Hot Times in Magma City (Collected Stories of Robert Silverberg)
Silverberg has an inimitable voice, informed by mythology, history, and science. He puts together entertaining yarns about all kinds of worlds, from recognizable variations on our own to much stranger places. “Hot Times in Magma City” is a short piece about the harsh work of fighting volcanoes in Los Angeles. “Thebes of the Hundred Gates” is a time-travel story in a classic vein, with just the right level of shock at seeing history come to life. “Crossing into the Empire” isn’t quite a time-travel story, but it’s got that same historical bent. “The Martian Invasion Diaries of Henry James” is something only Silverberg would think of—and yet this particular revision of the classic Wells tale is thoroughly entertaining. As is often the case with collections like this, it’s the author’s notes before each story that stand out—additional context adds to the experience of reading, and there are some interesting tidbits about process. This volume has a couple of good introductory pieces for readers new to Silverberg’s work, and, of course, is a pleasing tome for completists. --Regina Schroeder