Storeys from the Old Hotel
Warning in his introduction that this anthology contains "some of my most obscure work," Wolfe ( Castleview ) goes on to briefly describe the background of the 34 "storeys," which include some intriguing ideas. Unfortunately, the ideas are generally more provocative and interesting than the stories themselves. In "Straw," for example, Wolfe postulates the invention of the hot-air balloon in 500 A.D.; the story, however, about five balloon soldiers carrying pincer maces and searching for food and straw, goes nowhere. Not entirely disappointing, the collection includes such highlights as "In Looking-Glass Castle," "The Recording" and "The Marvelous Brass Chessplaying Automation." Best is "From the Desk of Gilmer C. Merton," a hilarious series of letters between an up-and-coming SF/horror writer and his agent. The bulk of the works remain either frustratingly short ("To the Dark Tower Came," "Continuing Westward"), far too long ("Trip, Trap," "The Rubber Bend") or simply pointless ("The Flag," "Redbeard").Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.