The Manhattan Phone Book (Abridged)

Wow. Just that. Wow.

Elizabeth Bear posted the link on her journal, and I'm posting it here to get some throw-weight to it to those who do not tune into her. And to say, um, wow.

So I've been a fan of John Varley's since he first popped up on the scene in the late 70's, primarily in Galaxy magazine and later in his collections and novels. He disappeared for about a decade in the mid-eighties, swallowed by Hollywood, who took one of his good stories and turned it into a not-so-good movie, and now he's back. I missed this particular short story back when if first came out in '84.

It is one of those stories that rattles you, and makes you want to go hug a loved one. You know the old joke that "Actor X would be great reading the phone book"? Well, John Varley is amazing reviewing the phone book.

More later.