Book description
Long identified as a science fiction writer, except in his own eyes,
George Alec Effinger had some of his biggest critical and commercial
success with a series even he recognized and characterized as SF. Set in
the marvelously realized, imaginary Muslim city of Budayeen, the three
novels, When Gravity Fails, A Fire in the Sun and The Exile Kiss
garnered rave reviews, award nominations and a wide readership. In
addition, Effinger came to be recognized as one of the foundational
writers of cyberpunk. Although the novels are perhaps how Budayeen and
their hero, Marid Audran, are best known, there are a handful of shorter
pieces that add to the vividly drawn and deeply authentic picture of an
imagined world and seven short stories, the first part of an uncompleted
novel and a story fragment add to the mental images of this exotic and
yet somehow completely familiar city and world that Effinger created.
This book was originally published by Golden Gryphon Press and comes
with a Forword and story notes by Effinger's widow, Barbara Hambly. The
lead story in this collection, "Schrodinger's Kitten," won the
Hugo, Nebula and Seiun Awards. George Alec Effinger was born in
Cleveland, Ohio, in 1947. He attended Yale University, where an organic
chemistry course disabused him of the notion of becoming a doctor. He
had the opportunity to meet many of his SF idols thanks to his first
wife, who was Damon Knight and Kate Wilhelm's babysitter. With their
encouragement, he began writing science fiction in 1970. He published at
least 20 novels and 6 collections of short fiction including WHEN
GRAVITY FAILS and THE EXILE KISS. As well, he also wrote and published
two crime novels, FELICIA and SHADOW MONEY. With his Budayeen novels,
Effinger helped to found the Cyberpunk genre. He was a Hugo and Nebula
award winner and a favorite amongst fellow SF writers.
