Listen, Listen

This book contains four striking novellas, and the author's own philosophy of fiction writing expressed in her speech as a guest of honour at the 38th World Science Fiction Convention. "The Winter Beach" turns what might be a spy story into suspense of a far different order. "Julian" begins when its youthful hero trains his telescope on nearby earth rather than the stars and sees a woman who rules the rest of his life. "With Thimbles, with Forks and Hope" seems to be the dramatic story of a holiday fishing trip, but once on the ocean we are gripped by a different reality. "Moongate", set in the mountains of the Northwest, takes its two men and one woman through many dimensions in time and space. "The Uncertain Edge of Reality" casts a new light on Kate Wilhelm's many books and short stories. "This is my subject matter when I write," she says. "I am asking, What actually do we mean by reality, and are we stuck with the one we have? This is what I mean by reality fiction, and usually it is also called science fiction...We are more than simple animals using sophisticated tools in our search for food, security and mates. We are something new on the earth...We can change reality." Kate Wilhelm's writing always has meaning on many levels. Listen, Listen provides a feasts for fans and new readers alike.