The Collected Stories of Robert Silverberg, Volume One: To Be Continued by Robert Silverberg
reviewed by Paul Kincaid
There are several volumes already extant that purport to be part of the Collected Stories of Robert
Silverberg. There were problems with those earlier efforts, such as the fact that they tended to start in mid-career
and ignored such pedantic issues as chronology. But their biggest problem was that none of them ever came close to
completion, so Silverberg is starting again at the beginning. This, we are led to believe, is the definitive "Collected Stories."
Except, of course, it isn't.
Phases of the Moon by Robert Silverberg
reviewed by Jayme Lynn Blaschke
It reads not so much like a single author collection, but rather an anthology giving a historical overview of the
evolution of the genre spanning six decades. Every story here could have a different author's
name on it. The ease at which he shifts perspective and approach, changes the very rhythm of his sentences, the selection of words is nothing short of
amazing. Each story reads as if it sprang from a different mind, flowed from unrelated fingers
onto pages separated by not only miles, but lifetimes.
Roma Eterna by Robert Silverberg
reviewed by Alma A. Hromic
The Roman Empire never fell.
That's the premise that binds together this collection of stories about a never-ending Roman Empire
spanning not just centuries but pretty much millennia.
Ancient Rome and its doings has always been a fertile field for fiction writers to harvest, given the abundant historical reference
material and all the fun you can have figuring out how many names ending in "ius" you can put in without confusing your reader into
Byzantium.
The Longest Way Home by Robert Silverberg
reviewed by Cindy Lynn Speer
Joseph has spent all his life training to be a Master, learning his responsibilities and preparing for the day when
he will take his father's place as a leader. When he flew in to visit some kin, little did he realize the true
journey he would soon face. During an uprising, only the kindly actions of one of the elderly
Folk help him stay alive. Having escaped the slaughter, it is now up to him to travel back the 10,000
miles to his home, where he is uncertain of what waits.
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The Book Of Skulls by Robert Silverberg
reviewed by Chris Donner
What happens when the promise of immortality lies directly and clearly ahead, a path to be
followed absolutely or ignored forever? How would we respond if we knew we could live
forever, but that it would require absolute dedication, unfailing pursuit, regardless of the personal
costs? This question is addressed by the author in this masterful novel.
Lord Prestimion by Robert Silverberg
reviewed by Victoria Strauss
This is the 2nd part of a complex epic, with a large cast of characters, a strong central
storyline, and a multitude of subplots. The beginning is fascinating, as is the exploration of
the ambiguous aftermath of Prestimion's decision to tamper with the
world's memory (too often, fantasy books fail to address the human
consequences of the great magics they describe).
Sorcerers of Majipoor by Robert Silverberg
reviewed by Victoria Strauss
A prequel to the Valentine novels, set a thousand years before
the events of Lord Valentine's Castle, this book also stands
somewhere between science fiction and fantasy. Silverberg has an
unparalleled ability to create vivid images. He brings the great planet of
Majipoor to vibrant and convincing life, as much a character in this drama
as any of the human ones.
The Alien Years by Robert Silverberg
reviewed by Greg L. Johnson
What do you do against an utterly unbeatable enemy? Silverberg
poses this question in his latest novel, in which the Entities arrive on
Earth -- aliens who refuse all attempts to communicate. They simply take
over, and humans are quickly relegated to the status of a second rate
species on our own planet. As much a multi-generation family epic as a
novel of alien invasion, Greg finds The Alien Years is very much
the work of an old master re-examining one of SF's classic themes.
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