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Deep Space
Beyond the rim of the solar system, past the orbit of Pluto, far into uncharted space, a man in a life hutch is held prisoner by a deranged robot. A galactic agent learns that there is a cosmic reason for his distasteful, dangerous job. A man discovers he is the only human being not controlled by an analogue-an invisible guardian. And the planet Centaurus holds a stunning surprise for three space voyagers when they reach their long journey's end. Unbounded possibilities await the reader's imagination in these eight stories brought back from the other side of the stars.
Short Stories:
• Blood's a Rover • (1952) • novella by Chad Oliver
• Noise • (1952) • shortstory by Jack Vance
• Life Hutch • [Earth-Kyba War] • (1956) • shortstory by Harlan Ellison
• Ticket to Anywhere • [The Analogues] • (1952) • novelette by Damon Knight
• The Sixth Palace • (1965) • shortstory by Robert Silverberg
• Lulungomeena • (1953) • novelette by Gordon R. Dickson
• The Dance of the Changer and the Three • (1968) • shortstory by Terry Carr
• Far Centaurus • (1944) • shortstory by A. E. van Vogt
Short Stories:
• Blood's a Rover • (1952) • novella by Chad Oliver
• Noise • (1952) • shortstory by Jack Vance
• Life Hutch • [Earth-Kyba War] • (1956) • shortstory by Harlan Ellison
• Ticket to Anywhere • [The Analogues] • (1952) • novelette by Damon Knight
• The Sixth Palace • (1965) • shortstory by Robert Silverberg
• Lulungomeena • (1953) • novelette by Gordon R. Dickson
• The Dance of the Changer and the Three • (1968) • shortstory by Terry Carr
• Far Centaurus • (1944) • shortstory by A. E. van Vogt
221 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1973
3 people are currently reading
86 people want to read
About the author
Robert Silverberg
2,344 books1,604 followersThere are many authors in the database with this name.
Robert Silverberg is a highly celebrated American science fiction author and editor known for his prolific output and literary range. Over a career spanning decades, he has won multiple Hugo and Nebula Awards and was named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 2004. Inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 1999, Silverberg is recognized for both his immense productivity and his contributions to the genre's evolution.
Born in Brooklyn, he began writing in his teens and won his first Hugo Award in 1956 as the best new writer. Throughout the 1950s, he produced vast amounts of fiction, often under pseudonyms, and was known for writing up to a million words a year. When the market declined, he diversified into other genres, including historical nonfiction and erotica.
Silverberg’s return to science fiction in the 1960s marked a shift toward deeper psychological and literary themes, contributing significantly to the New Wave movement. Acclaimed works from this period include Downward to the Earth, Dying Inside, Nightwings, and The World Inside. In the 1980s, he launched the Majipoor series with Lord Valentine’s Castle, creating one of the most imaginative planetary settings in science fiction.
Though he announced his retirement from writing in the mid-1970s, Silverberg returned with renewed vigor and continued to publish acclaimed fiction into the 1990s. He received further recognition with the Nebula-winning Sailing to Byzantium and the Hugo-winning Gilgamesh in the Outback.
Silverberg has also played a significant role as an editor and anthologist, shaping science fiction literature through both his own work and his influence on others. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, author Karen Haber.
Robert Silverberg is a highly celebrated American science fiction author and editor known for his prolific output and literary range. Over a career spanning decades, he has won multiple Hugo and Nebula Awards and was named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 2004. Inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 1999, Silverberg is recognized for both his immense productivity and his contributions to the genre's evolution.
Born in Brooklyn, he began writing in his teens and won his first Hugo Award in 1956 as the best new writer. Throughout the 1950s, he produced vast amounts of fiction, often under pseudonyms, and was known for writing up to a million words a year. When the market declined, he diversified into other genres, including historical nonfiction and erotica.
Silverberg’s return to science fiction in the 1960s marked a shift toward deeper psychological and literary themes, contributing significantly to the New Wave movement. Acclaimed works from this period include Downward to the Earth, Dying Inside, Nightwings, and The World Inside. In the 1980s, he launched the Majipoor series with Lord Valentine’s Castle, creating one of the most imaginative planetary settings in science fiction.
Though he announced his retirement from writing in the mid-1970s, Silverberg returned with renewed vigor and continued to publish acclaimed fiction into the 1990s. He received further recognition with the Nebula-winning Sailing to Byzantium and the Hugo-winning Gilgamesh in the Outback.
Silverberg has also played a significant role as an editor and anthologist, shaping science fiction literature through both his own work and his influence on others. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, author Karen Haber.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 8, 2019
Deep Space is an anthology edited by science fiction great Robert Silverberg. I do not think I am going out on a limb when I say this is probably long out of print. There is a whole universe of out of print wonders out there I am sure, and this is one of them. Deep Space features stories by Silverberg, Terry Carr, Harlan Ellison, Damon Knight, A E Van Vogt, Gordon Dickson, Chad Oliver and Jack Vance. (Trivia: Oliver was a professor at the University of Texas.) The stand-out here for me is the Vance story, which I do not believe I have ever read before. The Van Vogt story struck the only sour note and prevented me from giving this book five stars. (By the way the cover clearly says"Eight Stories of Science Fiction" but only seven authors are listed on that cover-I wonder if there is a story about why Dickson was left off?) These tales hold up surprisingly well considering they were originally published in the forties fifties and sixties.
March 25, 2019
A couple of years ago I inherited my late father-in-law's collection of science fiction books, most of which he had accumulated throughout the 60's, 70's and 80's. Among them is a good number of anthologies and Deep Space is one fine example which immediately caught my eye. I guess it's the combination of the great cover art and the Robert Silverberg's famous and highly respected name. As well as looking good, I must say that it's a very enjoyable bunch of stories; eight short works all set in deep space and following a variety of themes. Each one of the stories was previously published elsewhere, mainly in one of the many the pulp magazines of the era, and published in this collection in 1973.
Long out of print, but the names of the included authors are legendary, and their pedigree as writers goes without saying. These stories are (I'm slightly ashamed to admit) my first exposure to the work of all of these authors except Silverberg but, now having read at least a very small sample of their work, I can see why these chaps are held in such high esteem. Sure, much of the technical terminology and thought is outdated and the language shows its age in places, but the quality of the craftsmanship is beyond doubt. These men were/are fantastic speculative writers and their material is probably just as thought-provoking and entertaining today, many years later.
I highly recommend tracking down a copy for a glimpse back into one of the most productive and fruitful times in the history of the sci-fi genre. They don't call it the Golden Age of Science Fiction for no reason, and right here is some more proof.
Click HERE for a more detailed review and breakdown of the stories.
Long out of print, but the names of the included authors are legendary, and their pedigree as writers goes without saying. These stories are (I'm slightly ashamed to admit) my first exposure to the work of all of these authors except Silverberg but, now having read at least a very small sample of their work, I can see why these chaps are held in such high esteem. Sure, much of the technical terminology and thought is outdated and the language shows its age in places, but the quality of the craftsmanship is beyond doubt. These men were/are fantastic speculative writers and their material is probably just as thought-provoking and entertaining today, many years later.
I highly recommend tracking down a copy for a glimpse back into one of the most productive and fruitful times in the history of the sci-fi genre. They don't call it the Golden Age of Science Fiction for no reason, and right here is some more proof.
Click HERE for a more detailed review and breakdown of the stories.
Read
April 27, 2020RATING: 4 stars for its era, or ~2.9 stars compared to modern SF.
REVIEW: No absolute stinkers here. Pipe-smoking males and microfilm. Fun to see what authors got right/wrong about future.
REVIEW: No absolute stinkers here. Pipe-smoking males and microfilm. Fun to see what authors got right/wrong about future.
April 25, 2016
Even though this was published in the 1970s, the stories collected here are all from a couple of decades before. There's some really good stuff, provided you forgive the period - almost every story has the heroes puffing away at well-packed pipes and rolling along like John Wayne - and it holds together well. The theme of "deep space" is a little vague, but you get what you expect: no stories about the future of Earth here.
The opener is by Chad Oliver, called Blood's a River, and is prefaced by a note about his professorship in anthropology. Makes sense; it's a very anthropological story. It's pretty good, too.
The stand-out story for me was Noise by Jack Vance, a lovely little atmospheric piece which reminded me of William Hope Hodgeson - or perhaps even a bit of Poe.
Damon Knight has an excellent story in Ticket to Anywhere. Gordon R. Dickson, with Lulungomeena set in the Dorsai universe, has another.
There's a Harlan Ellison story in here, too, Life Hutch. It reads a bit more like an episode of Outer Limits than a self-contained story, and the ending is a little weak.
What most of these stories have in common is that they're atomic-age one-trickers. They tend to be set-up slowly only to have their endings rushed, and to our modern minds they're not at all capable of surprising us. But if you like the genre - and I do, oh I do - this is a very pleasing collection indeed.
The opener is by Chad Oliver, called Blood's a River, and is prefaced by a note about his professorship in anthropology. Makes sense; it's a very anthropological story. It's pretty good, too.
The stand-out story for me was Noise by Jack Vance, a lovely little atmospheric piece which reminded me of William Hope Hodgeson - or perhaps even a bit of Poe.
Damon Knight has an excellent story in Ticket to Anywhere. Gordon R. Dickson, with Lulungomeena set in the Dorsai universe, has another.
There's a Harlan Ellison story in here, too, Life Hutch. It reads a bit more like an episode of Outer Limits than a self-contained story, and the ending is a little weak.
What most of these stories have in common is that they're atomic-age one-trickers. They tend to be set-up slowly only to have their endings rushed, and to our modern minds they're not at all capable of surprising us. But if you like the genre - and I do, oh I do - this is a very pleasing collection indeed.
April 21, 2022
A fun read I picked up at Autumn Leaves Used Books in Ithaca, NY. There are highs and lows in this collection of eight stories. The best story, hands down, was Damon Knight's "Ticket to Anywhere." Wow, just a fantastic novelette with nice buildup, good inner dialogue and a nice ending. It was like eating a fine meal, I was so satisfied when I finished it. I need to read more of his work. (Aside: His second wife, Kate Wilhelm, is one of my favorite SF writers of all time.)
I enjoyed Terry Carr's experimental story "The Dance of the Changer and the Three." It is definitely part of the New Wave movement in SF. I also liked Gordon R. Dickson's "Lulungomeena" novelette. It was a fun read though I thought a bit of a cop out at the end. Still, up until that moment, I enjoyed it.
A. E. van Vogt's story "Far Centaurus" started out strong but then fell with a weak ending, though perhaps I should be a little less harsh as it was written in the 40s. The psychology of the sleeper ship part of the story reminded me of some of the New Wave's focus on inner thoughts & the emotionally/psychological difficulties encountered. It reminded me a little, though without the grander scope, of Michael Moorcock's 1969 novel, The Black Corridor.
Of the others, I thought Chad Oliver's "Blood's a Rover" and Harlan Ellison's "Life Hutch" were good. I thought Robert Silverberg's "The Sixth Palace" was interesting and a good short story. I wasn't overly excited about Jack Vance's story "Noise", but maybe because it just never caught on in my head.
I enjoyed Terry Carr's experimental story "The Dance of the Changer and the Three." It is definitely part of the New Wave movement in SF. I also liked Gordon R. Dickson's "Lulungomeena" novelette. It was a fun read though I thought a bit of a cop out at the end. Still, up until that moment, I enjoyed it.
A. E. van Vogt's story "Far Centaurus" started out strong but then fell with a weak ending, though perhaps I should be a little less harsh as it was written in the 40s. The psychology of the sleeper ship part of the story reminded me of some of the New Wave's focus on inner thoughts & the emotionally/psychological difficulties encountered. It reminded me a little, though without the grander scope, of Michael Moorcock's 1969 novel, The Black Corridor.
Of the others, I thought Chad Oliver's "Blood's a Rover" and Harlan Ellison's "Life Hutch" were good. I thought Robert Silverberg's "The Sixth Palace" was interesting and a good short story. I wasn't overly excited about Jack Vance's story "Noise", but maybe because it just never caught on in my head.
May 30, 2008
An excellent anthology with terrific classic stories by Chad Oliver, A.E. van Vogt, Terry Carr, and others. It also contains "Life Hutch" by Harlan Ellison, an early story that would have been right at home in John Campbell's Astounding.
May 27, 2022
DEEP SPACE
RATED 88% POSITIVE. STORY SCORE = 3.88 OUT OF 5
8 STORIES : 1 GREAT / 6 GOOD / 0 AVERAGE / 1 POOR / 0 DNF
Robert Silverberg’s short science fiction anthologies are like a bag of candy. It’s easy to grab a handful as you walk by. Perhaps, these stories won’t change the world, but they do offer a fun blast of SciFi goodness that is totally worth your reading time. I wish there were more short anthologies published today.
The titular theme of the book is “Deep Space,” which Silverberg uses as a workaround for the frequent lament that “Science Fiction is harder now because of the pace of Science.” It is an opinion that is always wrong. This anthology was published in 1973. In this instance, the theme plays out in the cosmic scale of the stories.
We have tales of electric aliens that strangely dance and astronauts either abandoned to strange beauty or trying not to lose money gambling. Robots protect riches with trivia questions or become dangerous when they malfunction.
There is one story that makes The Great List:
https://www.shortsf.com/beststories
Blood's a Rover • (1952) • novella by Chad Oliver. This novella feels like a condensed novel. A future war is fought by humans making small anthropological changes to the people’s of foreign worlds, in order to eventually have allies. Cosmic in scope, compassionate in acknowledging the injustice of colonial intervention, and with a wonderfully sharp conclusion.
***
DEEP SPACE IS RATED 88% POSITIVE
8 STORIES : 1 GREAT / 6 GOOD / 0 AVERAGE / 1 POOR / 0 DNF
Blood's a Rover • (1952) • novella by Chad Oliver
Great. This novella feels like a condensed novel. A future war is fought by humans making small anthropological changes to the people’s of foreign worlds, in order to eventually have allies. Cosmic in scope, compassionate in acknowledging the injustice of colonial intervention, and with a wonderfully sharp conclusion. A very strong start to the anthology.
Noise • (1952) • short story by Jack Vance
Good. Poetic and haunting tale of a man stranded on a strange planet that transforms itself along colors and shapes. He slowly starts to see a parallel ‘bleed-over’ between his realm and a woman in another.
Life Hutch • [Earth-Kyba War] • (1956) • short story by Harlan Ellison
Good. An injured soldier must combat a broken robot that is attacking anything that moves.
Ticket to Anywhere • [The Analogues] • (1952) • novelette by Damon Knight
Good. A man hijacks his way into entering an alien portal that takes one into a random place the in solar system.
The Sixth Palace • (1965) • short story by Robert Silverberg
Poor. A fabulous treasure is protected by a robot that will kill you if you can’t answer his questions.
Lulungomeena • (1953) • novelette by Gordon R. Dickson
Good. On a working-class space station, a old man and a young man come into conflict over gambling and the superiority of the old man’s home planet. An alien visitor - from a race that cannot lie - comes to dinner as the ultimate power play.
The Dance of the Changer and the Three • (1968) • short story by Terry Carr
Good. A public relations man from a devastated mining colony recounts a strange performance of the indigenous aliens. Quite a good depiction of a truly alien mentality.
Far Centaurus • (1944) • short story by A. E. van Vogt
Good. Astronauts emerge for brief moments from a long cryo-sleep voyage to Alpha Centari, with death, beauty, and alien vessels on fire. The real challenge will come when they arrive to realize the meaningless nature of their mission.
RATED 88% POSITIVE. STORY SCORE = 3.88 OUT OF 5
8 STORIES : 1 GREAT / 6 GOOD / 0 AVERAGE / 1 POOR / 0 DNF
Robert Silverberg’s short science fiction anthologies are like a bag of candy. It’s easy to grab a handful as you walk by. Perhaps, these stories won’t change the world, but they do offer a fun blast of SciFi goodness that is totally worth your reading time. I wish there were more short anthologies published today.
The titular theme of the book is “Deep Space,” which Silverberg uses as a workaround for the frequent lament that “Science Fiction is harder now because of the pace of Science.” It is an opinion that is always wrong. This anthology was published in 1973. In this instance, the theme plays out in the cosmic scale of the stories.
We have tales of electric aliens that strangely dance and astronauts either abandoned to strange beauty or trying not to lose money gambling. Robots protect riches with trivia questions or become dangerous when they malfunction.
There is one story that makes The Great List:
https://www.shortsf.com/beststories
Blood's a Rover • (1952) • novella by Chad Oliver. This novella feels like a condensed novel. A future war is fought by humans making small anthropological changes to the people’s of foreign worlds, in order to eventually have allies. Cosmic in scope, compassionate in acknowledging the injustice of colonial intervention, and with a wonderfully sharp conclusion.
***
DEEP SPACE IS RATED 88% POSITIVE
8 STORIES : 1 GREAT / 6 GOOD / 0 AVERAGE / 1 POOR / 0 DNF
Blood's a Rover • (1952) • novella by Chad Oliver
Great. This novella feels like a condensed novel. A future war is fought by humans making small anthropological changes to the people’s of foreign worlds, in order to eventually have allies. Cosmic in scope, compassionate in acknowledging the injustice of colonial intervention, and with a wonderfully sharp conclusion. A very strong start to the anthology.
Noise • (1952) • short story by Jack Vance
Good. Poetic and haunting tale of a man stranded on a strange planet that transforms itself along colors and shapes. He slowly starts to see a parallel ‘bleed-over’ between his realm and a woman in another.
Life Hutch • [Earth-Kyba War] • (1956) • short story by Harlan Ellison
Good. An injured soldier must combat a broken robot that is attacking anything that moves.
Ticket to Anywhere • [The Analogues] • (1952) • novelette by Damon Knight
Good. A man hijacks his way into entering an alien portal that takes one into a random place the in solar system.
The Sixth Palace • (1965) • short story by Robert Silverberg
Poor. A fabulous treasure is protected by a robot that will kill you if you can’t answer his questions.
Lulungomeena • (1953) • novelette by Gordon R. Dickson
Good. On a working-class space station, a old man and a young man come into conflict over gambling and the superiority of the old man’s home planet. An alien visitor - from a race that cannot lie - comes to dinner as the ultimate power play.
The Dance of the Changer and the Three • (1968) • short story by Terry Carr
Good. A public relations man from a devastated mining colony recounts a strange performance of the indigenous aliens. Quite a good depiction of a truly alien mentality.
Far Centaurus • (1944) • short story by A. E. van Vogt
Good. Astronauts emerge for brief moments from a long cryo-sleep voyage to Alpha Centari, with death, beauty, and alien vessels on fire. The real challenge will come when they arrive to realize the meaningless nature of their mission.
June 2, 2025
I bought this book for a dollar at a book fair. Despite the stories in this anthology being published in the 1950s and 60s, I think they have aged well. By that I mean they're still enjoyable to read 70 or so years later. Sure, some of the language is a bit dated, but that didn't detract overly from the stories. I actually think it added to it. Because if the exact same stories were published now, and only the language modernised, a lot of the detail wouldn't work. And for me, it's the detail that matters.
January 28, 2022
A neat collection of older sci-fi stories - some more enjoyable than others but with the added bonus of one, “Life Hutch,” adapted as an episode in Netflix’s “Love, Death & Robots” Season 2 with Michael B. Jordan. You can thank my husband for that observation.
December 25, 2019
A series of 8 short science fiction stories, many of them published in the 1950s or earlier. Some are memorable and far-sighted. Others are more uneven.
May 27, 2023
Some interesting, but mostly outdated science fiction short stories.
February 25, 2024
charming vignettes of human imagination
July 25, 2012
Quite simply one of the best sci-fi short story anthologies I've ever read. There are a number of real masterpieces here, including Harlan Ellison's classic "Life Hutch," Damon Knight's haunting "Ticket to Anywhere," and A.E. van Vogt's brilliant "Far Centaurus." I found it in the school library when I was around 12 years old and it made quite an impression. For decades afterwards I looked for a copy and finally found one in a now-defunct used bookstore about 12 years ago. The stories still held up and I found it wasn't just nostalgia that made me still enjoy them; my wife read them too and was similarly impressed. A great collection of old school science fiction.
December 20, 2019
Ratings to come...
• Blood's a Rover • (1952) • novella by Chad Oliver
• Noise • (1952) • shortstory by Jack Vance
• Life Hutch • [Earth-Kyba War] • (1956) • shortstory by Harlan Ellison
• Ticket to Anywhere • [The Analogues] • (1952) • novelette by Damon Knight
• The Sixth Palace • (1965) • shortstory by Robert Silverberg
• Lulungomeena • (1953) • novelette by Gordon R. Dickson
• The Dance of the Changer and the Three • (1968) • shortstory by Terry Carr
• Far Centaurus • (1944) • shortstory by A. E. van Vogt
• Blood's a Rover • (1952) • novella by Chad Oliver
• Noise • (1952) • shortstory by Jack Vance
• Life Hutch • [Earth-Kyba War] • (1956) • shortstory by Harlan Ellison
• Ticket to Anywhere • [The Analogues] • (1952) • novelette by Damon Knight
• The Sixth Palace • (1965) • shortstory by Robert Silverberg
• Lulungomeena • (1953) • novelette by Gordon R. Dickson
• The Dance of the Changer and the Three • (1968) • shortstory by Terry Carr
• Far Centaurus • (1944) • shortstory by A. E. van Vogt
March 18, 2010
This is a collection of short stories tied together by the theme of the universe, it's size and the Stuff that could be out there. The quality was good overall, with some of the stories being excellent. In particular, Noise by Jack Vance about a guy whose liferaft lands on a planet with ethereal life forms and Lulungomeena by Gordon R Dickson about a bet on the frontier of explored space. Worth reading if you're after some perspective on the scale of things.
July 3, 2021
An old collection of 50s era sci-fi short stories - fairly certain this is out of print by now! There some good stories - some are definitely more telling of the era in which they are written, but all have interesting ideas nonetheless. Noise by Jack Vance may be favorite among this collection, though Ticket to Anywhere by Damon Knight is very intriguing, too.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews