Reviews for BLEND

The average rating for BLEND based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2010-02-27 00:00:00 Ellen Lorence This is another collection from Wilhelm of short stories, these from the late 50s and early 60s. It's a strange thing reading stories from that time, because in many ways, they really are ahead of their time. But in other ways, they haven't aged well at all. A lot of internal misogyny sneaks in (women still don't have their own access to their husband's bank accounts, it's okay to slap a woman who's being troublesome) and to that end, these are really dated stories. But some of them were really quite interesting, and would benefit from a modern setting (in particular, the final story of the collection). I've read other fiction from the same time frame, and in particular Ray Bradbury, and even though those are in some ways also dated, they don't have quite that same feeling as some of these, Bradbury's feel more timeless. Of course, who knows what our short fiction today will feel like to readers in 50 or 60 years?

Review # 2 was written on 2019-12-03 00:00:00 Michael Vaughn I didn't review all of the stories, but here are a few: The mile-long spaceship 2 stars Overlords aliens looking for a new planet to occupy and enslave try to find Earth's location by telepathy with one of its occupants. But the guy is too ignorant of astronomy to be able to help them out. But wait! He's enrolling in night school! Fear is a cold black 2 stars A luxury spaceliner that had an unscheduled stop at a planet when it received its SOS, has picked up a virus that is picking off the crew and its passengers one by one. First, it lowers their body temperature until they freeze to death. The captain despairs and believes he'll have to self-destruct to prevent the virus from reaching humanity, until he gets an idea... Jenny with wings 1 star This one was just dumb. I suppose it served something if it's a warning not to confuse lust with love. A is for automation 2 stars A manufacturing factory is totally automated with a machine for the brain running it. The defense department has a contract with the owner. Why? If it's putting out toys? The brain is developing AI, but nobody believes the old watchman grandfathered into the sole surviving human working in the place. Gift from the stars 3 stars A New York City tycoon is determined to get to the owner of the one store in the street standing in the way of him leveling the block and building his tower. He personally investigates why none of his operatives have been able to get him to sell out. The little old man who runs the repair shop graciously gives him a tour of his shop, then his basement, then his sub-basement. Here's a hint: Talbot the tycoon is a Napoleon wannabe. No light in the window 2 stars Sort of perplexing, but I like the moral of the story: People who don't conform are the leaders. Also: leave your husband behind.