Deep Space

by Eric Frank Russell

Selections from the Fantasy Press hardcover collection - stories in this volume are:

"The Witness"
"Last Blast"
"Home Saps"
"The Timid Tiger"
"A Little Oil"
"Rainbow's End"
"The Undecided"
"Second Genesis"

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Fiction

165 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1954

About the author

Eric Frank Russell was a British author best known for his science fiction novels and short stories. Much of his work was first published in the United States, in John W. Campbell's Astounding Science Fiction and other pulp magazines. Russell also wrote horror fiction for Weird Tales, and non-fiction articles on Fortean topics. A few of his stories were published under pseudonyms, of which Duncan H. Munro was used most often.

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Bantam paperback includes eight of the nine stories from the 1954 Fantasy Press first edition; for some reason they excluded First Person Singular. The stories originally appeared in various genre magazines from 1941-1952. None are among Russell's most famous, but are solid and entertaining examples of his short work. He was an excellent early practitioner of the hard sf/space opera genre, with a nice blend of wry irony and adventurous characters.

[Robert Hepple · Rating 3 out of 5]

First published in 1954, 'Deep Space' is a collection of 9 SF short stories originally published over the years 1941-1952. The stories have Russell's usual flippant style and are quick to read, though often a little predictable. The quality varies a little, with the best being (arguably) those first published in 'Astounding Science Fiction'. The printing history for this first published in magazines includes the month in which it was published, which is quite rare in these books.

[Jeremy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found myself intrigued by the stories as I started them but they all ended abruptly. It was like reading a story to find the last few pages ripped out. I did enjoy the final story 'Second Genesis,' easily the best story in the book.

[Kevin Connery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of Russell’s lesser works--and still better than average.

[SciFiOne · Rating 4 out of 5]

1983 grade B
2011 grade B on selected stories

short stories