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3.0 

Anita

By Keith Roberts
Anita by Keith Roberts digital book - Fable

Publisher Description

Keith Roberts (1935-2000)
Keith Roberts was an English author and illustrator, who did more than most to define the look of UK Science fiction magazines in the sixties. He won four BFSA awards for his writing and his art, and edited the magazine Science Fantasy (later Impulse) for a time. He was also nominated for Hugo, Nebula (twice) and Arthur C. Clarke awards. He is perhaps best known for his seminal alternative history novel, Pavane, praised by George R. R. Martin: 'No alternate history novel of the past thirty years comes close to equalling Pavane'.

For more information see www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/roberts_keith

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Anita Reviews

3.0
“This collection of short stories first published in Science Fantasy magazine is so very, very British and so very, very 60s/70s. It was a trip to read. Keith Roberts is apparently well-regarded in some circles, and his Anita stories have attracted praise from such luminaries as Neil Gaiman, though they're now obscure and I'd never heard of Roberts over on this side of the pond. Anita Thompson is a witch, living in a little cottage in bucolic England with her grandmother, a cantankerous old gorgon who speaks in dialog so thick you could cut it with a meat-pie and swears by 'Him Wot's Down Under.' Anita was an early example of "contemporary" fantasy, presenting magic and supernatural creatures coexisting with the modern world. Anita and her Granny cast old-style magic spells and are supposedly dedicated to evil and damnation. They're actually no more evil than any teenager and her crotchety granny, so Anita's adventures often involve her suffering the consequences of violating Lovecraft's Law ("Do not call up that which you can't put down"). But it's also a "modern" comedic fantasy - Anita is fascinated with boys, fast cars, fast boys, etc. Anita is quite a swingin' gal, and has no compunctions about jumping anything in trousers. This probably made these stories a bit more salacious in the 70s. But there is also an air of mystery and even darkness in some of her stories, as when she animates a scarecrow on a whim, and then finds it's obsessed with her (and a bit of a perv), or when she has to rescue a captured mermaid, or when she has to deal with the return of a sand golem double she created in an earlier story. Most of the stories are light-hearted if a little sinister, though, such as when Anita brings a television into her cottage, over Granny's strenuous objections. Soon the old lady becomes addicted to quiz shows, leading to a catastrophic appearance at a TV studio. I wouldn't say these are must-reads, but if you like teenage witch stories and want to read something a little different, but which probably did influence, one way or another, subsequent incarnations of the trope from Sabrina to Willow (and Anita's grandmother is like a tougher, meaner Granny Weatherwax), and permeated in 70s British pop culture and slang, then give this collection a try. I debated over whether to give it 3 or 4 stars - I liked the book, but it's definitely dated. I ended up nudging it up, because the hardcover from Owlswick Press (there is an audiobook on Audible now, incidentally) has illustrations by Stephen Fabian, one of my favorite fantasy artists.”

About Keith Roberts

Keith Roberts (1935-2000) Keith Roberts was an English author and illustrator, who did more than most to define the look of UK Science fiction magazines in the sixties. He won four BFSA awards for his writing and his art, and edited the magazine Science Fantasy (later Impulse) for a time. He was also nominated for Hugo, Nebula (twice) and Arthur C. Clarke awards. He is perhaps best known for his seminal alternative history novel, Pavane, praised by George R. R. Martin: 'No alternate history novel of the past thirty years comes close to equalling Pavane'.

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