Bentley Ferraina

More fun to think about and read about than to actually read.

The first and last essays are the standouts.

Not sure it’s actively bad, but it’s surprisingly generic and boring given the popularity. I do not recall a single memorable moment or sentence... Glad I knocked it off the list, though, and happy to see some mainstreamed sci-fi!

The influence had on future sci fi like Dune and Star Wars is undeniable, but this read like a radio play. Nearly every scene in every story is just two guys talking in a room. The first two stories overcome the stylistic limitations, but the back half of is rough — despite the compelling (and very 1950s) ideas.

Not quite the Miyazaki meets Shirley Jackson I had imagined. Maybe it’s my fault for never really letting go of those expectations.