Telzey Amberdon
by James H. Schmitz
 

afterword by Eric Flint
The Federation of the Hub: An Overview, by Guy Gordon

Baen, New York: 2000

Telzey Amberdon is a collection of science fiction by James H. Schmitz, edited by Eric Flint with the assistance of Guy Gordon.

The major portion of this useful (although editorially marred) collection consists of six sequenced stories beginning the Telzey Amberdon series. Please see the individual story reviews, or (even better) my essay Demigoddess of the Mind: James H. Schmitz's heroine Telzey Amberdon.

1. "Novice"
2. "Undercurrents" (editorially slightly abridged)
3. "Poltergeist" (editorially abridged: about 80% of original)
4. "Goblin Night"
5. "Sleep No More"
6. "The Lion Game"
     

There are two additional stories:

• "Blood of Nalakia"  ("The Vampirate")
• "The Star Hyacinths" ("rearranged" by editor)
    

I regret that the Baen collections don't contain accurate texts of these important stories by Schmitz, a most subtle and sophisticated stylist; that will have to await some future definitive edition. If you possess the stories as they appeared in the original magazines or earlier books, read or re-read those by preference. Baen Books provides online or downloadable originals of the five most editorially-altered stories: James H. Schmitz originals at Baen.

  
© 2008 Robert Wilfred Franson