Telzey Amberdon
by James H. Schmitz
 

afterword by Eric Flint
The Federation of the Hub: An Overview, by Guy Gordon

Baen, New York; 2000

The major portion of this useful collection consists of six sequenced stories beginning the Telzey Amberdon series. Please see the individual story reviews, or (even better) my essay Demigoddess of the Mind: James H. Schmitz's heroine Telzey Amberdon.

1. "Novice"
2. "Undercurrents" (slightly abridged)
3. "Poltergeist" (substantially abridged: about 80% of original)
4. "Goblin Night"
5. "Sleep No More"
6. "The Lion Game"
     

There are two additional stories:

• "Blood of Nalakia"  ("The Vampirate")
• "The Star Hyacinths" (some rearranging by editor)
    

I regret that the Baen set of collections doesn't contain accurate texts of these important stories by Schmitz, a most subtle and sophisticated stylist; that will have to await some future definitive edition. If you possess the stories as they appeared in the original magazines or earlier books, read or re-read those by preference. Baen Books provides free online or downloadable originals of the five most altered stories: Schmitz original versions.

© 2008 Robert Wilfred Franson