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Sense of Wonder: A Century of Science Fiction
A survey of the last 100 years of science fiction, with representative stories and illuminating essays by the top writers, poets, and scholars, from Edgar Rice Burroughs and Samuel Butler to Robert A. Heinlein and and Jack Vance, from E.E. "Doc" Smith and Clifford D. Simak to Ted Chiang and Charles Stross-- and everyone in between. More than one million words of classic fiction and essays!
5645 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 17, 2023
3.0⭐ A monsterous (1000 page) survey of science fiction, designed for use by students of the genre. I found it an odd compilation of novellas and short stories, of varying quality. One the positive side- it allowed me to read a number of classic stories I'd been unable to find previously, including John W. Campbell's "Who Goes There" (the basis for the film "The Thing," in all its iterations); Ward Moore's "Bring the Jubilee," often credited as the original alternative history tale; Phillip Nowland's first Buck Rodgers story "Armageddon 2419 AD." I also reread "The Time Machine" for the first time in 50 years, or so.
While there are some clear classics, such as Arthur C Clarke's "The Sentinel," Heinlein's "Green Hills of Earth " and Cordwainer Smith's "The Game of Rat and Dragon, other writers are represented by minor or mediocre examples of their work. The editor, Leigh Grossman, cites three examples where authors convinced him to abandon his first choice for lesser known stories, a strange process.
The stories are interspersed with essays on different aspects of science fiction written by a variety of academics, most of which I found to be forgetable. While there's an effort to include both stories and essay topics from outside the United States, the focus is still overwhelmingly American. To use a random example, the essay on science fiction and television is simply a quick survey of US shows since the medium began. There's one reference to Dr. Who, which mockingly describes the quality of its special effects. There's no reference at all to other seminal British programs like the Quatermass series, or The Prisoner and not a single mention of Japanese, French or any other non US production.
The book does however, contain a lot of good science fiction, all in one place and it does, by pure bulk, present an overview of the genre's last century. I would contrast it to the last sci-fi survey I read, "The Future is Female", which was very well curated with tightly written commentary. The latter also has something this book does not, a sense of wonder. It's buried under too many mediocre stories and essays and side trips into the commercial aspects of science fiction. A shame, really. -30-
While there are some clear classics, such as Arthur C Clarke's "The Sentinel," Heinlein's "Green Hills of Earth " and Cordwainer Smith's "The Game of Rat and Dragon, other writers are represented by minor or mediocre examples of their work. The editor, Leigh Grossman, cites three examples where authors convinced him to abandon his first choice for lesser known stories, a strange process.
The stories are interspersed with essays on different aspects of science fiction written by a variety of academics, most of which I found to be forgetable. While there's an effort to include both stories and essay topics from outside the United States, the focus is still overwhelmingly American. To use a random example, the essay on science fiction and television is simply a quick survey of US shows since the medium began. There's one reference to Dr. Who, which mockingly describes the quality of its special effects. There's no reference at all to other seminal British programs like the Quatermass series, or The Prisoner and not a single mention of Japanese, French or any other non US production.
The book does however, contain a lot of good science fiction, all in one place and it does, by pure bulk, present an overview of the genre's last century. I would contrast it to the last sci-fi survey I read, "The Future is Female", which was very well curated with tightly written commentary. The latter also has something this book does not, a sense of wonder. It's buried under too many mediocre stories and essays and side trips into the commercial aspects of science fiction. A shame, really. -30-
June 10, 2019
Este no es un libro. Es una biblioteca entera en un sólo tomo. Al parecer, la edición física es inmanejable pour lo grande y pesada; y difícil de leer por la pequeña fuente usada, los márgenes escasos y la delgadez del papel biblia.
Afortunadamente existe la versión en Kindle, con los márgenes que uno quiera, el tamaño de fuente que sea cómodo y en el mismo formato que un libro de 200 páginas. O de 1000. Es difícil saber a cuantas páginas físicas equivale la version Kindle de este enorme mamotreto. Considerando aproximadamente 30 líneas de texto por página estándar, los cambios en la Posición (la referencia que usan muchos documentos de Kindle) indican que hay que pasar la página más de 6400 veces para acabar el libro. Así que esta monstruosidad equivale a un documento de 3200 hojas, mas o menos. Es fácil deducir que nunca había leído un libro tan grande en toda mi vida. (Y dado su modesto precio, una de las mejores gangas también).
No es para menos. El libro incluye alrededor de 225 entradas. Esas entradas son principalmente cuentos. Pero algunas son extractos de novelas o, incluso, novelas enteras. Todas las obras incluyen, además, una breve pero luminosa nota sobre el autor. Hay una multitud de ensayos sobre diversos aspectos de la Ciencia Ficción escritos por académicos o representantes del género y algún par de biografías sobre personajes importantes. Y algo que encontré muy rara vez en la ciencia ficción: poemas. Este enlace contiene la lista entera de entradas. Con sólo verla se te hace agua la boca:
https://www.sfsignal.com/archives/201...
La motivación del editor (Leigh Grossman) fue simple: como profesor de inglés en la Universidad de Connecticut y experto en el género de Ciencia Ficción (además de escritor él mismo, aunque modestamente conocido como tal), debía pedir a sus alumnos una diversidad de libros para tratar de cubrir los diferentes subgéneros, periodos y aspectos de la CF. Y aún así, las lagunas eran inevitables.
Así, el objetivo del libro es simple: cubrir con un sólo tomo los principales aspectos, épocas, subgéneros y autores de la Ciencia Ficción, desde su nacimiento (o sea, desde antes que el término se inventara) hasta la actualidad. Y poner, además, un cierto contexto a esas obras con las notas al inicio de cada entrada sobre el autor respectivo, los ensayos escritos por una multitud de expertos del área y, al final del libro, incluso artículos prácticos sobre como escribir cuentos cortos en CF, como encontrar un editor y como publicar en el género.
Qué cubre entonces? La obra más antigua del libro es The Last Man the Mary Shelley de 1826. Esto es sólo justicia pues Mary Shelley es acreditada por muchos como la persona que escribió el primer libro que puede considerarse plenamente de Ciencia Ficción (Frankestein, que cumplió dos siglos de escrito en 2018). Y los dos cuentos más recientes son de 2011.
(Curiosamente, el libro no presenta las obras en estricto orden cronológico, pues dentro de cada época, forman mas bien una continuidad temática. En efecto, la primera entrada es un extracto de A Princess of Mars, de Edgar Rice Burroughs...)
Entre ellos, un universo. O varios, en realidad.
Es imposible describir la variedad de autores. Encuentras por supuesto las decenas de autores que conoces y amas. Y reencuentras decenas de cuentos que ya habías leído, hace un año, o 10 o 25. Pero descubres también -- y ese es quizá el mayor mérito del libro -- otras docenas de autores que ni sabías que existían. Y lees cuentos que te siguen sorprendiendo, mientras disfrutas la evolución del género, desde la cierta inocencia y simplicidad de los primeros tiempos, a la profundidad y estilo de las obras más recientes.
Las obras están agrupadas en 7 secciones, empezando por Early Science Fiction, con obras de Verne, H.G. Wells, Capek (el creador del término Robot), Burroughs, Gernsback (si, el del premio Hugo y creador de la icónica, aunque no muy selecta, Amazing Stories), Poe, etc.
La segunda parte (1926-36) parte del año en que Gernsback creo Amazing Stories y, por tanto, la CF toma oficialmente cuerpo, el término mismo es creado y los nombres de algunos escritores (Campbell, Lovecraft, E.E. «Doc» Smith) empiezan a sonar conocidos. Pero la mayoría no. Es el periodo del pulp de no muy alta calidad (con notables excepciones).
La tercera parte es quizá aquella donde más me reencontré: la Edad de Oro (1936-45) donde el personaje clave es John W. Campbell, editor de Astounding Stories y responsable del descubrimiento de los nombres más famosos del género: Asimov, Heinlein, Pohl, Simak, pero también Brown, Sprague de Camp, del Rey, Moore, Sturgeon, van Vogt,... la lista es larga. La calidad aumenta sustancialmente, la historia es importante y los personajes ganan en densidad. El estilo es más depurado.
La cuarta parte (1945-60) refleja la masificación del género, profundizando sin mayor ruptura la Época de Oro. Encontramos a muchos nombres familiares, Anderson, Bester, Blish, Clarke, K. Dick, Farmer, Herbert, Knight, Kornbluth, Leiber, Matheson, Vance, Bova, Zimmer Bradley, Delany, Brunner, pero también descubrimos (ya era hora!) nuevos nombres notables (donde se habían metido!) como Octavia Butler, Ward Moore o Leigh Brackett.
La quinta parte sobre la Nueva Ola (1960-75) sí tiene una ruptura. Es la era de la exploración de estilos, temas y personajes que no eran habituales en CF. La religión, el sexo y los temas de género, la política entran en desafiante escena, los estilos innovan sin restricción. La evolución y los conflictos internos de los personajes son de repente lo central de muchas historias. Mucho quedará en el olvido pero el género no será nunca más el mismo, aún si la CF «dura» seguirá siempre teniendo un espacio. Aquí están Ellison (por supuesto, uno de sus impulsores), Haldeman, Lafferty, Le Guin, Niven, Silverberg, Spinrad, Varley, Vonnegut, Zelazny y entre los descubrimientos, Tiptree, Vinge, Russ,...
La quinta parte (1975-90, la era de la versión de bolsillo) expuso mis crecientes lagunas. Son más los nombres desconocidos que los conocidos! Y que bueno que así sea. Reconozco a Bear, Scott Card, Bruce Sterling, o James Patrick Kelly, pero descubro con entusiasmo a McMaster Bujold, Pat Cadigan, Alan Dean Foster, Terry Pratchett, y muchos más. Estoy seguro que me crucé con algunos de ellos en las compilaciones anuales de Gardner Dozois, pero no me son familiares. Me siento un poco viejo, pero me alegra darme cuenta que aún hay espacio para la sorpresa. Es impresionante el cambio. El estilo es sofisticado, los personajes son complejos. A veces, la historia NO es lo importante. Alguien dice por ahi que los autores tienen ahora más un background literario y no tanto científico como en los viejos tiempos...
Finalmente, la séptima parte, a partir de 1990, llamada la época de la consolidación (habla del mundo editorial) va por la misma vena. Algunos nombres reconocidos (Chiang, Kress) pero muchas, muchas voces maravillosamente nuevas (Asaro, Doctorow, Hopkinson, Stross)...
Temía embriagarme de CF y acabar saturado. No ocurrió nunca. Jamás me aburrió el libro y cada cuento era un descubrimiento de un aire nuevo, un estilo diferente, una idea original, un personaje notable.
Quizá ahora puedo considerar que soy un lector serio de Ciencia Ficción. O quizás no. No es lo que importa...
Afortunadamente existe la versión en Kindle, con los márgenes que uno quiera, el tamaño de fuente que sea cómodo y en el mismo formato que un libro de 200 páginas. O de 1000. Es difícil saber a cuantas páginas físicas equivale la version Kindle de este enorme mamotreto. Considerando aproximadamente 30 líneas de texto por página estándar, los cambios en la Posición (la referencia que usan muchos documentos de Kindle) indican que hay que pasar la página más de 6400 veces para acabar el libro. Así que esta monstruosidad equivale a un documento de 3200 hojas, mas o menos. Es fácil deducir que nunca había leído un libro tan grande en toda mi vida. (Y dado su modesto precio, una de las mejores gangas también).
No es para menos. El libro incluye alrededor de 225 entradas. Esas entradas son principalmente cuentos. Pero algunas son extractos de novelas o, incluso, novelas enteras. Todas las obras incluyen, además, una breve pero luminosa nota sobre el autor. Hay una multitud de ensayos sobre diversos aspectos de la Ciencia Ficción escritos por académicos o representantes del género y algún par de biografías sobre personajes importantes. Y algo que encontré muy rara vez en la ciencia ficción: poemas. Este enlace contiene la lista entera de entradas. Con sólo verla se te hace agua la boca:
https://www.sfsignal.com/archives/201...
La motivación del editor (Leigh Grossman) fue simple: como profesor de inglés en la Universidad de Connecticut y experto en el género de Ciencia Ficción (además de escritor él mismo, aunque modestamente conocido como tal), debía pedir a sus alumnos una diversidad de libros para tratar de cubrir los diferentes subgéneros, periodos y aspectos de la CF. Y aún así, las lagunas eran inevitables.
Así, el objetivo del libro es simple: cubrir con un sólo tomo los principales aspectos, épocas, subgéneros y autores de la Ciencia Ficción, desde su nacimiento (o sea, desde antes que el término se inventara) hasta la actualidad. Y poner, además, un cierto contexto a esas obras con las notas al inicio de cada entrada sobre el autor respectivo, los ensayos escritos por una multitud de expertos del área y, al final del libro, incluso artículos prácticos sobre como escribir cuentos cortos en CF, como encontrar un editor y como publicar en el género.
Qué cubre entonces? La obra más antigua del libro es The Last Man the Mary Shelley de 1826. Esto es sólo justicia pues Mary Shelley es acreditada por muchos como la persona que escribió el primer libro que puede considerarse plenamente de Ciencia Ficción (Frankestein, que cumplió dos siglos de escrito en 2018). Y los dos cuentos más recientes son de 2011.
(Curiosamente, el libro no presenta las obras en estricto orden cronológico, pues dentro de cada época, forman mas bien una continuidad temática. En efecto, la primera entrada es un extracto de A Princess of Mars, de Edgar Rice Burroughs...)
Entre ellos, un universo. O varios, en realidad.
Es imposible describir la variedad de autores. Encuentras por supuesto las decenas de autores que conoces y amas. Y reencuentras decenas de cuentos que ya habías leído, hace un año, o 10 o 25. Pero descubres también -- y ese es quizá el mayor mérito del libro -- otras docenas de autores que ni sabías que existían. Y lees cuentos que te siguen sorprendiendo, mientras disfrutas la evolución del género, desde la cierta inocencia y simplicidad de los primeros tiempos, a la profundidad y estilo de las obras más recientes.
Las obras están agrupadas en 7 secciones, empezando por Early Science Fiction, con obras de Verne, H.G. Wells, Capek (el creador del término Robot), Burroughs, Gernsback (si, el del premio Hugo y creador de la icónica, aunque no muy selecta, Amazing Stories), Poe, etc.
La segunda parte (1926-36) parte del año en que Gernsback creo Amazing Stories y, por tanto, la CF toma oficialmente cuerpo, el término mismo es creado y los nombres de algunos escritores (Campbell, Lovecraft, E.E. «Doc» Smith) empiezan a sonar conocidos. Pero la mayoría no. Es el periodo del pulp de no muy alta calidad (con notables excepciones).
La tercera parte es quizá aquella donde más me reencontré: la Edad de Oro (1936-45) donde el personaje clave es John W. Campbell, editor de Astounding Stories y responsable del descubrimiento de los nombres más famosos del género: Asimov, Heinlein, Pohl, Simak, pero también Brown, Sprague de Camp, del Rey, Moore, Sturgeon, van Vogt,... la lista es larga. La calidad aumenta sustancialmente, la historia es importante y los personajes ganan en densidad. El estilo es más depurado.
La cuarta parte (1945-60) refleja la masificación del género, profundizando sin mayor ruptura la Época de Oro. Encontramos a muchos nombres familiares, Anderson, Bester, Blish, Clarke, K. Dick, Farmer, Herbert, Knight, Kornbluth, Leiber, Matheson, Vance, Bova, Zimmer Bradley, Delany, Brunner, pero también descubrimos (ya era hora!) nuevos nombres notables (donde se habían metido!) como Octavia Butler, Ward Moore o Leigh Brackett.
La quinta parte sobre la Nueva Ola (1960-75) sí tiene una ruptura. Es la era de la exploración de estilos, temas y personajes que no eran habituales en CF. La religión, el sexo y los temas de género, la política entran en desafiante escena, los estilos innovan sin restricción. La evolución y los conflictos internos de los personajes son de repente lo central de muchas historias. Mucho quedará en el olvido pero el género no será nunca más el mismo, aún si la CF «dura» seguirá siempre teniendo un espacio. Aquí están Ellison (por supuesto, uno de sus impulsores), Haldeman, Lafferty, Le Guin, Niven, Silverberg, Spinrad, Varley, Vonnegut, Zelazny y entre los descubrimientos, Tiptree, Vinge, Russ,...
La quinta parte (1975-90, la era de la versión de bolsillo) expuso mis crecientes lagunas. Son más los nombres desconocidos que los conocidos! Y que bueno que así sea. Reconozco a Bear, Scott Card, Bruce Sterling, o James Patrick Kelly, pero descubro con entusiasmo a McMaster Bujold, Pat Cadigan, Alan Dean Foster, Terry Pratchett, y muchos más. Estoy seguro que me crucé con algunos de ellos en las compilaciones anuales de Gardner Dozois, pero no me son familiares. Me siento un poco viejo, pero me alegra darme cuenta que aún hay espacio para la sorpresa. Es impresionante el cambio. El estilo es sofisticado, los personajes son complejos. A veces, la historia NO es lo importante. Alguien dice por ahi que los autores tienen ahora más un background literario y no tanto científico como en los viejos tiempos...
Finalmente, la séptima parte, a partir de 1990, llamada la época de la consolidación (habla del mundo editorial) va por la misma vena. Algunos nombres reconocidos (Chiang, Kress) pero muchas, muchas voces maravillosamente nuevas (Asaro, Doctorow, Hopkinson, Stross)...
Temía embriagarme de CF y acabar saturado. No ocurrió nunca. Jamás me aburrió el libro y cada cuento era un descubrimiento de un aire nuevo, un estilo diferente, una idea original, un personaje notable.
Quizá ahora puedo considerar que soy un lector serio de Ciencia Ficción. O quizás no. No es lo que importa...
May 24, 2018
It's going to take me time to read through this wonderful book but, having gotten through the first 20% on my Kindle, but I can tell you it is worth it. On the one hand it is like an ideal history or introduction to science fiction. On the other, for people like me who've loved the genre since they were young, it is a wonderful collection of classic stories that I never knew I missed ... plus some I have enjoyed revisiting, each with a brief bio of the author.
Added to that are essays interspersed through the text covering sf basics as well as more imaginative themes such as the use of dinosaurs in science fiction.
One of the best discoveries in it for me was R.U.R., the 1920 science fiction play by the Czech writer Karel Čapek which introduced the word robot. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed reading the play.
This is a mammoth book and I've seen numerous complaints about the quality of the print book. In this case, the Kindle is definitely the way to go.
UPDATE
I'm now about 40% of the way through the book and am enjoying it immensely, even if I only pick it up every so often. Some of this is from the sheer variety of authors and stories featured. The other factor is that I've reached stories written in the 1960s and that is a time which was exploring ideas which I still find compelling, especially when approached as imaginatively as these are. Can't speak highly enough of this book for sf lovers.
Added to that are essays interspersed through the text covering sf basics as well as more imaginative themes such as the use of dinosaurs in science fiction.
One of the best discoveries in it for me was R.U.R., the 1920 science fiction play by the Czech writer Karel Čapek which introduced the word robot. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed reading the play.
This is a mammoth book and I've seen numerous complaints about the quality of the print book. In this case, the Kindle is definitely the way to go.
UPDATE
I'm now about 40% of the way through the book and am enjoying it immensely, even if I only pick it up every so often. Some of this is from the sheer variety of authors and stories featured. The other factor is that I've reached stories written in the 1960s and that is a time which was exploring ideas which I still find compelling, especially when approached as imaginatively as these are. Can't speak highly enough of this book for sf lovers.
xx-dnf-skim-reference
December 25, 2021Holy cats.
I wanted this book: A Sense of Wonder. What I got is this ginormous textbook with tiny typeface, not a prayer in heck I could read the whole thing unless it were something like a 20+ volume set. I'd seriously consider an ebook of it were I comfortable reading digitally, though.
They could have saved some space by putting some of the public domain stuff as a tag only though. At the very least The Time Machine could be accessed by the students separately.
I did dip into it in a couple of places. Didn't see anything call my name. I'm considering photocopying the table of cotents, but my to-read list is already overwhelming. Oh well.
I wanted this book: A Sense of Wonder. What I got is this ginormous textbook with tiny typeface, not a prayer in heck I could read the whole thing unless it were something like a 20+ volume set. I'd seriously consider an ebook of it were I comfortable reading digitally, though.
They could have saved some space by putting some of the public domain stuff as a tag only though. At the very least The Time Machine could be accessed by the students separately.
I did dip into it in a couple of places. Didn't see anything call my name. I'm considering photocopying the table of cotents, but my to-read list is already overwhelming. Oh well.
July 26, 2020
There's something to be said for the classics. This collection gives a great perspective on the science fiction genre over an incredibly long timeframe. I will admit that it's a slow read. I've started and stopped many times, turning to other stories that I read quickly. But I come back to this one because its great lineup of writers compels me to. One of these days I'll actually finish it. I recommend it highly though--especially for those readers looking for deep insight into the genre.
March 13, 2021
There are two versions of this textbook: the 968-page print edition and this 4470-page electronic behemoth. It's hard to imagine a more comprehensive overview of 20th Century science fiction. In addition to the myriad classic and award winning stories, the book provides scholarly essays on everything from the history of sf, to author biographies, to analyses of sf sub-genres, to the role of fandom, and much more. There are a couple of notable author absences, perhaps due to unavailability of reprint rights, but just about every major writer is represented. There are persistent typographical and formatting errors throughout the book, fortunately, not enough to make it unreadable.
Some of the highlights include (note, F&SF refers to The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction):
"Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell, Jr. (as Don A. Stuart) (Astounding, August 1938 - novella) 2014 Retro-Hugo Award winner
4 Stars
This is a taut thriller that examines territory similar to Invasion of the Body Snatchers, i.e., alien invaders taking over humans and other animals to such an extent that it's impossible to tell the difference. The alien in this story exhibits one of Campbell's pet beliefs--telepathy, which makes the scenario all the more frightening.
"Nightfall" by Isaac Asimov (Astounding, September 1941 - novelette)
5 Stars
This oft reprinted story is a classic and is one of Asimov's own favorites. It's a thought experiment more than a story, but the ideas are very powerful, doing what good science fiction should do, getting the reader to imagine a world so different from their own that they start to reexamine all kinds of everyday assumptions. There are plot holes, such as aren't there blind people in this society, or isn't there some kind of available artificial light (even torches seem to be a new idea to the characters), but they don't detract from the story's impact.
"Day Million" by Frederik Pohl (Rogue, Feb/March 1966 - short story)
4 Stars
This story is heavily influenced by the New Wave movement, being more of a stylistic thought experiment than an actual story. The lesson is that time will evolve our physicalities and mentalities in ways we cannot imagine. This story has what is certainly one of the earliest depictions of transexual humans, presented in a matter-of-fact, no-big-deal manner.
"Grotto of the Dancing Deer" by Clifford D. Simak (Analog, April 1980 - short story) 1981 Hugo Award and Nebula Award winner
3 Stars
This is a gentle tale that shows the potential loneliness of being immortal and having your loved ones continually disappear. It's a good, not great, story, probably winning in a weak year more as a lifetime award for one of the genre's grandmasters than on its own merits.
"Microcosmic God" by Theodore Sturgeon (Astounding, April 1941 - novelette)
4 Stars
Sturgeon was known for his motto, "Ask the next question." This story captures that spirit very well. The extrapolation of an inventor's ultimate discovery proceeds step by step as each new facet of its ramifications are unveiled. The scientist just wants to be left alone on his island to do research, while it's a greedy businessperson who wreaks havoc with things they don't understand.
"Black Destroyer" by A. E. van Vogt (Astounding, July 1939 - novelette)
3 Stars
This is a first-contact story, notable in that some of it is told from the alien's point of view. Otherwise, it's a fairly typical space opera from the pulp era where highly competent men vanquish evil by outsmarting it, after underestimating it in the beginning.
"Fondly Fahrenheit" by Alfred Bester (F&SF, August 1954 - novelette)
3 Stars
A robot under the direction of its psychotic owner kills several people, despite the robot's prime directive to not hurt humans. We finally learn what enables this detachment, but there's nothing much for the reader to empathize with. It's more of a problem story popular during this period than the character driven stories of today.
"The Sentinel" (as "Sentinel of Eternity") by Arthur C. Clarke (10 Story Fantasy, Spring 1951 - short story)
4 Stars
This story is mostly notable as Stanley Kubrick's inspiration for 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). Nevertheless, Clarke evokes feelings of awe and wonder related to the vastness of the universe and our tiny place within it, and how a space faring species wouldn't want to bother meeting savages who couldn't at least travel to their own moon. Whether those aliens are friends or foes is a question that may never be answered.
"Or All the Seas with Oysters" by Avram Davidson (Galaxy Science Fiction, May 1958 - short story) 1958 Hugo Award winner
3 Stars
This is essentially a gimmick story, answering the question of why clothes hangers seem to endlessly multiply. It not very nuanced, but it is entertaining, with somewhat of a twist ending.
"Soldier, Ask Not" by Gordon R. Dickson (Galaxy, October 1964 - novella) 1965 Hugo Award winner
5 Stars
Dickson seems to have fallen out of favor with fans, perhaps because much of what he wrote was unapologetic military sf, and some of his later work was bloated. But as this story shows, he was a master of mood and character, as well as knowing the ramifications of war on individuals and societies. It's hard to understand another culture and sometimes the best intentions lead to unforeseen tragedy.
"The Cold Equations" by Tom Godwin (Astounding, August 1954 - novelette)
5 Stars
Because of its sexism this story wouldn't be publishable today, but taking it in the context of its times it is a poignant look at how we handle death. It starts out like a typical problem story that was popular then—how can a spaceship husband its fuel to compensate for a stowaway's unanticipated mass—but ultimately turns into an emotional parable about the relationships we have with our families and friends.
"The Country of the Kind" by Damon Knight (F&SF, February 1956 - short story)
4 Stars
A disturbing look at a near future where humans no longer have destructive, antisocial, or aggressive behavior, but where a degenerate who retains those traits believes that without them, great art and creativity also cannot exist.
"First Contact" by Murray Leinster (Astounding, May 1945 - novelette) 1996 Retro-Hugo Award winner
4 Stars
In the story that apparently coined the term "first contact," a human spaceship meets an alien spaceship in the far reaches of the galaxy. The problem is whether to trust each other in peace, or destroy each other to prevent each other from finding the others' home world for possible invasion. The solution is surprising, if not a bit contrived.
"That Only a Mother" by Judith Merril (Astounding, June 1948 - short story)
4 Stars
In a world where atomic bomb radiation has become fairly ubiquitous, genetic mutations in fetuses have become common. This story recounts the experiences of one mother and her baby, seemingly normal at first but then demonstrating advanced mental abilities. Only when the deployed father comes home are the baby's physical mutations revealed in a chilling twist ending.
"Allamagoosa" by Eric Frank Russell (Astounding, May 1955 - short story) 1955 Hugo Award winner
4 Stars
This is a humorous look at the age-old problem of military red tape and what happens when an item is mislabeled on an inspection sheet. Not too deep, but still a fun story more than 65 years later.
"Going Under" by Jack Dann (Omni, September 1981 - novelette) 1982 Nebula Award finalist
4 Stars
A traveling tourist visiting the Titanic falls in love with another time traveler, complicating their plans to live and die, respectively, on the ship. And then there's her father's head she keeps in a box to add weirdness to the proceedings.
"Jeffty Is Five" by Harlan Ellison (F&SF, July 1977 - short story) 1978 Hugo Award winner and Nebula Award winner
5 Stars
This is arguably Ellison's finest story. A boy who never ages beyond five years old is able to listen to old-time radio programs and experience other things from the past. On one hand, it's a somewhat cynical look at how things were so much better then than now. On the other hand, it's a poignant, nostalgic character study.
"Neutron Star" by Larry Niven (If, October 1966 - novelette) 1967 Hugo Award winner
4 Stars
This is a hard sf story that would be at home with the problem-solving stories of the 1940s and 50s. There's not much in the way of characterization, although Niven creates some truly alien aliens with the puppeteers, and the problem's solution seems rather obvious for anyone acquainted with the physics of gravity.
"Melancholy Elephants" by Spider Robinson (Analog, June 1982 - short story) 1983 Hugo Award winner
4 Stars
This is essentially an essay disguised as a story. Robinson posits that the combinations of musical notes (and words, too), while large, is finite and therefore copyright laws should be limited so that new generations of artists can recycle ideas.
"Souls" by Joanna Russ (F&SF, January 1982 - novella) 1983 Hugo Award winner and Nebula Award finalist
4 Stars
The fantasy element of this story only reveals itself near the end. Mostly, this is an emotional historical fiction about some 12th-Century Norse raiders invading a German abbey in search of treasure and slaves. The female abbess does her best to protect her people, but is not very successful, although ultimately she finds her true nature and converts the Norse leader into becoming more peaceful as a final act of revenge.
"Passengers" by Robert Silverberg (Orbit 4, December 1968 - short story) 1969 Nebula Award winner and Hugo Award finalist
4 Stars
Unseen alien entities ("Passengers") are able to take control over humans for their deviant pleasures, with the human hosts unable to remember what they did while being ridden—until one day a man spots a woman who he met while being ridden and with whom he then tries to strike up a relationship.
"A Rose for Ecclesiastes" by Roger Zelazny (F&SF, November 1963 - novelette) 1964 Hugo Award finalist
3 Stars
This combines the dying, ancient Martian civilization trope with the modern notion of Mars as a hostile, desert world. A human poet/linguist receives permission to translate some Martian texts and in the process falls in love with a Martian woman, ultimately getting her pregnant. Aside from the implausible biology, the protagonist is a real jerk that even love can't quite redeem.
"The Mountains of Mourning" by Lois McMaster Bujold (Analog, May 1989 - novella) 1990 Hugo Award winner and Nebula Award winner
4 Stars
This is well written whodunit with some interesting observations about how society treats those with disabilities. It also showcases how societies deal with technological change, something that every generation has to deal with.
"Think Like a Dinosaur" by James Patrick Kelly (Asimov's, June 1995 - novelette) 1996 Hugo Award winner and Nebula Award finalist
4 Stars
This has a similar premise as "The Cold Equations" by Tom Godwin. When a matter duplicator/transmitter leaves the original person behind, a balance must be maintained, but at what cost? Can a human think like an alien and just look at the cold equation?
"City of Truth" by James Morrow ( City of Truth, January 1991 - novella) 1993 Nebula Award winner
5 Stars
The truth-telling dystopian world presented here gives us a satiric parable about the power of lies and how lies are necessary for a functional human existence. The novella is both funny and poignant as a father tries to shield his son from the pain of death.
"Barnacle Bill the Spacer" by Lucius Shepard (Asimov's, July 1992 - novella) 1993 Hugo Award winner and Nebula Award finalist
3 Stars
A brain-damaged resident of a space station orbiting past Mars, who is bullied by the other workers, ends up saving the station from both a takeover by a nihilistic murderous cult from Earth, as well as the tight-fisted control by the parental Earth corporation which had kept it from realizing its potential. It's more of an action thriller, but there is also a bit of social commentary.
"Bicycle Repairman" by Bruce Sterling (Intersections: The Sycamore Hill Anthology, January 1996 - novelette) 1997 Hugo Award winner
4 Stars
A near-future bicycle repairman who lives in a functioning anarchist community has an encounter with a female government black ops agent who wants some electronics that belong to his former roommate. The story deals with the tension between free markets and a government that wants control.
"The Ugly Chickens" by Howard Waldrop (Universe 10, September 1980 - novelette) 1981 Nebula Award winner and Hugo Award finalist
2 Stars
Part tall tale, part encyclopedia entry, this lighthearted story recounts a modern biology student's hunt for living dodo birds in the wilds of the U.S. South. Not much meat on these bones.
"A Letter from the Clearys" by Connie Willis (Asimov's, July 1982 - short story) 1983 Nebula Award winner
3 Stars
This is an unusually grim story from Willis, about a family eking out existence after a worldwide nuclear war.
"Seven American Nights" by Gene Wolfe (Orbit 20, March 1978 - novella) 1979 Hugo Award finalist and Nebula Award finalist
4 Stars
A young, wealthy Iranian sails to a post-apocalyptic Washington, DC, to have an adventure before settling down. He goes to a play and becomes smitten with the lead actress. This is more of a stylish character study, because even at novella length there are many unanswered questions as to what is really going on.
"Hell Is the Absence of God" by Ted Chiang (Starlight 3, July 2001 - novelette) 2002 Hugo Award winner and 2003 Nebula Award winner
5 Stars
How would humans react if real angels came to Earth, leaving (inadvertent) chaos and destruction in their wake? One man searches for answers to the suffering of innocents when his wife is killed by an angel's actions. Why do others gain heavenly rewards from the same experiences? Or is it all random? Is it better to be in hell for all eternity with someone you love or in heaven without them? Lots of philosophizing in this one.
"Lobsters" by Charles Stross (Asimov's, June 2001 - novelette) 2002 Hugo Award finalist and 2003 Nebula Award finalist
3 Stars
This cyberpunk tale is story that should have been longer. There are lots of ideas, but they don't seem to be fleshed out adequately or reach much of a conclusion. On the plus side, much of this story has not dated the way many near-future technology extrapolations have.
Some of the highlights include (note, F&SF refers to The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction):
"Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell, Jr. (as Don A. Stuart) (Astounding, August 1938 - novella) 2014 Retro-Hugo Award winner
4 Stars
This is a taut thriller that examines territory similar to Invasion of the Body Snatchers, i.e., alien invaders taking over humans and other animals to such an extent that it's impossible to tell the difference. The alien in this story exhibits one of Campbell's pet beliefs--telepathy, which makes the scenario all the more frightening.
"Nightfall" by Isaac Asimov (Astounding, September 1941 - novelette)
5 Stars
This oft reprinted story is a classic and is one of Asimov's own favorites. It's a thought experiment more than a story, but the ideas are very powerful, doing what good science fiction should do, getting the reader to imagine a world so different from their own that they start to reexamine all kinds of everyday assumptions. There are plot holes, such as aren't there blind people in this society, or isn't there some kind of available artificial light (even torches seem to be a new idea to the characters), but they don't detract from the story's impact.
"Day Million" by Frederik Pohl (Rogue, Feb/March 1966 - short story)
4 Stars
This story is heavily influenced by the New Wave movement, being more of a stylistic thought experiment than an actual story. The lesson is that time will evolve our physicalities and mentalities in ways we cannot imagine. This story has what is certainly one of the earliest depictions of transexual humans, presented in a matter-of-fact, no-big-deal manner.
"Grotto of the Dancing Deer" by Clifford D. Simak (Analog, April 1980 - short story) 1981 Hugo Award and Nebula Award winner
3 Stars
This is a gentle tale that shows the potential loneliness of being immortal and having your loved ones continually disappear. It's a good, not great, story, probably winning in a weak year more as a lifetime award for one of the genre's grandmasters than on its own merits.
"Microcosmic God" by Theodore Sturgeon (Astounding, April 1941 - novelette)
4 Stars
Sturgeon was known for his motto, "Ask the next question." This story captures that spirit very well. The extrapolation of an inventor's ultimate discovery proceeds step by step as each new facet of its ramifications are unveiled. The scientist just wants to be left alone on his island to do research, while it's a greedy businessperson who wreaks havoc with things they don't understand.
"Black Destroyer" by A. E. van Vogt (Astounding, July 1939 - novelette)
3 Stars
This is a first-contact story, notable in that some of it is told from the alien's point of view. Otherwise, it's a fairly typical space opera from the pulp era where highly competent men vanquish evil by outsmarting it, after underestimating it in the beginning.
"Fondly Fahrenheit" by Alfred Bester (F&SF, August 1954 - novelette)
3 Stars
A robot under the direction of its psychotic owner kills several people, despite the robot's prime directive to not hurt humans. We finally learn what enables this detachment, but there's nothing much for the reader to empathize with. It's more of a problem story popular during this period than the character driven stories of today.
"The Sentinel" (as "Sentinel of Eternity") by Arthur C. Clarke (10 Story Fantasy, Spring 1951 - short story)
4 Stars
This story is mostly notable as Stanley Kubrick's inspiration for 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). Nevertheless, Clarke evokes feelings of awe and wonder related to the vastness of the universe and our tiny place within it, and how a space faring species wouldn't want to bother meeting savages who couldn't at least travel to their own moon. Whether those aliens are friends or foes is a question that may never be answered.
"Or All the Seas with Oysters" by Avram Davidson (Galaxy Science Fiction, May 1958 - short story) 1958 Hugo Award winner
3 Stars
This is essentially a gimmick story, answering the question of why clothes hangers seem to endlessly multiply. It not very nuanced, but it is entertaining, with somewhat of a twist ending.
"Soldier, Ask Not" by Gordon R. Dickson (Galaxy, October 1964 - novella) 1965 Hugo Award winner
5 Stars
Dickson seems to have fallen out of favor with fans, perhaps because much of what he wrote was unapologetic military sf, and some of his later work was bloated. But as this story shows, he was a master of mood and character, as well as knowing the ramifications of war on individuals and societies. It's hard to understand another culture and sometimes the best intentions lead to unforeseen tragedy.
"The Cold Equations" by Tom Godwin (Astounding, August 1954 - novelette)
5 Stars
Because of its sexism this story wouldn't be publishable today, but taking it in the context of its times it is a poignant look at how we handle death. It starts out like a typical problem story that was popular then—how can a spaceship husband its fuel to compensate for a stowaway's unanticipated mass—but ultimately turns into an emotional parable about the relationships we have with our families and friends.
"The Country of the Kind" by Damon Knight (F&SF, February 1956 - short story)
4 Stars
A disturbing look at a near future where humans no longer have destructive, antisocial, or aggressive behavior, but where a degenerate who retains those traits believes that without them, great art and creativity also cannot exist.
"First Contact" by Murray Leinster (Astounding, May 1945 - novelette) 1996 Retro-Hugo Award winner
4 Stars
In the story that apparently coined the term "first contact," a human spaceship meets an alien spaceship in the far reaches of the galaxy. The problem is whether to trust each other in peace, or destroy each other to prevent each other from finding the others' home world for possible invasion. The solution is surprising, if not a bit contrived.
"That Only a Mother" by Judith Merril (Astounding, June 1948 - short story)
4 Stars
In a world where atomic bomb radiation has become fairly ubiquitous, genetic mutations in fetuses have become common. This story recounts the experiences of one mother and her baby, seemingly normal at first but then demonstrating advanced mental abilities. Only when the deployed father comes home are the baby's physical mutations revealed in a chilling twist ending.
"Allamagoosa" by Eric Frank Russell (Astounding, May 1955 - short story) 1955 Hugo Award winner
4 Stars
This is a humorous look at the age-old problem of military red tape and what happens when an item is mislabeled on an inspection sheet. Not too deep, but still a fun story more than 65 years later.
"Going Under" by Jack Dann (Omni, September 1981 - novelette) 1982 Nebula Award finalist
4 Stars
A traveling tourist visiting the Titanic falls in love with another time traveler, complicating their plans to live and die, respectively, on the ship. And then there's her father's head she keeps in a box to add weirdness to the proceedings.
"Jeffty Is Five" by Harlan Ellison (F&SF, July 1977 - short story) 1978 Hugo Award winner and Nebula Award winner
5 Stars
This is arguably Ellison's finest story. A boy who never ages beyond five years old is able to listen to old-time radio programs and experience other things from the past. On one hand, it's a somewhat cynical look at how things were so much better then than now. On the other hand, it's a poignant, nostalgic character study.
"Neutron Star" by Larry Niven (If, October 1966 - novelette) 1967 Hugo Award winner
4 Stars
This is a hard sf story that would be at home with the problem-solving stories of the 1940s and 50s. There's not much in the way of characterization, although Niven creates some truly alien aliens with the puppeteers, and the problem's solution seems rather obvious for anyone acquainted with the physics of gravity.
"Melancholy Elephants" by Spider Robinson (Analog, June 1982 - short story) 1983 Hugo Award winner
4 Stars
This is essentially an essay disguised as a story. Robinson posits that the combinations of musical notes (and words, too), while large, is finite and therefore copyright laws should be limited so that new generations of artists can recycle ideas.
"Souls" by Joanna Russ (F&SF, January 1982 - novella) 1983 Hugo Award winner and Nebula Award finalist
4 Stars
The fantasy element of this story only reveals itself near the end. Mostly, this is an emotional historical fiction about some 12th-Century Norse raiders invading a German abbey in search of treasure and slaves. The female abbess does her best to protect her people, but is not very successful, although ultimately she finds her true nature and converts the Norse leader into becoming more peaceful as a final act of revenge.
"Passengers" by Robert Silverberg (Orbit 4, December 1968 - short story) 1969 Nebula Award winner and Hugo Award finalist
4 Stars
Unseen alien entities ("Passengers") are able to take control over humans for their deviant pleasures, with the human hosts unable to remember what they did while being ridden—until one day a man spots a woman who he met while being ridden and with whom he then tries to strike up a relationship.
"A Rose for Ecclesiastes" by Roger Zelazny (F&SF, November 1963 - novelette) 1964 Hugo Award finalist
3 Stars
This combines the dying, ancient Martian civilization trope with the modern notion of Mars as a hostile, desert world. A human poet/linguist receives permission to translate some Martian texts and in the process falls in love with a Martian woman, ultimately getting her pregnant. Aside from the implausible biology, the protagonist is a real jerk that even love can't quite redeem.
"The Mountains of Mourning" by Lois McMaster Bujold (Analog, May 1989 - novella) 1990 Hugo Award winner and Nebula Award winner
4 Stars
This is well written whodunit with some interesting observations about how society treats those with disabilities. It also showcases how societies deal with technological change, something that every generation has to deal with.
"Think Like a Dinosaur" by James Patrick Kelly (Asimov's, June 1995 - novelette) 1996 Hugo Award winner and Nebula Award finalist
4 Stars
This has a similar premise as "The Cold Equations" by Tom Godwin. When a matter duplicator/transmitter leaves the original person behind, a balance must be maintained, but at what cost? Can a human think like an alien and just look at the cold equation?
"City of Truth" by James Morrow ( City of Truth, January 1991 - novella) 1993 Nebula Award winner
5 Stars
The truth-telling dystopian world presented here gives us a satiric parable about the power of lies and how lies are necessary for a functional human existence. The novella is both funny and poignant as a father tries to shield his son from the pain of death.
"Barnacle Bill the Spacer" by Lucius Shepard (Asimov's, July 1992 - novella) 1993 Hugo Award winner and Nebula Award finalist
3 Stars
A brain-damaged resident of a space station orbiting past Mars, who is bullied by the other workers, ends up saving the station from both a takeover by a nihilistic murderous cult from Earth, as well as the tight-fisted control by the parental Earth corporation which had kept it from realizing its potential. It's more of an action thriller, but there is also a bit of social commentary.
"Bicycle Repairman" by Bruce Sterling (Intersections: The Sycamore Hill Anthology, January 1996 - novelette) 1997 Hugo Award winner
4 Stars
A near-future bicycle repairman who lives in a functioning anarchist community has an encounter with a female government black ops agent who wants some electronics that belong to his former roommate. The story deals with the tension between free markets and a government that wants control.
"The Ugly Chickens" by Howard Waldrop (Universe 10, September 1980 - novelette) 1981 Nebula Award winner and Hugo Award finalist
2 Stars
Part tall tale, part encyclopedia entry, this lighthearted story recounts a modern biology student's hunt for living dodo birds in the wilds of the U.S. South. Not much meat on these bones.
"A Letter from the Clearys" by Connie Willis (Asimov's, July 1982 - short story) 1983 Nebula Award winner
3 Stars
This is an unusually grim story from Willis, about a family eking out existence after a worldwide nuclear war.
"Seven American Nights" by Gene Wolfe (Orbit 20, March 1978 - novella) 1979 Hugo Award finalist and Nebula Award finalist
4 Stars
A young, wealthy Iranian sails to a post-apocalyptic Washington, DC, to have an adventure before settling down. He goes to a play and becomes smitten with the lead actress. This is more of a stylish character study, because even at novella length there are many unanswered questions as to what is really going on.
"Hell Is the Absence of God" by Ted Chiang (Starlight 3, July 2001 - novelette) 2002 Hugo Award winner and 2003 Nebula Award winner
5 Stars
How would humans react if real angels came to Earth, leaving (inadvertent) chaos and destruction in their wake? One man searches for answers to the suffering of innocents when his wife is killed by an angel's actions. Why do others gain heavenly rewards from the same experiences? Or is it all random? Is it better to be in hell for all eternity with someone you love or in heaven without them? Lots of philosophizing in this one.
"Lobsters" by Charles Stross (Asimov's, June 2001 - novelette) 2002 Hugo Award finalist and 2003 Nebula Award finalist
3 Stars
This cyberpunk tale is story that should have been longer. There are lots of ideas, but they don't seem to be fleshed out adequately or reach much of a conclusion. On the plus side, much of this story has not dated the way many near-future technology extrapolations have.
August 10, 2020
This has an interesting mix of stories and analysis, with a selection that spans decades and decades of great science fiction. Some of my favorites are Jack Williamson's 1928 "The Metal Man", A.E. Van Vogt's 1939 "Black Destroyer" and Poul Anderson's 1951 "Duel on Syrtis" but there is really no point in starting a list because nearly all would end up getting listed. I was only disappointed by the choices for Frederick Pohl (he was still alive when this book was digitized) but you can't pick a "representative" story for him anyway. The intro pieces I thought were useful additions for background on the authors. Literary analysis essays are sprinkled through what must be a massive tome in its print version, with appendices intended to help the beginning writer. So I'm not really sure exactly what this book is, maybe for a college class? Much is included!
September 22, 2012
I have finally done it: bought an ebook. Though e-reading doesn't match my reading style, this book - which is an absolute must read for anyone who values science fiction - is unreadable in print form. Consider:
- 1000 pages (OK, not out of line in today's world),
- mammoth, measuring about 8-1/2x11" and 2" thick, not to mention 5+ lb heavy), done in
- *6 POINT TYPE* which I can barely read anyway, and
- printed in a lightweight font that makes the top of the page totally inaccessible.
So, get yourself an ereader and enjoy. There're stories in here I enjoyed years ago and lost, and many I've somehow never run into. Whatever you like, starting with Edgar Allen Poe and his confreres, they're all here.
- 1000 pages (OK, not out of line in today's world),
- mammoth, measuring about 8-1/2x11" and 2" thick, not to mention 5+ lb heavy), done in
- *6 POINT TYPE* which I can barely read anyway, and
- printed in a lightweight font that makes the top of the page totally inaccessible.
So, get yourself an ereader and enjoy. There're stories in here I enjoyed years ago and lost, and many I've somehow never run into. Whatever you like, starting with Edgar Allen Poe and his confreres, they're all here.
June 13, 2022
Love..would work greater miracles
Classic old action is peak. Ending not cliff when sequels memorable. Downhill verses, essays quote to accumulate innocuous blather. Fade.
1 Burroughs - 1866 Confederate Captain Carter overcome by sweet vapor in cave. Naked body lifts from clothed, drawn to red Mars. He is hero to green monsters, red humanoids.
Typo p 276 thetext the p 323 role hole
Scifi is what if.
2 Rea 3 Butler 4 Čadek 5 England
52-2022 # 44 anthology
Classic old action is peak. Ending not cliff when sequels memorable. Downhill verses, essays quote to accumulate innocuous blather. Fade.
1 Burroughs - 1866 Confederate Captain Carter overcome by sweet vapor in cave. Naked body lifts from clothed, drawn to red Mars. He is hero to green monsters, red humanoids.
Typo p 276 thetext the p 323 role hole
Scifi is what if.
2 Rea 3 Butler 4 Čadek 5 England
52-2022 # 44 anthology
January 16, 2025
This is not one's normal anthology, but in many ways an academically-oriented review of the history and development of the Science Fiction (and Fantasy) genre.
I nearly didn't make it through the initial portion of the book because of its "academic-ese" prose, but being a completist, I persevered. I am glad I did, as the farther I got into the text, the more interesting the content it revealed. With guest commentary interspersed throughout, the book sometimes slipped back into the sometimes pretentious jargon of literature professors (many of whom were contributors), but for the most part, the text remained readable, relatable, and interesting.
As is the case with any anthology, not all the stories contained within resonated with this particular reader, but the breadth of content and the educational aspects of the whole make it one of the better anthologies I have read.
This is a thick text, and I am a slow reader, but I am glad I read the book in its entirety. I only wish I had taken a few notes regarding which authors and stories I found most fascinating.
Meaty, overly academic at times, but well worth the read. Recommended!
3.5/5 stars
I nearly didn't make it through the initial portion of the book because of its "academic-ese" prose, but being a completist, I persevered. I am glad I did, as the farther I got into the text, the more interesting the content it revealed. With guest commentary interspersed throughout, the book sometimes slipped back into the sometimes pretentious jargon of literature professors (many of whom were contributors), but for the most part, the text remained readable, relatable, and interesting.
As is the case with any anthology, not all the stories contained within resonated with this particular reader, but the breadth of content and the educational aspects of the whole make it one of the better anthologies I have read.
This is a thick text, and I am a slow reader, but I am glad I read the book in its entirety. I only wish I had taken a few notes regarding which authors and stories I found most fascinating.
Meaty, overly academic at times, but well worth the read. Recommended!
3.5/5 stars
January 5, 2025
This book is a bargain! I bought it for $30 and definitely got my money’s worth in terms of content.
Want to read
October 1, 2011Fred Pohl says there is nothing missing.
http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/2...
http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/2...
July 21, 2013
A massive (read it on a Kindle) anthology spanning 100 years of science fiction, an excellent choice for anyone who wants a background in the field
dnf
May 12, 2015Enjoyed the part I got to read of this huge sci fi collection.
DNF @ 13%
DNF @ 13%
February 9, 2023
Much more than a book of short stories
This is not just an anthology it is an autobiography, a biography with a collection of great stories, poems and essays.
This is not just an anthology it is an autobiography, a biography with a collection of great stories, poems and essays.
October 27, 2017
Nice collection of reprints and parts of larger works. Each section has a brief introduction.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews