F/SF

I picked up this early 80s anthology at a used book store. I had a few problems with it. first, despite the title , it's not a fantasy anthology, quite a few of the stories are science fiction. Second it's very dated (the first story, "The Silken-Swift," by Theodore Sturgeon, features a rape, and is handled in a way that wouldn't fly today. While the rest of the stories are less rapey, they're still dated in other ways). Thirdly, despite the unicorn theme, the stories don't go together that well, and it almost feels like the editors threw together any stories they could find with unicorns in them that had been written by an author who was fairly well known in the time. This really wasn't worth my time in 2017, though I probably would have enjoyed it in 1987. ( )

As usual, there are no spoilers in this review.

I read this book in 1983. It is now 2014. In 31 years, I've never forgotten this book. Well, actually, there is one story in this anthology of unicorn stories that will always be with me because of its timeless beauty and universal truth.

It is The Silken-Swift by Theodore Sturgeon.

If you like seeing goodness and light triumph over darkness and evil, read this story. There are no cliches, no tired moralities. Just a beautiful story that shows what a masterful writer can do with pen and ink. This is one story that I will remember until I'm gone from this earth.

This story (and book) is for readers of all ages. I've read some reviews that mention how the cover looks like it was designed for a preadolescent girl. Maybe it was, but the stories weren't.

I'm sorry to say that I don't remember any of the other stories in this anthology, hence only three stars. Isn't that how it so often is with anthologies? Some stories shine like diamonds, others, not so much. It isn't because those other stories were not good, it is because Sturgeon's story was so good it completely buried the others, at least for me.

Listen to how much praise I'm heaping on this story! I'll bet the first person to read it will wonder what all the fuss was about. All I can say is that beyond a certain point, no matter how well-written a story is, personal taste is what decides the fate of the story, and personally, I'm wild about this story.

I hope my words will encourage someone to seek out this anthology, perhaps on Amazon, or maybe interlibrary loan. It is an old book, but some library somewhere must still have it.

Good hunting. ( )