The Collected Stories of Vernor Vinge. 2001
THE COLLECTED STORIES OF VERNOR VINGE
RATED 82% POSITIVE. STORY SCORE 3.8 OF 5
17 STORIES : 4 GREAT / 9 GOOD / 2 AVERAGE / 1 POOR / 1 DNF
When I heard that Vernor Vinge had died in March of 2024, I realized that although I’d read some of his major novels (A Fire Upon the Deep & A Deepness in the Sky) I couldn’t recall reading any of his short fiction. I found only about 21 stories in his entry of the Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Most of them are in this collection.
Vinge was a master of science fiction, but I didn’t find The Collected Stories to be masterful. The author’s technological expertise is on display in nearly every story and there are some great ones, but also a few that fell very flat.
Unfortunately the major idea that Vernor Vinge brought to science fiction (and the world) is The Singularity and isn’t really present in this work. The Singularity is the idea that technological advance will create superhuman intelligences that are beyond what we can understand. Vinge believed they were coming soon and would transform all of human life.
But what’s in the book?
There are long discussions in the best of these stories about technological ethics. What are we doing and why might we want to reconsider or slow down? Like many authors of his era, Vernor Vinge seemed to obsess over apocalyptic situations post war and more than a few stories deal with this concept.
Even in my least favorite stories, Vernor Vinge does something only science fiction does well. He starts in the science of his day and intentionally extrapolates to the future. It is rare to see him reaching for sci-fi tropes. He’s always writing science fiction, and when it hits, it hits really well.
Four of these stories join my All-Time Great List:
"Bookworm, Run!" • (1966) • novelette by Vernor Vinge
Norman - a chimpanzee with enhanced intelligence from a brain-to-computer interface escapes from a secret facility in Michigan. 1960s Soviet spies, plane crashes, lots of suspense. An exciting romp of a story coupled with a smart examination of the ethical implication of enhancing intelligence with technology.
Long Shot • (1972) • short story by Vernor Vinge
Ilyse, an advanced AI probe, is sent into deep space to try to find a new home for humanity’s genetic material. Vinge does an amazing job of meticulously detailing the vastness of space and the decisions of deep space travel. Masterful hard sci-fi.
Gemstone • (1983) • novelette by Vernor Vinge
A superb story of non-sentient first contact. A teenage girl goes to spend time with her wealthy widowed grandmother. The house is full of memorabilia and collectibles from a lifetime of exploration and travel. One stone seems to have a power that the others do not.
Fast Times at Fairmont High • (2001) • novella by Vernor Vinge
In the near future of 2004, education has been radically changed by technology. Communication is entirely through a series of nodes that provide communication, overlays, recording, and much more. Juan is an 8th grade student who is has to take two graduation test projects, one “unlimited” using any resource he can find and one “local” which must be done in person with limited technology. The main plot is about the local project, but the richness of the world and great character interactions make this a YA story of the highest quality.
THE COLLECTED STORIES OF VERNOR VINGE
17 STORIES : 4 GREAT / 9 GOOD / 2 AVERAGE / 1 POOR / 1 DNF
"Bookworm, Run!" • (1966) • novelette by Vernor Vinge
Great. Norman - a chimpanzee with enhanced intelligence from a brain-to-computer interface escapes from a secret facility in Michigan. 1960s Soviet spies, plane crashes, lots of suspense. An exciting romp of a story coupled with a smart examination of the ethical implication of enhancing intelligence with technology.
The Accomplice • (1967) • short story by Vernor Vinge
Average. This one hasn’t aged well due to increase in the use of digital technology to create entertainment and there isn’t much here other than the gimmick. In the world of Royce Technology, Inc., a significant embezzlement of computer time worth millions is discovered. Bob Royce and his security officer, Arnold Su, suspect a trusted senior employee, Howard Prentice, of the theft.
The Peddler's Apprentice • (1975) • novelette by Joan D. Vinge and Vernor Vinge
Average. In a post apocalyptic society that has rebuilt itself into a feudal system, a young man from Highland becomes the apprentice of a mysterious peddler.
The Ungoverned • [Realtime] • (1985) • novelette by Vernor Vinge
Good. Rip roaring action war story set in a future where a catastrophic war has reshaped society into a mix of high-tech enclaves and anarchic territories. The story takes place primarily in the ungoverned lands of the Midwest, a region characterized by its lack of formal government and reliance on private protection services. Speaks to anarcho-captialism and how technology can empower individuals against governments.
Long Shot • (1972) • short story by Vernor Vinge
Great. Ilyse, an advanced AI probe, is sent into deep space to try to find a new home for humanity’s genetic material. Vinge does an amazing job of meticulously detailing the vastness of space and the decisions of deep space travel. Masterful hard sci-fi.
Apartness • (1965) • short story by Vernor Vinge
Good. The North World War has left most of the northern hemisphere uninhabitable. On a mission to Anartica, a smart group of surviving human is discovered. A discovery than leads to violence.
Conquest by Default • (1968) • novelette by Vernor Vinge
Good. Earth is being colonized by the technologically superior Mikin who have a deep religious connection to antitrust ideas and even have Umpires to make it fair.
The Whirligig of Time • (1974) • short story by Vernor Vinge
Good. A story in two parts. 1. The last days of a brutal war which culminates in a nuclear attack. 2. A future space cruiser discovers a still-armed ballistic antimissile device, but the leadership of the vessel are oblivious of the danger and what to bring it onboard.
Bomb Scare • (1970) • short story by Vernor Vinge
Good. Brutal rulers, trying to subjugate the Mush-Faces, decide to obliterate their enemy’s home planet. Then they discover an even more powerful race who can destroy entire stars.
The Science Fair • (1971) • short story by Vernor Vinge
Good. The questions of who should own scientific ideas is at the heart of this story about attempted assassinations at the science fair.
Gemstone • (1983) • novelette by Vernor Vinge
Great. A superb story of non-sentient first contact. A teenage girl goes to spend time with her wealthy widowed grandmother. The house is full of memorabilia and collectibles from a lifetime of exploration and travel. One stone seems to have a power that the others do not.
Just Peace • (1971) • novelette by William Rupp and Vernor Vinge
Good. Good old-fashioned adventure story. Vicente "Chente" Quintero is sent to the distant colony of New Canada by duplicative transport to investigate the collapse of the planet's core and reestablish contact with the inhabitants. The colony has fractured into warring states and Chente must navigate political intrigue, technological remnants, romance, and the planet's unstable environment to unify the colony against a looming existential threat.
Original Sin • (1972) • novelette by Vernor Vinge
Good. On Shima, the indigenous race has achieved human-level civilization in a mere two centuries. There are also an extremely violent race as a byproduct of a brutal fight for survival among newborn Shimian, of which very few survive. The story deals with a moral quandary of giving such a brilliant and violent race the ability to survive longer and dominate everything. Action packed. Almost Hollywood action-horror vibes.
The Blabber • [Zones of Thought] • (1988) • novella by Vernor Vinge
Good. On the planet Middle America, a young man finds himself in peril when aliens want to take from him his pet Blabber, a semi-sentient alien from deep space.
Win a Nobel Prize! • (2000) • short story by Vernor Vinge
Poor. Cheesy story about a disgruntled scientist who is offered a sketchy chance to get unlimited funding and maybe win a Nobel Prize.
The Barbarian Princess • [Tatja Grimm] • (1986) • novelette by Vernor Vinge
DNF. An editor of a fantasy magazine on a floating publishing house uses a woman who looks like a character in their magazine to fight terminate people. Inside baseball and pretty stupid.
Fast Times at Fairmont High • (2001) • novella by Vernor Vinge
Great. In the near future of 2004, education has been radically changed by technology. Communication is entirely through a series of nodes that provide communication, overlays, recording, and much more. Juan is an 8th grade student who is has to take two graduation test projects, one “unlimited” using any resource he can find and one “local” which must be done in person with limited technology. The main plot is about the local project, but the richness of the world and great character interactions make this a YA story of the highest quality.
