D - Short Works
Silverberg returns to the world first encountered in Son of Man in this short story, in which the sixteenth-century Dutch circumnavigator Oliver van Noort is swept up by the time-flux and encounters Bhengarn the Traveler, who is on his way to the Crystal Pond where he will undergo a transformation. For a more detailed analysis (with spoilers), see here.
Leon Rocklin becomes very depressed after the death of his brother Jeff. After three suicide attempts, his parents buy him a Companion. The Companion is a synthetic human, an android much like those in Tower of Glass. It is quicker, stronger, and smarter than a human, so another attempt to kill himself will be futile. Nonetheless, Rocklin is determined to try. I found this story quite enjoyable, and did not find Silverberg's portrayal of the main character to be shallow or clichéd. It's a human story put into a science-fictional setting and told sensitively (though perhaps wrapped up too quickly).
An exploration of some of the consequences of extreme longevity, where there is a Process which can preserve life, and a kind of youth, practically forever. But it isn't easy to relate to people in their twenties or thirties when you're over 300.
This is a detective story I have not seen listed in any bibliography, one of who knows how many non-SF Silverberg publications from the time.
This story is Chapter 5 of Majipoor Chronicles.
Dekkeret, a young knight-to-be of the Coronal Prestimion's retinue, sails to the arid southern continent of Suvrael on a mission of personal atonement after a hunting accident. He hires a shady character named Barjazid as a guide on an expedition to the interior, a route which has taken many lives and is said to be haunted. As the trip progresses, Dekkeret is plagued by dreams that threaten his very life. When he discovers the source of the "haunting," life on Majipoor will never be the same.
When an alien from Domerang V offhandedly remarks that Earth possesses "second rate technology" a dangerous bet is born. Two Domerangi engineers come to Earth, where they will be given challenges to overcome, and two human engineers will go to Domerang for testing. The winners get the prestige of being proven the best. But is there something more going on?
This fantasy story (one of very few pure fantasies Silverberg has been involved with) concerns a small dragon who falls in love with a human woman. The problem is, the dragon's presence in our world has created a rift between it and the world of dragons, demons, and other nasties. The little dragon holds the ability to seal this rift and save our world, if only he can tear himself away from the object of his affection.
The planet known as New Israel, or Mazel Tov IV, was colonized by two groups of Jews (reformed and Hasidic) fleeing certain destruction on Earth. They coexist with the centaur-like natives peacefully for many years until something unexplainable happens: the spirit of a dead Jew appears in the body of a native, much like the dybbuk of Jewish folklore. The natives are not terribly surprised--this sort of thing happens to them from time to time--but their "exorcism" ceremony doesn't work this time. The Hasidim come to the rescue, however, and the ceremony is so successful that the natives want to convert. One of Silverberg's religious-themed stories, this one quite amusing, though not critical or condescending to any parties concerned. Also note that no effort is made to explain the "possession" scientifically.
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Last updated October 21, 2002
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