"Some Notes on the Pre-Dynastic Epoch"

by Robert Silverberg

Form: Short story

Year: 1973

ID: 1080

Publication history:

• 1973: Bad Moon Rising, Harper & Row Hard cover book
• 1973: Unfamiliar Territory, Scribner's Hard cover book, 212 pp.
• 1975: Unfamiliar Territory, Gollancz Hard cover book, 212 pp.
• 1977: Unfamiliar Territory, Coronet Mass market paperback, ISBN 0340219785, 204 pp.
• 1978: Unfamiliar Territory, Berkley Mass market paperback, ISBN 425-03882-3, 207 pp.
• 1979: Signaux du silence, Casterman Mass market paperback, ISBN 2-203-22628-5, 242 pp., in French as Notes sur l're prdynastique
• 1981: Unfamiliar Territory, Coronet Mass market paperback, ISBN 0340219785, 204 pp.
• 1986: Beyond the Safe Zone, Donald I Fine Hard cover book, 472 pp.
• 1987: Beyond the Safe Zone, Warner Mass market paperback, ISBN 0-446-30173-6, 565 pp.
• 1989: Beyond the Safe Zone, Warner Mass market paperback, 565 pp.
• 1995: Beyond the Safe Zone (The Collected Stories of Robert Silverberg Volume 3), HarperCollins UK Trade paperback, ISBN 0-586-21371-6, 605 pp.
• 1995: Beyond the Safe Zone, Grafton Mass market paperback, ISBN 0586213716

Comments:

Inspired by The Tablets by Armand Schwerner.

A odd assemblage of scenes, lists, clippings, and so on, which in some ways mocks the pretenses of science fiction (and storytelling in general) while it criticizes contemporary society. Contains the following memorable paragraph a couple pages in:

None of the aforegoing is true. I take pleasure in deceiving. I am an extremely unreliable witness.

Other resources:

[None on record]