The Cache

Philip Jose Farmer
a Jim Baen Presents: book

This book is a collection of a novelette, The Long Warpath (originally titled The Cache from uter Space), and two short stories, "Rastignac the Devil" and "They Twinkled Like Jewels."

Philip Jose Farmer knows how to keep a reader's attention. These stories are over thirty years old, but the content is not dated. Each of the stories captured my imagination and attention, then left me feeling a bit uneasy. "They Twinkled Like Jewels" has a twist at the end I have seen before, yet I was caught off guard by it. The second skins the populace wear in "Rastignac the Devil" are eerie, feeding off the beings wearing them.

The Long Warpath takes place in the distant future where modern man has eradicated himself. Now America has been repopulated with a (to us) more primitive tribal culture. If the reader is sharp, notice will be taken of current names turned into use in the future. Benoni, the hero, is from Fiiniks (Phoenix) of the Eyzonuh (Arizona) tribe. He travels east to find new land for his tribe. He meets many strange people and sees wonderful things. Benoni has to decide whether to do what is best for himself or for his people.

I found this book in a used book store. It was published in 1981, and does not seem to be available new anymore.

The Wind from a Burning Woman by Greg Bear