Fancies and Goodnights (New York Review Books)

Rating:
Summary: Funny, haunting, unforgettable stories
Review: John Collier has the distinction of being the only writer who wrote a short storywhich I read decades ago, and remembered for years _as having been a novel_.The story was "Youth from Vienna" and it is only twenty pages long. I find that quite a few people remember individual John Collier stories which have been burned indelibly into their minds, without, alas, remembering the name of the author. "Oh, the story of the people living in the in the department stores..." "Oh, the one where Helen of Troy says 'here I am on a bearskin again.'" My continuing quest to replace worn-out, falling-apart paperbacks with new hardbounds continues to frustrate. How can this book possibly be available on cassette, but not in print?

Rating:
Summary: Funny, haunting, unforgettable stories
Review: John Collier has the distinction of being the only writer who wrote a short storywhich I read decades ago, and remembered for years _as having been a novel_.The story was "Youth from Vienna" and it is only twenty pages long. I find that quite a few people remember individual John Collier stories which have been burned indelibly into their minds, without, alas, remembering the name of the author. "Oh, the story of the people living in the in the department stores..." "Oh, the one where Helen of Troy says 'here I am on a bearskin again.'" My continuing quest to replace worn-out, falling-apart paperbacks with new hardbounds continues to frustrate. How can this book possibly be available on cassette, but not in print?

Rating:
Summary: Why is John Collier out of print?
Review: Never has there a writer who has written so many brilliant and exquisite short stories. Each one is a gem. Better than Saki. The tongue in cheek humour and satirical presentation of human behaviour in his stories is unique. Check out the brilliant movie where he wrote the screenplay, "The War Lord" starring Charlton Heston. Also, I Am A Camera, Elephant Man, African Queen, etc. John Collier's books should be republished and studied in universities. No doubt the liberal humanities departments of today who prefer the feminist and political correct claptrap to real writing will not look at his writings.

Rating:
Summary: The Logic of Elfland Revisited
Review: The book comes as a revelation. One simply does not expect such invention on such a scale and with such constant intensity. These short stories ought to be strictly rationed so that one will read no more than a single example per day. This way the maximum pleasure can be obtained and that sly, wry smile of the connoisseur will surface often. Collier can do more with a paragraph than King does in a whole volume. This is what truly excellent writing is all about.

Rating:
Summary: The Logic of Elfland Revisited
Review: The book comes as a revelation. One simply does not expect such invention on such a scale and with such constant intensity. These short stories ought to be strictly rationed so that one will read no more than a single example per day. This way the maximum pleasure can be obtained and that sly, wry smile of the connoisseur will surface often. Collier can do more with a paragraph than King does in a whole volume. This is what truly excellent writing is all about.

Rating:
Summary: A noted collection of short stories.
Review: This large collection of short stories by Collier (1901-1980), written between 1931 and 1951, won the 1952 International Fantasy Award in Fiction, the second book to win that award (although John Clute erroneously says it was the first winner; that distinction belongs to Stewart's "Earth Abides") (Interestingly, one of the individuals who originated the International Fantasy Award was John Beynon Harris [John Wyndham], and "Fancies and Goodnights" beat out Wyndham's "The Day of the Triffids" for the award.) Most of these stories appeared in mainstream magazines and contain fantasy or science fiction elements, often with some humor and a twist in the story. Although many of the stories now appear dated, it is only because Collier has had so many "descendents." The collection is also of interest to young writers as it can serve as a source for new ideas. Interestingly, this collection also won a 1951 Edgar Award for best mystery short stories of the year, even though there were only a handful of stories that one would call mysteries.