Kirjahaku

Het is enkele generaties na de derde galactische oorlog, en van de befaamde Honderd Werelden van de mensheid zijn er nog slechts zo'n zeventig over. Het menselijk ras is moe van het lange vechten; er is geen puf meer voor uitbreiding of vooruitgang; het behoud van de status quo is het beste waarop gehoopt kan worden.De enige verbinding die de arme en afgelegen wereld Pia 2 nog heeft met de rest van de mensheid, is het Q-schip van het Gilde van de Tweede Academie, dat eens in de vijf jaar langskomt om het Gildestation te bevoorraden en de roodvleugeloogst op te halen. Roodvleugel gedijt enkel op Pia 2 en het extract ervan is een essenti le grondstof voor de farmaceutische industrie. Wanneer de oogst gestaag terugloopt, wordt Edran Lomar als gezant van het Gilde naar Pia 2 gestuurd met de opdracht te achterhalen wat er aan de hand is en het probleem te verhelpen.Maar geen van de betrokken partijen zit op Lomars bemoeienissen te wachten: niet de bureaucraten van het Gildestation, en ook niet de Tocks, de deels verwilderde en deels gedegenereerde afstammelingen van de oorspronkelijke kolonisten van Pia 2. En dan zijn er ook nog de rorks: angstaanjagende inheemse fauna met het voorkomen van reusachtige vierpotige spinnen. Welke rol spelen zij in deze hele toestand? Lomar wordt, tegen wil en dank, de katalysator die het broze evenwicht op Pia 2 verstoort.Avram Davidson (1923 - 1993) was een van de groten van de 20ste eeuwse sciencefiction en fantasy. Davidson stond bekend om zijn eruditie en literaire stijl. Zijn werk is bekroond met onder andere een Hugo en meerdere World Fantasy Awards. "Avram Davidson vereenzelvigt vele talenten en attributen, waaronder verbeelding, stijl, en bovenal, humor."-Ray Bradbury "Ik heb nooit eerder een schrijver gekend die zo'n helder begrip had van het verband tussen het gebruik en de ritmes van een taal of dialect, en de alledaagse ritmes van hen die haar spreken."-Peter S. Beagle "In Davidsons hoofd lag de totaliteit van meerdere borgesiaanse bibliotheken opgeslagen en zomaar voor het grijpen."-William Gibson "In de onvoorstelbaar vruchtbare duisternis van zijn verbeelding, is rationeel gedrag als de kortstondige flits van een zaklamp tijdens een middernachtelijke onweersbui in een tropisch woud."-Ursula K. LeGuin "Een briljante, humeurige oude schrijver, die denkt dat jij net zo slim bent als hijzelf, of tenminste dat je het z l zijn zodra hij klaar is met jou iets te vertellen op zijn eigen unieke wijze."-Neil Gaiman

A young Avram Davidson would have been seven years old at the time, when prohibition was the law of the land and beer barons like Dutch Schultz sold illegal alcohol to the public. In 1962 Avram wrote Beer Like Water, which was part of a book of Davidson's true short stories titled Crimes & Chaos. In this book, in Avram's typical fashion, he plays with the setting such that it's a bit more special than reality. Beer Beer Beer exists at the intersection of magical realism (just a hint) and historical fiction, with the streets of Yokums representing the Yonkers of his youth in the 1920s and 1930s much in the way that the British Hidalgo of Limekiller parallels Belize. If you pay attention, you'll notice little nods to you, his readers, along the way-could Yokums somehow be connected in Avram's universe to the goings-on in the fantastical empire of Scythia-Pannonia-Transbalkania?Others on Avram Davidson: Avram Davidson, to me, combines many talents and attributes including imagination, style, and perhaps above all, wit. - Ray Bradbury Avram's ear for weird ways of talking was wonderful. - Ursula K. Le Guin Avram was a magician - Kate Wilhelm Avram Davidson fascinates me -as a person, I mean. He is a mixture of a little boy and a very wise old man... - Philip K. Dick As a writer Avram was a pure wonder. His densely textured and beautifully phrased pros was a delight to read, and a pleasure to publish. - Frederik Pohl If you love fantasy, if you love alternate worlds, or if you just love stories well-told, that's who Avram Davidson is - someonewho knows a great deal more than you do and is damned if both of you aren't going to have a great time. - Neil Gaiman He is a law unto himself when it comes to fantasy; one of the genuine originals. To read him is to love him. Or, to be more accurate, to read him is to become addicted to his special vision. - Harlan Ellison

VOLUME ONE In honor of Avram Davidson's 100th birthday, we have compiled the AD 100 Collection: a compilation of 100 of his previously unpublished and uncollected stories. This two-volume collection aims to showcase the breadth and depth of Davidson's work and introduce his writing to both longtime fans and a new generation of readers. Volume one begins with Benny, Bluma, and the Solid Gold Ring. There is a handwritten note by Avram that states he wrote the story when he was 23 years old. The story was likely written in 1946 or 1947. Volume one ends with a story written in the late 1960s looking into the life of Avram as a child. The AD 100 collection has taken years of work and generations of love and care (and preservation) to make possible. We are confident that readers will find something to appreciate in this collection. There are lighthearted pieces that Avram wrote on a whim, science fiction, fantasy, mystery, Jewish stories and stories that impart valuable historical lessons, and many pieces that can't be characterized by a single genre. The collection includes tales set in Belize which served as the foundation for Avram's Limekiller series, as well as difficult to find "Vergil Magus" and "Adventures in Unhistory" tales. Contents: BENNY BLUMA AND THE SOLID GOLD WEDDING RINGWHAT TIME IS IT?CAPTAIN PATCHCLASH OF PERSONALITIESARRIVING ON THE 7:15NIFTER PIFTER-A BIE GEZUNTSKINNYTHANATOPSISTHE PLAYING FIELDS OF EARTHISRAEL INBETWEENTHE NATURAL ORDER AND BASIS OF SOCIETYTHE BIG LIBERTYTHE STONE THAT THE BUILDERS REJECTEDTHE DESCENT FROM OLYMPUSTHE HOLY MANTHE FRENCH KEYSPINNERA SHOT FROM THE DARK NIGHTTHE HEALING HANDCIRCLE OF GUILTTHE CREATOR OF PRELUDESNO FIRE BURNSTHE DIVE PEOPLETHE SENSIBLE MANDEALER IN FEARMEAN MR. MURRAYREST IN PEACETHE MAN WHO FOUND THE BODYTHE TENANTA NOTE FOR THE MILKMANPRINCE'S MIXTURETHE LIBERTY OF THE SUBJECTTHE TRADITIONS OF HIS FAMILYBLOOD MONEYWHAT ARE YOU CRYING FOR?JACK BE NIMBLE/JACK BE QUICK/JACK JUMP OVER THE CANDLESTICKMIRROR, MIRRORSNUFFTHE INVASIONTHE OLD PROTHE RESTORER OF BALANCEBUMBERBOOMBASILISKNEVER FORGET A FACEQUICK WITH HIS HANDSTHE CURIOUS CAPITULATION OF BETTY JANE SMITHTHE MEMORY BANKTO AVOID CONVICTIONDOING THE LAMBETH WALKTEARS FOR ALFRED HOOK

VOLUME TWO In honor of Avram Davidson's 100th birthday, we have compiled the AD 100 Collection: a compilation of 100 of his previously unpublished and uncollected stories. This two-volume collection aims to showcase the breadth and depth of Davidson's work and introduce his writing to both longtime fans and a new generation of readers. Volume two begins with The Roads the Beautiful Roads originally published in Orbit 5, ed. Damon Knight (Berkley Publishing, 1969). Volume two ends with a difficult to find Adventures in Unhistory. The AD 100 collection has taken years of work and generations of love and care (and preservation) to make possible. We are confident that readers will find something to appreciate in this collection. There are lighthearted pieces that Avram wrote on a whim, science fiction, fantasy, mystery, Jewish stories and stories that impart valuable historical lessons, and many pieces that can't be characterized by a single genre. The collection includes tales set in Belize which served as the foundation for Avram's Limekiller series, as well as difficult to find "Vergil Magus" and "Adventures in Unhistory" tales. Contents: THE ROADS, THE ROADS, THE BEAUTIFUL ROADSBIG SAMRITE OF SPRINGTHE CAPTAIN M. CAPERTHEY LOVED ME IN UTICATIMESERVERZONBASILEIKON: SUMMERHOW MY GRANDMOTHER CAME AROUND THE HORN TO CALIFORNIALOUPS-GAROUSHOW COULD HE DO IT?ROOKIE COPAMPHORATHE MAD SNIPERIF YOU CAN'T BEAT THEMCARAVAN TO ILLIELTHE OTHER MAGUSTHE APEDEAR FRIEND CHARLENETHE HOUSE SURGIS SWORDBODY MANLANDSCAPE WITH GIANT BISONLOUIE AND THE LIBRARYMR. AND MRS. PIGGOTWITNESSADDRICTMOUNTAINEERS ARE ALWAYS FREEVERGIL AND THE CAGED BIRDKNOX'S 'NGANOTHING LIKE A CLEAN WEAPONBENNY AND GEORGECONVERSATIONAL TALES OF THE WANLANDDOWN BY THE DEPOTEVENTS WHICH TOOK PLACE A DAY BEFORE OTHER EVENTSWAITING FOR WILLIEHAVE YOU TRIED GUMMIES?MR. ROB'T E. HOSKINSSEEOMANCERUNFORCED ENTRYLEGTHE DAY THEY ALL CAME BACKIN BRASS VALLEYTHE MAN WHO WAS MADE OF MONEYGEORGE'S SHIRTSACRIFICEVERGIL AND THE DUKOS: HIC INCLUSUS VITAM PERDITBLUNTVERGIL MAGUS: KING WITHOUT COUNTRYKINDLY HOLD OUT YOUR RIGHT INDEX FINGERTHE WAILING OF THE GAULISH DEAD