First published 1974
This collection gathers twenty-one of Malzberg's science fiction stories written between 1967 and 1974. The tales range from planetary conquest narratives like "The Conquest of Mars" to speculative pieces such as "Notes for a Novel About the First Ship Ever to Venus." Several stories examine historical moments through a science fiction lens, including "November 22, 1963." Others explore family dynamics in futuristic settings, as in "Pater Familias," co-written with Kris Neville. The collection spans various forms, from traditional short stories to experimental pieces like "A Short Religious Novel" and "Report of the Defense." Malzberg's characters navigate worlds where technology intersects with human psychology, often finding themselves caught between personal desires and larger forces. The stories probe the tension between individual agency and systemic control, whether in space exploration, military contexts, or domestic situations. At its core, the collection examines how people maintain their humanity when confronted with overwhelming technological and social change.
Genres: short-stories, science-fiction, literary-fiction, speculative-fiction
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, systemic-control
Setting: Mars, Venus
Period: 1967-1974, November 22, 1963
188 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Warner Books