The First Science Fiction Megapack: 25 Modern and Classic Science Fiction Tales

by Robert Silverberg, Samuel R. Delany, Marion Zimmer Bradley

Hours of great reading await, with tales from some of the 20th century's most renowned science fiction authors, Here are 25 science fiction stories (plus a bonus short-short):

UNKNOWN THINGS, by Reginald Bretnor

CAPTIVES OF THE FLAME, by Samuel R. Delany

EXPEDITER, by Mack Reynolds

ONE-SHOT, by James Blish

SHIPWRECK IN THE SKY, by Eando Binder

ZEN, by Jerome Bixby

LANCELOT BIGGS COOKS A PIRATE, by Nelson Bond

SENTIMENT, INC., by Poul Anderson

THE ISSAHAR ARTIFACTS, by J. F. Bone

THE NEXT LOGICAL STEP, by Ben Bova

YEAR OF THE BIG THAW, by Marion Zimmer Bradley

EARTHMEN BEARING GIFTS, by Fredric Brown

HAPPY ENDING, by Fredric Brown and Mack Reynolds

LIGHTER THAN YOU THINK, by Nelson Bond

RIYA'S FOUNDLING, by Algis Budrys

ACCIDENTAL DEATH, by Peter Baily

AND ALL THE EARTH A GRAVE, by C. C. MacApp

DEAD RINGER, by Lester del Rey

THE CRYSTAL CRYPT, by Philip K. Dick

THE JUPITER WEAPON, by Charles L. Fontenay

THE MAN WHO HATED MARS, by Randall Garrett

NAVY DAY, by Harry Harrison

THE JUDAS VALLEY, by Robert Silverberg & Randall Garrett

NATIVE SON, by T. D. Hamm

JUBILEE, by Richard A. Lupoff

FINAL CALL, by John Gregory Betancourt

And don't forget to check out all the other volumes in the Megapack series! Search on "Wildside Megapack" in this ebook store to see the complete list...covering more science fiction volumes, plus adventure stories, military, fantasy, ghost stories, westerns, and much more!

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

454 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 26, 2013

About the author

There 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.

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

An absolute smorgasbord of classic SciFi is on display in this first volume of pulp reprints from Wildside Press. WP has done a great service to the world by making the almost-lost realms of pulp in circulation with this megapack series. Culled from stacks of old magazines from the heydey of fast and cheap publishing, this is also a microcosm of America, a snapshot of hopes, fears, dreams and nightmares.

The stories here center on a few themes: Faith or distrust in the government. The perils of space exploration. Weird inventions. Several First Contact stories mull over what might happen to humans when we discover aliens - and what might happen to the the aliens.

But there are a few gems. Harry Harrison brings a rapid adventure feel to a group of spacemen trying to combat an unknown menace on an asteroid that has already claimed the lives of eight men in Navy Day. Another story investigates what might have happened had Julius Caeser not been assassinated (Romans go to Space!).

Often the stories take great premises and dead-end into absurdity. An inventor, the renowned Pat Pending, invents the gravity defying lightening rod, and their best plan is to use it to cheat at horse racing. In another, a do-or-die mission rests on one lucky man's hunches (the weaponization of intuition is the idea). Lancelot Biggs Cooks a Pirate practically revels in the absurdity of the genre, as a plucky, too-clever ensign outsmarts the most fiendish pirates in the galaxy.

It's good clean fun. But is it art? Absolutely not. There is little of literary aspiration here - the writing is choppy, perfuctory, sacrificed on the altar of speed and utility. Twist endings are practically required. And as usual with fiction directed towards a male audience, sexism is rampant, casual, and unrelenting. Only one woman author, Marion Zimmer Bradley, makes the cut, and her story is a strange, half-baked retelling of Superman's origins.

Proceed with blasters drawn and the proper attitude, my friends. There at least seven of these out there awaiting your exploration!

[Al "Tank" · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the idea of bundling old stories together and selling them cheap. But most of these stories bored me to tears except for 7 of them:

-Expediter by Mack Reynolds (Great twist at the end)
-Lancelot Biggs Cooks a Pirate by Nelson Bond (cute yarn)
-Sentiment, Inc. by Paul Anderson (Can Anderson write a bad story -- I doubt it)
-Happy Ending by Fredric Brown and Mack Reynolds (A bad guy protagonist)
-Lighter Than You Think by Nelson Bond (I like "plans that go south" stories)
-The Crystal Crypt by Philip K. Dick (Another "twist" story)
-The Judas Valley by Robert Silverberg & Randall Garrett (problems on a strange planet - well done)

But those 7 were unable to balance out the other 20 stories to save the collection from an overall bad review.

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought it for the Samuel R. Delaney story, which did not disappoint. Well worth the 55 cents even if I don't read the rest. And I may read the rest. But I feel I got the meat out of it.

[John Geary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m really starting to love these megapacks, particularly the science-fiction collections. Another group of sci-fi short stories written by some wonderful authors spanning the time period mainly from the late 50s and early 60s but also some from the 40s and some from later on. Some of the authors include people like Robert Silverberg, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Poul Anderson, Frederic Brown and Philip K. Dick, just to name a few.
I enjoyed the vast majority of the stories immensely, but like all collections of this nature, there are always a few stories you really don’t enjoy. That’s why I could not give this a five star rating.

[Jewell Moreno · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually loved this anthology. So much so that I ordered some more from the same publisher. I love historical science fiction anyway, and these were some of the best. First time I read a novella by Samuel Delaney. And two stories in particular were phenomenal and apply to today's issues just as much as they did 50 some odd years ago. Sentiment, Inc by Poul Anderson and Happy Ending by Fredric Brown and Mack Reynolds respectively. They did a great job picking these stories, and I thoroughly enjoyed them.

[Annie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ich breche das Buch nach der Story von Philip K. Dick ab und verweigere mich dem Rest. Die Qualität der Stories ist derart durchwachsen, dass ich kaum eine vernünftige Bewertung abgeben kann. Geschichten, die vor dreißig Jahren aktuell waren. Damals als die Russen die Bösen, der Sprit billig, David Bowie in den Charts und die RAF zurück war.
Oh.

[Alethea Hammer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have fond memories of buying cheap entertainment in the form of used paperback sci-fi novels and anthologies back in the early 70's. 25 cents per book and they would swap them back in trade at two for one. This lovely big anthology reminds me of a trip back in time to stock up on great reading for a buck.

[Clint Cheshire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Assortment

A good sampling of SciFi from the era. Remarkably the stories do not seem dated to me, but then I grew up during this era. All are a fun read. In my opinion these stories are far superior to the recent fare of politically motivated drivel that passes in some quarters as science fiction.

[Ricky Kimsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Fitst Volume

This first volume in a (so far) 14 volume series of anthologies contains some great stories from top writers in the field. My personal favorite in ths volume is The Man Who Hated Mars which is a terrific story about the colonization of the red planet.

[Kenneth Northover · Rating 3 out of 5]

Variable read

A mixed bag of short stories. Mostly entertaining. It is interesting to contrast the old with the new. The true masters were consistently ahead of their time.

[Alan K Grover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good old Classic Stories

Nice to read the old stories, when space was still a mystery and the other planets were not so well known.

[Ty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monster anthology of Science Fiction

A few dozen tales from masters from the 1940s to 1980s give or take. My favorite was probably Sam Delany's Captives of the Flame. I did enjoy Poul's Sentiment Inc too and the one with the aliens with a taste for humans. The poor Martian kid story was very sad and didn't fit with the overall positive theme of the anthology imho.

A few are not very good or stale after more than half a century. I got a laugh at the very short last story.

[David Yohalem · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rather mediocre collection of stories dating mostly from the post-Golden age of the late 1940s through the early 60s. Many of the stories (and the novella by Samuel Delany) are immature works and few give an inkling of what was to come. Delany's novella, one of the better stories in the collection, was published when (or slightly before) he was in high school (at the Bronx High School of Science.) Still, a nearly unbeatable price, even for ephemeral pulp fiction.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining listening 🎶🔰

Twenty-five interesting will written fantasy Sci-Fi adventure thriller novels and novellas some I had listened to as individual novellas about half here. I would highly recommend this Megapack to readers of fantasy Sci-Fi novels. Enjoy the adventure of all kinds of novels and books. 2022

[Brooks · Rating 1 out of 5]

I haven't read much SciFi so maybe I've forgotten what the genre is all about? I found this collection a really disappointing read. Many of the stories are over 50 years old and maybe don't stand the test of time. Having finished, I cant think of any 'classic' story. Many did not have any SciFi feel / content at all.

Glad I finished it but not a rewarding experience.

[Alistair Ravie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mixed bag of old Sci-Fi stories, some ok some a bit dull.

Interesting to see how the sci-fi writers of the time saw the future developing. The simplistic views of how people could be living on Mars reflect how little we knew of the nature of other worlds at the time.

[Vivian Hensley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic

I found this collection to be a wonderful reminder of my youth. Sunny days, lounging in an open field, transporting my soul to worlds afar and longing to journey be part of the "What ifs of science fiction"

[Reuben Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some hits, many misses

I like short stories, and this collection wasn't too bad. Some good tales interspersed with quite a few 'meh' ones.

[Red Lane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good selection of stories. I usually don't enjoy the range but if you like a book with variety, then this is for you!

[Ian Duvall · Rating 3 out of 5]

inc the final call

[Dr Janice Flux · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection is uneven, but I'm grateful that it introduced me to Mack Reynolds.

[Earl Truss · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of thesE stories have been published elsewhere. I was surprised at how good some of the others were. I did not expect this at all.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 stars for the stories as so many of them are very dated now albeit, in some cases, very interesting. The extra star is for the value for money - excellent value!

[Paul Swiech · Rating 1 out of 5]

The first story was good, but not SF. After the second and third also not being SF, I returned it unfinished...

[rnagy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mega pack

This was a very good collection of older and contemporary science fiction stories that kept the reader interested. Looking forward to other mega packs.

[Halecki · Rating 5 out of 5]

well worth reading

As in any collection of stories, some were better than others. Some were VERY good. Some not so. But, none of them were bad.
I’m glad I read them.

[Chris Aldridge · Rating 3 out of 5]

okay

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[Sotolf Flasskjegg · Rating 3 out of 5]

What can I say, it wasn't that easy to give this book a score since the stories it contains are so different both in the style, the quality and feeling. There were some 4 star short stories in there, but also some 2. Some were a drag to get through, others a pleasure. all in all I have to say I enjoyed it though, but I'm looking forward to reading something with a bit more consistent style.

[Bill Borre]

"Native Son" by T. D. Hamm - Tommy was born on Mars but brought to Earth for an education. He is a nervous child who meets an unfortunate end when he begins to consider his father may have replaced his mother with an android. He reassures himself that his Martian hearing would be able to detect the clicking sounds such a creature would produce. His mother buys a watch as a surprise gift for Tommy so when she enters his room with it he backs away from her in fear and topples out of an open window to his death.

"Unknown Things" by Reginald Bretnor - A curio seller sells strange objects to a man whose wife catches the seller's fancy. When his customer tells him that he destroys the objects once he understands them the seller begins to be apprehensive that he hasn't seen his customer's lovely wife recently and the customer admits the seller will not see her as he has succeeded in understanding her.

"Dead Ringer" by Lester del Rey - Dane is convinced aliens have infiltrated and decides to kill himself in the asylum rather than face shock treatment only to be surprised when the cut he makes in his neck quickly heals itself.

"The Issahar Artifacts" by J. F. Bone - The protagonist battles intelligent algae and the story ends from the perspective of algae descendants that survived his attack and colonized entire planets.

"The Crystal Crypt" by Philip K. Dick - Erick, Jan and Mara shrink a Martian city with the intent to ransom it when they return to Earth but they are intercepted and caught.

"Year of the Big Thaw" by Marion Zimmer Bradley - The narrator adopts a baby who survives a crash landing from Mars.

"Zen" by Jerome Bixby - wc
"Earthmen Bearing Gifts" by Fredric Brown - wc

[Carole O'Brien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love these mega packs, favorite story's are Unknown things by Reginald Bretnor, a story about a man who likes to collect things that are rare and no one knows what they are supposed to be, this story has a shocking twist at the end, very good.
I am going to include Sentiment Inc in my favorites list written by Poul Anderson, as it is so well written and has a really good ending, it is about a couple who are happy with each other and then the girlfriend agrees to go and be a guinea pig for research , her personality changed overnight and she ended up marrying some one else, the ex boyfriend is suspicious and try's to find out what has happened.
The Next LogicAl Step by Ben Bova is a really good short story about the war to end all wars, I had forgotten how good Ben Bova was as it is a long time since I have read any of his books.
Zen by Jerome Bixby is another favorite of mine, it is a story about the last Zen alive, who's world was destroyed by its own doing, lovely ending.
Lancelot Bigg cooks a Pirate by Nelson Bond, a story about a cargo ship and the experience it has when a band of pirates dock the ship, very humorous ending, loved it.
All Earth A Grave by C.C McApp, very unusual subject matter, dark but keeps you reading till the very end with its intrigue and suspense.