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Battlefields Beyond Tomorrow: Science Fiction War Stories
This anthology contains: Introduction by Robert Silverberg; The Defenders by Philip K. Dick; The Long Watch by Robert A. Heinlein; The Miracle Workers by Jack Vance; Committee of the Whole by Frank Herbert; Superiority by Arthur C. Clarke; Single Combat by Joe Green; Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card; Hero by Joe W. Haldeman; The Survivor by Walter F. Moudy; The Last Objective by Paul Carter; What Do You Want Me to Do to Prove Im Human Stop by Fred Saberhagen; Hangman by David Drake; The Night of the Trolls by Keith Laumer; The Nuptial Flight of Warbirds by Algis Budrys; Mirror Mirror by Alan E. Nourse; Memorial by Theodore Sturgeon; Shark by Edward Bryant; Not a Prison Make by Joseph P. Martino; Hawk Among the Sparrows by Dean McLaughlin; No War or Battle's Sound by Harry Harrison; In the Name of the Father by Edward P. Hughes; On the Shadow of a Phosphor Screen by William F. Wu; The Specter General by Theodore R. Cogswell; Fixed Price War by Charles Sheffield; and The Machine that Won the War by Isaac Asimov.
650 pages, Hardcover
First published October 7, 1987
85 people want to read
About the author
Robert Silverberg
2,342 books1,601 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 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 19, 2018
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, put Isaac Asimov’s name on it and I’ll buy it, don’t care it it’s a sci-fi short story compilation or a cookbook. Now add Arthur C. Clarke, Robert Heinlein, Philip K. Dick, Harry Harrison, and Olson Scott Card to the list of authors, and I just dare to you stop me buying it. ;)
This is an anthology of twenty-five science fiction stories about war. At first, I was a bit worried that it would be too machismo and full of laser swords and such, but that fear was allayed with about one story. This compilation was filled with thoughtful, creative, stories. There were cautionary tales, stories of hope, and stories that surprised. There was a great variety, battles waged on distant planets, in space, and here on earth. As I find with most complications, the best stories were at the front and end of the collection, with some lessor works sandwiched in between the best ones. The stories were written between 1949 and 1980, but they all seem to share a common thread, war may be unavoidable, but it’s always evil.
It starts with a cracker by Arthur C. Clarke, that seemed familiar to me, that supposes that superior technology does not always provide superior results. I was thrilled to find the original Olson Scott Card short story of Ender’s Game, that inspired the full novel and the resulting sequels and prequels. It’s such a wonderful short, I’m sure Card had many urging him to expand it into a full-length novel (my opinion, it’s the best story of the bunch). There were a few stinkers in the middle, but only one, I found unreadable. And, of course, the anthology finishes strong with a few, very short, but excellent stories by Heinlein and the other bookend by Clarke.
All in all, this collection does not disappoint. It’s important to think about war, the implications, the prelude and the aftermath, and the unexpected outcomes. I enjoyed the writing, it made me think, and the pages flew by. I find it hard not to pick up a sci-fi short story anthology now and then, especially with Isaac Asimov’s name on the author list.
This is an anthology of twenty-five science fiction stories about war. At first, I was a bit worried that it would be too machismo and full of laser swords and such, but that fear was allayed with about one story. This compilation was filled with thoughtful, creative, stories. There were cautionary tales, stories of hope, and stories that surprised. There was a great variety, battles waged on distant planets, in space, and here on earth. As I find with most complications, the best stories were at the front and end of the collection, with some lessor works sandwiched in between the best ones. The stories were written between 1949 and 1980, but they all seem to share a common thread, war may be unavoidable, but it’s always evil.
It starts with a cracker by Arthur C. Clarke, that seemed familiar to me, that supposes that superior technology does not always provide superior results. I was thrilled to find the original Olson Scott Card short story of Ender’s Game, that inspired the full novel and the resulting sequels and prequels. It’s such a wonderful short, I’m sure Card had many urging him to expand it into a full-length novel (my opinion, it’s the best story of the bunch). There were a few stinkers in the middle, but only one, I found unreadable. And, of course, the anthology finishes strong with a few, very short, but excellent stories by Heinlein and the other bookend by Clarke.
All in all, this collection does not disappoint. It’s important to think about war, the implications, the prelude and the aftermath, and the unexpected outcomes. I enjoyed the writing, it made me think, and the pages flew by. I find it hard not to pick up a sci-fi short story anthology now and then, especially with Isaac Asimov’s name on the author list.
December 9, 2012
I realized I still had this anthology sitting on my currently reading shelf when I've been done with it since September. I didn't read the whole thing; the hardcore battle/military themes of the stories started to wear on me after awhile. While not completely my cup of tea, it is a pretty impressive collection of short stories from some of the genre's finest authors. This is why I'm not putting it on my 'abandoned' shelf, which implies it was too awful to finish. That's not the case at all.
I picked this up because there was one story I wanted to read in particular: 'The Survivor' by Walter F. Moudy - a very early example of the 'deadly games' scenario we've seen explode in popularity since The Hunger Games craze. I doubt Moudy's is the first published example of the 'fight to the death for public consumption' story, but it's getting pretty damn close I bet (if you know of something published even earlier, please let me know).
Moudy's 1965 story describes a televised battle between US and Russian (of course!) players during the 2050 Olympic War Games. Participants are in a pitched battle in an enclosed natural landscape arena where every bloody death is caught on camera and televised around the world until all of one side is killed. The losing side must pay restitution to the winners. This is a good story, made all the better when you think about its prescience of reality television that would come along some three decades later. No doubt Moudy was tapping into the rise of television coverage of the war in Vietnam. Already by 1963-64, images of the conflict were being regularly broadcast into American living rooms, coverage that would grow exponentially over the next few years.
The other memorable short story in this collection is 'Hero' by Joe W. Haldeman, an early version of his sci-fi, award-winning masterpiece The Forever War. If I'm grateful for picking up this collection at all, it's because it brought Haldeman and his book of interstellar war to my attention. I'm looking forward to it.
One piece of advice: if you do pick up this collection and have not read Ender's Game (what are you waiting for?), avoid Orson Scott Card's short story of the same name because it contains serious spoilers for the full-length novel. Don't do it I tell you! Read the book instead.
That's all folks.
January 3, 2015
Amazing war book. The Specter General is one of the best stories I've ever read.
September 24, 2017
This was so fun to read. Cheesy and nuanced sci fi fiction for the fans.
April 19, 2020
Why did I give this Five Stars? Because it's that good! Taken too quickly to an out of print (OOP) status and truly should not have been.
Completely surprises me it was not ever reprinted (2nd, 3rd printings...). The only volume was strictly a 1st pressing in Hardcover. Pity, as there are some great Sci-Fi military short stories found within, written by some of the top named and best-selling Authors of this genre.
Clarke, Herbert, Halderman, Saberhagen, Asimov, Heinlein, Drake, Vance, Harrison, Laumer, Dick, Budrys, Sturgeon, and another dozen lesser name Authors' short takes at penning quite enjoyable futuristic military tales; also included is an early short version of Card's ENDER'S GAME before he took it to the full classic novel that we are used to.
My copy was purchased almost soon after it was released and still sits in my bookshelf. In fact, I've read it twice. Cover is gone from my copy, but remains in excellent condition.
Sadly for the rest of you folks, you'll have to hunt this down as it's been long out of print. Maybe perchance you could possibly locate through eBay or some Book Hunter service.
Great stories. Great collection. You will not be disappointed. I sure wasn't.
Completely surprises me it was not ever reprinted (2nd, 3rd printings...). The only volume was strictly a 1st pressing in Hardcover. Pity, as there are some great Sci-Fi military short stories found within, written by some of the top named and best-selling Authors of this genre.
Clarke, Herbert, Halderman, Saberhagen, Asimov, Heinlein, Drake, Vance, Harrison, Laumer, Dick, Budrys, Sturgeon, and another dozen lesser name Authors' short takes at penning quite enjoyable futuristic military tales; also included is an early short version of Card's ENDER'S GAME before he took it to the full classic novel that we are used to.
My copy was purchased almost soon after it was released and still sits in my bookshelf. In fact, I've read it twice. Cover is gone from my copy, but remains in excellent condition.
Sadly for the rest of you folks, you'll have to hunt this down as it's been long out of print. Maybe perchance you could possibly locate through eBay or some Book Hunter service.
Great stories. Great collection. You will not be disappointed. I sure wasn't.
Read
December 28, 20123/23/12: "Shark" (1973) by Edward Bryant
3/22/12: "Fixed Price War" (1978) by Charles Sheffield
3/22/12: "Committee of the Whole" (1965) by Frank Herbert
3/22/12: "The Long Watch" (1949) by Robert A. Heinlein
3/22/12: "The Machine That Won the War" (1962) by Isaac Asimov
3/12/12: "Superiority" (1951) by Arthur C. Clarke
3/12/12: "Memorial" (1946) by Theodore Sturgeon
3/22/12: "Fixed Price War" (1978) by Charles Sheffield
3/22/12: "Committee of the Whole" (1965) by Frank Herbert
3/22/12: "The Long Watch" (1949) by Robert A. Heinlein
3/22/12: "The Machine That Won the War" (1962) by Isaac Asimov
3/12/12: "Superiority" (1951) by Arthur C. Clarke
3/12/12: "Memorial" (1946) by Theodore Sturgeon
December 9, 2013
Fantastic stories that primarily introduced me to fiction particularly SF along with Herbert, Asimov, Doyle, Bester, and Clarke. I highly recommend this book.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews