Review: Warm Worlds and Otherwise

James Tiptree, Jr. was the pen name of science fiction writer Alice Sheldon (1915-1987). This collection of short stories and novellas dates back to the late 60's and early '70s and translates fairly well to the '00s.

(Except, perhaps, for that carful of stoned anarchic hippy xenophiles driving around Washington, DC. But I enjoyed that story, too.)

This is not, repeat, is not a book for very young or sensitive readers. My People informs me that she would have been too embarrassed to read many of these tales when they first came out.

Tiptree/Sheldon spins a fast-paced and rollicking good yarn, but expect to be titillated, horrified and challenged.

Challenged, especially. So much so that I feel like I've grown a second head --

(pauses and looks around)

-- Mea culpa. The second head belongs to my brother Walter. (yanks WW&O out from under a quietly snoring silver tabby) Hey! Get your own blog.

Warm Worlds and Otherwise by James Tiptree, Jr. (Alice Sheldon):

• "All the Kinds of Yes"
• "The Milk of Paradise"
• "And I Have Come Upon This Place by Lost Ways"
• "The Last Flight of Dr. Ain"
• "Amberjack"
• "Through a Lass Darkly"
• "The Girl Who Was Plugged In"
  
• "The Night-Blooming Saurian"
• "The Women Men Don't See"
• "Fault"
• "Love is the Plan, The Plan is Death"
  
• "On the Last Afternoon"