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And nowhere is Bester funnier, speedier, or more audacious than in these seventeen short stories—two of them previously unpublished—that have now been brought together in a single volume for the first time.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 65
... hand that only masked it more . As the nurse - man started to enter the cell , Hal- syon said , " Never mind Halsyon . He's all right . Get me a towel or something . Hurry ! The nurse - man locked the door again , turned and ran down ...
... hand that only masked it more . As the nurse - man started to enter the cell , Hal- syon said , " Never mind Halsyon . He's all right . Get me a towel or something . Hurry ! The nurse - man locked the door again , turned and ran down ...
Page 66
... hand . Compelled by a gesture from Aquila , the artist drank it off . It made his brain buzz . He stared around , breathing heavily . He was in what appeared to be the luxurious waiting room of a Park Avenue physi- cian . Queen Anne ...
... hand . Compelled by a gesture from Aquila , the artist drank it off . It made his brain buzz . He stared around , breathing heavily . He was in what appeared to be the luxurious waiting room of a Park Avenue physi- cian . Queen Anne ...
Page 157
... hand was expen- sive . John Strapp walked into the suite . He shut the door , turned and examined the jet - haired ... hands and lips savaged her while his eyes watched coldly and intently . The girl screamed and strug- gled , terrified ...
... hand was expen- sive . John Strapp walked into the suite . He shut the door , turned and examined the jet - haired ... hands and lips savaged her while his eyes watched coldly and intently . The girl screamed and strug- gled , terrified ...
Contents
Disappearing Act | 3 |
Oddy and Id | 22 |
Star Light Star Bright | 38 |
Copyright | |
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Virtual Unrealities: The Short Fiction of Alfred Bester Alfred Bester,Roger Zelazny Limited preview - 1997 |
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