The Sacerdotal Owl and Three Other Long Tales

Bishop’s illustrious career spans more than four decades, and this collection gathers four longer stories that showcase his talent for plumbing the depths of the human experience through science fiction. The title story, first published in 2003, takes the reader to Central America, where an archaeologist and his fiancée are embroiled in the spiritual life of the country’s inhabitants. “And Strange at Ecbatan the Trees” (1976) visits an alien civilization as they suffer through three calamities. “To the Land of Snow” (2012) chronicles the journey of a Buddhist colony hurtling through space, and the maturing of the next Dalai Lama. “The Gospel According to Gamaliel Crucis; or, The Astrogator’s Testimony” (1983) recounts (in scriptural form) the experience of an evangelist who believes the female insectoid alien he follows is the second coming of Christ. Both startling and intimate, this collection captures Bishop’s understanding of the human need to raise complicated questions and seek answers outside one’s self. Fans will appreciate having these familiar favorites in one place, and newcomers will find it an excellent introduction to the richness of Bishop’s fiction. (Aug.)