The general zapped an angel Stories

The late Fast (1914--2003), best known as the author of Spartacus, marshals elements of science and fantasy into sharp social commentary in this arresting collection, first published in 1970. In the title tale, military and religious authorities attempt to contain the public relations nightmare after a combat-crazy general shoots down an angel at the height of the Vietnam War. "The Movie House" tells of an insular society of movie theater patrons that lives in denial of the world beyond the theater doors, and "The Interval" of people who discover that they are merely actors in a world of replaceable stage sets. Fast's tone is largely light and satirical and his tales firmly rooted to their time, but "The Mouse," a poignant story of a mouse trapped between its rodent nature and human consciousness after visiting extraterrestrials boost its intelligence, delves into deeper emotions, and "The Wound" and "The Insects" both explore surprisingly contemporary themes of eco-awareness. Fast's insights and acute analysis of human nature keep these half-century-old stories fresh and exciting. (Dec.)

Nine fantastical, oddly endearing short stories rescued from the ravages of time.The late Fast (Greenwich, 2000, etc.) was a writer with a lot of roles, among them an activist against the Red Scare of the 1950s, which landed him a three-month prison sentence. He's probably best known for writing the novel Spartacus (1951), which Stanley Kubrick famously adapted into the classic film. But he was also one of the most prolific authors of the 20th century, having written nearly 100 books, including both fiction and nonfiction as well as plays, poetry, and hundreds of short stories. Here, a collection of nine stories sharing fabulist tendencies, originally published in 1970, has been reissued, and it's well worth revisiting. The title story has the absurd humor of Catch-22, as a profane general brings down a real-life angel out of the skies over Vietnam. In "The Mouse," the title character argues philosophy with a pair of visiting astronauts. "The Vision of Milty Boil" is a Kafkaesque satire on society; a small man brings the world down to his size through extraordinary effort and questionable justification. "The Mohawk" is very much an artifact of its time yet also timeless: A man named Clyde Lightfeather decides to meditate on the front steps of New York's famous St. Patrick's Cathedral. The prescient story "The Wound" seems familiar these days, as an absurdly dumb businessman proposes detonating atomic bombs underground to profit from mining oil shale. "Tomorrow's Wall Street Journal" is a literal devil's bargain written with the wit and style of O. Henry. "The Interval" is a first-person reflection on age and time by a grieving widower. "The Movie House" is something of a Schrdinger's cat quandary involving a locked door inside a theater and the projectionist who insists it can't be opened. Finally, in "The Insects," Fast ends with the apocalypse, initiated not by the dreaded Communists but by nature itself.A collection of delightful and still relevant stories that certainly earns its resurrection. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.