GEODESIC DREAMS

A rare collection of anguished, apocalyptic tales from the famous editor (The Visible Man, 1977, etc.) comprising 11 solo stories and three collaborations, two with Jack Dann, one with Jack C. Halderman II. While thematically monotonous—all involve war, disaster, or their aftermaths, and/or violent death—the variations within are often extraordinary: the unforgettable victim of a genetic experiment; a traumatic future war; a long, wrenching yarn in which alien visitors fail to notice the presence of humanity. Elsewhere: a vampire in a Nazi death camp, punishment, Jesus, the Messiah, sacrifice, the end of the world, a succubus, and more. Undeniably same-ish, then, but beautifully wrought and often effective.