SCIENCE FICTION

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32975, 22 July 1972, Page 10

SCIENCE FICTION

The Mirror of Infinity. Edited by Robert Silverberg. Sidgwick and Johnson. 312 pp.

This anthology which contains 13 of the best known scence fiction writers with a range from H. G. Wells to Jorge Luis Borges has a bonus issue for the reader. Prefacing each short story is a foreword analysing the story and the writer. In many ways the anthology is worth purchasing simply for the forewords. The short short stories, even allowing for the over generous use of the word these days, are classics of their genre. H. G. Wells, John W. Campbell, Isaac Asimov, James Blish, J. G. Ballard are represented by what the editor regards as his best short story. It is difficult to express any preference for the 13 stories in the anthology. The authors chosen are masters of their craft and the selections of their works have provided a superb anthology. The anthology will appeal not only to converted science fiction readers, but to any reader who appreciates the short story in its best form.

“The Scented Wild Flowers of Britain,” by Roy Genders (Collins, 256 pp.) is a guide to the recognition and use of British wild flowers, some of which are found also in this country. The book is also a collection of interesting information about wild flowers, and of legends and stories about them. For each plant there is a concise botanical description, notes of habitat and frequency, months of flowering, and uses of the plant. The book is well illustrated, with 100 species accurately portrayed in colour and many others in black and white drawings.