Driftglass

A collection of ten stories with settings ranging from foreign worlds to a tiny fishing village in Greece. Delany, as always, writes lyrically and with a great graciousness and clarity. If there was a fault it would be that I was inclined to find some of these a little bit slight. For people who keep track of these things, the stories included are:The Star PitDog in a Fisherman's Net (* my favorite!)CoronaAye, And GomorrahDriftglassWe, In Some Strange Power's Employ, Move On A Rigorous LineCage of BrassHigh WeirTime Considered As A Helix of Semi-Precious StonesNight and the Loves of Joe Dicostanzo

I've read this book four or five times over the years, and continue to marvel at Delany's awesome stylistic resources. Several of the stories are very moving, all are interesting, and all are exceptionally well-written. The stories cover the conflict between old and new (in the future), personal loss, the nature of freedom within the limits of the universe, and one odd, self-reflective narrative. Well worth seeking out for beauty in narrating and narrative.