Virtual Unrealities: The Short Fiction of Alfred Bester"Dazzlement and enchantment are Bester's methods. His stories never stand still a moment." —Damon Knight, author of Why Do Birds Alfred Bester took science fiction into hyperdrive, endowing it with a wit, speed, and narrative inventiveness that have inspired two generations of writers. And nowhere is Bester funnier, speedier, or more audacious than in these seventeen short stories—two of them previously unpublished—that have now been brought together in a single volume for the first time. Read about the sweet-natured young man whose phenomenal good luck turns out to be disastrous for the rest of humanity. Find out why tourists are flocking to a hellish little town in a post-nuclear Kansas. Meet a warlock who practices on Park Avenue and whose potions comply with the Pure Food and Drug Act. Make a deal with the Devil—but not without calling your agent. Dazzling, effervescent, sexy, and sardonic, Virtual Unrealities is a historic collection from one of science fiction's true pathbreakers. "Alfred Bester was one of the handful of writers who invented modern science fiction. " —Harry Harrison |
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Page 197
... Mayo looked at the pond wistfully . " It ought to have boats . " " The house was full of them when I moved in , " Linda said . " I always wanted a model boat when I was a kid . Once I even— ” Mayo broke off . A penetrating pounding ...
... Mayo looked at the pond wistfully . " It ought to have boats . " " The house was full of them when I moved in , " Linda said . " I always wanted a model boat when I was a kid . Once I even— ” Mayo broke off . A penetrating pounding ...
Page 202
... Mayo nervous . He stole off to bed early . It wasn't until three o'clock the following afternoon that they fi- nally got a car working , and it wasn't a Caddy , but a Chevy - a hard- top because Mayo didn't like the idea of being ...
... Mayo nervous . He stole off to bed early . It wasn't until three o'clock the following afternoon that they fi- nally got a car working , and it wasn't a Caddy , but a Chevy - a hard- top because Mayo didn't like the idea of being ...
Page 221
... Mayo froze . " Did you hear that ? " he whispered . Linda nodded . " That wasn't any accident . It was a signal . " Mayo grabbed the shotgun , ran outside , and fired the second barrel into the air . There was a pause . Then again came ...
... Mayo froze . " Did you hear that ? " he whispered . Linda nodded . " That wasn't any accident . It was a signal . " Mayo grabbed the shotgun , ran outside , and fired the second barrel into the air . There was a pause . Then again came ...
Contents
Disappearing Act | 3 |
Oddy and Id | 22 |
Star Light Star Bright | 38 |
Copyright | |
11 other sections not shown
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Virtual Unrealities: The Short Fiction of Alfred Bester Alfred Bester,Roger Zelazny Limited preview - 1997 |
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