Preface: Reginald Bretnor seems to have been an unusual man, whose achievements and interests were very wide indeed. I ran into him through these two collections, whose centers of gravity are SF shorts and a mystery novel, respectively. Beyond this, though, Bretnor appeared to have taken an early interest in SF as a serious subject, “convening” three written symposia on the craft between 1976-79. He also published a volume, probably long out of print, in 1969 with the intriguing title Decisive Warfare: A Study in Military Theory.
The First Reginald Bretnor Megapack, Reginald Bretnor, 2013.
Inexplicably ordered in January of 2022, this and its companion second collection lingered on my Kindle for a year. Bretnor, who died in 1992, wrote with a sly sensibility which often bordered on silliness. The 26 stories spanned the full range from enjoyable to tedious.
To me, the best was Sugar Plum. This farce charts the adventures of a neo-Victorian family from the future who buy a small planet of their own, only to discover that it’s not just unoccupied, but their new neighbor is very much not the right type of person. Until, maybe not unexpectedly, he is. Points also to this story for reminding me of the idea of a “maiden aunt,” a term justifiably not used anymore. Cat was an amusing trip through the pettiness of academic life. Cats recur in a misunderstanding of galactic proportions in Without (General) Issue. (Bretnor apparently had a thing for the felines.)
This seems to sum it up.
I least liked the second story, Gnurrs Come From The Voodvork. The main character, Papa Schimmelhorn, is obnoxious enough without having his Scandihoovian or Germanic accent transliterated: “I haff a zecret veapon.” Also, he has a bassoon which is, disoncertingly not so much played as...wielded?!?! At the bottom of the pile come the short “Feghoot” entries, which are sort of bad 1950s Dad jokes wrapped around some really contorted punnery.
The stories here vary a bit, but all are infused with Bretnor’s humor. They are all also clearly from an earlier time. The writing style is more formal, even a bit stiff, compared to much current writing. The stories also often reflect fairly dated social sensibilities. They are, though, a reasonably engaging trip back into time -- even if not all of the stories will appeal equally to contemporary readers.
Smirk factor: All clear -- 2 pts. (3 “smirks” in 192 pages)
Immersion factor: Damp -- 0.5 pts
Writing quality: Average -- 1 pt
Character/plot development: Above-average -- 1.5 pts (At their best, these work well.)
Innovative/interesting: Average -- 1 pt
Total: 6/10 (3 stars)
The Second Reginald Bretnor Megapack, Reginald Bretnor, 2014.
This is the second retrospective volume of writing from Reginald Bretnor (1911-1992) and brings together 15 (for some reason, the cover says 14) more stories.
My favorites from this were not actually SFF. “The Haunting of H.M.S. ‘Dryad’” bends time into a light and amusing ghost story -- although clearly, don’t cross Queen Victoria. The highlight, though, was 1978’s“A Killing In Swords.” Like Haunting, this is set in San Francisco -- reeking of the 1970s and their struggles -- and centers around the murder of the city’s mayor during a party at a most unusual house. The protagonist, Timuroff, is a White Russian gentleman with passion for antique weapons and a wide array of colorful friends. Bretnor himself was born in late Czarist Vladivostok, and it feels like there’s personal history echoing through the novel.
Or don’t visit the subreddit, skip the slapping, and just take my word for it.
The rest of the collection was less compelling. I found the quick and pun-laden “Feghoot” stories painful, and (still) didn’t particularly care for the series of Schimmelhorn-themed adventures. Still, a worthwhile read. Although definitely still “retro” in outlook, I thought this was a little less cringe-inducing than some of the selection from the first collection. I warmed up a bit more to Bretnor’s writing as well. While Swords is outside my usual fare, I thought it was still pretty solid and enjoyed it.
Smirk factor: Plus-qu’acceptable -- 1.5 pts. (9 “smirks” in 610 pages, used mostly correctly.)
Immersion factor: Chest-high -- 1 pts
Writing quality: Average -- 1 pt
Character/plot development: Above-average -- 1.5 pts (At their best, these work well.)
Innovative/interesting: Average -- 1 pt
Total: 6/10 (3 stars)
“Briarton” was Bretnor’s pen name. No idea why he’d want to hide his association with a cover like this:
Clearly there is something for everyone somewhere on the internet. I guess you just have to look hard enough?