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Title: Universe 1
Series: Universe Anthology #1
Author: Terry Carr (ed)
Rating: 2 of 5 Stars
Genre: SF
Pages: 213
Words: 63K
Man, I had forgotten what utter balderdash was written by hippy wannabe’s in the 70’s for SF. Bunch of prententious wanktards thinking sex and psychology are enough to sell a story without having to actually write a good story. There’s a reason most of the authors in this collection are completely forgotten today and probably made zero impact back in their own time. What a bunch of losers. People like them are what gave SF a bad name.
And yet.
There are at least 14 volumes in this series. I’ve got some random ones and despite my trashing above, I’m going to give the editor, Terry Carr, one more chance. But after this book, each one has to impress me or I’m dnf’ing the series and consigning Mr Carr to the dust bins of forgotten history, where he already appears to be though if I’m being honest.
★★☆☆☆
Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road 
I never forget a dustbin.
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And you are the exception that proves the rule 🙂
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Haha I think I like your 1 star reviews best 😁. Nice cover though.
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The sale sticker really puts it over the top.
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Makes you think you’re getting a bargain! But there’s a reason books go on sale and Booky has provided it!
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You know what is scary Fraggle? There are people who like stuff like this. I know of one guy who I used to follow who eats these kinds of stories up like they are icecream. You give him a story from the 70’s or earlier dealing with sex and pain and misery and he’s as happy as a pig in sty. I realize tastes differ, but still….
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Yuck, with you there Booky, I’m far too refined for all that malarkey. 😁
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Yeah, finding quality pictures for the covers is a real crap shoot sometimes. I usually try to get the biggest cover I can for my calibre library and apparently, this is the one google found 🙂
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I like the idea of a collection of short stories and that cover is definitely eye catching, but yeah, just utter rubbish for content.
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Is it two seahorses mating?
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It looks that way from the little picture. I zoomed in on the big picture in my calibre library and they are two elasticy looking aliens joined at the waist fighting each other.
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Only Conway’s name is unknown to me, so I know most of the names. I’ve only read the Silverberg story one.
My only exposure to Bryant’s fiction didn’t impress me, but he was my favorite reviewer at Locus when I used to subscribe to it. I particularly liked his observation that the most interesting part of many horror novels is what comes after the story ends — how is all this going to be explained to the authorities.
I think I read, long ago, one installment in this series and didn’t like it.
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Poop. That last sentence of yours does not inspire me (not that I was waiting for you TO inspire me, but you know what I mean).
Well, I guess I’ll be taking this one volume at a time until I hit another 2star, then I’ll call it quits.
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I don’t know whether it was this author, but I have certainly read some stinkers that combine pretentious nonsense about physics with badly written sex scenes. When I was younger, I didn’t know what was good or even what I liked, so I read a lot more widely.
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Knowledge is definitely a two edged sword, isn’t it?
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Do you continue to pray on picking up a solid scifi anthology like that 1st volume you once rated 5 stars or find that anthologies offer you the chance to rest in between novels?
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I do hope to come across another anthology like that but I don’t expect it.
I can’t say I really notice a difference between anthologies n novels, except for the Nero Wolfe mysteries. Then the novels win hands down.
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