Aristotle and the Gun and Other Stories
Aristotle and the Gun and Other Stories is a collection of short stories by American science fiction and fantasy author L. Sprague de Camp. It was published in hardcover in August 2002 by the Gale Group as part of its Five Star Speculative Fiction Series.[1]
The book contains short works of fiction by the author spanning much of his writing career, having originally been published from 1939 to 1993.[2] It also contains an introduction by Harry Turtledove.
Contents
- "Introduction" by Harry Turtledove
- "Aristotle and the Gun"
- "The Gnarly Man"
- "A Gun for Dinosaur" (a Reginald Rivers time travel story)
- "The Honeymoon Dragon" (a Reginald Rivers time travel story)
- "The Mislaid Mastodon" (a Reginald Rivers time travel story)
- "Nothing in the Rules"
- "Two Yards of Dragon" (a Eudoric Dambertson fantasy)
Reception
Don D'Ammassa wrote that the collection "includes some of his best stories," particularly the title story and "The Gnarly Man," noting that while all "are quite finely told ... none are the equal of the first two."[3]
Roland Green called it a "high-quality volume" of "vintage short pieces," singling out "A Gun for Dinosaur," "The Gnarly Man," "Two Yards of Dragon," the title story, and "one of the classics of sf/fantasy humor, 'Nothing in the Rules,'" for particular mention. He also praised the introduction by Harry Turtledove, "who is the closest thing to a still-writing de Camp," as "match[ing] the stories in outstanding merit." Assessing the collection's worth for libraries, he advised them to "[c]onsider this a necessary acquisition wherever all these stories aren't otherwise and for sure in the collection. And let there be more and more of their fellows, until all the de Camps' many well-chosen words are again available."[4]
Guy Soffer characterized the book as "a very nice presentation of L. Sprague de Camp's style, which blends fantasy and science fiction," and its stories as "fairly short, very readable and mostly also very funny." In his survey of the stories, he commended the irony in "The Gnarly Man," the humor in "Nothing in the Rules" and "Two Yards of Dragon," and finds the Reginald Rivers stories "fascinating." Overall, he felt de Camp "manages to paint a believable picture and wrap it up in a scientifically conceivable way," and recommended it "as light reading, suitable for readers of all ages."[2]
Tom Easton, recalling the author as "always one of my favorite SF&F writers," urged de Camp's "many fans [to] get a copy," and predicted it should set any "not already a fan ... to looking for such gems as The Incomplete Enchanter, Lest Darkness Fall, and more." He called the title story "a classic exposition of the time-travel paradox," and assessed "A Gun for Dinosaur" as a classic as well.[5]
Notes
- ^ Aristotle and the Gun and Other Stories title listing at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
- ^ a b Soffer, Guy. "L. Sprague de Camp, Aristotle and the Gun and Other Stories (Five Star, 2002)" (review). In The Green Man Review, Dec. 8, 2002 (accessed 5/26/2010).
- ^ D'Ammassa, Don. "Critical Mass." In Science Fiction Chronicle, v. 24, iss. 8, August 2002, page 39.
- ^ Green Roland. "de Camp, L. Sprague. Aristotle and the Gun and Other Stories" (review). In Booklist, September 1, 2002, page 170.
- ^ Easton, Tom. "The Reference Library." In Analog Science Fiction and Fact, v. CXXIII, no. 3, March 2003, pages 134, 138-139.
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Interplanetarias
Krishna |
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Kukulkan |
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Other |
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- "The Roaring Trumpet" (1940)
- "The Mathematics of Magic" (1940)
- The Castle of Iron (1941/50)
- The Wall of Serpents (1953)
- The Green Magician (1954)
- Sir Harold and the Gnome King (1990)
- Sir Harold of Zodanga (1995)
- The Tritonian Ring (1951)
- "The Eye of Tandyla" (1951)
- "The Owl and the Ape" (1951)
- "The Hungry Hercynian" (1953)
- "The Stronger Spell" (1953)
- "Ka the Appalling" (1958)
- "The Rug and the Bull" (1974)
- "The Stone of the Witch Queen" (1977)
- The Goblin Tower (1968)
- The Clocks of Iraz (1971)
- "The Emperor's Fan" (1973)
- The Fallible Fiend (1973)
- The Unbeheaded King (1983)
- The Honorable Barbarian (1989)
- The Incorporated Knight (1987)
- The Pixilated Peeress (1991)
speculative
fiction
Novels |
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Short stories |
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- The Dragon of the Ishtar Gate (1961)
- The Arrows of Hercules (1965)
- An Elephant for Aristotle (1958)
- The Bronze God of Rhodes (1960)
- The Golden Wind (1969)
- The Wolf Leader (1950)
- Swords and Sorcery (1963)
- The Spell of Seven (1965)
- Conan the Warrior (1967)
- The Fantastic Swordsmen (1967)
- Conan the Conqueror (1967)
- Warlocks and Warriors (1970)
- 3000 Years of Fantasy and Science Fiction (1972)
- Tales Beyond Time (1973)
Science and history |
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Lit crit and biography |
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- The Conan Swordbook (1969)
- The Conan Grimoire (1972)
- To Quebec and the Stars (1976)
- The Blade of Conan (1979)
- The Spell of Conan (1980)
- Demons and Dinosaurs (1970)
- Heroes and Hobgoblins (1981)
- Phantoms and Fancies (1972)
- The Continent Makers and Other Tales of the Viagens (1953)
- The Virgin of Zesh & The Tower of Zanid (1983)
- The Incomplete Enchanter (1941)
- Wall of Serpents (1960)
- The Compleat Enchanter (1975)
- The Complete Compleat Enchanter (1989)
- The Enchanter Reborn (1992)
- The Exotic Enchanter (1995)
- The Mathematics of Magic (2007)
- The Tritonian Ring and Other Pusadian Tales (1953)
- The Reluctant King (1985)
- Conan (1967)
- The Conan Chronicles (1989)
- The Conan Chronicles 2 (1990)
- Conan of Aquilonia (1977)
- Conan of Cimmeria (1969)
- Conan the Adventurer (1966)
- Conan the Avenger (1968)
- Conan the Freebooter (1968)
- Conan the Swordsman (1978)
- Conan the Usurper (1967)
- Conan the Wanderer (1968)
- Sagas of Conan (2004)
- Tales of Conan (1955)
- The Treasure of Tranicos (1980)
- Aristotle and the Gun (2002)
- The Best of L. Sprague de Camp (1978)
- Divide and Rule (1948)
- Footprints on Sand (1981)
- A Gun for Dinosaur (1963)
- The Purple Pterodactyls (1980)
- The Reluctant Shaman (1970)
- Rivers of Time (1993)
- Scribblings (1972)
- Sprague de Camp's New Anthology (1953)
- Tales from Gavagan's Bar (1953/78)
- The Undesired Princess (1951)
- The Virgin & the Wheels (1976)
- The Wheels of If (1948)
- Years in the Making (2005)
- GURPS Planet Krishna (1997)
- The Enchanter Completed (2005)