Buckets of Diamonds and Other Stories: The Complete Short Fiction of Clifford D. Simak, Volume 13

by Clifford D. Simak

This collection of stories from the Hugo Award–winning science fiction author ranges from alien planets to the more peculiar corners of the American landscape.

A pioneering voice in twentieth-century science fiction, Clifford D. Simak earned his place alongside such luminaries as Isaac Asimov and Ray Bradbury. While some of his stories imagined interplanetary space travel, many others depicted strange events in otherwise ordinary American towns—in what some readers would come to think of as “Simak Country.” This volume contains examples of each.

In “Horrible Example,” a small-town drunk reveals the extraordinary but essential role he plays in the community that shuns him. A space crew attempts to find substances on Jupiter that might help cure ailing humans back on Earth, in “Clerical Error.” And in the title story, a seemingly miraculous pile of treasure is scorned by a mysterious man of God.

Each story includes an introduction by David W. Wixon, literary executor of the Clifford D. Simak estate and editor of this ebook.

Genres: Short Stories, Science Fiction

334 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 13, 2023

About the author

"He was honored by fans with three Hugo awards and by colleagues with one Nebula award and was named the third Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) in 1977." (Wikipedia)

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifford...

Reviews

[Chuck McKenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clifford D. Simak was one of the absolute masters of 20th Century science fiction, his work consistently exploring strange, quirky and dark frontiers of the genre, with engrossing and sometimes quietly unsettling plots, relatable characters, and a true 'sense of wonder' that recalls the best of the Golden Age of SF. This set of fourteen collections of his short fiction is a wonderful showcase of the authors popularity and skill, and I highly recommend them to fans of both Simak specifically and of science fiction in general.

[Ray Smillie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a major fan of C D Simak and I thought that the short story collections ended at volume 12 so you can imagine my delight that two more volumes have been published. Like the earlier volumes I have no interest in his westerns, whilst his sci-fi work from the 40s is mostly written in a western style, not a compliment by the way. However, I am a completist and must have these volumes, particularly when you get gems like Marathon Photograph.

[Timothy · Rating 3 out of 5]

10 stories:

*** Horrible Example (1961)
*** Lobby (1944)
**** The Trouble with Ants (aka The Simple Way) (1951)
*** Buckets of Diamonds (1969)
*** The Fighting Doc of Bushwack Basin (1944)
*** ... And the Truth Shall Make You Free (1953)
*** Clerical Error (1940)
**** Shadow of Life (1943)
*** Infiltration (1943)
**** The Marathon Photograph (1974)