Damn you, Joe! *fist waiving*

How many so-called "Best of" albums contain, at best (pun intended), maaaybe two or three great songs? Or worse... capping a "Best of" with a supposed new song (yeah, I'm lookin at you Van Halen).

Enter Joe Haldeman's "A SEPARATE WAR & OTHER STORIES. Most of the "Other" short stories found here are mediocre (2-3 stars) with the one exception being FOR WHITE HILL, a sexy tale with a Robert Silverberg feel. The gem in the rough is the title novella A SEPARATE WAR, an intriguing add-on to the author's smash hit novel (see what I did there?) THE FOREVER WAR, wherein we experience the ending chapter through the eyes of Marygay, William Mandella's life mate. Her epic struggle to fight the cruel effects of time dilation in order to reunite with William is worthy of a sappy 80s hair-band love ballad *Bic lighter aflame*11 s le-trombone78

Contents:

"A Separate War" (1998) The story of Marygay, William's fellow draftee and lover in The Forever War. Covers an aspect skipped in The Forever War, just how do you get far off and out-of-contact troops to know that the war is over? It's good, but it does require reading the novel first.

"Diminished Chord" (2004) a mood piece fantasy of a musician, his student, and the lute she gives him.

"Giza" (2001) Haldeman's 9/11 story and better than that implies.

"Foreclosure" (2004) a real estate agent gets told by the one who designed Earth that it's time to vacate. This has a William Tenn feel to it.

"Four Short Novels" (1998) each "short novel" begins with the line "Eventually it came to pass that no one ever had to die, ..." Each of them are clever and I d them.

"For White Hill" (1995) Earth was one of the losers in a massive attack against human-occupied worlds. Visiting artists are studying it for a commemoration when a subtler attack is revealed that may kill everyone.

"Finding My Shadow" (2003) A soldier patrolling Boston for rebellious survivors of a plague finds her former lover among them.

"Civil Disobedience" (2005) A scuba instructor comes under the attention of a future Homeland Security.

"Memento Mori" (2004) A simple medical procedure involving the rebooting of an immortality treatment. The similarity to an old-fashioned exorcism really is just a coincidence, but the metaphor is pretty strong.

"Faces" (2004) A mysterious force may be overcome only by ...

"Heartwired" (2005) A pretty good joke written as a short story. Unfortunately I was already familiar with the joke.

"Brochure" (2000) A small list of the catastrophe tours as described in a brochure. Amusingly cynical.

"Out of Phase" (1969) An alien is sent to observe our species. Unfortunately, it is from a species where the young routinely kill and eat each other. It is approaching what might be called its adolescence, but will it outgrow its youthful enthusiasm before "playing" with us?

"Power Complex" (1970) The story that follows "Out of Phase". Our alien is in its second stage of its life, and is in a very powerful position. It has to deal with equally powerful humans, on their terms.

"Fantasy for Six Electrodes and One Adrenaline Drip" - Haldeman's entry for The Last Dangerous Visions, a now infamous anthology that was never published. This is a script from the future, with "stage directions" that include adrenaline levels and somatic stimuli. Unfortunately, the story within the script is fairly ordinary.

Haldeman follows with Notes on the Stories, which gives the background and thoughts behind the stories.

Overall, I d this, but for the casual reader too much depends on having read Haldeman's other work. "A Separate War" is the obvious example, but the paired stories "Out of Phase" and "Power Complex" clearly need a third story to end the sequence, and it isn't there (but since these two stories are obviously precursors to the Tiptree Award-winning Camouflage, maybe a third story is redundant). If you're not the sort of person who s to read everything by an author to see how he or she develops (I am), then I recommend picking the book up in the library and reading "Giza", "Four Short Novels", "For White Hill", "Finding My Shadow", and "Memento Mori". The rest you can pick and choose.
fiction-sf short-stories2 s Josh35

Some of the stories are hit or miss. Maybe three of them I would wish to be fleshed out some more they would be great novels. I especially at the end where the ideas for this stories came from. One was at the beach another riding the bike. Gets you inside the head of the writer for his process.1 James290 2

Started this in tandem with Forever Free. Got so irritated by Forever Free that I decided to be Forever Free of Haldeman. Never again.bad bad-did-not-finish1 RazielAuthor 1 book1 follower

“The most expensive and hard-to-replace component of a fighting suit is the soldier inside of it,”

“We all got different ways with reality.” Jeremiah Phipps, science-fiction writer.

“It’s rush hour... Horns honking, as if that ever did any good.”

“[The] ultimate ad campaign achieved the ultimate victory: a world that consumed itself.”

“Big money seeks out the company of its own, for purposes of reproduction.”

“England’s versatile language, mine and hers, is strangely hobbled by having the one word, love, stand for such a multiplicity of feelings. Perhaps that lack reveals a truth, that no one love is any other.”

“Everything is important. Nothing matters. Change the world but stay relaxed.”

“Inspiration is where you find it.”

“Maybe this nightmare was the real America, stripped of cosmetic civilization. What my mother had called the Reaganbush jungle, the moneyed few in control, protecting their fortunes at any social cost.”

“I hadn’t really done anything, but since when did that matter.”

“In our culture, love between a man and a woman normally goes through three stages: sexual attraction, romantic fascination, and then long-term bonding. Each of them is mediated by a distinct condition of brain chemistry. “A person may have all three at once, with only one being dominant at any given time.”

“And there is no Formula Three?” [Mrs. Stevenson.] — “No. That takes time, and understanding, and a measure of luck.” [Seller]

“The shoe on the other foot, she found, made things different, but not necessarily better.”

“Born into big money, married bigger.”

“I’m a fairly serious bicyclist, and one chore bicyclists do is ‘interval training,’ which is a fancy way of saying ‘go up hills.’” George Kasnic499 1 follower

An excellent anthology by one of the masters of sci-fi. This genre-spanning effort ranges from hard science to fantasy crossover. Containing old nuggets and new creations we see the breadth and depth of Haldeman’s career. The end notes are wonderful, feeling you are quaffing a beer by the fire in a mountain retreat with an old friend plying you with their approach to writing, somehow feeling a peer and equal. I originally sought this collection for the short story related to the sublime classic “Forever War,” then having finished that story I could not stop reading everything else until done.

Get the book, s find a cozy place, brew a warm beverage, sit down and visit the galaxy. See you on the other side. Michael198 1 follower

Bought this exclusively to read the novella A Separate War, but ended up enjoying most of the short stories also found in this collection. Haldeman's spare and economical style, remniscent of Hemingway, translates well to the short form - and it's a form he clearly enjoys. The appendix notes to the stories was a nice surprise, giving insight into the writing process and the author's view of each story including, variously, its conception, commission, and context. While I'm not necessarily a fan of the short story, I do enjoy them when they are well crafted, and they provide a window into the author's mind - as themes often repeat themselves, a testing ground for his longer works.pleasure Peter Browne31

A good solid read by a great writer. Reading Joe's notes, it's clear short stories are not his priority. He only does them between novels and other projects.

My favourite is the title story which is a coda to The Forever War. It is similar in style and focus.

The very short stories Heartwired and Foreclosure have zip and are fun. All the stories are well written and have depth of science.

The notes are very interesting - maybe more so than the stories - and show the writing and in particular the idea process. Frank HoferAuthor 3 books5

Mixed Bag

The collection started off with such promise - a story from The Forever War universe. It was a reminder how good, if now very dated that novel was. That story was followed by several stories that were again dated but entertaining. At this point I would have given the book a solid 4 stars.

Then I read the last two stories in the book. Or tried to. CouldnÂ’t finish either one of them, they were so badly written to the point of incoherence. Really a disappointing end to what up to then had been a decent story collection. Stephen344 6

Haldeman's collection spanning from the beginning of his long career through 2005 includes a few of knockouts, A Separate War chief among them if only for the pleasure of returning to the world of his masterpiece The Forever War though these are matched by Diminished Chord and Out of Phase. Most of the other stories are good to very good but the short shorts and a few others don't leave much of an impression. Still a book worthy of its price of admission and worth the read. Kay1,672 17

I am a fan of Joe Haldeman but feel he is better at full length novels or novellas. Loved the first story, A Separate War, where we find out what happened to Marygay from the timeless The Forever War. The rest were a bit hit or miss, the final story just not doing it for me but the publication of his first two ever published stories, along with the first story in this collection, make it a worthwhile read.

Ray Smillie David Sheridan48 1 follower

Can't say why but Joe Haldeman's works--those I've read--just don't seem to hit me in a way that lights my fire. I know he gets a lot of adulation out there but when I read him, it's I'm reading something written by someone who heard about the story and decided to write it down. I can't say for sure what's missing (and, again, this may--probably is--just a mismatch between me and JH's work) but it's something immediacy, or tension, or ... something. Prakash Yadav270 13

'A Separate War' and 'Diminished Chord' were my favourites among all 15 stories here. 'Foreclosure' was particularly humorous and similar in style with 'the restaurant at the end of the universe'. A refreshing breath of hard core 70s-90s Sci-Fi in a stagnate 21st century science genre.
The last two "out of phase" and "power complex" are a tough read, maybe incohorrent. But super original. Rachel1,603 29

Excellent writing, as expected. I'm not sure why, but the manner in which sex in included in almost every story gacked me out a little. I am no prude (dirty books are great!), and the writing is not misogynist, so I'm not sure why. If Connie Willis, who wrote the intro, was fine with it, it must be okay. But for me, it took the reading experience down by half a star or so.sf-fantasy Christen699 2

I enjoyed reading these Haldeman short stories. Some are science fiction. Some are post apocalyptic. Some are just stories. There is a lot of diversity. I did really enjoy the story about what happened to Marygay from Forever War. It's probably a 3.5 stars, rounded down. I d and enjoyed reading it. Dray1,674

I actually did not enjoy this collection of shorts nearly as much as I enjoy his novels, not sure why. Some were written some time ago and seem a little dated. Others went to fast to develop any ideas of note. Anyway, i encourage the interested reader to Joe's novels, well worth the read Elenora200 11

Entertaining and well written, though the overall message felt a bit weird and undefined, or at least to me. Patrick Smith150 2

A Separate War was an interesting story taking place at the same time as the Forever War from a different perspective. It was enjoyable, but very short so difficult to give an appropriate rating. Ishmael SoledadAuthor 7 books7

I've read Joe Haldeman's novels but up to now none of his short stories; more's the pity. A good collection with some noticeable stand outs but, un other anthologies, no total failures. Lisa40 1 follower

Unnecessary. Ryan1,189 169

Several great short stories

HaldemanÂ’s Forever War remains one of my favorite novels, and several of the short stories in this collection are nearly as good. Phillip Ramm169 8

I didn't actually read this one, but another short story by Haldeman which I can't find on Goodreads.science-fiction war Orkit37

???????? ?????? A Separate War, ??? ???? ?????? ????? ?????? ?? goodreads. ???????? ??????? ??? ??, ?? ??????????? ? ???????? ????? ?? ??????? ? ???????? Will Fenton201 5

Terrific collection. Really fun, quite a few have a nice, dark turn or twist - nothing macabre, but not all gleeful and puppies either. Excellent stories.borrowed-library-or-friends Lily McClain1 review

Voy n. CC James Mourgos282 21

A Separate War and other stories is an attempt by the old sci-fi writer, Joe Haldeman (The Forever War) to represent stories of his full range as a writer. This is an interesting concept, as he starts his first tale as one of the stories he ever first submitted, to his last one, a funky tale written a movie script!

Listing all the stories and analyzing each would be hard not only on this writer but on the reader as well -- so here are the ones that impacted me, good or ill.

The intro written by one of my favorite writers, Connie Willis, was entertaining enough. Usually I skip these prefaces, but she gushes about the eloquence of Joe and her excitement at meeting him. I can relate, regarding meeting celebrities. Moving on...

The first story, A Separate War, was the best one. It takes up where The Forever War leaves off. It's military science fiction at its best -- an alien/human war where one must compensate for the great distances traveled, the impossibility of relationships, and he writes a gay element into the story to give it some interest and perhaps shock value.

I find this in several stories where his characters have some character flaw, are in the military, are gay to some extent or are impacted by a cold and ruthless social norm.

Finding My Shadow was a sad love story about Boston after its annihilation by a virus bomb. The government has declared the area a disaster area. The protagonist however, who left her lover to the virus, defects and joins the victims, only to find that the disease has long been dissipated. She tries to tell her government that with surprising results.

For White Hill is another 'alien war' story. A team of artists are on the planet Earth, which is uninhabitable except for a few stations where you can get the virus that wiped out all life flushed out of your system (in a gruesomely painful manner). It's really about love, about environmental disasters and about self-sacrifice. It's long, too!

Giza reflects on Man's attempt to bio-engineer himself to be able to mine the asteroids. Except his new creation rebels and the results are not pretty. I was not impressed with the last story, Fantasy for Six Electrodes and One Adrenaline Drip, which was written as a movie script where you could key in emotions and sex stimulation.

Haldeman makes his political views well known with an alien "child", Braxn, who becomes the President of the United States in order to know the feeling of power and his father who tamps down his power to teach him some humility. These are in the related tales Power Complex and Out of Phase.

Overall, an entertaining piece of work. I have yet to read Haldeman's novels but his short stories are hit or miss. I would probably go ahead and read his novels The Accidental Time Machine and The Forever War, but his shorts, well, are not bad at all.
Mike643

As I read this book I will make comments on the various stories:

A Seperate War: This is a companion story to Haldeman's The Forever War. It follows the story of one of characters from The Forever War. Its a nice little story that was worth reading.

Deminised Chord: A story about a musical instrument with strange powers. I quite enjoyed it, for a short story it had a plot that had some nice depth.

Giza: An brief tale about genetically engineered people. Not outstanding, but okay.

Foreclosure: An intersteller real estate tale. A bit bland and rather weak.

Four Short Novels: Really four essays, which all start off with a similar first line and three out of the four end in the same year. Each one seperately and all four together made an enjoyable read.

For White Hill: A love story between two artists on a scrad Earth. I couldn't really get into this story and consequently didn't . Interestingly Haldeman says its his favourite in the colection.

Finding My Shadow: d this one, had some interesting twists in a world, everything may not be at face value. A little gem.

Civil Disobedience: Global warming hits DC and the almighty dollar speaks, but not for all. An interesting vision that I rather
d. Another little gem.

Memento Mori: A short story that I really didn't get, next story please!

Faces: Love conquers all, but not a love story. I d this. Yet another little gem.

Heartwired: A story about adding spice to the relationship. Fun little story.

Brouchure: A chance to travel back to an empty Earth. Nothing outstanding.

Out of Phase and Power Complex: These are two stories which are linked. The second is a sequel to the first. They are two well put together stories which I quite enjoyed.

Fantasy For Six Electrodes and One Adrenaline Drip: Written in the form of a play, it takes some getting used to. I would have d it better if it had been written in a more standard format rather than going for the out of the ordinary, but otherwise it was okay. Bookmarks Magazine2,042 778 Read

A Separate War serves both as an introduction to and partial "best-of" collection of the talented Joe Haldeman, winner of the Hugo and Nebula awards. Thought provoking, entertaining, witty, and subversive, these stories__while outlandish in plot and premise__never fail to focus on humanity's hopes, dreams, and foibles as they play out during wartime. Critics agree that the best stories in the collection include "Out of Phase," "A Separate War," "For White Hill," and "Finding My Shadow," about racism and germ warfare in Boston. A few, including "Diminished Chord" and "Memento Mori," about nanotechnology, felt lightweight in comparison. If by no means complete, Haldeman's latest collection, notes the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, makes "an ample case for his being considered one of science fiction and fantasies' stalwarts for years to come."This is an excerpt from a review published in Bookmarks magazine. Diane Ramirez113 3

A Separate War is a collection of short stories that were altogether thought-provoking, disturbing, and perhaps most importantly, enjoyable reads. Haldeman as a science fiction writer touches on many very human elements in his stories, and his recurring themes of futuristic urban decay and military actions are at the same time relevant (what is in store for us?) and disturbing. In many ways I found this collection to be more enjoyable and accessible than his most famous work, The Forever War. However, after reading this book I am intrigued by Haldeman and feel compelled to re-read Forever War as well as his other writings. Craig5,359 129

Autor del comentario:
=================================