The Dark Side. edited by Damon Knight. 1965
THE DARK SIDE IS RATED 67%.
AVERAGE STORY: 2.58
12 STORIES : 2 GREAT / 5 GOOD / 2 AVERAGE / 1 POOR / 1 DNF
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The Dark Side is an anthology of mostly Fantasy, written by science fiction writers and using editor Damon Knight’s interpretation of the ‘rules of science fiction.’
They are written in modern prose and they take place, by and large, in modern settings. More to the point, they follow the prime rule of science fiction: the author is allowed only one fantastic assumption; thereafter his story must be developed logically, consistently, and with violating known fact.
Knight mostly succeeded in his desires. There is no ‘high fantasy’ here and a lot of quirky, offbeat stories. While the collection didn’t work for me in the aggregate, I did enjoy quite a few of the tales as minor diversions.
The book did introduce me to two exceptional stories. They are worth buying the book.
“It” by Theodore Sturgeon. 1940. This is a tale of science fictional horror. A plant-based monster interacts with a rural family that is having its own issues. What makes this great is the mixture of brutality, humanity, and alien consciousness. Sturgeon’s knack for deeply human characters is on display here, even extending to the monster. It isn’t evil, just curious, but the last sentence in one of the most chilling that I have ever read. An absolute masterpiece and you will probably be able to think of many stories that “It” has inspired.
“The Man Who Never Grew Young” by Fritz Leiber. 1947. Transcendent and profound. A man who never ages talks about a world where time reversed around World War 2. This is a piece of melancholy poetry. I can’t stop wanting to reread about this strange world where time runs backwards. If fiction’s purpose is to make us see the world differently, few stories have ever done it as well as this beautiful tale.
THE DARK SIDE IS RATED 67%.
12 STORIES : 2 GREAT / 5 GOOD / 2 AVERAGE / 1 POOR / 1 DNF
How do I arrive at a rating?
“The Black Ferris” by Ray Bradbury. 1948
Good. A pleasant minor Bradbury featuring a Ferris wheel for time travel, a burglary plot, and two precocious kids.
“They” by Robert A. Heinlein. 1941
Good. Logical and scary story of a man who believes that no one else in the word is actual real.
“Mistake Inside” by James Blish. 1948
Poor. Thought I understood it, but literally have no memories of this story.
“Trouble with Water” by H. L. Gold. 1939
DNF. A water gnome and an unpleasant shopkeeper. Unreadable.
“C/o Mr. Makepeace” by Peter Phillips. 1954
Average. A man gets letter delivered to a person at his house, but it isn’t him.
“The Golem” by Avram Davidson. 1955
Average. Slight and possibly anti-semitic story about an old jewish couple and the golem.
“The Story of the Late Mr. Elvesham” by H. G. Wells. 1896
Good. A young man is tempted towards a horrible fate by an elderly man with great riches.
“It” by Theodore Sturgeon. 1940
Great. A terrifying story of an emergent monster who comes into contact with a rural family.
“Nellthu” by Anthony Boucher. 1955
Good. Quirkly short-short about a young woman and the diabolical secret of her magical success.
“Casey Agonistes” by Richard McKenna [as by R. M. McKenna]. 1958
Good. Dying soldiers in a medical ward see a being that no one else can see.
“Eye for Iniquity” by T. L. Sherred. 1953
Average. A man’s life changes and he runs into some trouble when he discovers that he had perfectly duplicate money.
“The Man Who Never Grew Young” by Fritz Leiber. 1947
Great. As the Egyptian empire unwinds, a man who doesn’t age has lived through the backwards roll of history, starting with World War 2.
