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Update: more Leigh Brackett



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"Teleportress of Alpha C"
(also part of "Alpha Centauri or Die!")
© Planet Stories, Win 1954
novel: Ace Double, 1963
--/ cool space sf novella
--/ wonder award

This novella ended up to be part of Brackett's "Alpha Centauri or Die" novel, but it does not measure up with opening story "The Ark of Mars" (see review). The robots, taking over human space flights, are like Jack Williamson's "humanoids", but perhaps more ambiguous here. Plus the girl with ESP powers is trying to find out alien mind capabilities...Overall impression is a bit slack.
review: 07-Jul-06 (read in 2006)

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"The Sword of Rhiannon"
(also as "Sea-Kings of Mars")
© Thrilling Wonder Stories, Jun 1949
novel: Ace Books, 1959
--/ cool space sf novella
--/ wonder award
--/ style award

There is a sense of lost empires and beauty, the sense of bitter-sweet world, much like Bradbury's Mars, but with sword-and-sorcery elements. I enjoyed this colorful concoction, even though I do not remember the details of the plot. Very well crafted tale.
review: 07-Jul-06 (read in 1995)


"Expentante", Painting by Jorge de Oliveira (1949)

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"Terror Out of Space"
© Planet Stories, Sum 1944
--/ fourth place space sf story
--/ adventure award
--/ wonder award
--/ rare find

Vintage and wonderful. Lots of sense-of-wonder, great adventure. Read the title and shudder... taste Brackett's narrative and enjoy the atmosphere of intense and colorful action. It's a pity it hasn't been reprinted in a while. You can find it in the "Hidden Planet" anthology.
review: 07-Jul-06 (read in 2003)

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"SF&F Reading Experience" is part of "Dark Roasted Blend / Thrilling Wonder" family of sites. We try to highlight the most entertaining and rewarding science fiction and fantasy, with emphasis on memorable reader experience, not necessarily general acceptance by the critics. Have fun, and delve into our extensive ratings and reviews!

Most reviews are written by Avi Abrams, unless otherwise noted. Reviews also appear on our unique historical retrospective page Wonder Timeline of Science Fiction. Feel free to submit your own review, if a particular story is not listed here.


All major OFFICIAL AWARDS are highlighted in BLUE
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Also, there are our personal STYLE / GENRE SPECIFIC AWARDS. These reflect the story's content and the lasting impression on the reader:

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