The Expert Dreamers

by Frederik Pohl (Editor / Contributor), George Gamow (Contributor), Isaac Asimov (Contributor)

The expert dreamers have forseen:
A world threatened with extinction.
A vast face appearing in the center of the Andromeda Nebula.
A wicked twist in the dream of growing younger.
The obsolescence of humanity.
...and many other strange things. This is science fiction with an extra dimension - fiction written by men who are themselves practicing scientists.
Take one step beyond with the men who live there!

Contents:

Introduction (The Expert Dreamers) • (1962) • essay by Frederik Pohl
At the End of the Orbit • (1961) • shortstory by Arthur C. Clarke (aka Hate)
On the Feasibility of Coal-Driven Power Stations • (1956) • shortstory by O. R. Frisch
A Feast of Demons • (1958) • novelette by William Morrison
The Heart on the Other Side • (1962) • shortstory by George Gamow
Lenny • [Susan Calvin (Robot)] • (1958) • shortstory by Isaac Asimov
The Singers • (1956) • shortstory by W. Grey Walter
The Invasion • (1940) • novelette by Willy Ley [as by Robert Willey ]
To Explain Mrs. Thompson • (1951) • shortstory by R. S. Richardson [as by Philip Latham ]
Adrift on the Policy Level • (1959) • shortstory by Chan Davis [as by Chandler Davis ]
The Black Cloud (Excerpt) • (1957) • shortfiction by Fred Hoyle
Chain Reaction • (1956) • shortstory by Lyle G. Boyd and William C. Boyd [as by Boyd Ellanby ]
The Miracle of the Broom Closet • (1952) • shortstory by Norbert Wiener [as by W. Norbert ]
Heavyplanet • (1939) • shortstory by Milton A. Rothman (aka Heavy Planet)
The Test Stand • (1955) • shortstory by G. Harry Stine [as by Lee Correy ]
Amateur in Chancery • (1961) • shortstory by George O. Smith
The Mark Gable Foundation • (1961) • novelette by Leo Szilard

Genres: Science Fiction, Anthologies, Short Stories, Science Fiction Fantasy

207 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1962

About the author

Frederik George Pohl, Jr. was an American science fiction writer, editor and fan, with a career spanning over seventy years. From about 1959 until 1969, Pohl edited Galaxy magazine and its sister magazine IF winning the Hugo for IF three years in a row. His writing also won him three Hugos and multiple Nebula Awards. He became a Nebula Grand Master in 1993.

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an anthology of science fiction short stories by scientists, and is a nice companion piece to the similarly-themed Groff Conklin anthology, Great Science Fiction By Scientists. There's not much overlap between the two, and each has weak and strong entries. My favorites in this one are Lenny, a robot story by Isaac Asimov, The Black Cloud by Fred Hoyle, and an excellent novelette by Chan Davis, Adrift on the Policy Level.

[Jose Moa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Several scientifics ,between them Iasaac Asimov and George Gamow write short sf tales;i like the tale by Gamow :The heart in the opposite side where after a Mobius effect a man is his specular image changing his chirality and enters in starvation because his enzimes are unable of digest the another chirality of organic molecules that takes as normal food

[Joe Santoro · Rating 2 out of 5]

Looking at the line up of this book, it SHOULD be awesome. Most of the short stories, though, aren't stories so much as essays with an example. It does contain 'Lenny' by Asimov (one of my favorite robot short stories), but otherwise there's not much here unless you're a completist for something contained therein.

[Alba · Rating 3 out of 5]

Como todas las antologías, ha habido relatos buenísimos y otros que directamente no he podido terminar de leer.
Mi favorito: El corazón al lado contrario.
El peor: La invasión (ni siquiera lo acabé).

“La ciencia ficción tiene, entre otros atributos, una gran atracción para el adolescente aficionado a la ciencia, y de ese grupo saldrán los científicos del mañana”

[Xminer · Rating 3 out of 5]

read it while flying to and relaxing in Moorea... I recommend a few stiff drinks to liven it up... friend lent it to me... its old school scifi... if you like Asimov, you'll probably like the rest of these very short sci-fi stories...

[Edmund Chattoe-Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an excellent idea but it turns out scientists _aren't_ that good at writing science fiction at least based on what is shown here. I think it is partly a matter of history. This is very much "old SF" where there is so much emphasis on the unique technology or social conceit that the characters are pretty much cyphers. But it also feels like the field is so impressed at having "real scientists" that they let the authors "advertise" for science rather than telling stories. The Fred Hoyle extract from The Black Cloud is particularly ponderous in this respect. You can't go wrong with an Isaac Asimov robot story and the Frisch contribution is good (but is really "scientific satire" rather than a story). The best surprise is "The Mark Gable Foundation" by Leo Szilard which will certainly make anyone who is a scientist now smile in places. Worth a look but don't assign yourself the task of reading the whole thing right through.

[Steve Rainwater · Rating 3 out of 5]

Science Fiction short stories written by well-known scientists.

This collection is superior to the similar Groff Conklin anthology titled, "Great Science Fiction by Scientists". There is very little overlap between the two, however, so if you're interested in the idea, it's worthwhile tracking down both books. "The Expert Dreamers" includes stories by Arthur C. Clark, O. R. Frisch, William Morrison (aka Joseph Samachson), George Gamow, Isaac Asimov, W. Grey Walter, Robert Willey (aka Willy Ley), Philip Latham (aka R. S. Richardson), Chandler Davis, Fred Hoyle, Boyd Ellanby (Lyle and William C. Boyd), Norbert Wiener, Lee Gregor (aka Milton A. Rothman), Lee Correy (aka G. Harry Stine), George O. Smith, and Leo Szilard.

The stories vary in quality obviously since not all of these men were writers by trade. But I found it a fascinating historical collection and worth the time read.