Phoenix From The Ashes

This interesting and unusual collection of essays explores the post-holocaust theme as it has been treated in science fiction and fantasy literature. Seen in a positive mode, this theme offers a powerful metaphor for exploring man's relationship to his social structure. The post-holocaust motif, the editor contends, literally permits the exploration of many sub-topics, such as rebirth, social patterns, evolution, devolution, entropy, history, ecology, ethics, medicine, personal values, and so on.

Review: ?Global cataclysm has long been a major staple of science fiction, and there is reason and room enough in the critical literature on the topic for an anthology such as this one. For one thing, its emphasis upon the theme of a 'remade world' distinguishes itself successfully from the stricter focus upon annihiliation in the important 1983 collection The End of the World, by Eric Rabkin et al. (CH Jan 84). yet the individual essays here vary considerably in their caliber and critical judgement. . .the editor has managed to present here an interesting variety of approaches. . . and most of the essays do take up with some measure of accomplishment, genuinely important works.

Some very good discussions contribute much to this volume's usefulness. . .?-Choice