Reviews for Half a Life, and Other Stories

The average rating for Half a Life, and Other Stories based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2018-01-04 00:00:00 Jose Maria Mitjavila Buendia This book is one of the McMillan *Best of Soviet Sci-Fi* series and features seven short stories selected by Theodore Sturgeon to showcase the author. These stories really range in style, and I found them reminding me of a variety of authors from Clark to Lem and even to Vance, though these stories never reach the levels of absurdity that the latter two can reach. Some of the stories were quite moving, others more comedic. The theme seems to be one of crossing. In one story an olympic official must cross the galaxy to investigate an incident and experiences cultural disorientation. In another a scientist must help rescue a group of people trapped in a cave-in by melding minds with a survivor. In a third, telephone lines get crossed, both in distance and in time. And a 100 year space exploration mission gets crossed by a newer and faster mission that was launched later. Read more about them here: and more about the author here: The stories themselves are not groundbreaking, but it's nice to read a different voice for a change, and to read of life in the Soviet Union that isn't melancholy or oppressive. This feels more like a true slice of life. I found the writing in the title story to be particularly nice, enjoyed how, in the opening scene, he can start describing a scene from a distance and zoom in slowly to detail. I would recommend this book if you happen to see it somewhere and want to read something a bit different. I wouldn't suggest going out of your way for it, though. I'm glad I read it, and I love the cover image - looks nice on my shelf.

Review # 2 was written on 2021-05-23 00:00:00 LJ Henry N�o sou f� de pequenas hist�rias pois acabam por me parecer sempre incompletas, mas �Por favor, a Nina est�?� e �Donzela de Neve� captaram eficazmente o meu interesse. A �nica hist�ria que gostaria que tivesse sido desenvolvida foi a primeira, �Meia-vida�, pelo potencial que apresentava. O estilo de escrita � bastante �seco� e os di�logos pareciam por vezes bastante rob�ticos quase, tornando bastante dif�cil compreender as motiva��es das personagens.