Telzey Amberdon
Encyclopedia
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
short story (and novella) series by James H. Schmitz
James H. Schmitz
James Henry Schmitz was an American writer born in Hamburg, Germany of American parents.- Life :Aside from two years at business school in Chicago, Schmitz lived in Germany until 1938, leaving before World War II broke out in Europe in 1939.During World War II, Schmitz served as an aerial...
, taking place in his "The Federation of the Hub" fictional universe in mid-4th millennium. She is introduced as a fifteen-year-old genius, a first-year law student, living on the colonised planet Orado (whose name comes from Eldorado
El Dorado
El Dorado is the name of a Muisca tribal chief who covered himself with gold dust and, as an initiation rite, dived into a highland lake.Later it became the name of a legendary "Lost City of Gold" that has fascinated – and so far eluded – explorers since the days of the Spanish Conquistadors...
by a pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
). By interaction with alien psychic animals on a resort planet, she discovers that she has psychic
Psychic
A psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
powers. Upon return to her home planet, her abilities are recognized by a mechanism at the spaceport reentry gate and she is effectively made an agent of the Psychology Service. The series features one of the few imaginings of the internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
before its existence—although the system takes a half-hour to download a document of modest length.
A major pattern in the stories is the development of her powers. Eventually she teams up with the redhead secret agent Trigger Argee
Trigger Argee
Trigger Argee is a fictional character in a series of science fiction short stories by James H. Schmitz, starting from 1958. As her first name implies, she inherited the ability to be a crack shot with the sidearms of her day from her father. In the novel A Tale of Two Cocks she even operates...
. The series ends inconclusively; in the last story, a villain makes a duplicate of her, which is given a separate identity, rather than a derivative of Telzey's name.
The Telzey stories were originally published in Analog Science Fiction and Fact
Analog Science Fiction and Fact
Analog Science Fiction and Fact is an American science fiction magazine. As of 2011, it is the longest running continuously published magazine of that genre...
between 1962
1962 in literature
The year 1962 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*January 7 - In an article in the New York Times Book Review, Gore Vidal calls Evelyn Waugh "our time's first satirist."...
and 1972. The series was quite popular, often getting the cover illustration. Most of it was assembled in three fix-up
Fix-up
A fix-up is a novel created from short stories that may or may not have been initially related or previously published. The stories may be edited for consistency, and sometimes new connecting material—such as a frame story—is written for the new novel. The term was coined by the science fiction...
s: The Universe Against Her(Ace Books
Ace Books
Ace Books is the oldest active specialty publisher of science fiction and fantasy books. The company was founded in New York City in 1952 by Aaron A. Wyn, and began as a genre publisher of mysteries and westerns...
1964), The Lion Game and The Telzey Toy (both DAW Books
DAW Books
DAW Books is an American science fiction and fantasy publisher, founded by Donald A. Wollheim following his departure from Ace Books in 1971. The company therefore claims to be "the first publishing company ever devoted exclusively to science fiction and fantasy." The first DAW Book published was...
1973).
In 2000
2000 in literature
The year 2000 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* February 13 - Final original Peanuts comic strip is published...
all of the Telzey and Trigger stories were republished by Baen Books
Baen Books
Baen Books is an American publishing company established in 1983 by long time science fiction publisher and editor Jim Baen. It is a science fiction and fantasy publishing house that emphasizes space opera, hard science fiction, military science fiction, and fantasy...
, "edited and compiled" by Eric Flint
Eric Flint
Eric Flint is an American author, editor, and e-publisher. The majority of his main works are alternate history science fiction, but he also writes humorous fantasy adventures.- Career :...
into 3 fix-up
Fix-up
A fix-up is a novel created from short stories that may or may not have been initially related or previously published. The stories may be edited for consistency, and sometimes new connecting material—such as a frame story—is written for the new novel. The term was coined by the science fiction...
s with new connecting material by him: Telzey Amberdon, T'nT: Telzey & Trigger (where both heroes feature) and Trigger & Friends (dated January 2001, for Trigger only). The books remain in print as of June 2007 and were also made available for download at Baen Free Library
Baen Free Library
The Baen Free Library is a digital library of the science fiction and fantasy publishing house Baen Books where 112 full books can be downloaded free in a number of formats, without copy protection...
in 2005.
Stories
| Title | Analog issue (yyyy-mm) | | Collected in | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novice | 1962-06 | The Universe Against Her |
Telzey Amberdon |
| Undercurrrents | 1964-05, 1964–06 | ||
| Goblin Night | 1965-04 | The Lion Game | |
| Sleep No More | 1965-08 | ||
| Resident Witch | 1970-05 | The Telzey Toy | T'nT: Telzey & Trigger |
| Compulsion | 1970-06 | ||
| The Telzey Toy | 1971-01 | T'n'T (as "Ti's Toys") | |
| Company Planet | 1971-05 | T'nT: Telzey & Trigger | |
| Glory Day | 1971-06 | ||
| Poltergeist | 1971-07 | Telzey Amberdon | |
| The Lion Game | 1971–08 | The Lion Game | |
| Child of the Gods | 1972-03 | T'nT: Telzey & Trigger | |
| The Symbiotes | 1972-09 |
Note: T'nT: Telzey & Trigger includes as Prologue to "Compulsion" the Trigger-only story "The Pork Chop Tree", originally published in February 1965 Analog.
Books
- James H. SchmitzJames H. SchmitzJames Henry Schmitz was an American writer born in Hamburg, Germany of American parents.- Life :Aside from two years at business school in Chicago, Schmitz lived in Germany until 1938, leaving before World War II broke out in Europe in 1939.During World War II, Schmitz served as an aerial...
: The Universe Against Her. Ace BooksAce BooksAce Books is the oldest active specialty publisher of science fiction and fantasy books. The company was founded in New York City in 1952 by Aaron A. Wyn, and began as a genre publisher of mysteries and westerns...
(Berkley Publishing Group) 1964. ISBN 0-441-84577-0 (1984 reissue). - The Lion Game. DAW BooksDAW BooksDAW Books is an American science fiction and fantasy publisher, founded by Donald A. Wollheim following his departure from Ace Books in 1971. The company therefore claims to be "the first publishing company ever devoted exclusively to science fiction and fantasy." The first DAW Book published was...
1973. - The Telzey Toy. DAW 1973
-
- James H. Schmitz, edited and compiled by Eric FlintEric FlintEric Flint is an American author, editor, and e-publisher. The majority of his main works are alternate history science fiction, but he also writes humorous fantasy adventures.- Career :...
: Telzey Amberdon. Baen BooksBaen BooksBaen Books is an American publishing company established in 1983 by long time science fiction publisher and editor Jim Baen. It is a science fiction and fantasy publishing house that emphasizes space opera, hard science fiction, military science fiction, and fantasy...
, New York April 2000. ISBN 0-671-57851-0. Full text in Baen Free LibraryBaen Free LibraryThe Baen Free Library is a digital library of the science fiction and fantasy publishing house Baen Books where 112 full books can be downloaded free in a number of formats, without copy protection...
. - James H. Schmitz, edited by first Eric Flint: T'n'T: Telzey & Trigger (full text in Baen Free Library). Baen Books, July 2000. ISBN 0-671-57879-0.
- James H. Schmitz, edited and compiled by Eric Flint
-
External links
- Review of Telzey Amberdon by Peter D. Tillman at SF Site
- "Telzey Amberdon, age 15, is a genius, a law student, and a psi supergirl who can save the Federation in a fortnight, and still make it home in time for her sixteenth birthday party."
- Telzey Amberdon on Schmitz fan website; includes her picture by Frank Kelly FreasFrank Kelly FreasFrank Kelly Freas , called the "Dean of Science Fiction Artists", was a science fiction and fantasy artist with a career spanning more than 50 years.-Early life, education, and personal life:...
and scans of covers and illustrations of individual stories on subpages - Original Edition of edited Schmitz Stories in Baen Free Library – contains "Undercurrents", "Poltergeist", "The Star Hyacinths" and Trigger-only novel Legacy
- Telzey Amberdon series in William G. Contento's Index to Science Fiction Anthologies and Collections
- Telzey Amberdon series in LocusLocus (magazine)Locus, subtitled "The Magazine Of The Science Fiction & Fantasy Field", is published monthly in Oakland, California. It reports on the science fiction and fantasy publishing field, including comprehensive listings of all new books published in the genre. It is considered the news organ and trade...
Index to Science Fiction: 2000 and in the 1984–98 volume