The Pure Product

This volume was originally intended to be a reprint of Kessel's Arkham House collection "Meeting in Infinity". In its final form, however, it includes only nine stories from that earlier volume. Instead, The Pure Product, in Kessel's words, "is a collection of stories that do not exist as portions of either Freedom Beach or Good News from Outer Space." Thus we are presented with seven previously uncollected tales, one dramatic adaptation, one new story, and two poems. The most intriguing stories in The Pure Product here are those which deal with alternate realities. Readers are first treated to a short biography of 1930s science fiction writer Herman Melville ("Herman Melville: Space Opera Virtuoso"). In "The Franchise", Fidel Castro and George Bush play baseball, not politics, but nevertheless find themselves engaged in battle. Finally, Kessel presents a bittersweet meeting between his own father and H. G. Wells in "Buffalo". Of course, The Pure Product contains examples of Kessel's trademark humor and wit. Entries such as "The Einstein Express" (wherein the protagonist learns about relativity firsthand), and "Man" (a story about a homeowner with a unique "pest" in his basement) will raise smiles. Also included is the hilarious "Faustfeathers", a play in two acts which can be described, as the title suggests, as Dr. Faustus meets the Marx Brothers. These lighthearted pieces are balanced by some with darker premises. Thus, we have the philosophical "Buddha Nostril Bird" and "Animals", as well as the Bradbury-like "The Lecturer". "Not responsible! Park it and Lock it!" posits a bleak future where the American love affair with the automobile has been taken to a ridiculous extreme. "A Clean Escape" reflects on responsibility and culpability. "Invaders", contrasts Pizarro's conquest of the Incas with a bona fide alien invasion. Finally, "Hearts Do Not in Eyes Shine", a poignant tale of memory, trust, and betrayal, and "Gulliver at Home", which tells what the neighbors REALLY thought about the tales Lemuel Gulliver brought home, are revealing tales of married love. The collection also features three of Kessel's unique brand of time travel stories. "The Pure Product" feels like a science fiction version of Natural Born Killers (published in 1986, it actually preceded that movie). The other two appear to be companion pieces to his recent novel Corrupting Dr. Nice. "Some Like it Cold" features a disconsolate Marilyn Monroe, saved from suicide and brought to the future, only to be returned to the lifestyle that destroyed her. "The Miracle of Ivar Avenue" tells a tale of murder and deceit featuring Preston Sturges, the film director who influenced much of Kessel's work. If The Pure Product demonstrates anything, it is that Kessel is unclassifiable. There's a little bit of everything here, from time travel to alternate realities, comedy to tragedy. Kessel has said that, as a boy, he read science fiction both for escape and for its