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And nowhere is Bester funnier, speedier, or more audacious than in these seventeen short stories—two of them previously unpublished—that have now been brought together in a single volume for the first time.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 |
From inside the book
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Page 67
... looked at me .... Just once . You looked at me . It was horrible . " " Tsk ! " Mr. Aquila clicked his tongue in vexation . “ Now I re- member said incident . I was unguarded . Bad news from home . A pox on both my houses . ” " You ...
... looked at me .... Just once . You looked at me . It was horrible . " " Tsk ! " Mr. Aquila clicked his tongue in vexation . “ Now I re- member said incident . I was unguarded . Bad news from home . A pox on both my houses . ” " You ...
Page 153
... looked so adorable that he wanted to kiss her . Instead he punched her , very gently and very solemnly , and took her out to buy a wardrobe . When she showed herself to him in proper clothes , she looked so enchanting that he had to ...
... looked so adorable that he wanted to kiss her . Instead he punched her , very gently and very solemnly , and took her out to buy a wardrobe . When she showed herself to him in proper clothes , she looked so enchanting that he had to ...
Page 344
... looked like an insurance office . Bold gold letters on the black windows read : NATIONAL STATISTICS . Jinny parked the car and said : " I still think you're crazy . " " Don't try to argue , " Granville answered . “ We haven't come to an ...
... looked like an insurance office . Bold gold letters on the black windows read : NATIONAL STATISTICS . Jinny parked the car and said : " I still think you're crazy . " " Don't try to argue , " Granville answered . “ We haven't come to an ...
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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