The Unicorn Trade
Dec 2014 · Open Road Media
Ebook
279
Pages
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About this ebook
A potpourri of poetry and amazing tales that cross genre borders, between fantasy, horror, noir, science fiction, and more, from the legendary Poul Anderson and his wife, Karen Anderson
Lyrical and beautiful, enchanting and strange, exhilarating and horrific, this extraordinary collaboration between science fiction–fantasy luminary Poul Anderson and his equally creative wife, Karen, almost defies description. Combining their extraordinary talents, the Andersons have produced a sumptuous feast of the written word—stories that delight, move, and disturb, mixed with rich, sumptuous poetry that soars.
A truly stunning collection, The Unicorn Trade transports readers to places at once uniquely strange and strangely familiar—magical fairy realms, the far reaches of outer space, and the twisted minds of madmen. Stories of love, loss, and self-discovery are met with soaring verse that celebrates the human spirit and the wonders of the universe. Here are unforgettable bounding leaps of the imagination, where detective noir is ingeniously reimagined, and tales of Edgar Allan Poe–like suspense stand side by side with poignant tributes to the men who led us to the stars. Real treasures are to be found here—a hungry Olympian god’s interactions with a divine computer, a murdered man’s shrewd revenge, an Earthling’s con game on an unsuspecting Martian visitor, and other such flights of inventive fancy—in a sterling compendium of stories, poems, and science fiction haikus (scifaiku) as bright as starshine and more magical and enduring than fairy gold.
Lyrical and beautiful, enchanting and strange, exhilarating and horrific, this extraordinary collaboration between science fiction–fantasy luminary Poul Anderson and his equally creative wife, Karen, almost defies description. Combining their extraordinary talents, the Andersons have produced a sumptuous feast of the written word—stories that delight, move, and disturb, mixed with rich, sumptuous poetry that soars.
A truly stunning collection, The Unicorn Trade transports readers to places at once uniquely strange and strangely familiar—magical fairy realms, the far reaches of outer space, and the twisted minds of madmen. Stories of love, loss, and self-discovery are met with soaring verse that celebrates the human spirit and the wonders of the universe. Here are unforgettable bounding leaps of the imagination, where detective noir is ingeniously reimagined, and tales of Edgar Allan Poe–like suspense stand side by side with poignant tributes to the men who led us to the stars. Real treasures are to be found here—a hungry Olympian god’s interactions with a divine computer, a murdered man’s shrewd revenge, an Earthling’s con game on an unsuspecting Martian visitor, and other such flights of inventive fancy—in a sterling compendium of stories, poems, and science fiction haikus (scifaiku) as bright as starshine and more magical and enduring than fairy gold.
About the author
Poul Anderson (1926–2001) grew up bilingual in a Danish American family. After discovering science fiction fandom and earning a physics degree at the University of Minnesota, he found writing science fiction more satisfactory. Admired for his “hard” science fiction, mysteries, historical novels, and “fantasy with rivets,” he also excelled in humor. He was the guest of honor at the 1959 World Science Fiction Convention and at many similar events, including the 1998 Contact Japan 3 and the 1999 Strannik Conference in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Besides winning the Hugo and Nebula Awards, he has received the Gandalf, Seiun, and Strannik, or “Wanderer,” Awards. A founder of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, he became a Grand Master, and was inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame.
In 1952 he met Karen Kruse; they married in Berkeley, California, where their daughter, Astrid, was born, and they later lived in Orinda, California. Astrid and her husband, science fiction author Greg Bear, now live with their family outside Seattle.
Karen Anderson (1932–2018) is both a science fiction fan and a founder of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America. She graduated from high school in Maryland and worked as a military cartographer to pay for both her attendance at the 1952 World Science Fiction Convention and the academic year 1952–53, which she spent as a drama major. Correspondence with Poul Anderson convinced her that the life she wanted was in science fiction, not on the stage, and she and Anderson later married.
Karen Anderson’s solo work comprises verse and short fiction. She brought many skills to assist Poul Anderson in writing his novels: proofreading, research, languages, mapping, story planning, and collecting material for future works. Discussions led to early shared bylines; after visiting Hadrian’s Wall, Karen put a year’s research and plotting—plus verses of her own—into his hands for The King of Ys.
In 1952 he met Karen Kruse; they married in Berkeley, California, where their daughter, Astrid, was born, and they later lived in Orinda, California. Astrid and her husband, science fiction author Greg Bear, now live with their family outside Seattle.
Karen Anderson (1932–2018) is both a science fiction fan and a founder of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America. She graduated from high school in Maryland and worked as a military cartographer to pay for both her attendance at the 1952 World Science Fiction Convention and the academic year 1952–53, which she spent as a drama major. Correspondence with Poul Anderson convinced her that the life she wanted was in science fiction, not on the stage, and she and Anderson later married.
Karen Anderson’s solo work comprises verse and short fiction. She brought many skills to assist Poul Anderson in writing his novels: proofreading, research, languages, mapping, story planning, and collecting material for future works. Discussions led to early shared bylines; after visiting Hadrian’s Wall, Karen put a year’s research and plotting—plus verses of her own—into his hands for The King of Ys.
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