New Worlds Quarterly #1
Author: Michael Moorcock Ed.
Genre: Science Fiction
Year: 1971
Rating: 9 of 10
New Worlds magazine started in 1936 and was taken over by Moorcock’s editorship in 1964. It sparked the New Wave movement and was known for publishing controversial material. Reading this collection one understands why. Almost fifty years later many of the stories contained in this collection retain their edge. While I didn’t care much for the fantasy included in this collection (personal bias) the science fiction is top notch. Ballard and Disch never let down and their stories in this collection are no exception. John Sladek and David Redd’s stories are fun and more light hearted then the others, but for me Barrington Bayley’s “Exit From City 5” is the jewel of the anthology. I had not read him before and greatly enjoyed his existential look at the universe shrinking before our eyes, that space is truly nothing without containing matter. The book also contains some great illustrations by R. Glyn Jones. I highly recommend this one and look forward to reading the follow up volumes.