SOURCE: "'Eyes of Amber' and Other Stories and Phoenix in the Ashes and 'The Hunt of the Unicorn'," in Suzy McKee Chamas, Octavia Butler, Joan Vinge, by Marleen S. Barr, Ruth Salvaggio, and Richard Law, Starmont House, 1986, pp. 11-21, 52-9.

In the following excerpt, Law analyzes the principal themes in Vinge's short fiction.

Joan D. Vinge's "Eyes of Amber" and Other Stories (1979) includes six short works that appeared originally in different science-fiction publications between 1974 and 1977. One of the works, "Media Man," subsequently was incorporated by Vinge into a novella, "Legacy" (which will be discussed in the next chapter). "Eyes of Amber" and Other Stories exhibits Vinge's versatility. The diverse topics and themes, depth of understanding, fresh invention, engaging style and evocative power, and the uniform high quality of the works attest to her rich creative resources. This collection also signaled the increasing recognition of the talent of one...