A fantastic, fun collection of science fiction short stories! Lots of different characters and settings. You won't go wrong reading this one! ( )

I received this book for free from LibraryThing.com in exchange for a review.

I read a lot of SF but don't really care much for short stories. The stories here have appeared before but since I generally don't read SF magazines or anthologies, I haven't seen them.

Silverberg used to be one of my favorite authors in the late '60s and early '70s. I mostly liked this anthology as he is a master of the short story. There are 12 stories.

"In Another Country" (1989) - Catastrophe time traveling tourists go looking for past events they can rubberneck at. OK story

"Travelers" (1999) - In the distant future traveling between stars is easy. This story follows a group that, having nothing much better to do, travel from one tourist planet to another. OK story.

"Chip Runner" (1987) - Young man tries starving himself to shrink down to microchip size. Didn't really make any sense.

"Looking for the Fountain" (1992) - In an alternate 1500's, explorers in Florida discover the descendants of Crusaders. I din't really get this story at all.

"Ship-Sister, Star-Sister" (1972) - A ship on an interstellar voyage uses a pair of telepathic twins to communicate back to Earth. Then they encounter some sort of communication interference. One of my favorites. I apparently read the novel he based off this story but don't remember it.

"The Changeling" (1982) - A single tourist in Mexico finds himself in a world much like his own but different. For example, he now has a wife. Pretty good with a twist at the end.

"We Are For The Dark" (1988) - After the discovery of gateways that can transport to other worlds, a religion grows up to control the travel. But people don't seem to be following the rules the further they get from Earth. Another good one.

"The Trouble with Sempoanga" (1981) - Be careful you don't catch a disease from the locals or your vacation stay may never end. Also good.

"The Sixth Palace" (1965) - All you have to do to possess a great treasure is answer the questions asked by the giant robot guarding the hoard. A wrong answer is instant and horrible death. Another good one, and the shortest story.

"Why?" (1957) - A two-man interstellar exploration team start to wonder what they are doing out there. Good.

"The Pleasure of Their Company" (1969) - A planetary ruler escapes on his private spaceship when a revolution starts. His only company are recordings he made of his loved ones and some famous people from history. But they can't give him what he wants, absolution for running. Pretty good.

"Thebes of the Hundred Gates" (1991) - Novella length story of a member of the time service sent back to ancient Thebes to rescue fellow members of the service who never returned from a mission. Can a modern era human make a home for himself in the ancient world? Silverberg showed off his study of ancient Egypt in this well crafted story that had me guessing up to the last page as to the outcome. ( )

Voyagers: Twelve Journeys through Space and Time by Robert Silverberg is a very highly recommended, excellent collection of twelve science fiction stories of voyages. Science Fiction Grand Master Robert Silverberg has selected a sampling of twelve short stories/novellas that span his career from 1957 to 2021. All of the stories represent voyages of various kinds and are set in a wide range of time periods. The variety of stories are well-chosen and riveting, as well as thoroughly engrossing and entertaining. The quality of all the stories is excellent and Silverberg has chosen well from the plethora of choices found in his writing career. As with any collection of stories, some will resonate with you or capture your imagination more than others, but they really are all outstanding. Each story begins with a brief opening introduction by Silverberg.

Contents include:
Introduction by Robert Silverberg
In Another Country: This novella is set in the world of Vintage Season written by C.L. Moore and interweaves Silverberg's story in the world she created.
Travelers: A group of intergalactic tourists who visit various worlds visit a nightmare world of monsters.
Chip Runner: A young man wants to live in the subatomic space between electrons.
Looking For The Fountain: An alternate history story featuring Don Juan Ponce de Leon.
Ship-Sister, Star-Sister: A ship that is 16 million light years from earth can only communicate with Earth through the telepathic link of a twin with her sister who is still on Earth. He expanded the idea into a novel in 1996, Starborne.
The Changeling: A man on a vacation in Mexico suddenly finds himself in the life of a man in an alternate universe.
We Are For The Dark: A novella where a religious order chooses who leaves Earth to spread their beliefs through the universe.
The Trouble With Sempoanga: A tourist destination known as the most beautiful planet in the galaxy harbors a parasite which places you in permanent quarantine on the planet should you contract it.
The Sixth Palace: Two soldiers of fortune travel to a world where a treasure is guarded by a robot.
Why?: A team of two men who joined the External Exploration Corps and spend their time endlessly visiting and documenting new planets begin to question their career choice.
The Pleasure Of Their Company: A leader fleeing a junta only has AI copies of family, friends, and historic figures to keep him company as he journeys in space to his place of exile.
Thebes Of The Hundred Gates: A time traveler goes back to ancient Egyptian in search of previous travelers who didn't return.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Three Rooms Press via Library Thing in exchange for my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2021/04/voyagers.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3926084222 ( )

Robert Silverberg wasn’t a favorite back in the day, but I certainly read quite a few of his books. So when I saw Voyagers, I hoped to get reacquainted with some of his best stuff. And I did! All 12 pieces in the book were good, and often thought-provoking. The 70s and 80s vibe of most was nostalgic for me - I sometimes thought I was leafing through my collection of Omni magazines...

Definitely one for the fans of the era, but new readers will find a lot to enjoy here too. ( )

Voyages is classic Science Fiction at its best and Silverberg is the master. I have read most of the author’s novels but few of his large collection of short stories. Therefore, I was excited to get my hands on this book for review. It totally cemented my love and respect for Silverberg as one of my favorites in the genre.
This collection of short stories, twelve in total, showcases his prowess at writing short fiction. All the stories have been published in the past, mainly in magazines. Silverberg has written a short introduction to each that I found insightful. Not only does he explain a bit about how the story came about, he gives us a small look into his world and thought processes as a writer.
All the stories in the collection center on the theme of travel. Some stories, such as the first, In Another Country, involve time travel. Other stories involve travel in other forms. An example of this is Looking For the Fountain which involves an alternate universe. My favorite of the group, and the longest in this collection, is We Are For the Dark which involves traveling vast distances across space.
Regardless of how you like your travel, these stories are a fabulous curation. I highly recommend this anthology to lovers of classic Science Fiction. This is a book anyone would be proud to have in their collection.
I received a free copy from the publisher, via Library Thing’s Early Reviewer program, in exchange for my honest review. For more book reviews, and author interviews, see my blog at www.thespineview.com. ( )