From Publishers Weekly
SF veteran Spider Robinson (The Callahan Chronicals) gathers 10 tales, most from the 1970s and '80s, into a collection that seems to owe more to the past (i.e., Robinson's 1960s sensibilities) than it does to the future. God Is an Iron and Other Stories includes the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning but dated "Stardance," in which the beautiful Shara must save the world through her dancing skills, as well as the slight and comic "Orphans of Eden," in which a character sharing the author's name helps a time traveler determine humanity's fate. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Four more titles in Five Star's new series of short fiction by noteworthy sf authors offer a variety of tales that illustrate the depth and staying power of the genre. God Is an Iron and Other Stories presents ten tales by sf veteran Robinson, including the author's classic novella "Stardance" (co-written with Jeanne Robinson), which relates the bittersweet tale of a dancer who finds her destiny among the stars. Sf author and editor Schmidt's Generation Gap and Other Stories consists of 11 stories that range from the title story's exploration of a meeting between a man and his younger self to the complications surrounding the revival of an extinct species ("Johnny Birdseed"). The Lady Vanishes and Other Oddities of Nature brings together 11 tales by sf veteran and scientist Sheffield, including a missing-person mystery ("The Lady Vanishes") and a wry look at the future of football ("The Whole Three Yards"). In Suppose They Gave a Peace and Other Stories, fantasy and sf author Shwartz collects ten stories that run the gamut from alternate history ("Suppose They Gave a Peace") to feline perceptions ("Critical Cats"). Most of the stories in these volumes have only appeared in periodicals. Libraries wishing to augment their sf or short fiction collections should consider any of them. Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
This relatively slim collection of high-quality short stories includes the story that launched Robinson's career, the Hugo and Nebula award winner "Stardance," coauthored by his wife, Jeanne. Another award winner is "Melancholy Elephants" (the title alone entices), and then there are the lead story, about the perils of computerized experience; the satire of fantasy "Local Champ"; "Soul Search," which puts an edge on the quest-for-lost-love theme; and several more. "Orphans of Eden" is self-referential, with Robinson appearing as a character in it, and the space-advocacy story "In the Olden Days," a homage to Heinlein, is fairly didactic even by the tolerant standards customarily applied to its ilk. An agreeable addition wherever Robinson and his muse--clearly a goodhearted if slightly brain-locked middle-aged hippie--attract readers; given his longevity, that seems to be a surprising number of places. Roland Green
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