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The Hugo Winners #1-2
The Hugo Winners - Volumes I & II
A collection of sci-fi and fantasy short stories that won the Hugo Awards from 1955-1961. Includes "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes
849 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1962
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About the author
Isaac Asimov
4,353 books28k 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 - 30 of 43 reviews
May 2, 2010
5.0 stars. I have not read all of the stories in this amazing anthology so this review will address only those that I have read (I will supplement from time to time as I read more of the stories).
"The Darfsteller" by Walter Miller (4.0 stars): Good story about a human actor trying to keep working in an age where robots have taken the place a real actors.
"Allamagoosa" by Eric Frank Russell (5.0 stars): Very funny short story concerning military beauracracy.
"Exploration Team" by Murray Leinster (4.0 stars): Another good short story involving the replacement of human adaptability with robotic efficiency.
"The Star" by Arthur C. Clarke (6.0 stars and on my list of "All Time Favorite" short stories): Brilliant, poignant story of a Jesuit astrophysicist exploring the site of a supernova and making a shocking discovery.
"Or All The Seas With Oysters" by Avram Davidson (4.5 stars): Smart, offbeat story about the strange connection between safety pins, coat hangers and cannibalistic bicycles.
"The Big Front Yard" by Clifford Simak (5.0 stars): Great story about aliens, other worlds and handymen. Classic Simak.
"The Hell-Bound Train" by Robert Bloch (4.0 stars): Better than average soul-selling story.
"Flowers For Algernon" by Daniel Keyes (6.0 stars and on my list of "All Time Favorite" short stories): A one of a kind story that will affect you long after you finish it. Very moving.
"The Longest Voyage" by Poul Anderson (4.0 to 4.5 stars): Excellent novelette about explorers on a far away world that come across a visitor from the stars. Great ending!!
"The Dragon Masters" by Jack Vance (5.5 stars): Superb novella featuring Jack Vance at the top of his game.
"No Truce with Kings" by Poul Anderson (4.5 stars): An excellent novella that was just short of a five star rating in my opinion. Set in a post-apocalyptic United States that has fractured into a series of weak feudal states, the story really concerns the problems inherent in one group of people, no matter how well intentioned, trying to manipulate mankind into becoming more peaceful for what they believe is the "greater good" and the disastrous consequences that follow.
"The Darfsteller" by Walter Miller (4.0 stars): Good story about a human actor trying to keep working in an age where robots have taken the place a real actors.
"Allamagoosa" by Eric Frank Russell (5.0 stars): Very funny short story concerning military beauracracy.
"Exploration Team" by Murray Leinster (4.0 stars): Another good short story involving the replacement of human adaptability with robotic efficiency.
"The Star" by Arthur C. Clarke (6.0 stars and on my list of "All Time Favorite" short stories): Brilliant, poignant story of a Jesuit astrophysicist exploring the site of a supernova and making a shocking discovery.
"Or All The Seas With Oysters" by Avram Davidson (4.5 stars): Smart, offbeat story about the strange connection between safety pins, coat hangers and cannibalistic bicycles.
"The Big Front Yard" by Clifford Simak (5.0 stars): Great story about aliens, other worlds and handymen. Classic Simak.
"The Hell-Bound Train" by Robert Bloch (4.0 stars): Better than average soul-selling story.
"Flowers For Algernon" by Daniel Keyes (6.0 stars and on my list of "All Time Favorite" short stories): A one of a kind story that will affect you long after you finish it. Very moving.
"The Longest Voyage" by Poul Anderson (4.0 to 4.5 stars): Excellent novelette about explorers on a far away world that come across a visitor from the stars. Great ending!!
"The Dragon Masters" by Jack Vance (5.5 stars): Superb novella featuring Jack Vance at the top of his game.
"No Truce with Kings" by Poul Anderson (4.5 stars): An excellent novella that was just short of a five star rating in my opinion. Set in a post-apocalyptic United States that has fractured into a series of weak feudal states, the story really concerns the problems inherent in one group of people, no matter how well intentioned, trying to manipulate mankind into becoming more peaceful for what they believe is the "greater good" and the disastrous consequences that follow.
xx-dnf-skim-reference
June 17, 2018Mostly* blech. The first batch had far too many Warriors, and the second had too much Weirdness. There were a few stories that have been anthologized elsewhere that are worth reading if one is a big fan of this old speculative fiction, or if one is interested, perhaps, in the first stories that explored an idea that has since become a trope.
Allamagoosa is funny.
The Star is a touchstone.
I usually recommend Simak, and so will list The Big Front Yard.
That Hell-Bound Train is more horror, and more literary; quite good.
The short-story version of Flowers for Algernon is included here.
Three stories by Harlan Ellison are included.
And the only woman included is Anne McCaffrey, for Weyr Search.
(The others are not worth mentioning.)
*However, there is one novelette that is brilliant, enchanting, literary, engaging, and very much ahead of its time. It's not even sexist, as we're led to expect that all fiction from the era is (and the others are). Why have none of the other anthologies that I've read reprinted The Darfsteller by Walter M. Miller Jr., author of the well-known and deservedly lauded A Canticle for Leibowitz?! Don't be put off by the title. If you've ever felt pressured by the pace of technological advances, if you have any interest in the performing arts, if you've ever had a demeaning job, if you've ever loved & lost... read this story!
Allamagoosa is funny.
The Star is a touchstone.
I usually recommend Simak, and so will list The Big Front Yard.
That Hell-Bound Train is more horror, and more literary; quite good.
The short-story version of Flowers for Algernon is included here.
Three stories by Harlan Ellison are included.
And the only woman included is Anne McCaffrey, for Weyr Search.
(The others are not worth mentioning.)
*However, there is one novelette that is brilliant, enchanting, literary, engaging, and very much ahead of its time. It's not even sexist, as we're led to expect that all fiction from the era is (and the others are). Why have none of the other anthologies that I've read reprinted The Darfsteller by Walter M. Miller Jr., author of the well-known and deservedly lauded A Canticle for Leibowitz?! Don't be put off by the title. If you've ever felt pressured by the pace of technological advances, if you have any interest in the performing arts, if you've ever had a demeaning job, if you've ever loved & lost... read this story!
February 26, 2018
This collection surpassed my expectations by a pretty wide margin. Collected in this 850 pages or so are some of most prominent science fiction authors of the 20th century. Asimov, Bloch, Ellison, Clarke, and others you will have heard of if this is your kind of thing.
The first several stories in the collection were all excellent, so much so that I thought I may end up giving the book five stars. Included in these is the lovely Flowers for Algernon, which I had somehow never read before. That story alone was worth the price of the book. Many of these stories have aged remarkably well considering the oldest are now around 70 years old. Unfortunately, several of the stories in the second half of the volume didn't measure up to the first half, and my enthusiasm started flagging.
Though the pieces in the book are generally referred to as short stories, most of them are on the longer end of what we'd typically consider something with that label. 50 pages or more is pretty common, meaning that we usually have some time to get settled into whatever science fiction is being built and getting to know our characters a bit more than in a shorter short story. I thought that worked to the book's advantage.
Lastly, I have to mention how weird and off-putting Asimov's introductions to each story are. These introductions are generally very much focused on Asimov himself and give essentially no insight into the story or the author of the story. Their tone is jokey and irreverent, and they just feel extremely out of place and somewhat insulting to the authors whose work is being re-printed.
Still, pound for pound, this is a lot of great science fiction collected in one spot and I had a great time reading it.
The first several stories in the collection were all excellent, so much so that I thought I may end up giving the book five stars. Included in these is the lovely Flowers for Algernon, which I had somehow never read before. That story alone was worth the price of the book. Many of these stories have aged remarkably well considering the oldest are now around 70 years old. Unfortunately, several of the stories in the second half of the volume didn't measure up to the first half, and my enthusiasm started flagging.
Though the pieces in the book are generally referred to as short stories, most of them are on the longer end of what we'd typically consider something with that label. 50 pages or more is pretty common, meaning that we usually have some time to get settled into whatever science fiction is being built and getting to know our characters a bit more than in a shorter short story. I thought that worked to the book's advantage.
Lastly, I have to mention how weird and off-putting Asimov's introductions to each story are. These introductions are generally very much focused on Asimov himself and give essentially no insight into the story or the author of the story. Their tone is jokey and irreverent, and they just feel extremely out of place and somewhat insulting to the authors whose work is being re-printed.
Still, pound for pound, this is a lot of great science fiction collected in one spot and I had a great time reading it.
December 31, 2019
(3.0 stars - average of my ratings of 23 individual stories)
As expected, some stories were dangerously dated, but others stood the test of time. What surprised me most was how many stories seemed poorly written or pointless. I would be very interested in the motivations of Hugo voters for specific years.
In the longer review on my website, I have mini-reviews for each individual story.
(I only awarded five stars to three of the stories: The Big Front Yard [Simak], Flowers For Algernon [Keyes], and Neutron Star [Niven]. On the flip side, I only twice awarded a single star: The Darfsteller [Miller] and Riders Of The Purple Wage [Farmer].)
October 22, 2014
My current favorite collection (and has been for years) is one I feel lucky to own the hardcover of. The Hugo Winners Edited by Isaac Asimov Volumes I & II may be the best science fiction short story collection I've ever read/owned. Along with these wonderful shorts are an intro and anecdotes about each author.
It starts with the novelette The Darfsteller by Walter M. Miller, Jr. about an actor turned theatre janitor in a future where all actors have been replaced by robots. The main character who had refused to 'sell out' schemes to get himself back on stage.
Another story I found particularly moving is Arthur C. Clarke's The Star. Earth explorers led by a astrophysicist/priest, travel to a distant star system that was destroyed by a supernova. They discover a time capsule sealed in a vault that was left by the dead civilization that once lived there. I can't really explain anymore than that without spoiling the ending but it was shocking and I was very moved.
Robert Bloch's The Hell-bound Train is classic Bloch if your a fan of the macabre I highly recommend it.
The most moving story in the entire collection Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes about a janitor of below average intelligence and a lab rat named Algernon who both undergo experiments to increase their intellect. I can't really say more than that without spoilers but this could be a tearjerker for some and I challenge everyone to read it and not be affected by it in some way. It is both beautifully crafted and highly entertaining.
Other stories I recommend Poul Anderson's The Longest Voyage, The Sharing of Flesh & No Truce With Kings, Jack Vance's The Dragon Masters & The Last Castle, and Nightwings by Robert Silverberg.
There are also three Harlan Ellison stories that are must read classics; The Beast That Shouted Love At The Heart Of The World, "Repent, Harlequin!" Said The Ticktockman & I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream. Plus this wonder Asimov anecdote about Ellison always showing up to conventions with a different beautiful woman on his arm.
It starts with the novelette The Darfsteller by Walter M. Miller, Jr. about an actor turned theatre janitor in a future where all actors have been replaced by robots. The main character who had refused to 'sell out' schemes to get himself back on stage.
Another story I found particularly moving is Arthur C. Clarke's The Star. Earth explorers led by a astrophysicist/priest, travel to a distant star system that was destroyed by a supernova. They discover a time capsule sealed in a vault that was left by the dead civilization that once lived there. I can't really explain anymore than that without spoiling the ending but it was shocking and I was very moved.
Robert Bloch's The Hell-bound Train is classic Bloch if your a fan of the macabre I highly recommend it.
The most moving story in the entire collection Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes about a janitor of below average intelligence and a lab rat named Algernon who both undergo experiments to increase their intellect. I can't really say more than that without spoilers but this could be a tearjerker for some and I challenge everyone to read it and not be affected by it in some way. It is both beautifully crafted and highly entertaining.
Other stories I recommend Poul Anderson's The Longest Voyage, The Sharing of Flesh & No Truce With Kings, Jack Vance's The Dragon Masters & The Last Castle, and Nightwings by Robert Silverberg.
There are also three Harlan Ellison stories that are must read classics; The Beast That Shouted Love At The Heart Of The World, "Repent, Harlequin!" Said The Ticktockman & I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream. Plus this wonder Asimov anecdote about Ellison always showing up to conventions with a different beautiful woman on his arm.
July 9, 2020
Some of the stories in this volume stand the test of time and remain brilliant. Others haven't aged well at all. And many are somewhere in between. But it's all a matter of personal taste. The standout stories for me were:
"The Star" by Arthur C. Clarke, which won in 1956; succinct and poignant, I remember reading this story before, in a college Science Fiction class sometime in the early 1990s.
"Flowers For Algernon" by Daniel Keyes, which won in 1960; I'd never read it before in any of its versions. Absolutely excellent, very moving.
I don't recall having ever read Jack Vance prior to cracking open this volume; both of his stories included here, "The Dragon Masters" (1963) and "The Last Castle" (1967) are absolutely wonderful, very evocative and alien. I'll need to look up more of his work.
I also don't recall having ever read Robert Silverberg before this volume; his 1969 winner "Nightwings" is excellent and beautiful. Another author I'll need to read more of.
It had been ages since I read any Anne McCaffrey and "Weyr Search" (1968) was absolutely delightful; I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed her Pern material at one point in my early reading career. I'll have to revisit those tales.
On the downside of things, I really got bogged down with Phillip Jose Farmer's 1968 winner "Riders of the Purple Wage"; I didn't care for it at all. I only recall reading, before this, Farmer's novel To Your Scattered Bodies Go, and I didn't care for that one either; I can't put my finger on it, but something about Farmer's writing doesn't click in my brain.
I discovered Harlan Ellison in junior high school (early 1980s) and for a long time I considered him to be one of my all-time favorite authors. I hadn't read much of his work in quite a while and interestingly, for me, each of his three stories contained in this volume, three of his most famous ones, fell flat for me on this reading. Apparently, as they do for readers, my outlook and tastes have changed.
Isaac Asimov's introductions were silly and not very informative and sadly some were tinged with sexism.
The rest of the stories in the volume didn't register very deeply. So they were OK but not great.
Overall, this time capsule of science-fiction award winners is worth reading. But for this reader, it does not need to be re-read, except for the few standout stories mentioned above.
"The Star" by Arthur C. Clarke, which won in 1956; succinct and poignant, I remember reading this story before, in a college Science Fiction class sometime in the early 1990s.
"Flowers For Algernon" by Daniel Keyes, which won in 1960; I'd never read it before in any of its versions. Absolutely excellent, very moving.
I don't recall having ever read Jack Vance prior to cracking open this volume; both of his stories included here, "The Dragon Masters" (1963) and "The Last Castle" (1967) are absolutely wonderful, very evocative and alien. I'll need to look up more of his work.
I also don't recall having ever read Robert Silverberg before this volume; his 1969 winner "Nightwings" is excellent and beautiful. Another author I'll need to read more of.
It had been ages since I read any Anne McCaffrey and "Weyr Search" (1968) was absolutely delightful; I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed her Pern material at one point in my early reading career. I'll have to revisit those tales.
On the downside of things, I really got bogged down with Phillip Jose Farmer's 1968 winner "Riders of the Purple Wage"; I didn't care for it at all. I only recall reading, before this, Farmer's novel To Your Scattered Bodies Go, and I didn't care for that one either; I can't put my finger on it, but something about Farmer's writing doesn't click in my brain.
I discovered Harlan Ellison in junior high school (early 1980s) and for a long time I considered him to be one of my all-time favorite authors. I hadn't read much of his work in quite a while and interestingly, for me, each of his three stories contained in this volume, three of his most famous ones, fell flat for me on this reading. Apparently, as they do for readers, my outlook and tastes have changed.
Isaac Asimov's introductions were silly and not very informative and sadly some were tinged with sexism.
The rest of the stories in the volume didn't register very deeply. So they were OK but not great.
Overall, this time capsule of science-fiction award winners is worth reading. But for this reader, it does not need to be re-read, except for the few standout stories mentioned above.
March 31, 2020
It's no secret that Isaac Asimov is one of my favorite authors or that Science Fiction is one of my favorite genres. What a lucky day it was when while perusing a library book sale I came upon this collected edition of The Hugo Winners Volume 1 and 2 as well as The Hugo Winners Volume 3. Hardcovers were going for a buck so I through both on my stack and got the 3 volumes for 2 bucks. That, my friends, is a steal. I finished Volume 1 and reviewed it and now have finished Volume 2 so will include the collected Volumes as the book I finished if that makes sense. I have made it a point to read Hugo winners and Pulitzer winners and even have a nice excel sheet with all of the winners so I can always have it handy and keep track of what I've read. The tricky part is that there are shorter pieces that win Hugo Awards too and they would be much tougher to track down separately. Wouldn't you know it, they decided to put them together to make it easy on me. I won't guarantee you will like all the stories or all the authors but I will guarantee that you will find some gems of stories that will expand your mind and soul. You'll also have a pretty good time reading the introductions by the good doctor Asimov. My 3 favorites from Volume 2 are "Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman by Harlan Ellison, Nightwings by Robert Silverberg, and The Sharing of Flesh by Poul Anderson although it's hard to not pick 5 or so favorites. See you back for Volume 3.
January 26, 2026
A solid collection with quite a few must-reads + classics of the genre. My favorites:
"I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream"
"Nightwings"
"Flowers for Algernon"
"Gonna Roll the Bones"
"Or All the Seas with Oysters"
"'Repent, Harlequin!' Said the Ticktockman"
The stories in Volume I were definitely more quaint and lighthearted (see: "The Darfsteller" and "The Big Front Yard"). This serves as a stark contrast to the New Wave flavor of Volume II, particularly the Harlan Ellison inclusions (not to mention other stories that appeared in Dangerous Visions like "Gonna Roll the Bones," thanks Harlan).
The middle of this anthology was honestly kind of a slog with a slew of fantasy-coded stories. "The Longest Voyage," "The Dragon Masters" and "No Truce with Kings" dragged on for me. Poul Anderson eventually redeemed himself with "The Sharing of Flesh" which is the first story of his that I actually enjoyed.
Volume II ends strongly; everything included from 1968 to 1970 was great. Loved "Nightwings."
Asimov's introductions for the authors were fine. Maybe a bit too cheeky? Not to bring up Harlan Ellison and Dangerous Visions AGAIN but his author intros were much more striking imo.
"I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream"
"Nightwings"
"Flowers for Algernon"
"Gonna Roll the Bones"
"Or All the Seas with Oysters"
"'Repent, Harlequin!' Said the Ticktockman"
The stories in Volume I were definitely more quaint and lighthearted (see: "The Darfsteller" and "The Big Front Yard"). This serves as a stark contrast to the New Wave flavor of Volume II, particularly the Harlan Ellison inclusions (not to mention other stories that appeared in Dangerous Visions like "Gonna Roll the Bones," thanks Harlan).
The middle of this anthology was honestly kind of a slog with a slew of fantasy-coded stories. "The Longest Voyage," "The Dragon Masters" and "No Truce with Kings" dragged on for me. Poul Anderson eventually redeemed himself with "The Sharing of Flesh" which is the first story of his that I actually enjoyed.
Volume II ends strongly; everything included from 1968 to 1970 was great. Loved "Nightwings."
Asimov's introductions for the authors were fine. Maybe a bit too cheeky? Not to bring up Harlan Ellison and Dangerous Visions AGAIN but his author intros were much more striking imo.
December 4, 2024
Predictably, an excellent collection of Sci-Fi works
The Darfsteller — 7/10
Allamagoosa — 5/10
Exploration Team — 7/10
The Star — 6/10
Or All the Seas With Oysters — 6/10
The Big Front Yard — 9/10
The Hell Bound Train — 5/10
Flowers for Algernon — 9/10
The Longest Voyage — 6/10
The Dragon Masters — 5/10
No Truce With Kings — 6/10
Soldier, Ask Not — 6/10
“Repent, Harlequin!” said the Ticktockman — 7/10
The Last Castle — 8/10
Neutron Star — 8/10
Weyr Search — 7/10
Riders of the Purple Wage — 6/10
Gonna Roll the Bones — 6/10
I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream — 9/10
Nightwings — 6/10
The Sharing of Flesh — 7/10
The Beast That Shouted Love at the Heart of the World — 8/10
Time Considered as a Helix of Semi-Precious Stones — 7/10
The Darfsteller — 7/10
Allamagoosa — 5/10
Exploration Team — 7/10
The Star — 6/10
Or All the Seas With Oysters — 6/10
The Big Front Yard — 9/10
The Hell Bound Train — 5/10
Flowers for Algernon — 9/10
The Longest Voyage — 6/10
The Dragon Masters — 5/10
No Truce With Kings — 6/10
Soldier, Ask Not — 6/10
“Repent, Harlequin!” said the Ticktockman — 7/10
The Last Castle — 8/10
Neutron Star — 8/10
Weyr Search — 7/10
Riders of the Purple Wage — 6/10
Gonna Roll the Bones — 6/10
I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream — 9/10
Nightwings — 6/10
The Sharing of Flesh — 7/10
The Beast That Shouted Love at the Heart of the World — 8/10
Time Considered as a Helix of Semi-Precious Stones — 7/10
May 8, 2022
Isaac Asimov makes lively commentary on the winning authors for each year.
It's interesting to recognize the change in social mores over the years.
For example, the one women author is noted for her "Junoesque" figure.
I don't think that he would get away with that in today's world (2022).
The stories stand for themselves. It's important to realize that there are various sub-genres represented. Some or hard science fiction with lots of technical research and a blend of fact with fiction. Others are pure fantasy. Some were hard to categorize altogether. None were boring.
Good survey of the field.
It's interesting to recognize the change in social mores over the years.
For example, the one women author is noted for her "Junoesque" figure.
I don't think that he would get away with that in today's world (2022).
The stories stand for themselves. It's important to realize that there are various sub-genres represented. Some or hard science fiction with lots of technical research and a blend of fact with fiction. Others are pure fantasy. Some were hard to categorize altogether. None were boring.
Good survey of the field.
October 26, 2023
Asimov's dry humor bookending some of the best short stories and novellas ever written in the field of Science Fiction is an amazing combo. His intro's to the work of some of the best writer's who have ever grazed the field, ranging from Jack Vance to Poul Anderson, Roger Zelazny or Harlan Ellison, ian absolute joy to read. For the hard core fan this book is a great trip to memory lane, but I can most heartily recommend it to readers who never really got into science fiction and fantasy. This book is a treasure trove of the finest work written in that time. A better introduction to the genre is hard to imagine.
December 16, 2019
I love this book upon re-reading it just as much as I did the first time I read it in the 1970s. Some of the stories in this book are choices on my “Best Science Fiction Ever” list, started 40+ years ago. “Repent Harlequin Said the Ticktockman” and “The Hell-Bound Train” are two of my most-recommended, along with a few Isaac Asimov stories not in this book, plus “The Veldt”, and “It” by Theodore Sturgeon) And who can read “Flowers for Algernon” without tears? This is the perfect collection!
Please note that the blurb on Goodreads is incorrect: this volume covers 1955-1972!!
Please note that the blurb on Goodreads is incorrect: this volume covers 1955-1972!!
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December 19, 2025Science Fiction - a collection of stories edited by Isaac Asimov for Hugo winners from 1955 to 1970. These amazing stories still stand the test of time. "The Darfsteller" by Miller written in 1955 presages AI in entertainment. "Flowers for Algnernon" became a movie. I still don't understand Farmer's "Riders of the Purple Wage" but I did appreciate the bad puns. Ellison's three stories are dark and scary.
Canadian references - "No Truce with Kings" mentions a war with West Canada.
Pharmacy references - character buys safety pins in a drug store; character hands out in a drug store.
Canadian references - "No Truce with Kings" mentions a war with West Canada.
Pharmacy references - character buys safety pins in a drug store; character hands out in a drug store.
September 1, 2023
Terrific read!! Of course 🤓 I'll be looking for more from a few of the authors. Also, good grief is Asimov super hilarious in his introductions! What a character! Especially enjoyed Flowers for Algernon by Keyes, which until now (as embarrassing as it is to admit) I did not realize was originally a short story, even though I've read the book about half a dozen times.
December 1, 2023
Still need a few of the novellas in this anthology.
Allamagoosa by Eric Frank Russell
The Star by Arthur C. Clarke
The Big Front Yard By Clifford D. Simak (author must have expanded/changed this for his 'The Way Station' Hugo winning novel)
The Sharing of Flesh by Poul Anderson
"Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman by Harlan Ellison (not sure I 'get' Ellison)
Allamagoosa by Eric Frank Russell
The Star by Arthur C. Clarke
The Big Front Yard By Clifford D. Simak (author must have expanded/changed this for his 'The Way Station' Hugo winning novel)
The Sharing of Flesh by Poul Anderson
"Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman by Harlan Ellison (not sure I 'get' Ellison)
September 21, 2023
Time Considered as a Helix of Semi-Precious Stones. Ділейні. Цікава історія з нової хвилі наукової фантастики про кримінальний світ майбутнього. Цікава також сама ідея "голографічного" передбачення за допомогою великого масиву даних. Біг дата з 60-х)). Стиль написання вигадливо чарівний.
June 19, 2025
I love this book, and while I haven’t read through every story, it feels amazing to know it’ll serve me constantly throughout my time as a reader. Plus, I can say I have my own copy of I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream, a literary icon.
May 12, 2019
I have had to order the paperback versions since hardbacks are now too heavy for me but I really enjoyed re-reading this blast from the past. Some of the best stories ever are in here.
Read
February 1, 2021Great first half (vol 1)...bit of a letdown with volume two. Even Harlan Ellison's work is aging into pretentiously smutty mediocrity. The '60s stuff just didn't do it for me, by and large.
November 30, 2024
Really nice collection of old science fiction. Will add my favorite stories to this review later.
August 20, 2016
I've been reading science fiction since my early teens. Like, I suspect, most people at the time, I got my start with anthologies of short stories. Clarke, Asimov, Heinlein. I don't know when I first became aware of the Hugo awards, but it was almost certainly before I went to university. The Hugos are named for Hugo Gernsback, the founder and editor of the first science fiction magazine in 1926. They are awarded annually at the World Science Fiction Convention.
This book is a Science Fiction Book Club exclusive collection of Hugo-winning short fiction (short stories, novellas, and novelettes) from the years 1955 to 1972. I haven't read these stories in at least a couple of decades, but some of them are truly memorable. Among my favourites are The Star by Arthur C. Clarke (a Jesuit astrophysicist makes a disturbing discovery about a long-ago supernova), Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes (a mentally challenged man undergoes intelligence-boosting surgery), "Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman by Harlan Ellison (a rebel fights against a rigidly scheduled society), and Weyr Search by Anne McCaffrey (dragonriders seek a woman strong enough to ride with them; this story was the beginning of the Dragonriders of Pern series).
I will admit some of these stories I did not remember at all, and they haven't aged gracefully. Many stories have to do with human societies suffering through a long reconstruction after interstellar war reduced them to pre-industrial conditions. The writing is more mature and subtle than I remembered it, largely because I was a younger, less experienced reader the last time I cracked open this book. As with movies and TV shows from that era, however, the pacing is slower than we are used to today. Aside from the classics that I mentioned above, and some other good but less memorable works such as Clifford D. Simak's The Big Front Yard (a man find his house has become a gateway to another world) and Robert Bloch's The Hell-Bound Train (a man tries to outwit the Devil in a deal for his soul), many of these stories are interesting mostly for the historical perspective they give to the genre and for the fond memories they may stir in middle-aged readers like me.
This book is a Science Fiction Book Club exclusive collection of Hugo-winning short fiction (short stories, novellas, and novelettes) from the years 1955 to 1972. I haven't read these stories in at least a couple of decades, but some of them are truly memorable. Among my favourites are The Star by Arthur C. Clarke (a Jesuit astrophysicist makes a disturbing discovery about a long-ago supernova), Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes (a mentally challenged man undergoes intelligence-boosting surgery), "Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman by Harlan Ellison (a rebel fights against a rigidly scheduled society), and Weyr Search by Anne McCaffrey (dragonriders seek a woman strong enough to ride with them; this story was the beginning of the Dragonriders of Pern series).
I will admit some of these stories I did not remember at all, and they haven't aged gracefully. Many stories have to do with human societies suffering through a long reconstruction after interstellar war reduced them to pre-industrial conditions. The writing is more mature and subtle than I remembered it, largely because I was a younger, less experienced reader the last time I cracked open this book. As with movies and TV shows from that era, however, the pacing is slower than we are used to today. Aside from the classics that I mentioned above, and some other good but less memorable works such as Clifford D. Simak's The Big Front Yard (a man find his house has become a gateway to another world) and Robert Bloch's The Hell-Bound Train (a man tries to outwit the Devil in a deal for his soul), many of these stories are interesting mostly for the historical perspective they give to the genre and for the fond memories they may stir in middle-aged readers like me.
February 13, 2017
This is the one you HAD to get when you joined the Science Fiction Book Club back in the day (remember them? you got, I think four books for a buck plus shipping.) I sent in the little card from inside an Ace Double (or maybe a Perry Rhodan novel, I forget) and lo, a couple of months later the box arrived...I was big into Asimov back then and I got his "Buy Jupiter and Other Stories", "The Gods Themselves" (awesome book!), The Foundation Trilogy (in one volume, excellent!) and...this one, the piece d'resistance.
There's not a lemon in the carload. They're ALL good. No, not all of them will be stories you'll necessarily enjoy. I'll admit I'm not fond of McCaffrey. But that's personal taste, and I bet she wouldn't like my stuff either. But what you will find are all the award winners and Isaac's ever-thoughtful comments on each one. I still have a copy of the old SFBC volume, and I won't part with it, even though it's second hand and lacks a dust jacket. The stories are so good and there's so many of them, stories you will want to come back to and read over and over, stories that will introduce you to writers who will become your favorites.
I've left the Science Fiction Book Club behind, but this book remains, and I suspect it ever shall. A true Book Of Wonders, it belongs on every readers' shelf.
There's not a lemon in the carload. They're ALL good. No, not all of them will be stories you'll necessarily enjoy. I'll admit I'm not fond of McCaffrey. But that's personal taste, and I bet she wouldn't like my stuff either. But what you will find are all the award winners and Isaac's ever-thoughtful comments on each one. I still have a copy of the old SFBC volume, and I won't part with it, even though it's second hand and lacks a dust jacket. The stories are so good and there's so many of them, stories you will want to come back to and read over and over, stories that will introduce you to writers who will become your favorites.
I've left the Science Fiction Book Club behind, but this book remains, and I suspect it ever shall. A true Book Of Wonders, it belongs on every readers' shelf.
Want to read
January 6, 2026(14/23 read)
23 stories:
The Darfsteller (1955) • Walter M. Miller, Jr.
Allamagoosa (1955) • Eric Frank Russell
Exploration Team (1956) • Murray Leinster
** The Star (1955) • Arthur C. Clarke
Or All the Seas with Oysters (1958) • Avram Davidson
The Big Front Yard (1958) • Clifford D. Simak
The Hell-Bound Train (1964) • Robert Bloch
** Flowers for Algernon (1959) • Daniel Keyes
The Longest Voyage (1960) • Poul Anderson
**** The Dragon Masters (1962) • Jack Vance
No Truce with Kings (1963) • Poul Anderson
Soldier, Ask Not (1964) • Gordon R. Dickson
*** "Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman (1965) • Harlan Ellison
**** The Last Castle (1966) • Jack Vance
** Neutron Star • (1966) • Larry Niven
**** Weyr Search (1967) • Anne McCaffrey
* Riders of the Purple Wage (1967) • Philip José Farmer
***** Gonna Roll the Bones (1967) • Fritz Leiber
* I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream (1967) • Harlan Ellison
**** Nightwings (1968) • Robert Silverberg
*** The Sharing of Flesh (1968) • Poul Anderson
* The Beast That Shouted Love at the Heart of the World (1969) • Harlan Ellison
**** Time Considered As a Helix of Semi-Precious Stones (1968) • Samuel R. Delany
23 stories:
The Darfsteller (1955) • Walter M. Miller, Jr.
Allamagoosa (1955) • Eric Frank Russell
Exploration Team (1956) • Murray Leinster
** The Star (1955) • Arthur C. Clarke
Or All the Seas with Oysters (1958) • Avram Davidson
The Big Front Yard (1958) • Clifford D. Simak
The Hell-Bound Train (1964) • Robert Bloch
** Flowers for Algernon (1959) • Daniel Keyes
The Longest Voyage (1960) • Poul Anderson
**** The Dragon Masters (1962) • Jack Vance
No Truce with Kings (1963) • Poul Anderson
Soldier, Ask Not (1964) • Gordon R. Dickson
*** "Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman (1965) • Harlan Ellison
**** The Last Castle (1966) • Jack Vance
** Neutron Star • (1966) • Larry Niven
**** Weyr Search (1967) • Anne McCaffrey
* Riders of the Purple Wage (1967) • Philip José Farmer
***** Gonna Roll the Bones (1967) • Fritz Leiber
* I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream (1967) • Harlan Ellison
**** Nightwings (1968) • Robert Silverberg
*** The Sharing of Flesh (1968) • Poul Anderson
* The Beast That Shouted Love at the Heart of the World (1969) • Harlan Ellison
**** Time Considered As a Helix of Semi-Precious Stones (1968) • Samuel R. Delany
July 1, 2010
Fantastic book but...not quite as good as Volume 4. Well no, change that, I didn't personally LIKE all stories here as much as the other collection. It's possible that since they started as early as 1955, I didn't identify with the writing styles as much as I do with stories written from the seventies onward. Or maybe I just didn't like these particular stories as much.
Of the ones that I DID like, almost all of them were ones I'd already read: "Flowers For Algernon", "Neutron Star" by Larry Niven, Arthur C. Clarke's "The Star", all three of Harlan Ellison's stories (three awards in four years; man's a machine). The rest...well if they weren't a complete WADE to get through (honestly, Simak, what the heck), then I ended each story with mostly the same feeling: "Oh, well...okay." The ending didn't make the experience all that worth it, and the story was just...fine. Except for "The Sharing of Flesh" by Poul Anderson, and that one was about cannibalism, so I don't even know what THAT says about me.
Of the ones that I DID like, almost all of them were ones I'd already read: "Flowers For Algernon", "Neutron Star" by Larry Niven, Arthur C. Clarke's "The Star", all three of Harlan Ellison's stories (three awards in four years; man's a machine). The rest...well if they weren't a complete WADE to get through (honestly, Simak, what the heck), then I ended each story with mostly the same feeling: "Oh, well...okay." The ending didn't make the experience all that worth it, and the story was just...fine. Except for "The Sharing of Flesh" by Poul Anderson, and that one was about cannibalism, so I don't even know what THAT says about me.
July 26, 2011
This book collects nearly all of the Hugo award winning short works from 1955 - 1970, so obviously the quality of the stories is high. Quite a few of the stories are classics that I have read before in other collections (Simak's "The Big Front Yard", Keyes' "Flowers for Algernon", Niven's "Neutron Star", McCafferey's "Weyr Search", Leiber's "Gonna Roll Them Bones" were all well known to me, and well loved) but I was actually quite pleased to find that I had not encountered the majority of them (particularly those of novella length). Of the stories that were new to me, my favorites were Walter M Miller, Jr.'s "The Darfsteller", Robert Silverberg's "Nightwings", and Murray Leinster's "Exploration Team".
April 10, 2013
A terrific collection of short stories, literally each one a classic. Highlights (although most of the stories are great) include 'Flowers for Algernon' by Keyes, the 'Star' by Clarke, 'I have no mouth and must Scream' by Ellison, 'Nightwings' by Silverberg, 'Time Considered as a Helix of Semi-Precious Stones'by Delany and possibly my favorite 'The Darfsteller' by Walter M. Miller, Jr.
I read these stories when I was a boy, many years later they haven't lost their impact. I could rave on and on about the quality of the stories contained within this book, it is amazing the quality of the Science Fiction short story during this time period. Pick the book up and read.
I read these stories when I was a boy, many years later they haven't lost their impact. I could rave on and on about the quality of the stories contained within this book, it is amazing the quality of the Science Fiction short story during this time period. Pick the book up and read.
December 8, 2023
I've been working my way through this book a story at a time since Feb. I'm going to call this a more interesting experience than an enjoyable one. There were good stories by Walter M. Miller and Samuel R. Delany, over-hyped stories by Harlan Ellison and Daniel Keyes, and downright bad ones, like Neutron Star by Larry Niven, the stupidest story I've ever read. As for Asimov, by pretending to be an arrogant ass in his introductions, he revealed himself to be an actual arrogant ass. Particularly bad was his eye-wateringly sexist introduction to Anne McCaffrey's Dragonflight.
July 15, 2014
I really enjoyed the Hugo Winners. For the most part the stories were engaging and thought provoking. There were only a very few that seemed to have an agenda to sell me on a particular point of view. I think that great science fiction asks questions like the philosophers of old - questions which raise us up, because as humans we can ponder the heights and depths of our existence. Great collection of well written stories.
December 18, 2016
It took me forever to finish this book; well, con razón, since I was reading many other books at the same time.
There was one story that particularly moved me, and not in a positive way: "The Sharing of Flesh," by Poul Anderson. If you know that I am an ethical vegan, and you read this story, then you will understand.
There was one story that particularly moved me, and not in a positive way: "The Sharing of Flesh," by Poul Anderson. If you know that I am an ethical vegan, and you read this story, then you will understand.
January 15, 2010
The forwards by Asimov are very nearly as entertaining as the stories. Contains "Flowers for Algernon", one of the best short stories I have ever read - any genre. Many of the other works in the collection are also very good.
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