Store Of The Worlds

Description

Robert Sheckley was an eccentric master of the American short story, and his tales, whether set in dystopic city-scapes, ultramodern advertising agencies, or aboard spaceships lighting out for hostile planets, are among the most startlingly original of the twentieth century. Today, as the new worlds, alternate universes, and synthetic pleasures Sheckley foretold become our reality, his vision begins to look less absurdist and more prophetic. This retrospective selection, chosen by Jonathan Lethem and Alex Abramovich, brings together the best of Sheckley's deadpan farces, proving once again that he belongs beside such mordant critics of contemporary mores as Bruce Jay Friedman, Terry Southern, and Thomas Pynchon.

ROBERT SHECKLEY (1928-2005) was born in New York City and joined the army shortly after high school, serving in Korea from 1946 to 1948. In the 1950s and '60s his stories appeared regularly in science-fiction magazines, especially Galaxy, as well as in Playboy and Esquire. JONATHAN LETHEM is the author of eight novels, including Girl in Landscape and Chronic City, and five collections of stories and essays, including The Ecstasy of Influence (2011). He has previously written the introductions for the NYRB Classics editions of A Meaningful Life by L.J. Davis and On the Yard by Malcolm Braly. He teaches at Pomona College and lives in Los Angeles and Maine. ALEX ABRAMOVICH has been an editor of Feed, Flavorpill, and Very Short List and a writer for The New York Times, The London Review of Books, and other publications. He lives in Oakland, California, and Astoria, Queens.

Oblique and satirical Times Literary Supplement At his best when his sardonic nature intersected with an intriguing sci-fi premise, [Sheckley] paved the way for even more adventurous authors with perfectly crafted short stories like these. The Scotsman I can't believe I've gone this long without reading any Robert Sheckley. Store of the Worlds is a collection of classic sci-fi stories from the '50s and '60s, which melds the wit of Ray Bradbury with the philosophical undertones of Philip K Dick. From a race of aliens who think nothing of murder but regard lying as deeply immoral, to a boy wizard whose only desire is to be an accountant, comic and throught-provoking gems. Bookseller With his inventive characters, boundary-shoving plots and wry humour, [Sheckley] remains one of the true masters of the genre Time Out