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Title: None So Blind
Author: Joe Haldeman
Genre: Speculative fiction short story collection
Thingummies: 5
Synopsis: Mix of science fiction and contemporary-fantasy-verging-on-horror short stories by the author of The Forever War.
Thoughts: This was an unintentional but interesting juxtaposition to follow The Things They Carried. Both authors are Vietnam vets; both are clearly processing their experiences through their writing. But unlike O'Brien's searing nonfiction, Haldeman chooses to mix in some elements of the fantastic. There's some common threads through some of these stories--a couple have similar "there's a monster in the jungle and it's coming to get you" themes that I can see easily arising from long nights of peering into the darkness.
But many of them merely deal with the returned veteran, in which the past is merely a character detail. "The Hemingway Hoax", for example, features a war-wounded protagonist whose injuries do not drive the plot but do offer him insight into Hemingway's own injuries, which become strangely relevant as time- and world-jumping creep into the story.
Others have nothing to do with the war. "Feedback" showcases the intersection between art and passion. "Job Security" is a lovely, brief little gem about the role of the "normal folks" during a galactic catastrophe. The title story is an effervescent introduction to a world of horror.
The collection is rounded out with a handful of excellent poems that are every bit as engaging as the stories.
Author: Joe Haldeman
Genre: Speculative fiction short story collection
Thingummies: 5
Synopsis: Mix of science fiction and contemporary-fantasy-verging-on-horror short stories by the author of The Forever War.
Thoughts: This was an unintentional but interesting juxtaposition to follow The Things They Carried. Both authors are Vietnam vets; both are clearly processing their experiences through their writing. But unlike O'Brien's searing nonfiction, Haldeman chooses to mix in some elements of the fantastic. There's some common threads through some of these stories--a couple have similar "there's a monster in the jungle and it's coming to get you" themes that I can see easily arising from long nights of peering into the darkness.
But many of them merely deal with the returned veteran, in which the past is merely a character detail. "The Hemingway Hoax", for example, features a war-wounded protagonist whose injuries do not drive the plot but do offer him insight into Hemingway's own injuries, which become strangely relevant as time- and world-jumping creep into the story.
Others have nothing to do with the war. "Feedback" showcases the intersection between art and passion. "Job Security" is a lovely, brief little gem about the role of the "normal folks" during a galactic catastrophe. The title story is an effervescent introduction to a world of horror.
The collection is rounded out with a handful of excellent poems that are every bit as engaging as the stories.
