather more a pleasure to be able to say that this collection of previously unpublished stories was edited by an Australian and published in Australia. There is no doubt that this is the best anthology of sf to be published in this country, and it stands high in comparison with original fiction anth­ ologies published overseas. Certainly, have believed possible. Definitely one R.A.Lafferty is, shall we say, an individual stories are flawed, but the of the best stories in the book. idiosycratic writer, and his stories book as a whole is excellent. Re-deem the Time, by David Lake, does break all the rules and get away with it. Six out of the twelve stories in the the apparently impossible: gives us a Bequest of Wings is superficially about book are by Australians, the rest by very new twist to the idea of time travel. A the evolution of flighted humans. But well-known American and British writers. wry humour pervades the story, but deeper down it is, I think, saying Though I should perhaps not be surprised doesn't quite hide what is really a things about human adolescence. I didn't I'm glad to be able to say that on the rather bitter and ironic idea. Very like it quite as much as some of the whole it is the Australian stories which enjoyable, and very smoothly written. author's other stories. are the best-written, freshest and most Our Neighbour by David Copperfield Frankly, I don't quite know what to original in the book. is in fact written by Gene Wolfe. This make of A Passage in Earth by Damien It would be a futile exercise to try story does not even pretend to be sf. Broderick. It is the most original to rank the stories in order of merit, It doesn't need to. The bitter, moving treatment I've seen of the 'return from but I will discuss them as they come to punchline will remain with me for a long the stars' theme, and I find the story mind, in a very rough order of my app­ time. admirable in its conciseness of language reciation of them. Cherry Wilder's The Falldown of Man and freshness. But I had a feeling, First up in this queue, then, is is a wonderfully happy story, laced with which I retained on re-reading, that the Phillipa Maddern's Ignorant of Magic. splendid jokes. The only thing I wonder author was three or four steps ahead of Disturbing, at times nightmarish, the is how it will read to someone who has me all the time, and that somewhere he story makes the powerful point that all not read Ms Wilder's novel, THE LUCK OF made a turn-off that I missed. I don't our modern knowledge may in fact be BRIN'S FIVE, to which this story is an know. Try it for yourself. abysmal ignorance of the things that appendix. I suppose ij won't make much Indifference, by Brian Aldiss, was matter. To describe the plot would be difference. Ms Wilder's great strength unfortunately too dry and abstract for to spoil the story for you, but I felt is telling a story convincingly from an my taste, though it is written with a all through that the author knew exactly alien viewpoint. In this case the view­ splendid bitter humour, and comes to what she was doing at every moment, point is that of a member of a perform­ an effective and ironic conclusion. But building up a sense of confinement and ing group who begin playing a dance or it reads too much like a story written hopelessness. The ending leaves us un­ drama about the arrival on their planet to expound a proposition in logic. certain of the outcome:to have done of a strange creature called Man. Pie Row Joe by Kevin McKay is the otherwise would have been fatal. Ms In a Petri Dish Upstairs is also an only story in the book which feels a Maddern does not have very far to go to appendix to a novel, in this case little out of place, being rather light­ become the best Australian sf writer we George Turner's BELOVED SON, arguably weight. But it is certainly a well have. the best Australian sf novel ever publ­ written and amusing story, told as a ished. The story here stands perfectly monologue from the point of view of an Next I think of Michael Bishop's well by itself, and does not lean on old man speaking Australian dialect. story, Col laborating. It's the story of the novel. There's a certain hardness, This kind of thing is very difficult, a man with two heads. Ha, ha? Not at a cynicism, in the story,which was also yet the story never once misfires. all. Bishop manages to treat the predi­ in the novel, and which I find here a I can't bring myself to like The cament of the protagonist(s) more little off-putting. But this very Savage Mouth, by Japanese author sensitively and movingly than I would cynicism is perhaps the point of the Sakyo Komatsu, but it is the subject story. 1 Book review-Rooms of Paradise-continued: ) a story from David Lake in his next matter and not the style, which is anthology ,ALIEN WORLDS,along with flawless. To put it mildly, the story stories by Cherry Wilder,A.Bertram made me sick. Chandler ,Jack Wodhams,Rob Gerrand.Van And last, we come to the story which Ikin,Terance Green,C.C.Clingon(editor gives its name to the book, The Rooms of of The DIVERSIFIER),Darrell Schweitzer, Paradise by Ian Watson. Unfortunately, Kendall Evans,Alan Carr along with a story by Paul himself. Bruce Gillespie I found it rather disappointing. It Science attempts the kind of thing that Jorge is also a possibility and a leading Luis Borges did brilliantly years ago, American author is expected to write and reminds me also of stories by Tom a forward. fiction Disch. The Watson story, however, just doesn't come up to these models. With­ out any emotional involvement with the foundation narrator, the ultimate effect of the story is a shrug of the shoulders. It was not my intention to end on a The annual general meeting of the Australian sour note. I must re-emphasise that the Science Fiction Foundation Co-Operative So you reckon this issue of the ASFN is book as a whole is the best anthology of Limited .washeld at Space Age Books on late ! Well it is not really as we are sf we have yet seen in Australia, and the 29th of November 1978.The annual fin­ only publishing ten a year and we already one which ranks high on world standards. ancial report was presented ,two directors have published five since July,so this one Congratulations are due to Lee Harding retired in accordance with the rules of is actually early. The next four issues for gathering the stories together and the society and two new ones were elected. will be spaced at about six weekly inter­ editing them so well, to Quartet books Peter Darling,Kitty Vigo and Merv Binns vals over the next six months. for having the courage to publish the remained on the board.Carey Handfield and collection in Australia, and to Michael I would like to thank the people who Robin Johnson stood down and were replaced Payne for the superb cover. turned up at my home on Cup day for the by Chris Johnson and Paul Stevens. — David Grigg ASFN benefit CUPDAYCON.With donations and the-auction we raised enough cash to It was pointed out at the meeting that the almost cover the cost of one issue,which function of the Foundation in that it act I was most pleased and gratified with. as a resources centre,and promotional body More subscriptions and advertisements will ® AUSTRALIAN for the furtherence of the interest in be the best way of helping to keep future Science Fiction in Australia , is being issues coming.We will be happy to send a MICHAEL PAYNE, Australia's best-known carried out. Financial and other assistance sample copy to any institutions if so has been given to conventions,and writers professional sf artist, left for Munich, requested ,as we are most anxious to see West Germany on December 16th. He will workshops ,and people are requested to ASFN being as widely distributed as it write to the convention with any proposals be working as a media consultant for a possibly can . leading advertising agency. for assistance with any projects relating M erv Binns to science fiction, that they consider the Mike was initially a 'discovery' of Space foundation can help with. Age Books; Lee Harding was awed and de­ Address: G.P.O.Box 4039,Melbourne,3001,Vic. lighted when Mike handed him his port­ folio early in 1974. At that time Mike had only just left Technical School, but already his sf work was of world standard.