STOREYS FROM THE OLD HOTEL

A fine collection—originally published in 1988 by a small British press in a limited edition, and winner of the World Fantasy Award for Best Collection of that year—showcases the wide range of Wolfe's weird and wonderful talent. Wolfe is a master of subtlety and misdirection, and his work often requires fairly close reading: these traits are put to good use in ``Slaves of Silver'' and ``The Rubber Bend,'' science- fictional Sherlock Holmes pastiches, and in ``Cherry Jubilee,'' a challenging drawing-room mystery set aboard a Mars-bound spaceship. The stories run the gamut from science fiction to fantasy to horror: ``Sightings at Twin Mounds'' tells of an investigation of UFO reports, with typical Wolfe wit; ``The Packerhaus Method'' describes future improvement in embalming techniques; in ``Straw,'' we get a glimpse of a world in which hot-air balloons were invented in the Dark Ages; and ``Trip/Trap'' offers two intertwined points of view describing first contact with a primitive alien culture. Many of the pieces defy all classification: ``From the Desk of Gilmer C. Merton'' offers a glimpse of author-agent correspondence, while ``Parkroads: A Review'' is told in the form of a film review. Wolfe describes the 34 tales here as ``mostly stories I feel are good, but that have received little or no praise.'' This edition should bring the many excellent pieces the wider attention and approbation they deserve.