First-Person Singularities, stories by science fiction Grand Master Robert Silverberg, features eighteen tales written over the course of his forty-year career, all told in the first-person singular. Inspired by W. Somerset Maugham's Six Stories Written in the First Person Singular, a fiercely realist collection from the 1930s, Silverberg takes on the challenge, offering up his own unique sci-fi twist and "running the gambit of singularity."
Every story in First-Person Singularities offers a one-of-a-kind narrator: a dolphin feeling the pangs of love for a human being; a computer eager to convince us of its sanity; a Greek god who has surreptitiously survived into modern times; an alien visitor living in disguise in a New York City hotel. Even a pudgy, timid Henry James gets the Silverberg treatment as the witness arrator of H.G. Wells's The War of the Worlds! Each story features a special introduction by Silverberg himself, providing the inside scoop on his experience writing for and publishing with the greatest science fiction magazines of the past and present.
First-Person Singularities includes an introduction by Hugo-award winning sci-fi author John Scalzi (Redshirts).
Robert Silverberg is one of the giants of the sci-fi genre, with four Hugo Awards and six Nebula Awards to his name. He was inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 1999 and named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 2005.
Industry Reviews
"Genre legend Silverberg's ambition, imagination, versatility, and skill are all in evidence in this superior collection of 18 thought-provoking first-person short stories, which were written over five decades. Time and again, Silverberg sets the bar high for himself and then clears it. . . . This fine retrospective collection is worth any SF reader's time." -Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"One of the finest writers science fiction has ever produced, Robert Silverberg's boundless imagination is on exquisite display in this career-spanning collection. I can say without hyperbole that this book contains some of the best works I have ever read." -John Joseph Adams, series editor, Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy
"Silverberg's science fiction stands head and shoulders above other works in the genre. The short stories in First-Person Singularities are inventive, sublime, and endlessly entertaining. . . . By any measure, First-Person Singularities is grade-A reading fodder." -Foreword Reviews (starred review)
"Encompassing the bulk of his career from the mid-1950s to the late 1990s, these tales reveal Silverberg experimenting with different writing styles and perspectives. Combine this with changes in American culture over that period and the result is a compelling volume that reflects the evolution of a writer, a country, and a genre. ... If you're a fan of sf stories, or if you're interested in introducing a friend to the genre, this title is an excellent choice." -Library Journal
"The perfect gift for the sci-fi reader." -Geeks of Doom
"A wonderfully written collection of many favorite stories that showcases Silverberg's enormous talent over five decades." -She Treads Softly
"First-Person Singularities belongs on the reading table of every science fiction fan. If you somehow never experienced Silverberg's work, or are only familiar with his novels, such as the Lord Valentine's Castle/Majipoor cycle, this is a perfect introduction to Silverberg's shorter fiction." -Bookgasm
"Robert Silverberg is not just a legend in science fiction circles, he is storytelling royalty at this point. He has been publishing sci-fi for over four decades. His name belongs in the upper echelons with Clarke, Asimov, Bradbury, Tiptree, and others." -San Francisco Book Review
"Es una lectura muy recomendable tanto para los conocedores de la obra de este autor como para aquellos que quieran empezar a descubrirla." -Cuentos para Algernon
"The sheer diversity of storylines is nothing short of extraordinary . . . A singularly unique collection." -Kirkus Reviews
"Each story is told from a unique point of view, including from a dolphin in love with a human being, a computer trying to convince the world of its sanity, and an alien in a New York City hotel in disguise. It offers a lot of fun ideas, and it's definitely a sci-fi book worth checking out." -NerdMuch?
"An intimate collection not only because first-person centers the reader in a character's head but because we see growth and mastery, pulp and art, enthusiasm and cynicism, all in their time, all showing us Robert Silverberg in his time." -from the Introduction by John Scalzi
"A fascinating book. . . I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Robert Silverberg, fantasy or science fiction. You will not be disappointed." -Casey's Book Reviews
"If you're a fan of Robert Silverberg's work, this is a must-buy. If you're a fan of science fiction, here are some great stories by one of SF's masters. John Scalzi provides an entertaining Introduction." -George Kelley
