Today I begin looking at the first three science fiction short stories appearing in the anthology The 1978 Annual World's Best SF, edited by Donald A. Wollheim and publishing his picks for the best in the genre in 1977. That year marked my first residence in Gainesville. and I'm still here 44 years later...guess I like the place. Jimmy Carter began his presidential term with many ambitious promises but quickly got bogged down with his inability to effectively deal with the power structure in Congress despite his own party controlling both houses by wide margins. And the New York Yankees won their first World Series in fifteen years, highlighted by Reggie Jackson hitting three home runs in the last game...I watched it sitting in the TV room on UF's Reitz Student Union first floor. And here are my reactions to those first three tales...
IN THE HALL OF THE MARTIAN KINGS by John Varley
The first human expedition on Mars lands and sets up their living quarters. All is going well until one night it explodes, killing the only crew members able to pilot their ship back. The disaster is caused by spiked indigenous organisms growing up from the ground and piercing the tent's walls, depressurizing it. In spite of the tragedy and being hopelessly stranded with food, water and oxygen soon running out, the remaining crew steadfastly holds on...and makes a game-changing discovery about that Martian life form and others they notice growing around themselves...
A TIME TO LIVE by Joe Haldeman
A circular time travel story reminiscent of the old "which came first, the chicken or the egg" question, an obscure, unpromising young man inexplicably keeps coming across lucky breaks in his life to eventually become the wealthiest and most powerful man on Earth. After his death following an extended lifetime he is sent out into deep space to spend eternity...only that plan is interrupted when an advanced alien race intercepts his ship and revives him. For then on, the story becomes circular and subtly hints that the random forces we see around us shaping our fates aren't necessarily as random as they may seem...
THE HOUSE OF COMPASSIONATE SHARERS by Michael Bishop
A man suffering what would normally be fatal injuries in a mining explosion on a distant planet is brought back to life with much advanced machinery, metals and material replacing a large part of his physical body...although his brain is still intact he is a cyborg in our common parlance. He also finds himself drawn to machines and averse and repelled by humans and the messiness and smells associated with biology. With his marriage thus threatened, his wife has him sent to a special place (the story's title) where he launches on a difficult pathway of self-discovery...and where his own destiny lies...
Next week I will continue looking at the year 1977 in the world of short science fiction...
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