cover image The Millennium Express, 1995–2009: The Collected Short Stories of Robert Silverberg, Vol. 9

The Millennium Express, 1995–2009: The Collected Short Stories of Robert Silverberg, Vol. 9

Robert Silverberg. Subterranean (www.subterraneanpress.com), $35 (488p) ISBN 978-1-59606-668-7

The ninth (and possibly last) book in this career-spanning series delivers 14 passable stories from the award-winning SFWA Grand Master. Silverberg’s somewhat grumpy introduction cites “a certain drying-up of inspiration” and energy in his later years, which may explain why this very typical mix of far-future, fantasy, and alternate history tales is so heavily reliant on classical characters and settings. Deeply textured but uninvolving stories such as “The Church at Monte Saturno” and “Against the Current” have little plot to underpin the fine descriptions. Other stories, including the dryly humorous “Hanosz Prime Goes to Old Earth,” are “extracted” from unsold novels. Homages to Rudyard Kipling (“Smithers and the Ghosts of Thar”), Roger Zelazny (“Call Me Titan”), and Jack Vance (“The True Vintage of Erzuine Thale”) display Silverberg’s talent for pastiche. Fans will be pleased to find all the themes and settings for which Silverberg has become so well known and celebrated. (Sept.)