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The Compleat Boucher: The Complete Short Science Fiction & Fantasy of Anthony Boucher
The Compleat Boucher contains all of the science fiction and fantasy written by Anthony Boucher. It contains such classic stories as "The Quest for Saint Aquin," "Snulbug," and "The Compleat Werewolf." Many of the stories collected here have never before appeared in a Boucher collection, and some haven't been reprinted since their original magazine publication. "Rappaccini's Other Daughter" appears here for the first time.
540 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1999
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128 people want to read
About the author
Anthony Boucher
587 books39 followersWilliam Anthony Parker White, better known by his pen name Anthony Boucher, was an American author, critic, and editor who wrote several classic mystery novels, short stories, science fiction, and radio dramas. Between 1942 and 1947, he acted as reviewer of mostly mystery fiction for the San Francisco Chronicle. In addition to "Anthony Boucher", White also employed the pseudonym "H. H. Holmes", which was the pseudonym of a late-19th-century American serial killer; Boucher would also write light verse and sign it " Herman W. Mudgett" (the murderer's real name).
In a 1981 poll of 17 detective story writers and reviewers, his novel Nine Times Nine was voted as the ninth best locked room mystery of all time.
In a 1981 poll of 17 detective story writers and reviewers, his novel Nine Times Nine was voted as the ninth best locked room mystery of all time.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 31, 2009
A respected literary critic, a prolific author of mystery novels and stories, and a founding editor of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Boucher was also a major author of short fiction in both the SF and supernatural genres (the editor here uses "fantasy," as Boucher himself did, to describe the latter) --as well as a devout Roman Catholic who frequently reflected his Christian faith in his writings. Though there have been partial collections, his complete corpus of speculative fiction remarkably went uncollected until the publication of this anthology. The 44 stories (plus one poem, and one recipe --he also loved to cook :-)) here are a wonderful gift to fans of both genres.
Besides theistic/Christian themes, often-recurring threads in both types of stories here include, frequently, a setting in his native California; a World War II background, reflecting the era when many of these works were written, and borrowings of motifs from his other favorite genre: some of the tales here are murder mysteries with an SF or supernatural twist, detective Fergus O'Breen --whose practice often involves the weird-- appears in more than one, and "The Anomaly of the Empty Man" features Sherlock Holmes' (equally fictional --and equally smart) cousin dealing with the kind of supernatural phenomena that Doyle eschewed in the actual Holmes canon. One story here, "A Kind of Madness," is simply crime fiction; with Jack the Ripper as a character, the only "speculative" element there is historical speculation. ("The First" also has no speculative element in the SF or magical sense; it's included here just because it's set in prehistoric times.) The collection as a whole is characterized by Boucher's urbanity, fertile imagination, wry humor, erudition, and sense of justice and fair play (his villains tend to find that evil actually is sometimes punished in this life). Some of his SF stories indicate his identification with the politically liberal strand of American Catholicism, including a faith in a future world government (understandable in a religious tradition that has a Papacy, and that historically viewed the Roman Empire as a constructive type of world government). But they also make clear his commitment to democracy (which he saw as compatible with world government); and as "The Other Inauguration" demonstrates, he didn't blindly identify virtue with either political party or political label.
Among the SF stories, the most explicit in presenting Christian or Biblical themes are his masterpiece, "The Quest for Saint Aquin" (which is included in the Science Fiction Hall of Fame); "Balaam," which rejects the mindless "us vs. them" treatment of aliens that was such a common theme in the space opera of his day; and his charming "The Star Dummy." Those are my favorites in this group, along with the poignant "Star Bride."
His best supernatural story, IMO, is "The Compleat Werewolf," which treats lycanthropy simply as a morally neutral ability to shapeshift, without carrying any inherent tendency towards homicide and mayhem. (This is the same view of the werewolf theme he takes in "The Ambassadors," which humorously combines SF and supernatural elements.) A close second is "We Print the Truth," which combines an excellent fictional treatment of the legendary elven smith, Wayland or Weyland, with a philosophically astute approach to the problem of theodicy. Other favorites in this group include "Review Copy," "They Bite," and "Sriberdigibit."
If you enjoy either of the speculative genres represented here, you owe it to yourself to give this collection a try!
Besides theistic/Christian themes, often-recurring threads in both types of stories here include, frequently, a setting in his native California; a World War II background, reflecting the era when many of these works were written, and borrowings of motifs from his other favorite genre: some of the tales here are murder mysteries with an SF or supernatural twist, detective Fergus O'Breen --whose practice often involves the weird-- appears in more than one, and "The Anomaly of the Empty Man" features Sherlock Holmes' (equally fictional --and equally smart) cousin dealing with the kind of supernatural phenomena that Doyle eschewed in the actual Holmes canon. One story here, "A Kind of Madness," is simply crime fiction; with Jack the Ripper as a character, the only "speculative" element there is historical speculation. ("The First" also has no speculative element in the SF or magical sense; it's included here just because it's set in prehistoric times.) The collection as a whole is characterized by Boucher's urbanity, fertile imagination, wry humor, erudition, and sense of justice and fair play (his villains tend to find that evil actually is sometimes punished in this life). Some of his SF stories indicate his identification with the politically liberal strand of American Catholicism, including a faith in a future world government (understandable in a religious tradition that has a Papacy, and that historically viewed the Roman Empire as a constructive type of world government). But they also make clear his commitment to democracy (which he saw as compatible with world government); and as "The Other Inauguration" demonstrates, he didn't blindly identify virtue with either political party or political label.
Among the SF stories, the most explicit in presenting Christian or Biblical themes are his masterpiece, "The Quest for Saint Aquin" (which is included in the Science Fiction Hall of Fame); "Balaam," which rejects the mindless "us vs. them" treatment of aliens that was such a common theme in the space opera of his day; and his charming "The Star Dummy." Those are my favorites in this group, along with the poignant "Star Bride."
His best supernatural story, IMO, is "The Compleat Werewolf," which treats lycanthropy simply as a morally neutral ability to shapeshift, without carrying any inherent tendency towards homicide and mayhem. (This is the same view of the werewolf theme he takes in "The Ambassadors," which humorously combines SF and supernatural elements.) A close second is "We Print the Truth," which combines an excellent fictional treatment of the legendary elven smith, Wayland or Weyland, with a philosophically astute approach to the problem of theodicy. Other favorites in this group include "Review Copy," "They Bite," and "Sriberdigibit."
If you enjoy either of the speculative genres represented here, you owe it to yourself to give this collection a try!
March 10, 2018
William Anthony Parker White (1911-1968) wrote fiction under the name Anthony Boucher. The wry, literate, understated and still very readable stories collected here were mostly written between 1940 and 1952. It's a collection to be read a story or two at a time, or at least that's how I read it. Boucher's best stories -- "The Quest for St. Aquin"; "The Compleat Werewolf"; "Snulbug"; "They Bite"; "The Star Dummy" -- have entered the permanent science fiction and fantasy repertoire and will be familiar to most, um, 'mature' readers. I would urge younger readers, who could hardly be expected to buy a collection of half-century old stories by someone they've barely heard of, to borrow the collection from a public library, and try (at least) the stories listed above. As in any complete collection, there are minor works here too, though I found all of them at least readable (by contrast to, for example, the Cyril Kornlbuth or the Charles Harness collections, also done by NESFA). And few will resist the charms of:
"I am the very model of a modern SF editor.
My publisher is happy, as is each and every creditor.
I know the market trends and how to please the newsstand purchaser;
With agents and name authors my relations can't be courteouser.
...
In short, in manners monetary, social, and promotional,
I am the very model of a pro SF devotional."
As always, NESFA books are a pleasure to read and hold: smooth, creamy paper, solid, full-cloth bindings, and a lovely period cover (of "Wolfie" & Gloria) by Jane Dennis. I do wish, however, that the editor, Mann, had included more biographical information about the author -- a page and a half seems skimpy.
[Review written circa 2000]
"I am the very model of a modern SF editor.
My publisher is happy, as is each and every creditor.
I know the market trends and how to please the newsstand purchaser;
With agents and name authors my relations can't be courteouser.
...
In short, in manners monetary, social, and promotional,
I am the very model of a pro SF devotional."
As always, NESFA books are a pleasure to read and hold: smooth, creamy paper, solid, full-cloth bindings, and a lovely period cover (of "Wolfie" & Gloria) by Jane Dennis. I do wish, however, that the editor, Mann, had included more biographical information about the author -- a page and a half seems skimpy.
[Review written circa 2000]
Read
April 28, 2019Best Novella 1944 Retro Hugo Award Finalist:
“We Print the Truth,” by Anthony Boucher (Astounding Science-Fiction, December 1943) . . . Read 4/27/2019 . . . A very good (possibly great) story in the 'what if' SF QA grand tradition. I could snarkily summarize without spoiler with 'A priest, an atheist and an agnostic walk into a bar . . .' and I'd be nearly spot on. This is the second novella I've read by Boucher and he does not disappoint. (4-4.5 stars)
“We Print the Truth,” by Anthony Boucher (Astounding Science-Fiction, December 1943) . . . Read 4/27/2019 . . . A very good (possibly great) story in the 'what if' SF QA grand tradition. I could snarkily summarize without spoiler with 'A priest, an atheist and an agnostic walk into a bar . . .' and I'd be nearly spot on. This is the second novella I've read by Boucher and he does not disappoint. (4-4.5 stars)
Shelved as 'currently-reading-anthcoll'
March 18, 2022The Quest for Saint Aquin
The Complete Werewolf (appeared in TCW)
Elsewhen
The Pink Caterpillar (appeared in TCW)
The Chronokinesis of Jonathan Hull
Gandolphus
Sriberdegibit
The Ambassadors
Q. U. R. (appeared in TCW)
Robinc (appeared in TCW)
Nine-Finger Jack
Barrier
Pelagic Spark
The Other Inauguration
One-Way Trip
Man's Reach
Mr. Lupescu (appeared in TCW)
Balaam
The Anomaly of the Empty Man
The Ghost of Me (appeared in TCW)
Snulbug (appeared in TCW)
Sanctuary
Transfer Point
Conquest
The First
The Greatest Tertian
Expedition (appeared in TCW)
Public Eye
Secret of the House
The Scrawny One
Star Bride
The Way I Heard It
The Star Dummy
Review Copy
A Kind of Madness
Nellthu
Rappaccini's Other Daughter
Khartoum: A Prose Limerick
A Shape in Time
Summer's Cloud
The Tenderizers
They Bite (appeared in TCW)
The Model of a Science Fiction Editor
We Print the Truth (appeared in TCW)
Mary CelestialBoucher
Recipe for Curry Deluxe
The Complete Werewolf (appeared in TCW)
Elsewhen
The Pink Caterpillar (appeared in TCW)
The Chronokinesis of Jonathan Hull
Gandolphus
Sriberdegibit
The Ambassadors
Q. U. R. (appeared in TCW)
Robinc (appeared in TCW)
Nine-Finger Jack
Barrier
Pelagic Spark
The Other Inauguration
One-Way Trip
Man's Reach
Mr. Lupescu (appeared in TCW)
Balaam
The Anomaly of the Empty Man
The Ghost of Me (appeared in TCW)
Snulbug (appeared in TCW)
Sanctuary
Transfer Point
Conquest
The First
The Greatest Tertian
Expedition (appeared in TCW)
Public Eye
Secret of the House
The Scrawny One
Star Bride
The Way I Heard It
The Star Dummy
Review Copy
A Kind of Madness
Nellthu
Rappaccini's Other Daughter
Khartoum: A Prose Limerick
A Shape in Time
Summer's Cloud
The Tenderizers
They Bite (appeared in TCW)
The Model of a Science Fiction Editor
We Print the Truth (appeared in TCW)
Mary CelestialBoucher
Recipe for Curry Deluxe
August 4, 2019
Despite my high rating, this was not most enjoyable read I've had. The reason is that I had already read most of the great stories (including The Quest for St. Aquin, the best Catholic scince fiction story ever written) and a lot of the rest read like fillers done by an editor or at an editor's request.
Especially interesting was The Second Inaugral. In this story, two liberal professors time travel to prevent a right wing President's election. He was beginning to institue a dictatorship. They get his liberal rival elected and find that a left wing dictatorship was taking over the country. Timely.
Especially interesting was The Second Inaugral. In this story, two liberal professors time travel to prevent a right wing President's election. He was beginning to institue a dictatorship. They get his liberal rival elected and find that a left wing dictatorship was taking over the country. Timely.
March 22, 2025
Imagine for a moment that highly developed beings from a galaxy far away, looking like a cross between a koala and an anteater, with the largest, furriest and the roundest ears, had landed in a zoo. Imagine, moreover, that the creature had six digits on each paw, had no cutting or chewing teeth, and was forced to subsist on a liquid diet or baby food, and preferred C8H10N4O2 to C2H5OH; that it could chitter with wombats and roar with lions – and was in love with the prettiest girl in the universe, a girl with the largest ears, just twitching for you to stroke them…
But this creature was not just the cutest koala bear ever: it functioned on a duodecimal system (ours is decimal, because we have only ten fingers to count on), in addition to some fancy mathematics. And it wanted to make contact with its girl…
The story, ‘The Star Dummy’ by Anthony Boucher is one of the stories in this collection, which also has some of Boucher’s best loved science fiction, including ‘The Bite.’
But this creature was not just the cutest koala bear ever: it functioned on a duodecimal system (ours is decimal, because we have only ten fingers to count on), in addition to some fancy mathematics. And it wanted to make contact with its girl…
The story, ‘The Star Dummy’ by Anthony Boucher is one of the stories in this collection, which also has some of Boucher’s best loved science fiction, including ‘The Bite.’
June 15, 2011
One of the best books to come out from the NESFA press in recent times. This book contains many forgotten jewels of Science Fiction, Horror, Humour, and cross-genre novellas & short stories. The contents (produced below) should suffice to entice any lover of stories belonging to the above-mentioned genres (any one of them, and if you like them mixed, then gallop towards nearest physical/virtual outlet that may provide you with a copy of this: -
*Editor's Introduction (James A. Mann )
*The Quest for Saint Aquin
*The Compleat Werewolf
*Elsewhen
*The Pink Caterpillar
*The Chronokinesis of Jonathan Hull
*Gandolphus
*Sriberdegibit
*The Ambassadors
*QUR
*Robinc
*Nine-Finger Jack
*Barrier
*Pelagic Spark
*The Other Inauguration
*One-Way Trip
*Man's Reach
*Mr. Lupescu
*Balaam
*The Anomaly of the Empty Man
*The Ghost of Me
*Snulbug
*Sanctuary
*Transfer Point
*Conquest
*The First
*The Greatest Tertian
*Expedition
*The Public Eye
*The Secret of the House
*The Scrawny One
*Star Bride
*The Way I Heard It
*The Star Dummy
*Review Copy
*A Kind of Madness
*Nellthu
*Rappaccini's Other Daughter
*Khartoum
*A Shape in Time
*A Summer's Cloud
*The Tenderizers
*They Bite
*The Model of a Science Fiction Editor
*We Print the Truth
*Mary Celestial (co-authored by Miriam Allen De Ford)
*Recipe for Curry De Luxe
Whole-heartedly recommended. Try to read "The Greatest Tertian" with a straight face, and then get back to me for your wager!
*Editor's Introduction (James A. Mann )
*The Quest for Saint Aquin
*The Compleat Werewolf
*Elsewhen
*The Pink Caterpillar
*The Chronokinesis of Jonathan Hull
*Gandolphus
*Sriberdegibit
*The Ambassadors
*QUR
*Robinc
*Nine-Finger Jack
*Barrier
*Pelagic Spark
*The Other Inauguration
*One-Way Trip
*Man's Reach
*Mr. Lupescu
*Balaam
*The Anomaly of the Empty Man
*The Ghost of Me
*Snulbug
*Sanctuary
*Transfer Point
*Conquest
*The First
*The Greatest Tertian
*Expedition
*The Public Eye
*The Secret of the House
*The Scrawny One
*Star Bride
*The Way I Heard It
*The Star Dummy
*Review Copy
*A Kind of Madness
*Nellthu
*Rappaccini's Other Daughter
*Khartoum
*A Shape in Time
*A Summer's Cloud
*The Tenderizers
*They Bite
*The Model of a Science Fiction Editor
*We Print the Truth
*Mary Celestial (co-authored by Miriam Allen De Ford)
*Recipe for Curry De Luxe
Whole-heartedly recommended. Try to read "The Greatest Tertian" with a straight face, and then get back to me for your wager!
July 16, 2011
This is another case of a big collection that took me a while to get through. I have been reading it on and off for a few months, which is something I often do with long anthologies like this. Having said that, this is a fine example of a science fiction classic. This volume collects the science fiction and fantasy short fiction of Anthony Boucher, who was not only a writer but also a prominent editor of Fantasy and Science Fiction magazine. The collection contains very short stories (two or three pages) and longer pieces that range from light humor fantasy to science fiction to even a little noir and pulp. This is a book to enjoy nice and slow (I rushed through it a bit at the end to catch up on the 12 Books, 12 Months Challenge I am doing. I do not recommend this. This book really deserves to be savored). One of the stories I liked was "The Compleat Werewolf," which is about a professor with a bit of a lycanthropy problem and a femme fatale more than willing to exploit that little problem. I think a strength of this book, as well as other books that NESFA has published, is that it will take you back to the golden days of science fiction. In a way, when folks say "they don't write them like this anymore," this is what they mean. And for me, I know there are some stories I will want to revisit at some point.
April 5, 2014
Incredible book, after each short story you tell yourself you'll get back to work or go to sleep or whatever it is you're supposed to be doing... Only to find yourself reading "just one more". The Star Dummy is one of my most loved short stories ever, by any author. I pride myself on being able to figure out mysteries before the author gets to the end but Boucher keeps me guessing until the very end and not in a way that makes me feel cheated or like information was left out. He's a master of the locked door mystery.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
