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Science Fiction
Comprising:
Slow Music by James Tiptree, Jr.
Le Croix by Barry N. Malzberg
Scorched Supper on New Niger by Suzy Mckee Charnas
The Saturn Game by Poul Anderson
Hardfought by Greg Bear
Swarmer, Skimmer by Gregory Benford
Sailing to Byzantium by Robert Silverberg
Trinity by Nancy Kress
The Blind Geometer by Kim Stanley Robinson
Surfacing by Walter Jon Williams
Slow Music by James Tiptree, Jr.
Le Croix by Barry N. Malzberg
Scorched Supper on New Niger by Suzy Mckee Charnas
The Saturn Game by Poul Anderson
Hardfought by Greg Bear
Swarmer, Skimmer by Gregory Benford
Sailing to Byzantium by Robert Silverberg
Trinity by Nancy Kress
The Blind Geometer by Kim Stanley Robinson
Surfacing by Walter Jon Williams
534 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
4 people are currently reading
57 people want to read
About the author
Isaac Asimov
4,337 books27.6k followersWorks of prolific Russian-American writer Isaac Asimov include popular explanations of scientific principles,
The Foundation Trilogy
(1951-1953), and other volumes of fiction.
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 13, 2020
Published in 2004, 'Science Fiction' is an anthology of 10 SF novellas, and was previously published in 1993 under the title 'The Mammoth Book of Modern Science Fiction'. The novellas, referred to as 'short novels' in the title page, are written by some very high profile authors and were first published between 1980 and 1988. Whilst these are top authors, the stories are not always their best work, but opinions will differ. For example, Tiptree's 'Slow Music' read like a bloated short story rather than a novella, whilst some including Malzbergs 'Le Croix' I struggled to get through. On the plus side, stories by Suzy Mckee Charnas, Gregory Benford, Robert Silverberg, Nancy Cress and Ki, Stanley Robinson I found just amazing.
May 2, 2013
A very interesting collection of classic sci-fi short stories ranging from Isaac Asimov (introduction and a short story), TL Sherred, and Theodore Sturgeon worth having on your bookshelf. Compared to modern day science fiction it will seem a little hokey, a little cheesy, and a little out of date, however I find it interesting how they looked to the future and tried to imagine where technology would go. I did not read it cover to cover in one sitting, instead I read a couple stories, set it on the shelf, and went back to it several times when I was in the mood for classic science fiction.
You really get a bit of insight into the timeframe these stories were written, especially when you consider the fact astronauts were smoking cigarettes on their rocketships with zero concern, “atomics”, and microfilm. Things that modern writers would mention as a humorous reference to the past instead of modern science fiction. These short stories explore that gambit of science fiction genres with some stories focusing on dystopia, or apocalypitic events, or space travel, even future warfare. A couple of my favorites were The Weapon Shop, Giant Killer, and of course Killdozer! which was later adapted to a movie, Maximum Overdrive.
It’s a little tough to rate since I liked some stories and didn’t care for others as much, if you are a fan of classic scifi it is definitely worth reading but if you have no interest you should just pass. Overall I’d have to put it somewhere in the neighborhood of 3.6 to 4.0
You really get a bit of insight into the timeframe these stories were written, especially when you consider the fact astronauts were smoking cigarettes on their rocketships with zero concern, “atomics”, and microfilm. Things that modern writers would mention as a humorous reference to the past instead of modern science fiction. These short stories explore that gambit of science fiction genres with some stories focusing on dystopia, or apocalypitic events, or space travel, even future warfare. A couple of my favorites were The Weapon Shop, Giant Killer, and of course Killdozer! which was later adapted to a movie, Maximum Overdrive.
It’s a little tough to rate since I liked some stories and didn’t care for others as much, if you are a fan of classic scifi it is definitely worth reading but if you have no interest you should just pass. Overall I’d have to put it somewhere in the neighborhood of 3.6 to 4.0
August 27, 2012
Excellent and fun blast from the past. It was funny to see what these very early sci-fi stories still included—almost every story included someone smoking, for example (including inside the spaceships), and women did not have a prominent role at all. There were some fun dystopic tales, like "With Folded Hands," a story of humanoids (that seemed slightly racist) whose Prime Directive was to make humans happy and safe. I love it when the stories end miserably. Call me crazy, but I love it when a dystopia wins.
Anyway, it was a lot of fun, very informational, and interesting. Thanks to Mary for this awesome Christmas gift!
Anyway, it was a lot of fun, very informational, and interesting. Thanks to Mary for this awesome Christmas gift!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews