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Detour to Otherness
Henry
Kuttner & C.L. Moore
Introduction by
Robert Silverberg
Afterword by Frederik
Pohl
Cover art by Richard Powers
ISBN
9781893887183
$40.00
588 pages Hardcover
Description
In 1961, Ballantine
Books published Bypass to Otherness, a
paperback collection of some of Henry Kuttner's (and C. L. Moore's)
best short stories. Several selections were drawn from Kuttner's
popular series such as the "Hogbens" (comedic otherworldly hillbillies
living in America), "Gallegher Galloway" (scientist who invents
technical marvels only when
intoxicated), and the "Baldies"
stories eventually
collected in Mutant.
Bypass was projected as the
first of three "Otherness"
collections of Kuttner's short
fiction. Return
to Otherness
followed in 1962 with 8 more stories. And then . . . nothing. The
third "Otherness" collection never appeared. Now, almost fifty
years
later, Haffner Press announces DETOUR TO OTHERNESS: a massive hardcover
assembling the contents of both Bypass to Otherness and Return
to Otherness,
and adding 8 additional stories selected for their scarcity, quality,
and sheer entertainment value. Grand Masters Robert Silverberg and
Frederik Pohl provide introductory and afterword materials to the book,
and the whole affair is decorated with an unpublished painting by
Richard Powers.
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Table of Contents
Introduction
by Robert Silverberg
Bypass to Otherness
Cold War
Call Him Demon
The Dark Angel
The Piper's
Son
Absalom
The Little Things
Nothing but
Gingerbread Left
Housing Problem
Return to Otherness
See You Later
This Is the House
The Proud Robot
Gallegher Plus
The Ego Machine
Android
The Sky Is Falling
Juke-Box
Detour to Otherness
Open Secret
All Is Illusion
Rite of Passage
Baby Face
Happy Ending
The Children's
Hour
Dream's End
Near Miss
Afterword by Frederik
Pohl
Reviews
"Hallelujah!
I’ve been looking forward to Detour since
I first saw the dust jacket at Steve Haffner’s table at the Windy City
Pulp & Paper show in April. It collects twenty-four stories of
science fantasy and terror by the legendary husband and wife
team, with
a new intro by Robert Silverberg and an afterword by Frederik Pohl.
DETOUR TO
OTHERNESS shows the usual care and craftsmanship of all of
Haffner’s titles. The core of the book is the 1961 Bypass to Otherness, the
famous paperback collection of many of Kuttner
and Moore’s finest
stories, drawing from Kuttner’s popular “Gallegher Galloway”
series,
featuring a quirky scientist who invents technical marvels only while
drunk, his comedic “Hogbens” stories of otherworldly
hillbillies, and
the “Baldy” tales about mutant telepaths. It was followed by Return to Otherness in
1962, containing eight more stories. Both paperbacks are valuable
collector’s items today. DETOUR
TO OTHERNESS assembles both Bypass to Otherness
and Return to
Otherness, plus eight additional stories “selected
for their scarcity, quality, and sheer entertainment value.”
Kuttner’s “Gallegher Galloway” stories were collected by Paizo in Robots Have no Tails
(reviewed for us by James Enge), and Paul Di Filippo recently
reviewed Moore’s seminal collection Judgment Night
for us . . . But both books are dwarfed by this thick new volume.
If you’re a fan
of science fantasy, you’ll want to add this to your collection.
It’s available . . . for just $40 for an archival-quality hardcover
packed with 568 pages of classic fiction."
—John O'Neill, www.blackgate.com
"1961,
I bought Ballantine Books Bypass to Otherness, a
paperback collection of some of Henry Kuttner’s and C. L. Moore’s best
short stories. I loved it! Some of my favorite stories were selections
from Kuttner’s popular series such as the “Hogbens,” funny otherworldly
hillbillies living in America, “Gallegher Galloway,” the scientist who
invents incredible machines only when intoxicated (whose adventures
have been collected in Robots Have No Tails), and the
“Baldies” stories eventually collected in another Ballantine Book: Mutant.
Bypass to Otherness was projected as
the first of three “Otherness” collections of Kuttner’s
short fiction. Ballantine published Return to Otherness in
1962. Another great collection! The third “Otherness”
collection never appeared. Now, 50 years later, Haffner Press has
published DETOUR TO OTHERNESS: a grand collection that
includes both Bypass to Otherness and Return to
Otherness,
with eight additional stories. Robert Silverberg provides an
informative Introduction and Frederik Pohl writes a nostalgic
Afterword. If the cover looks unfamiliar, it’s because this is a
formerly unpublished painting by Richard Powers that matches the
striking Powers covers on Bypass to Otherness and Return
to Otherness. It’s great that Haffner Press has brought these
wonderful forgotten stories out in such an attractive package. All in
all, DETOUR TO OTHERNESS is one of the best books published
in 2010. . . . You will love this grand volume . . . It’s everything a
small press book should be."
—George Kelley
"As
regular readers of this blog know, one of my favorite writers is the
late Henry Kuttner. And of course you can't mention Henry without
mentioning his wife and writing partner (Catherine) C.L. Moore. Good as
they were individually they were great as a team. In his fine
introduction to this volume Robert Silverberg relates a story that
shows just how indivisible they were. For lovers of science fiction,
fantasy and the type of story only the Kuttners wrote, this is one of
the most important books of the year, a large, beautifully made book
that celebrates the writers who had such direct influence on the
careers of writers such as Ray Bradbury and Richard Matheson, to name
just a few. As usual congratulations to publisher Stephen Haffner for
producing a masterful book."
—Ed Gorman, author of Stranglehold
and Different
Kinds of Dead
Excerpts
TBA
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