100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock πŸ‡³πŸ‡Ώ

Overnight NZ-wide delivery on in-stock orders πŸš€

The Best of R. A. Lafferty

3.89 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 510 ratings, 102 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Best of R. A. Lafferty is a collection of unique and imaginative short stories that showcase Lafferty's distinctive wit, creativity, and storytelling prowess. The anthology delves into themes of time travel, alternate realities, and quirky characters, each crafted with Lafferty's signature style and humour. This collection offers a whimsical and thought-provoking journey through the realms of science fiction and fantasy.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK Please add to wishlist to be notified when back in stock

Sorry, we're currently out of stock of The Best of R. A. Lafferty. Please add to your Wishlist and we'll send you an email as soon as it's back in stock.

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you have a taste for quirky, imaginative storytelling and a fondness for the unexpected twists typical of classic science fiction and fantasy. R. A. Lafferty's unique voice and inventive plots offer a delightful escape into worlds that defy conventional logic, making it perfect for readers who appreciate original and thought-provoking tales.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

Edited and collated by Jonathan Strahan, with a volume introduction by Neil Gaiman, THE BEST OF R.A. LAFFERTY is the authoritative collection of short fiction by R.A. Lafferty.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Acclaimed as one of the most original voices in modern literature, Raphael Aloysius Lafferty has been awarded and nominated for a multitude of accolades over the span of his career, including the World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement.

The Best of R. A. Lafferty is a collection containing 22 unique tall tales, including:

Hugo Award-winning

'Eurema's Dam' - introduced by Robert Silverberg

Hugo Award-nominated

'Continued on the Next Rock' - introduced by Nancy Kress

'Sky' - introduced by Gwenda Bond

Nebula Award-nominated

'In Our Block' - introduced by Neil Gaiman

And more stories introduced by other modern masters of SF who acknowledge R.A. Lafferty as a major influence and force in the field.

Series: S.F. Masterworks

View all
  • Flowers For Algernon
    Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes is a profoundly moving and thought-provoking novel that tells the story of Charlie Gordon, a kind-hearted and intellectually disabled man working as a floor sweeper in a bakery. Often the target of cruel jokes by his co-workers, Charlie dreams of being smart and accepted like others. His life takes a dramatic turn when he...
    Paperback
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Dispossessed
    The Principle of Simultaneity is a scientific breakthrough that will revolutionise interstellar civilisation by making possible instantaneous communication. It is the life work of Shevek, a brilliant physicist from the arid anarchist world of Anarres. However, Shevek's work is being stifled by jealous colleagues, so he travels to Anarres's sister-planet Urras, hoping to find more liberty and tolerance there. But...
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Neuromancer
    The book that defined the cyberpunk movement, inspiring everything from The Matrix to Cyberpunk 2077. The sky above the port was the colour of television, tuned to a dead channel. William Gibson revolutionised science fiction in his 1984 debut Neuromancer. The writer who gave us the matrix and coined the term 'cyberspace' produced a first novel that won the Hugo,...
    Paperback
    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy
    Welcome to the Best of the Masterworks: a selection of the finest in science fiction Arthur Dent thought his day was going badly when someone tried to demolish his house. Then someone demolished his planet. Rescued by his friend Fordβ€”who is not a human from Guilford, but an alien from somewhere in the vicinity of Betelgeuseβ€”Arthur is flung into an...
    Hardback
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Left Hand of Darkness
    'A rich and complex story of friendship and love' GUARDIAN 'Love doesn't just sit there, like a stone, it has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new.' Two people, until recently strangers, find themselves on a long, tortuous and dangerous journey across the ice. One is an outcast, forced to leave his beloved homeland; the other...
    Paperback
    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?
    World War Terminus had left the Earth devastated. Through its ruins, bounty hunter Rick Deckard stalked, in search of the renegade replicants who were his prey. When he wasn't 'retiring' them with his laser weapon, he dreamed of owning a live animal - the ultimate status symbol in a world all but bereft of animal life. Then Rick got his...
    Paperback
    $2300
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Book Of The New Sun: Volume 1
    An extraordinary epic, set a million years in the future, in the time of a dying sun, when our present culture is no longer even a memory. Severian, a torturer's apprentice, is exiled from his guild after falling in love with one of his prisoners. Ordered to the distant city of Thrax, armed with his ancient executioner's sword, Terminus Est,...
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $2999
    Backorder
    Ships late August
  • The Dispossessed
    One of the very best must-read novels of all time - with a new introduction by Roddy Doyle 'A well told tale signifying a good deal; one to be read again and again' THE TIMES 'The book I wish I had written ... It's so far away from my own imagination, I'd love to sit at my desk one day...
    Paperback
    $2600
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Hiero's Journey
    The world ended. People survived. Per Hiero Desteen was a priest, a telepathβ€”and a highly trained killer. Five thousand years after the apocalyptic event known only as The Death, Hiero is tasked with finding the secrets of the old world, which could protect his civilisation from massing enemies. The planet is not the same as it used to be. Mutations...
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $2999
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Left Hand of Darkness
    'A rich and complex story of friendship and love' GUARDIAN 'Love doesn't just sit there, like a stone, it has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new.' Two people, until recently strangers, find themselves on a long, tortuous and dangerous journey across the ice. One is an outcast, forced to leave his beloved homeland; the other...
    Paperback
    $2300
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • A Fire Upon the Deep
    In A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge, the far future cosmos is divided into 'zones of thought', an enigmatic partitioning of space where the intelligence and capabilities of minds are directly contingent upon their spatial location. From the sublime super-intelligent entities residing in the Transcend, to the rudimentary intellects tethered in the Unthinking Depths, this universe offers a...
    Paperback
    $2300
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Roadside Picnic
    The Strugatsky brothers' poignant and introspective novel of first contact that inspired the classic film Stalker. Red Schuhart is a stalker, one of those strange misfits who are compelled by some unknown force to venture illegally into the Zone and, in spite of the extreme danger, collect the mysterious artefacts that the alien visitors left scattered around. His life is...
    Paperback
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Best of R. A. Lafferty is often praised for its unique storytelling style and imaginative narratives, with many reviewers highlighting Lafferty's flair for inventiveness and surreal humour. Some readers appreciate the book's rich language and unconventional plots, noting that they offer a refreshing break from traditional science fiction and fantasy tropes. However, a few mention that the tales may not suit everyone due to their atypical structure and abstract themes.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781473213449

Publisher: Orion Publishing Co

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 04 April 2019

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Gollancz

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 36.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 318g

Pages: 464

About the Author

R. A. Lafferty (1914-2002)

Raphael Aloysius Lafferty was an American science fiction and fantasy writer born in Neola, Iowa. His first publication of genre interest was 'Day of the Glacier' with Science Fiction Stories in January 1960, although he continued to work in the electrical business until retiring to write full-time in 1970. Over the course of his writing career, Lafferty wrote thirty-two novels and more than two hundred short stories and he was known for his original use of language, metaphor and narrative structure.

More from Sci-Fi & Fantasy

View all
  • The Strength of the Few
    The highly anticipated follow-up to The Will of the Manyβ€”one of 2023's most lauded and bestselling fantasy novels. The Hierarchy still call me Vis Telimus. They still, as one, believe they know who I am. But with all that has happenedβ€”with what I fear is comingβ€”I am not sure it matters anymore. I am no longer one. I won the...
    Paperback
    $2899
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Project Hail Mary
    Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, the SUNDAY TIMES and NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of The Martian, offers a gripping new adventure in hard science fiction. With endorsement from notable figures such as Barack Obama and a slew of five-star reviews, this novel promises a thrilling and intellectually stimulating journey. Ryland Grace, a lone astronaut, finds himself on a...
    Paperback
    $2399
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    (4)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Red Rising
    The first book in the incredible New York Times bestselling series Darrow is a Helldiver, toiling beneath the surface of Mars. As a member of the Red caste, he performs grueling labor in the belief that his sacrifice will enable future generations to one day inhabit the surface of the Red Planet. The Reds are humankind's lowest caste, living in...
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Crossroads of Ravens
    THE GLOBAL PHENOMENON RETURNS... Every legend has an origin - and Geralt of Rivia's begins here. In this brand-new chapter of Andrzej Sapkowski's Witcher series, follow Geralt in his earliest days as a Witcher, as he faces monsters and humans alike. Discover the untold stories and encounters that shaped the iconic character known today. Crossroads of Ravens brings readers into...
    Paperback
    $2899
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Will of the Many
    Phenomenal! One of the best high fantasy novels I've read in yearsβ€”think Red Rising meets The Name of the Wind. I couldn't put it down. - LYNETTE NONI This new edition of book one in the Hierarchy series features never-before-seen bonus materials, including a full-colour map by the author, a note to the reader, and new cover art. AUDI. VICE....
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Wind and Truth
    The long-awaited explosive climax to the first arc of the Number One New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive. Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson sees Dalinar Kholin challenge the evil god Odium to a contest of champions with the future of Roshar on the line. The Knights Radiant have only ten days to prepare, and the sudden ascension of the...
    Paperback
    $3100
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Ministry of Time
    One of the 18 best novels of the year for the Sunday Times A book of the year for the New York Times, Guardian, Independent, Evening Standard, Spectator, Red, NPR, Vanity Fair, People, Slate, Advocate, Sydney Morning Herald, Globe and Mail, Den of Geek, Good Housekeeping, Goodreads, NetGalley and Smithsonian Magazine 'A sparkling delight' Observer 'Make room on your bookshelves...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    (2)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Assassin’s Apprentice
    Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb marks the beginning of an extraordinary adventure in the rich and immersive world of the Six Duchies. Set against the backdrop of a kingdom teetering on the brink of civil war, this gripping tale introduces readers to FitzChivalry Farseer, a royal bastard whose existence threatens the stability of the crown. When the crown prince's secret...
    Paperback
    $1900
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    Backorder
    Ships late August
  • I Who Have Never Known Men
    A haunting, heartbreaking tale of female friendship and intimacy that evokes the chilling atmospheres of The Handmaid's Tale and the desolate landscapes of The Road, I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman is a story that lingers long after the last page is turned. This gripping narrative takes us deep underground, where thirty-nine women are held in isolation...
    Paperback
    $2800
    Elsewhere:
    $3299
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Colour Illustrated Hobbit
    The Colour Illustrated Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien is a timeless classic that has enchanted readers for generations. This beloved tale follows Bilbo Baggins, a peace-loving hobbit from the quaint and picturesque Shire, who finds himself thrust into an epic journey far from the comforts of his cosy home. Charming and lively illustrations by Jemima Catlin breathe new life...
    Paperback
    $2700
    Elsewhere:
    $2999
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Blood Over Bright Haven
    A riveting dark academia fantasy about the limits of truth and power, from the author of The Sword of Kaigen. The first woman ever admitted to a prestigious order of mages unravels a secret conspiracy that could change the practice of magic forever, in this standalone dark fantasy from the author of The Sword of Kaigen. For twenty years, Sciona...
    Paperback
    $3400
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • The Great Dune Trilogy
    Frank Herbert's The Great Dune Trilogy plunges readers into an evocative and grandiose saga set on the desert planet of Arrakis. This richly detailed landscape becomes the focal point for a complex tapestry of political intrigue, military conflict, and galaxy-wide repercussions. Arrakis, also known as Dune, is the sole source of the spice melange, a valuable and highly sought-after substance...
    Paperback
    $3900
    Elsewhere:
    $4499
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.