Tales from the White Hart

Rating:
Summary: Science humour, a new genre?
Review: A series of short stories, tales told in a bar (the White Hart) among a group of scientists, writers, and laymen. The central story-teller is one Henry Purvis, an obnoxious fellow with a trick of pausing at the climax for a new draught beer, whom no one has yet managed to prove a liar. He tells almost believable tales of science and wouldn't-it-be-nice science. One learns of a silencer that silences more than guns, a carnivorous orchid with a secret, a ballistic computer with a sense of humour. Much of the delight in the tales arises from the fact that they were written in the 1950's, and it is amazing how much Clarke could see of the future. I suspect Clarke may have felt he'd written himself into a corner, because the series of tales and the book end rather suddenly, with a hint for the future but no real hope that Purvis will be back. A delghtful find, to be read by all who enjoy Clarke, bar stories, science fiction, and humour.

Rating:
Summary: Science humour, a new genre?
Review: A series of short stories, tales told in a bar (the White Hart) among a group of scientists, writers, and laymen. The central story-teller is one Henry Purvis, an obnoxious fellow with a trick of pausing at the climax for a new draught beer, whom no one has yet managed to prove a liar. He tells almost believable tales of science and wouldn't-it-be-nice science. One learns of a silencer that silences more than guns, a carnivorous orchid with a secret, a ballistic computer with a sense of humour. Much of the delight in the tales arises from the fact that they were written in the 1950's, and it is amazing how much Clarke could see of the future. I suspect Clarke may have felt he'd written himself into a corner, because the series of tales and the book end rather suddenly, with a hint for the future but no real hope that Purvis will be back. A delghtful find, to be read by all who enjoy Clarke, bar stories, science fiction, and humour.

Rating:
Summary: Funny S-F
Review: Clarke's ability to marry humor with good Sci-Fi storytelling has probably never been surpassed in this little collection of short stories. Although it's been almost 30 years since I read this book, I can still vividly recall most of the stories, and the pleasure I had first reading them. The story revolves around a British scientist who frequents a local tavern and who can spin some of the most outlandish yarns of wayward science and technology over a pint that anyone has ever heard. But he's obviously so well-informed and convincing about the science and the details of the stories that nobody quite knows whether the stories are apocryphal or not. But the fun is in the believing. This book is one of the most light-hearted and tongue-in-cheek classics in the annals of science-fiction, and Clarke's deft touch with these funny tales is unsurpassed.

Rating:
Summary: Great Short Stories!!!
Review: I couldn't put this down. I'm a new comer to science fiction, but if all the sci-fi writers can do what A.C. Clark does in this book, I am really looking forward to reading them. Each short story in the book relate to one another. They basically build up to a climax and then you're left wondering, "Is that it??? I want more!". Even though this book was written circa 1957, it is a "way out" read and very enjoyable!

Rating:
Summary: An old classic back again!!
Review: I have read this book several times, and on the most recent I finally figured out that the narrarator was Arthur C. Clarke. My favorite story was "The Reluctant Orchid", because Hercules eventually snapped and tried to kill his aunt, but it was too much for the poor plant. As an amateur botanist I find the story inprobable, but funny.

Rating:
Summary: Stars and bars
Review: If you can think of one set of SF short stories involving tall tales told in bars, it's probably Spider Robinson's "Callahan's' series. But if you can think of two, this is probably the second.

Although never as big a Clarke fan as I've been of Asimov and Heinlein, I still have fond memories of several of Clarke's books. _Rendezvous with Rama_ is probably his best novel and it's been one of my favorites of his since it was first published. His short stories, too, are generally of high quality (remember e.g. 'The Nine Billion Names of God'?).

The series of tales collected herein is a bit different (for Clarke). For one thing, they're _funny_ -- Arthur C. Clarke funny, that is, not Douglas Adams funny, but funny all the same.

They're on the light side and they're deftly executed. But don't expect guffaws; in order to appreciate Harry Purvis and his stories, you pretty much have to be the sort of person who thinks 'The Defenestration of Ermintrude Inch' is a funny title.

If you've read Clarke but you haven't read this book, grab a copy and see what you think. The 'White Hart' isn't Callahan's, but it's a pleasant place to hang out and listen to some tall tales.

Rating:
Summary: Stars and bars
Review: If you can think of one set of SF short stories involving tall tales told in bars, it's probably Spider Robinson's "Callahan's' series. But if you can think of two, this is probably the second.

Although never as big a Clarke fan as I've been of Asimov and Heinlein, I still have fond memories of several of Clarke's books. _Rendezvous with Rama_ is probably his best novel and it's been one of my favorites of his since it was first published. His short stories, too, are generally of high quality (remember e.g. 'The Nine Billion Names of God'?).

The series of tales collected herein is a bit different (for Clarke). For one thing, they're _funny_ -- Arthur C. Clarke funny, that is, not Douglas Adams funny, but funny all the same.

They're on the light side and they're deftly executed. But don't expect guffaws; in order to appreciate Harry Purvis and his stories, you pretty much have to be the sort of person who thinks 'The Defenestration of Ermintrude Inch' is a funny title.

If you've read Clarke but you haven't read this book, grab a copy and see what you think. The 'White Hart' isn't Callahan's, but it's a pleasant place to hang out and listen to some tall tales.

Rating:
Summary: Funny Science Fiction? Yes. Funny Science Fiction
Review: Long before Douglas Adams ever thought of a "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", Arthur C. Clark brought off a successful marriage between humor and science fiction. Whereas Adams' humor is broad, lowbrow, and slapstick, Clark's is intelligent, dry, and refined.

It's been years since I read this book, but the stories still blaze vividly in my mind. From the theatrical arms race that got out of hand to the ultimate melody to the defenestration of Ermintrude Inch, the stories are well conceived, well executed, and funny.

Harry Purvis serves as the Scheherazade of the White Hart, a pub frequented by science fiction writers and engineers. Harry is a master at the art of "bullthrowing", and can top any story from anybody any time.

Stop by the White Hart, order an ale, and sit down and listen to the master storyteller regale his audience. You'll come to regret that Clark never wrote "More Tales from the White Hart."

Rating:
Summary: Dry humor with questionable science, and keep 'em coming
Review: Welcome to the White Hart, where every Wednesday night features a gathering of scientists, writers, and interested on-lookers who come to drink tepid beer and be regaled by the Tall Tales of one Harry Purvis, a man of uncertain origins, profession, and education, who claims to know so much about so many subjects of scientific interest. These tales were originally published individually, but together they are 'bookended' by "Silence Please" and "The Defenestration of Ermintrude Inch" to create a kind of frame story. Purvis' deadpan declamations of yarns that range from all-too-believable to patently absurd, combined with the fictional Clarke's own pointed comments about the White Hart, its clientele, and Purvis' overall credibility, make this perhaps the funniest science fiction book ever written. Using analogy in place of logic, Purvis posits wildly improbable advances in a number of different directions that in some cases have paralleled actual scientific developments that have taken place in the decades since these stories were written.

More serious-minded fans should take pleasure in the not-always-easy task of finding the precise flaws in Purvis' stories, which usually include just enough hard science to be credible to the casual layman. "The Next Tenants" is the only story in this collection that has any really serious message to it, and while the story is chillingly effective despite its absurdities, this book is really about laughs. From that standpoint, "Moving Spirit" is probably the best, featuring an eccentric millionaire, his illegal distillery, and a hilarious courtroom scene in which Purvis testifies as an expert witness with devastating results.

Despite the occasional slapstick moments, Clarke's humor is generally on the dry side, so this book may not please everyone. There isn't a lot of action in the traditional action/adventure sense, and female characters are usually absent or antagonistic. Still, if you're comfortable in a males-only, scientific atmosphere, there's plenty of good clean fun to be had at the White Hart.