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Title: Beaker's Dozen by Nancy Kress ISBN: 0-312-86843-X Publisher: Tor Books Pub. Date: 01 August, 1999 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.12 (8 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Highly Entertaining, Highly Intelligent Writing
Comment: You don't have to be a science-fiction fan to enjoy the stories of Nancy Kress. In fact, you don't even have to know anything about science-fiction. If you enjoy well written, intelligent writing with remarkably believable characters, Kress is for you.
This collection starts off with a bang. "Beggars in Spain," the Hugo and Nebula winning story deals seriously with genetic engineering and prejudice when a group of "sleepless" children are born. Also outstanding are "Ars Longa" (about what it may have been like to have been Walt Disney's grade-school teacher) and "Flowers of Aulit Prison." All of the stories are very, very good, but these three are my favorites. If you like great characters and great writing, they may be yours also.
Kress has the amazing ability to communicate complex scientific ideas (like genetic engineering, microbiology, and cloning) and make them very understandable. Combine this skill with the ability to create characters that the reader really cares about, and you've got a collection of entertaining and thought-provoking stories.
Rating: 2
Summary: Trite, bleak plots; dull writing
Comment: I loved Nancy Kress's "Beggars" series and was looking forward to reading this short story collection. I was quite disappointed. What attracted me to her novels -- strong ideas, persuasive plot, interesting characters -- are absent in this collection of stories. Even her commentaries add little to understanding her writing process or the stories.
Casting a critical eye on science and its purveyers has its place. Yet I felt Kress offers nothing new in these stories. "Evolution" takes a very serious topic, antibiotic-resistance in bacteria, and turns it into a bland, Shirley Jackson-esque tale of people becoming uncivilized. I kept thinking after the first few pages, "Ok, I get it. Why should I keep reading?"
I really enjoy stories that immerse me in unfamiliar milieus or occupations. However, "Dancing on Air" gives a minimal treatment of the world of professional ballet. One could replace "ballet" with "figure skating" or "piano competition" and it would have made no difference. Again, after the few first pages found myself thinking "Why should I keep reading?"
Only the "Beggars" novella was somewhat interesting from a historical perspective. For "Beggar" fans, nibble the novella but don't eat the whole dozen.
Rating: 4
Summary: Just Finished This Collection
Comment: This collection has been around for awhile, but I just found it. I highly recommend it to all fans of Nancy Kress
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Title: Probability Space (The Probability Trilogy) by Nancy Kress ISBN: 0765345145 Publisher: Tor Science Fiction Pub. Date: 30 December, 2003 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Probability Sun (The Probability Trilogy) by Nancy Kress ISBN: 076534355X Publisher: Tor Science Fiction Pub. Date: 17 February, 2003 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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Title: Beggar's Ride (Beggars Trilogy (Paperback)) by Nancy Kress ISBN: 0812544749 Publisher: Tor Books Pub. Date: 01 December, 1997 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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Title: Beggars & Choosers by Nancy Kress ISBN: 0812550102 Publisher: Tor Books (Mm) Pub. Date: 01 February, 1996 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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Title: Crossfire by Nancy Kress ISBN: 0765343894 Publisher: Tor Science Fiction Pub. Date: 06 April, 2004 List Price(USD): $6.99 |
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