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American Science Fiction: Five Classic Novels 1956–1958: Double Star / The Stars My Destination / A Case of Conscience / Who? / The Big Time
This second of two volumes surveying the best science fiction novels of the 1950s presents works by five of the field’s most admired and influential practitioners. In Robert A. Heinlein’s Double Star (1956), an actor forced to impersonate a twenty-second-century political leader intent on forging bonds between Earthlings and Martians learns hard lessons about the nature of power. Alfred Bester’s The Stars My Destination (1956), which Neil Gaiman has called “the perfect cyberpunk novel,” is a classic revenge tale set in a nightmarish future dominated by corporations.
In James Blish’s A Case of Conscience (1958), space voyagers on the remote planet Lithia find themselves challenged by the values of an alien civilization. Algis Budrys’s Who? (1958) unleashes Cold War anxieties about technology and human identity with its story of a scientist rebuilt beyond recognition after a devastating accident. Set in “the Place,” a bar and bordello in the backwater of time’s stream, Fritz Leiber’s The Big Time (1958) explores the implications of the “Change War,” an endless cosmic struggle in which shadowy antagonists dart in and out of history in a contest to control destiny.
The range of styles—by turns adventurous, satiric, incisive—is as varied as the themes addressed by these novels, all now acknowledged as American classics. Together they mark an explosively entertaining era in modern fiction.
In James Blish’s A Case of Conscience (1958), space voyagers on the remote planet Lithia find themselves challenged by the values of an alien civilization. Algis Budrys’s Who? (1958) unleashes Cold War anxieties about technology and human identity with its story of a scientist rebuilt beyond recognition after a devastating accident. Set in “the Place,” a bar and bordello in the backwater of time’s stream, Fritz Leiber’s The Big Time (1958) explores the implications of the “Change War,” an endless cosmic struggle in which shadowy antagonists dart in and out of history in a contest to control destiny.
The range of styles—by turns adventurous, satiric, incisive—is as varied as the themes addressed by these novels, all now acknowledged as American classics. Together they mark an explosively entertaining era in modern fiction.
835 pages, Hardcover
First published September 27, 2012
16 people are currently reading
302 people want to read
About the author
Gary K. Wolfe
33 books44 followersGary K. Wolfe is Emeritus Professor of Humanities at Roosevelt University and the author, most recently, of Evaporating Genres: Essays on Fantastic Literature and Sightings: Reviews 2002–2006. He writes regular review columns for Locus magazine and the Chicago Tribune, and co-hosts with Jonathan Strahan the Hugo-nominated Coode Street Podcast.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
November 26, 2012
impressive stuff. to succumb to cliche, 50s scifi is the litpulp equivalent of 70s punk meets 60s garage psychedelia: this collection (with its sister volume) then being a kind of literary version of 'nuggets'. i've often dreamed of a 'ramones program' whereby i could pump in any song and have a version come out as if recorded by the ramones around the time of their first album. this is something like that.
October 11, 2012
Double Star by Robert A Heinlen
Laurence, or “the great Lorenzo” might not admit it to himself, but he’s a washed-up has-been of an actor not quite succeeding at eking out a living. That is, until he runs into a potential employer who isn’t quite whom he appears to be. Soon Lorenzo is studying for the greatest role he’s likely ever to play, and the stakes have become far higher than he expected. Heinlen explores the notions of the self in double star, and how one person quite literally becomes another. This is a story of personal alchemy, and the psychological changes the protagonist undergoes are far more vast than the ones that are merely skin-deep. Double Star is best described as a futuristic political thriller, and delivers a satisfying close leaving me with much to mull over.
The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester
This is yet another novel that I’ve heard much about that I’m glad I’ve had an opportunity to read. At the end of the day I’m a bit torn how I feel about the story, and need a bit more time to reflect on how everything fits together. Gully Foyle behaves more as an anti-hero rather than protagonist, though readers can’t help but cheer for his efforts, I’m sure. He comes across a bit as an imp of the perverse, upsetting the cosmic apple cart in the process. He begins his journey at the bottom—a victim—but by the time the story draws to a close he takes on almost godlike proportions. Bester envisions an almost dystopian future, and the concept of jaunting is certainly a fascinating one with far-reaching implications. This story touches on a lot of sociological issues, and makes me think a lot of Ayn Rand’s fiction for some reason. The telling itself leaves me a bit cold, however, as we’re experiencing the world through an omniscient third-person viewpoint. This might, however, be my contemporary tastes coming into play, however. At an rate, The Stars My Destination is a powerful story that will stay with me for a long time.
A Case of Conscience by James Blish
In this novel, Blish answers the question of “What if there were sentient life on another planet?” A thoroughly uncomfortable story that reprises the disastrous consequences of the Spanish conquest of South America, A Case of Conscience examines the repercussions of human contact on the planet of Lithia. All four scientists who numbered among the initial contact expedition to Lithia are changed. Our primary character is a Jesuit priest and scientist, Father Ruez-Sanchez, and the very basis of his faith is called into question by the inhabitants of Lithia, who possess absolutely no faith as a reason for moral guidance. A gift given to him by a well-meaning Lithian in turn has unintended consequences. At a glance, this story pokes at reason vs. faith, but at heart remains a cautionary tale about the dangers of subjective thinking. The world-building of Lithia is hauntingly beautiful, a kind of savage Garden of Eden. This is, as always, a difficult story to read, and one that can definitely lead to lively discussions.
Who? By Algis Budrys
This is another story that’s fascinating to read in the aftermath of the Cold War. Lucas Martino was a genius scientist working on a top-secret project near the enemy lines when things went awry, and he was horribly injured in the resultant explosion. This was exactly the gap the Soviets were looking for, and they picked him up, and patched him up. The only complication for him was that he was almost unidentifiable—much of him had become mechanical. Now he became a bone of contention between the two sides. The Soviet colonel Azarin doesn’t want to let Martino return. What I appreciate about how this story is written is Budrys understands how to use the different viewpoint characters with their unreliable viewpoints to the best effect to create tension. Right up until the last, we are never entirely sure just *who* the mostly mechanical man is.
The Big Time by Fritz Leiber
The last of the novels included in this collection, The Big Time is also my least favourite. To be honest, I struggled to keep up with the cast of characters, terms and settings. I also suspect the fault lies with the reader and not so much the author. That being said, Leiber does a fascinating job of mashing up different eras with his characters, and leaves me guessing the whole time with regard to what’s actually going on. For some bizarre reason, I’m reminded of Anthony Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange in the telling. Still, there is something enigmatic about The Big Time that I enjoyed, and I’m glad I read it.
I’ll be honest, I wouldn’t ordinarily have picked up these novels on their own. When I was a kid I read *a lot* of SF. I didn’t always *get* what I was reading (as in the cultural/historical contexts) but was nonetheless utterly fascinated by the imaginations of these classic authors. So, I’ll admit that the idea to have five classic novels lumped together offered the incentive for me to bite, and consider reading these novels in clump to gain some sort of comparative perspective.
On a very shallow level, I find it fascinating to see authors try to envision future technology. Now, many decades since these novels were published, things have turned out very differently. Small details, such as *how* we communicate, and how we store and retrieve information—I don’t think many could conceive of these possibilities back then, and it shows.
Sociologically speaking, there was so much emphasis on the implied threat of the Cold War, of capitalism vs. communism. Now, in our post-modern world, it’s more the War on Terror that seems to have captured mankind’s fixation. With Soviets out of the picture, we look with a wary eye toward China.
What is also apparent to me, as both editor and reader, is how our language usage has shifted, especially when employing point of view within genre fiction. For that very reason, I did find some of these stories a bit more challenging than others.
Another point of difference is how women are portrayed in SF. For some reason the discrimination didn’t bother me as much when I was a teen exploring classic SF for the first time. But now, the lack of three-dimensional female characters bothered me.
My final verdict: if you’re a serious collector of genre fiction, or are looking to get stuck into a decent collection as a first intro, you can’t do wrong with this selection. There’s a strong cross-section, memorable characters and thought-provoking stories. I appreciated the ride very much and am glad I invested the time in the reading. I might not have gelled with each author’s style as much, but sometimes there are reads that are important as snapshots of a particular zeitgeist, and this anthology says a lot about the hopes and dreams of the 1950s.
Laurence, or “the great Lorenzo” might not admit it to himself, but he’s a washed-up has-been of an actor not quite succeeding at eking out a living. That is, until he runs into a potential employer who isn’t quite whom he appears to be. Soon Lorenzo is studying for the greatest role he’s likely ever to play, and the stakes have become far higher than he expected. Heinlen explores the notions of the self in double star, and how one person quite literally becomes another. This is a story of personal alchemy, and the psychological changes the protagonist undergoes are far more vast than the ones that are merely skin-deep. Double Star is best described as a futuristic political thriller, and delivers a satisfying close leaving me with much to mull over.
The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester
This is yet another novel that I’ve heard much about that I’m glad I’ve had an opportunity to read. At the end of the day I’m a bit torn how I feel about the story, and need a bit more time to reflect on how everything fits together. Gully Foyle behaves more as an anti-hero rather than protagonist, though readers can’t help but cheer for his efforts, I’m sure. He comes across a bit as an imp of the perverse, upsetting the cosmic apple cart in the process. He begins his journey at the bottom—a victim—but by the time the story draws to a close he takes on almost godlike proportions. Bester envisions an almost dystopian future, and the concept of jaunting is certainly a fascinating one with far-reaching implications. This story touches on a lot of sociological issues, and makes me think a lot of Ayn Rand’s fiction for some reason. The telling itself leaves me a bit cold, however, as we’re experiencing the world through an omniscient third-person viewpoint. This might, however, be my contemporary tastes coming into play, however. At an rate, The Stars My Destination is a powerful story that will stay with me for a long time.
A Case of Conscience by James Blish
In this novel, Blish answers the question of “What if there were sentient life on another planet?” A thoroughly uncomfortable story that reprises the disastrous consequences of the Spanish conquest of South America, A Case of Conscience examines the repercussions of human contact on the planet of Lithia. All four scientists who numbered among the initial contact expedition to Lithia are changed. Our primary character is a Jesuit priest and scientist, Father Ruez-Sanchez, and the very basis of his faith is called into question by the inhabitants of Lithia, who possess absolutely no faith as a reason for moral guidance. A gift given to him by a well-meaning Lithian in turn has unintended consequences. At a glance, this story pokes at reason vs. faith, but at heart remains a cautionary tale about the dangers of subjective thinking. The world-building of Lithia is hauntingly beautiful, a kind of savage Garden of Eden. This is, as always, a difficult story to read, and one that can definitely lead to lively discussions.
Who? By Algis Budrys
This is another story that’s fascinating to read in the aftermath of the Cold War. Lucas Martino was a genius scientist working on a top-secret project near the enemy lines when things went awry, and he was horribly injured in the resultant explosion. This was exactly the gap the Soviets were looking for, and they picked him up, and patched him up. The only complication for him was that he was almost unidentifiable—much of him had become mechanical. Now he became a bone of contention between the two sides. The Soviet colonel Azarin doesn’t want to let Martino return. What I appreciate about how this story is written is Budrys understands how to use the different viewpoint characters with their unreliable viewpoints to the best effect to create tension. Right up until the last, we are never entirely sure just *who* the mostly mechanical man is.
The Big Time by Fritz Leiber
The last of the novels included in this collection, The Big Time is also my least favourite. To be honest, I struggled to keep up with the cast of characters, terms and settings. I also suspect the fault lies with the reader and not so much the author. That being said, Leiber does a fascinating job of mashing up different eras with his characters, and leaves me guessing the whole time with regard to what’s actually going on. For some bizarre reason, I’m reminded of Anthony Burgess’s A Clockwork Orange in the telling. Still, there is something enigmatic about The Big Time that I enjoyed, and I’m glad I read it.
I’ll be honest, I wouldn’t ordinarily have picked up these novels on their own. When I was a kid I read *a lot* of SF. I didn’t always *get* what I was reading (as in the cultural/historical contexts) but was nonetheless utterly fascinated by the imaginations of these classic authors. So, I’ll admit that the idea to have five classic novels lumped together offered the incentive for me to bite, and consider reading these novels in clump to gain some sort of comparative perspective.
On a very shallow level, I find it fascinating to see authors try to envision future technology. Now, many decades since these novels were published, things have turned out very differently. Small details, such as *how* we communicate, and how we store and retrieve information—I don’t think many could conceive of these possibilities back then, and it shows.
Sociologically speaking, there was so much emphasis on the implied threat of the Cold War, of capitalism vs. communism. Now, in our post-modern world, it’s more the War on Terror that seems to have captured mankind’s fixation. With Soviets out of the picture, we look with a wary eye toward China.
What is also apparent to me, as both editor and reader, is how our language usage has shifted, especially when employing point of view within genre fiction. For that very reason, I did find some of these stories a bit more challenging than others.
Another point of difference is how women are portrayed in SF. For some reason the discrimination didn’t bother me as much when I was a teen exploring classic SF for the first time. But now, the lack of three-dimensional female characters bothered me.
My final verdict: if you’re a serious collector of genre fiction, or are looking to get stuck into a decent collection as a first intro, you can’t do wrong with this selection. There’s a strong cross-section, memorable characters and thought-provoking stories. I appreciated the ride very much and am glad I invested the time in the reading. I might not have gelled with each author’s style as much, but sometimes there are reads that are important as snapshots of a particular zeitgeist, and this anthology says a lot about the hopes and dreams of the 1950s.
August 14, 2015
Who? presents an interesting dilemma: How does a man whose face and fingerprints were annihilated by an accident prove who he is? On the other hand, how is someone else to believe he is who he says he is?
The novel in brief: An American scientist working on a top secret project is returned to the Americans by the Soviets, but he’s been fitted with a metal helmet/mask. According to the man in the mask, his lab had an explosion and the Soviets swept in and captured him. He was so badly injured that the Soviets had to put him in the surgically implanted mask. It cannot be removed.
Is he who he says he is? It’s a great idea for a novel – what makes us what we are? How do others identify and recognize us? And Who? explores these issues.
The novel is written as a mystery that’s not completely solved until the end (though it is predictable). It’s an interesting read – with some suspense and some well-formed characters.
But the author fails, I believe, in his attempt to present both points of view – the man himself and the agent trying to determine if he’s telling the truth. I think that gives away too much of story. Told from one perspective or the other, I think the story would have been much more compelling.
Also, the novel would have been better served not to answer the question. (Though I think it did answer it pretty early on.) It would have been better to end at chapter 13 where the agent asked the man in the metal mask if he is indeed the person he says he is. The man in the mask says, “No.”
Is he telling the truth? Or is he just fed up? Or is he now unsure after trying so long to prove himself?
The rest of the novel ties up all the loose ends. That’s too bad.
Overall, it’s a pleasant read. It has more well-formed characters than some sci-fi novels. It’s not a must-read, but if you enjoy sci-fi and want some light reading for the train/beach, this is a good choice.
Side Note: My Homage to Abbott and Costello
- I read Who?
- What?
- The book, Who?
- You read what?
- Who?
- Are you talking about author?
- No the book. Who?
- The book what?
- No, that’s a different book.
- What?
- Yes. That is a different book.
- What did you say you read?
- Who?
- Hu the Chinese author?
- No, the book – Who?
- Who what?
- Just Who?
- You are talking about whom?
- No, it’s Who?
- That’s not proper grammar.
- That’s the book.
- What?
- I thought we covered that. That’s a different book.
- Please don’t tell me about the books you read.
The novel in brief: An American scientist working on a top secret project is returned to the Americans by the Soviets, but he’s been fitted with a metal helmet/mask. According to the man in the mask, his lab had an explosion and the Soviets swept in and captured him. He was so badly injured that the Soviets had to put him in the surgically implanted mask. It cannot be removed.
Is he who he says he is? It’s a great idea for a novel – what makes us what we are? How do others identify and recognize us? And Who? explores these issues.
The novel is written as a mystery that’s not completely solved until the end (though it is predictable). It’s an interesting read – with some suspense and some well-formed characters.
But the author fails, I believe, in his attempt to present both points of view – the man himself and the agent trying to determine if he’s telling the truth. I think that gives away too much of story. Told from one perspective or the other, I think the story would have been much more compelling.
Also, the novel would have been better served not to answer the question. (Though I think it did answer it pretty early on.) It would have been better to end at chapter 13 where the agent asked the man in the metal mask if he is indeed the person he says he is. The man in the mask says, “No.”
Is he telling the truth? Or is he just fed up? Or is he now unsure after trying so long to prove himself?
The rest of the novel ties up all the loose ends. That’s too bad.
Overall, it’s a pleasant read. It has more well-formed characters than some sci-fi novels. It’s not a must-read, but if you enjoy sci-fi and want some light reading for the train/beach, this is a good choice.
Side Note: My Homage to Abbott and Costello
- I read Who?
- What?
- The book, Who?
- You read what?
- Who?
- Are you talking about author?
- No the book. Who?
- The book what?
- No, that’s a different book.
- What?
- Yes. That is a different book.
- What did you say you read?
- Who?
- Hu the Chinese author?
- No, the book – Who?
- Who what?
- Just Who?
- You are talking about whom?
- No, it’s Who?
- That’s not proper grammar.
- That’s the book.
- What?
- I thought we covered that. That’s a different book.
- Please don’t tell me about the books you read.
August 20, 2018
This two book set has been on my list for a while and I finally finished this volume. I would say it is pretty essential reading if you are at all interested in science-fiction or weird/speculative fiction. The biggest stand outs to me were Alfred Bester's "The Stars my Destination" that was quite honestly a revelation in how early its ideas about an anti-hero in a world dominated by corporations could pre-date cyberpunk or the new wave. Next, for me, would be "The Big Time" by Fritz Leiber that anchors a raucous time-traveling story in a brothel. "Who?" by Algis Budrys was another piece that stood out, a bit more quiet, but incredibly interesting. Also, "Double Star" by Heinlein was one of the best Heinlein works I've read. And only "A Case of Conscience" by Blish being a bit of a dud for me. Anyway I can't wait to dive into the other collection. I really found some gems that were so far ahead of their time.
June 27, 2013
To be honest, I've only finished the first 2 stories within this compilation, but will have to put it aside for the time being. The second story was quite intriguing but confusing, as it involved a completely different syntax in the future people's language as well as very different social organization than our current system. Overall, however, it was an enjoyable story but not nearly as enjoyable as the initial story.
January 16, 2014
Loved the first story and then I had to return it to the library. I hope to check it out again and finish it. I really enjoy this style of scifi writing.
September 4, 2018
This handsomely produced volume contains five SF stories from the specified period:
Double Star by Robert A. Heinlein
The Stars My Destination (aka Tiger! Tiger!) by Alfred Bester
A Case of Conscience by James Blish
Who? by Algis Budrys
The Big Time by Fritz Leiber
It is a scholarly edition, with interesting and useful biographical notes and notes on the text. The text of The Stars My Destination, for instance, is considerably better than that of my old Penguin edition of Tiger! Tiger!, which I had innocently assumed was as the author originally intended, but which (I now find) had been mucked about (p. 814 in the present work) — by whom not being entirely clear.
Since these individually already have plenty of reviews, there seems little need to say more; except perhaps that stylistically (and in content, as well), Bester’s work stands out like a flat chest at a beauty contest.
And that this book is apparently subsumed in American Science Fiction: Nine Classic Novels of the 1950s.
Double Star by Robert A. Heinlein
The Stars My Destination (aka Tiger! Tiger!) by Alfred Bester
A Case of Conscience by James Blish
Who? by Algis Budrys
The Big Time by Fritz Leiber
It is a scholarly edition, with interesting and useful biographical notes and notes on the text. The text of The Stars My Destination, for instance, is considerably better than that of my old Penguin edition of Tiger! Tiger!, which I had innocently assumed was as the author originally intended, but which (I now find) had been mucked about (p. 814 in the present work) — by whom not being entirely clear.
Since these individually already have plenty of reviews, there seems little need to say more; except perhaps that stylistically (and in content, as well), Bester’s work stands out like a flat chest at a beauty contest.
And that this book is apparently subsumed in American Science Fiction: Nine Classic Novels of the 1950s.
May 31, 2024
One of the things I enjoy about older science fiction is the opportunity to re-read novels I read years ago. Another is finding novels by science fiction authors of books I never knew about. Of course, one of the most interesting things about older science fiction is that it often represents a projection of the future; when those projections diverge from the current time represented by those projects, the science fiction looks quaint. Most of the science fiction I’ve read is deeper in meaning than the surface story. Heinlein’s “Double Star” is, on the surface, a simple story about the need for an actor to portray someone else and the actions needed to make that happen. But it’s a story with deeper meaning about commitment, responsibility, finding out about ones self, leadership, and doing the “right thing”. That’s what makes this anthology so interesting, not the projections about the future. Yes, some of the simplifications about space travel (and other things) are a bit silly, but they’re based on the state of technology of the time. Through NASA’s experience with space walks we’ve found that putting on a space suit is not like putting on coveralls. It’s far more complex because of things like oxygen pre-breathing, multipart suits, and the complexities of microgravity. Those simplifications are necessary to move the story along. None of these stories are like Star Wars, Star Trek, Alien, etc. because they were written in a time before personal computers, cell phones and tablets, and smart watches. But they’re fun to read.
June 11, 2025
Read this book to continue my quest for Hugo’s, focusing mainly on Double Star. It offers a fun, lighthearted view of politics in a sci-fi setting. I continued by reading The Stars My Destination which is a must read for anyone who likes blade runner. It is classic cyber-punk. Finally, Who? was an interesting story told at a slower pace that focused on character introspection. It reminded me of Man in the High Castle as it doesn’t take place in the distant future and has very minimal sci-fi elements.
March 4, 2023
It's difficult to really rate this book as it's a collection of novels who are pretty different. But I'll give it five stars because it was an interesting sampling of five very different stories.
Several of them, especially "the stars my destination", were really showing their age especially in their treatment of women.
Individually I'd rate them:
Double Star: 5/5
The stars my destination: 2/5
A case of conscience: 4/5
Who?: 4.5/5
Big Time: 4/5
Several of them, especially "the stars my destination", were really showing their age especially in their treatment of women.
Individually I'd rate them:
Double Star: 5/5
The stars my destination: 2/5
A case of conscience: 4/5
Who?: 4.5/5
Big Time: 4/5
Read
July 23, 2019The Stars My Destination / Double Star
July 30, 2024
Heinlein ***
Bester ****
Blish ***
Budry ****
Leiber *
Bester ****
Blish ***
Budry ****
Leiber *
December 10, 2015
*NOTE: This is my husband, Seth's review, as he is helping me catch up on my review pile.*
3.5 Stars.
While not an elegant title for a book, it is quite accurate. Once you crack it open you find quite a few stories in it. The running time on this book if you are going to read it from cover to cover is quite long. You’re looking at a little over 20 hours of reading, possibly more.
The first story in this collection is Double Star by Robert Heinlein. It follows the life of a has been actor who takes on a role of a lifetime. Quite literally it seems. While slow paced, it has a knack of keeping you interested to find out what happens to ‘The Great Lorenzo’. Overall, the story seems quite credible for science fiction. It keeps away from anything too exotic like light speed travel and all the other staples of sci-fi stories like giant star ships etc. The only thing unrealistic about it is the presence if aliens on Mars, but as this was something written back in the 50’s it’s to be expected seeing as how practically all planets in the solar system were perceived as being inhabited. I give this story in the collection a 4/5.
The second story in this collection is The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester. This covers an alternate history where sometime after man began to colonize other planets in the solar system and the asteroid belt, they discovered how to teleport(jaunt). This has a huge impact on how the world economy works. Cities spring up in unlikely places. Roads are left in disrepair. Telepathy becomes a thing with some people as well. This story focuses on the life of Gully Foyle who is left to die in space only to eventually track down and get his vengeance on those who left him to die. This story is much faster paced than the last one, which was a nice respite. I give this one as well a 4/5.
The third story in this collection is A Case of Conscience by James Blish. This one follows the story of three men contacting an alien race for man for the first time. They aren’t nearly as advanced as man is in some aspects of technology because the planet they evolved on didn’t have enough heavy metals to do much with. But they had managed to develop flight with what was available to them. The three men observe and collect information on the aliens up until they have to leave. Upon leaving they are gifted with one of the alien young to take back to Earth with them. While I enjoyed this story somewhat, it left me wanting more from it I think. I can’t explain what. Anyways, I give this one a 3.5/5.
The fourth story in this collection is WHO? By Algis Budrys. This one follows a cold war scenario with more technology than was available in our history. A man who was thought to have been dead was brought back from Russia, but his identity can’t be confirmed because all his identifying characteristics have been replaced by mechanical items. No teeth, no fingerprints, even his eyes have been replaced. As such, he is under suspicion for the whole rest of his life on whether he is an American or in reality a Russian spy. I also give this one a 3.5/5.
The last story in this long winded collection is The Big Time by Fritz Leiber. It covers something called the Change War. It follows an entertainer who is stuck outside of space and time along with several others. They ostensibly ‘entertain’ time travelers who combat different scenarios in history where things could have gone horribly wrong. To be honest, I thought it was a quite boring story and was just glad to be done with this collection. I give this one a 2/5.
3.5 Stars.
While not an elegant title for a book, it is quite accurate. Once you crack it open you find quite a few stories in it. The running time on this book if you are going to read it from cover to cover is quite long. You’re looking at a little over 20 hours of reading, possibly more.
The first story in this collection is Double Star by Robert Heinlein. It follows the life of a has been actor who takes on a role of a lifetime. Quite literally it seems. While slow paced, it has a knack of keeping you interested to find out what happens to ‘The Great Lorenzo’. Overall, the story seems quite credible for science fiction. It keeps away from anything too exotic like light speed travel and all the other staples of sci-fi stories like giant star ships etc. The only thing unrealistic about it is the presence if aliens on Mars, but as this was something written back in the 50’s it’s to be expected seeing as how practically all planets in the solar system were perceived as being inhabited. I give this story in the collection a 4/5.
The second story in this collection is The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester. This covers an alternate history where sometime after man began to colonize other planets in the solar system and the asteroid belt, they discovered how to teleport(jaunt). This has a huge impact on how the world economy works. Cities spring up in unlikely places. Roads are left in disrepair. Telepathy becomes a thing with some people as well. This story focuses on the life of Gully Foyle who is left to die in space only to eventually track down and get his vengeance on those who left him to die. This story is much faster paced than the last one, which was a nice respite. I give this one as well a 4/5.
The third story in this collection is A Case of Conscience by James Blish. This one follows the story of three men contacting an alien race for man for the first time. They aren’t nearly as advanced as man is in some aspects of technology because the planet they evolved on didn’t have enough heavy metals to do much with. But they had managed to develop flight with what was available to them. The three men observe and collect information on the aliens up until they have to leave. Upon leaving they are gifted with one of the alien young to take back to Earth with them. While I enjoyed this story somewhat, it left me wanting more from it I think. I can’t explain what. Anyways, I give this one a 3.5/5.
The fourth story in this collection is WHO? By Algis Budrys. This one follows a cold war scenario with more technology than was available in our history. A man who was thought to have been dead was brought back from Russia, but his identity can’t be confirmed because all his identifying characteristics have been replaced by mechanical items. No teeth, no fingerprints, even his eyes have been replaced. As such, he is under suspicion for the whole rest of his life on whether he is an American or in reality a Russian spy. I also give this one a 3.5/5.
The last story in this long winded collection is The Big Time by Fritz Leiber. It covers something called the Change War. It follows an entertainer who is stuck outside of space and time along with several others. They ostensibly ‘entertain’ time travelers who combat different scenarios in history where things could have gone horribly wrong. To be honest, I thought it was a quite boring story and was just glad to be done with this collection. I give this one a 2/5.
November 9, 2018
Este volumen del recopilatorio doble que publica la
Librería de América
incluye 5 novelas clásicas de la Ciencia Ficción, publicadas en la segunda mitad de la década de los 1950's:
1) Double Star, de Robert A. HEINLEIN comienza el tomo de manera un poco floja, No es el mejor trabajo de HEINLEIN, pero ganó el Premio Hugo a la Mejor Novela en 1956. (2 estrellas; mi reseña aquí)
2) The Stars My Destination, de Alfred BESTER , me gustó mucho más, en particular la descripción que hace de la sinestesia. En el momento de su publicación no fue muy bien recibida, pero ha ganado apreciación con el tiempo, y autores reconocidos como Samuel R. Delany y Robert SILVERBERG la mencionan como una de las mejores del género. También se le reconoce influencias importantes en el desarollo del género cyberpunk. (3 estrellas; mi reseña aquí)
3) A Case of Conscience, de James BLISH , ¡todavía mejor! Primera vez que veo a un sacerdote jesuita como personaje de una novela de ciencia ficción. Ganó el Premio Hugo en 1959. (4 estrellas; mi reseña aquí)
4) Who?, de Algis BUDRYS Después de la novela anterior, ésta ya no me pareció tan buena. Aún así, encuentro muchos aspectos interesantes y disfrutables. Hicieron una película con el mismo título en 1974... ni la novela ganó un Hugo, ni la película un Oscar, pero ¡bueno! (3 estrellas; mi reseña aquí)
5) The Big Time, de Fritz LEIBER ... ahhhh, no me gustó. La encontré confusa y dispersa. ¿Qué objetivo tiene buscar ganar una guerra cambiando el pasado y el futuro, si la otra parte puede hacer lo mismo? En fin, a pesar de mi opinión, ganó un Premio Hugo en 1958, así que debe tener más méritos de los que yo alcancé a leer. (2 estrellas)
1) Double Star, de Robert A. HEINLEIN comienza el tomo de manera un poco floja, No es el mejor trabajo de HEINLEIN, pero ganó el Premio Hugo a la Mejor Novela en 1956. (2 estrellas; mi reseña aquí)
2) The Stars My Destination, de Alfred BESTER , me gustó mucho más, en particular la descripción que hace de la sinestesia. En el momento de su publicación no fue muy bien recibida, pero ha ganado apreciación con el tiempo, y autores reconocidos como Samuel R. Delany y Robert SILVERBERG la mencionan como una de las mejores del género. También se le reconoce influencias importantes en el desarollo del género cyberpunk. (3 estrellas; mi reseña aquí)
3) A Case of Conscience, de James BLISH , ¡todavía mejor! Primera vez que veo a un sacerdote jesuita como personaje de una novela de ciencia ficción. Ganó el Premio Hugo en 1959. (4 estrellas; mi reseña aquí)
4) Who?, de Algis BUDRYS Después de la novela anterior, ésta ya no me pareció tan buena. Aún así, encuentro muchos aspectos interesantes y disfrutables. Hicieron una película con el mismo título en 1974... ni la novela ganó un Hugo, ni la película un Oscar, pero ¡bueno! (3 estrellas; mi reseña aquí)
5) The Big Time, de Fritz LEIBER ... ahhhh, no me gustó. La encontré confusa y dispersa. ¿Qué objetivo tiene buscar ganar una guerra cambiando el pasado y el futuro, si la otra parte puede hacer lo mismo? En fin, a pesar de mi opinión, ganó un Premio Hugo en 1958, así que debe tener más méritos de los que yo alcancé a leer. (2 estrellas)
September 11, 2015
I didn't finish the last novel ... after the fairly woeful Who? it was hard getting enthused about it.
The only one that really did anything for me was Bester's The Stars My Destination, which I loved. It's a primal, frenzied tale of a monomaniacal protagonist seeking revenge after being abandoned to his fate following an accident in deep space. Highly recommended.
I've reread several Heinlein recently and each does less for me than the one before. His style feels gimmicky, verbose and stilted now that I'm not reading him as a 14-year-old; this one is no different.
A Case of Conscience wasn't bad -- just forgettable. Some of that might be trying to pack in too many books in too short a time, but when you have to go back to the text to remember it after a week, it's not a classic. And Who? was just dull. Yawn-inducing ... and forced. A brilliant (American) scientist working on a mysterious superweapon during the Cold War is set to work on the very border of the Iron Curtain, and following an explosion is nabbed by the Soviets. Budrys can't really explain why the West would put such a valuable target in so vulnerable location and doesn't even try to explain why the East -- having captured him and milked him for all the intelligence they could -- wouldn't just put a bullet in him, cremate the remains and say he died of his injuries following the explosion despite our heroic efforts to say his life, here's a nice urn, sorry.
Instead, they return what we now call a cyborg -- half man, half machine -- who the West don't really trust.
It's an awkward turn on the individual alienated from society by technology trope begun at least as far back as The Invisible Man. There are far, far better books on the same theme. (Return From the Stars being one of my favorites, as just one example.)
The only one that really did anything for me was Bester's The Stars My Destination, which I loved. It's a primal, frenzied tale of a monomaniacal protagonist seeking revenge after being abandoned to his fate following an accident in deep space. Highly recommended.
I've reread several Heinlein recently and each does less for me than the one before. His style feels gimmicky, verbose and stilted now that I'm not reading him as a 14-year-old; this one is no different.
A Case of Conscience wasn't bad -- just forgettable. Some of that might be trying to pack in too many books in too short a time, but when you have to go back to the text to remember it after a week, it's not a classic. And Who? was just dull. Yawn-inducing ... and forced. A brilliant (American) scientist working on a mysterious superweapon during the Cold War is set to work on the very border of the Iron Curtain, and following an explosion is nabbed by the Soviets. Budrys can't really explain why the West would put such a valuable target in so vulnerable location and doesn't even try to explain why the East -- having captured him and milked him for all the intelligence they could -- wouldn't just put a bullet in him, cremate the remains and say he died of his injuries following the explosion despite our heroic efforts to say his life, here's a nice urn, sorry.
Instead, they return what we now call a cyborg -- half man, half machine -- who the West don't really trust.
It's an awkward turn on the individual alienated from society by technology trope begun at least as far back as The Invisible Man. There are far, far better books on the same theme. (Return From the Stars being one of my favorites, as just one example.)
June 4, 2019
I read two of the short novels included here: Heinlein's "Double Star" and Bester's "The Stars My Destination."
Heinlein, as always, is compulsively readable, and the scenario of an actor being recruited to play the role of a temporarily (?) incapacitated politician makes for an intriguing read even if the bits about the Martians and Venusians, etc., are kind of implausible and silly in light of modern knowledge. No doubt Heinlein had in mind the kind of Mars envisioned by Edgar Rice Burroughs ca. 1910, not the cold, dry and (mostly?) lifeless world our robotic avatars have explored in more recent decades. For once, the insouciant egotism of Heinlein's narrative voice makes perfect sense in the persona of The Great Lorenzo, self-proclaimed actor extraordinaire.
The Bester book, after an introductory info-dump about the discovery and widespread adoption of "jaunting" (teleportation), starts its real action as a kind of gritty space-opera, with the lone survivor of a wrecked spaceship vowing revenge on the crew of another spaceship that ignored his distress call and left him to die. That survivor, Gully Foyle, is anything but a hero. Bester explicitly states that he's considered subnormal by his peers, and his only really distinguishing characteristic is the volcanic willpower with which he pursues his mission of revenge. That mission becomes ever more bizarre throughout the book. Too bizarre for my tastes, actually, and the end of the book blossoms/disintegrates into what seems to me utter chaos. Perhaps that's the author's point, in some fashion that I fail to comprehend. It does have some interesting portrayals of human excess along the way, particularly the excesses of conspicuous consumption that the hyperwealthy 1% of Bester's dystopian space opera indulge in.
Heinlein, as always, is compulsively readable, and the scenario of an actor being recruited to play the role of a temporarily (?) incapacitated politician makes for an intriguing read even if the bits about the Martians and Venusians, etc., are kind of implausible and silly in light of modern knowledge. No doubt Heinlein had in mind the kind of Mars envisioned by Edgar Rice Burroughs ca. 1910, not the cold, dry and (mostly?) lifeless world our robotic avatars have explored in more recent decades. For once, the insouciant egotism of Heinlein's narrative voice makes perfect sense in the persona of The Great Lorenzo, self-proclaimed actor extraordinaire.
The Bester book, after an introductory info-dump about the discovery and widespread adoption of "jaunting" (teleportation), starts its real action as a kind of gritty space-opera, with the lone survivor of a wrecked spaceship vowing revenge on the crew of another spaceship that ignored his distress call and left him to die. That survivor, Gully Foyle, is anything but a hero. Bester explicitly states that he's considered subnormal by his peers, and his only really distinguishing characteristic is the volcanic willpower with which he pursues his mission of revenge. That mission becomes ever more bizarre throughout the book. Too bizarre for my tastes, actually, and the end of the book blossoms/disintegrates into what seems to me utter chaos. Perhaps that's the author's point, in some fashion that I fail to comprehend. It does have some interesting portrayals of human excess along the way, particularly the excesses of conspicuous consumption that the hyperwealthy 1% of Bester's dystopian space opera indulge in.
October 28, 2013
Double Star-Would you be willing to give up your own life in order to impersonate a politician who's work is not yet done? That is the question and central theme of Double Star when a down and out actor is pressed to take over for the most famous politician in the empire when he is kidnapped. I loved the story and the characters and had a great time reading it. (4/5)
Stars My Destination-Much like the Demolished Man, there is much more going on in the background of this story then at first, second and twelfth then meets the eye of the reader. I find that I love the style of writing that Alfred Bester presents. As for the story I liked it a lot once I got about half way through and could not help but follow where Folly lead in his quest for revenge. (4/5)
A Case of Conscience-A second (original) version of a religious science fiction. Still while reading this I couldn't shake the feeling that it was written in the 50s and is in some way a commentary on communism. Still I was sucked up and couldn't wait to reach the end. It didn't disappoint. (4/5)
The Big Time-The concept is one I always enjoy, but the book just didn't do that much for me. It was well written, that is about all I could say.(3/5)
Stars My Destination-Much like the Demolished Man, there is much more going on in the background of this story then at first, second and twelfth then meets the eye of the reader. I find that I love the style of writing that Alfred Bester presents. As for the story I liked it a lot once I got about half way through and could not help but follow where Folly lead in his quest for revenge. (4/5)
A Case of Conscience-A second (original) version of a religious science fiction. Still while reading this I couldn't shake the feeling that it was written in the 50s and is in some way a commentary on communism. Still I was sucked up and couldn't wait to reach the end. It didn't disappoint. (4/5)
The Big Time-The concept is one I always enjoy, but the book just didn't do that much for me. It was well written, that is about all I could say.(3/5)
August 29, 2015
This set of novellae certainly kept my interest, at least the beginning few - I skimmed over the last two so I could bring the whole thing back today.
I'll go into exact detail!
Double Star: Heinlein is one of my absolute favourite science fiction authors overall, bumping this rating so high! This story was an awesome way to begin the collection, in my opinion, since it's the big draw to the whole thing.
The Stars My Destination: I found it really neat that the ending poem served for the title, and I kept telling people the whole time about the etymology of jaunting since I found that so full of win.
A Case of Conscience: This one I started to skim since time began to draw to a close, but I found the linguistic stuff pretty cool due to how close it is to Russian, which I've not ignored the past couple of years.
Then the others I skimmed over since time did not permit me to enjoy them as much as I wanted.
So when time permits I'll take this out again.
I'll go into exact detail!
Double Star: Heinlein is one of my absolute favourite science fiction authors overall, bumping this rating so high! This story was an awesome way to begin the collection, in my opinion, since it's the big draw to the whole thing.
The Stars My Destination: I found it really neat that the ending poem served for the title, and I kept telling people the whole time about the etymology of jaunting since I found that so full of win.
A Case of Conscience: This one I started to skim since time began to draw to a close, but I found the linguistic stuff pretty cool due to how close it is to Russian, which I've not ignored the past couple of years.
Then the others I skimmed over since time did not permit me to enjoy them as much as I wanted.
So when time permits I'll take this out again.
July 14, 2025
In this volume, there was a minor and kinda boring work by a writer I usually love (Heinlein), two writers I had never heard of before but completely fell in love with (Bester and Budrys), and two writers that I had heard of but never read (Blish and Lieber). Incidentally, I got absolutely nothing whatsoever out of the two writers I had heard of but never read. One of those novels-- the one by James Blish-- was so meaningless to me that I couldn't even finish it. The end result: this volume was not nearly as pleasurable as the first one.
My favorite selection in this volume is a difficult -to-reconcile tie between "The Stars My Destination" and "Who?". Bester and Budrys both will find their other novels in my ever-growing TBR pile.
Total score of 3 stars is the average of the individual novels:
Heinlein -- 3
Bester -- 5
Blish -- 1
Budrys -- 5
Lieber -- 2
My favorite selection in this volume is a difficult -to-reconcile tie between "The Stars My Destination" and "Who?". Bester and Budrys both will find their other novels in my ever-growing TBR pile.
Total score of 3 stars is the average of the individual novels:
Heinlein -- 3
Bester -- 5
Blish -- 1
Budrys -- 5
Lieber -- 2
July 2, 2014
Oh yeah, I finished this one a while ago. The selection isn't as good as in the companion volume, but it's still worthwhile. Where the first volume had some undeniably great writing in it, most of the works here require a sort of "alternate standard of quality" to appreciate. The Stars my Destination, with its experiments in language and typeface as the main character goes crazy and time overlaps, is interesting. Who? with it's thoughts about identity, is also good. Too many of the individual novels have main characters who are insufferable. It's interesting if you want to think about how these male protagonists reflect 1950s notions of masculinity, but if you're just reading, it's not so enjoyable.
September 12, 2016
I got this book as part of a boxed set from my grandma and it's been awesome. There are 5 stories in this volume and 4 of them are great. The first is a Martian political drama that's pleasantly optimistic. The second is a dark teleportation story. The third is a alien story with religious undertones. The fourth is a robotic cold-war-esque story. And the last one...sucks. It's supposedly about a time war, but it's just awful. Very disappointing end.
Overall, well worth the read, though. :)
Overall, well worth the read, though. :)
August 14, 2013
A brilliant collection, especially Bester's "The Stars my Destination" and Budyrs' "Who". Books that I read 40+ years ago and have regretted losing my copies of. Few new SF writers show the high level of imagination and creativity found in this collection.
September 4, 2022
*** Double Star (1956) • Robert A. Heinlein
***** The Stars My Destination (1956) • Alfred Bester
*** A Case of Conscience (1958) • James Blish
**** Who? (1958) • Algis Budrys
**** The Big Time (1958) • Fritz Leiber
***** The Stars My Destination (1956) • Alfred Bester
*** A Case of Conscience (1958) • James Blish
**** Who? (1958) • Algis Budrys
**** The Big Time (1958) • Fritz Leiber
August 3, 2016
Suoerleuke verhalen! Ik heb de eerste drie boeken gelezen en die waren echt de sjit op een twilight zone achtige manier! Ik denk dat ik in 2014 de andere boeken ook lees.
December 30, 2015
The Heinlein was pretty much old school, the Bester was old school, but gets big points for originality, and the last 3 are pretty awesome.
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