Playboy

Note: although it doesn't explicitly say that it is, this seems to be largely a revised and expanded edition of the earlier Playboy's Book of Limericks. There are around 650 limericks in that old book, and around 675 in this one. Of those, about 45 from the old book have been removed, and about 70 new ones added. The rest are the same - with some rewrites here and there. It's interesting to guess at the reasons for the deletions - certainly changes in cultural/societal norms account for some, and I think a few of the others got dropped because the rhyming was a bit crap.

An example of one of the rewrites may throw light on changes in gender politics (or at least the editors of Playboy's approach thereto) between 1972 and 2005:

FROM THE OLDER BOOK:
Despite Betty Friedan's fierce cry,
There are some rights we men must deny.
I think you'll allow, sirs,
That feminine trousers
Need not be equipped with a fly.

FROM THIS NEWER EDITION:
Said Betty Friedan with a cry,
"There are rights we won't be denied.
I think you'll allow, sirs,
That feminine trousers
Should all come equipped with a fly."

(Just a shame that the scansion and rhyme have suffered a bit in the update.)… (mere)

As some of you know, I'm a huge fan of classic SF short stories. The ones from the days of What If, the concise ones, that emphasized science and technology and ideas over characters and *L*iterary pretensions.

This book was just about perfect for me. There are lots of stories I've read before in other collections, but that's ok, as they're worth reading again. And the Notes that introduce the author & story get old and have nothing worth reading, but they're easily skipped or skimmed.

Best story, though not actually really representative, was Double Take, by [a:Jack Finney|6944|Jack Finney|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1243650090p2/6944.jpg], written before his famous [b:Time and Again|688562|Time and Again|Jack Finney|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1177233217s/688562.jpg|6887879].

I think you'd like it too, just on the basis you've read this review to the end and are considering doing so.

My beat-up mm pb avl for free to any US member - I'd really like to get it into the hands of at least one more reader. :)… (mere)