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The Hugo Winners #5
The Hugo Winners, Volume 5: 1980 - 1982
This collection features nine prize-winning science fiction stories for the years 1980-1982 by Barry B. Longyear, Gordon R. Dickson, Clifford D. Simak, Poul Anderson, Roger Zelazny, John Varley, and George R.R. Martin
340 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1986
About the author
Isaac Asimov
4,369 books28.2k 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 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 15, 2023
For the past seventy years, members of the World Science Fiction Convention have voted annually to award the Hugo (named for Hugo Gernsback, generally acknowledged as the father of modern science fiction), to the best of the previous year in a number of categories, three of them for short fiction of various lengths. Isaac Asimov edited an anthology series collecting the winners until his death, and this is the fifth in that group. Asimov provided egotistical but amusing introductions which annoyed some people but charmed others; readers are always free to skip over them and just read the stories. Doubleday printed all of the early volumes, and this is the last one that they released. It's the shortest of their run and collects the winners from 1980 - 1982. The 1980 winners include Barry B. Longyear's Enemy Mine, an excellent novella that was made into a very good film, and two stories by George R.R. Martin written before he became overcome by seasonal problems, The Way of Cross and Dragon and Sandkings, which is an excellent sf/horror tale. 1981 also has a double winner, Gordon R. Dickson, with The Cloak and the Staff and Lost Dorsai, a good story in his popular, long-running series, as well as a good story by another member of the Old Guard, Clifford D. Simak, Grotto of the Deer. In 1982 Poul Anderson won for his gaming influenced The Saturn Game, John Varley won the short story award for The Pusher, and Roger Zelazny has my favorite story in the book, Unicorn Variations. I didn't think it was quite as strong of a volume as it could have been, but obviously the majority of the voters made their picks.
March 14, 2012
This one was wildly uneven. I think 1980 is my favorite hugo year so far: Enemy Mine won for Novella and its very affecting (lou gossett, jr aside :)), and George RR Martin won for both novelette and short story for Sandkings, an amazing little sci-fi horror story, and The Way of Cross and Dragon). 1981 is I believe my least favorite Hugo year so far. Gordon Dickson won both the Novella and Novelette and I tend to assume this was a lifetime achievement award as neither of them was remarkable. Short story was by Simak who I usually like but again, minor story lifetime achievement award. 1982 novella was the Saturn Game by Poul Anderson who has won the award more than anyone at short lengths and I just don't get it but it picked up with the Zelasny (Unicorn Variations) being quite fun and the Varley (The Pusher) being quite good
March 20, 2013
Although the stories are wildly uneven, the high notes are just so high that it pushes this anthology into the 5 stars area.
Highlights include "SandKings" by George RR Martin which is an incredibly suspenseful SF Horror tale, "The Pusher" by John Varley that examines the effects of space travel time dilation on the human psyche, and "Enemy Mine" which effectively explores the interaction between alien species.
Highlights include "SandKings" by George RR Martin which is an incredibly suspenseful SF Horror tale, "The Pusher" by John Varley that examines the effects of space travel time dilation on the human psyche, and "Enemy Mine" which effectively explores the interaction between alien species.
January 28, 2026
9 stories:
**** Enemy Mine (1979) • Barry B. Longyear
***** Sandkings (1979) • George R. R. Martin
**** The Way of Cross and Dragon (1979) • George R. R. Martin
**** Lost Dorsai (1980) • Gordon R. Dickson
**** The Cloak and the Staff (1980) • Gordon R. Dickson
*** Grotto of the Dancing Deer (1980) • Clifford D. Simak
** The Saturn Game (1981) • Poul Anderson
***** Unicorn Variation (1981) • Roger Zelazny
*** The Pusher (1981) • John Varley
**** Enemy Mine (1979) • Barry B. Longyear
***** Sandkings (1979) • George R. R. Martin
**** The Way of Cross and Dragon (1979) • George R. R. Martin
**** Lost Dorsai (1980) • Gordon R. Dickson
**** The Cloak and the Staff (1980) • Gordon R. Dickson
*** Grotto of the Dancing Deer (1980) • Clifford D. Simak
** The Saturn Game (1981) • Poul Anderson
***** Unicorn Variation (1981) • Roger Zelazny
*** The Pusher (1981) • John Varley
October 3, 2015
The Hugo Awards are given out every year by the membership of the World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon.) This series of books from 1986 collected the winners in the three short fiction categories: Novella (17,500-40,000 words), Novelette (7,500-17,500 words) and Short Story (less than 7,500 words.) Anything over 40,000 words is considered a novel. The volume is organized by year, in the order from longest to shortest, giving a kind of wave effect.
“Editor” Isaac Asimov spends much of the introduction detailing the history of the science fiction magazine Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine, of which he was the figurehead. It’s relevant because 1980 was the first year a story from that magazine won a Hugo.
“Enemy Mine” by Barry B. Longyear was that story. Two soldiers from opposing sides are stranded on a deserted island–one of whom is a pregnant alien. To survive, they must work together, and come to respect each other and bridge the gap between their cultures. This one was made into a movie, and Hollywood inserted an actual mine run by enemies. Perhaps this was necessary as the emotional climax of the story is a three-hour recitation of family history, but Mr. Longyear was not well pleased. It’s an excellent story.
“Sandkings” by George R.R. Martin is a chiller about a man who collects exotic pets. The Sandkings of the title are hive-mind creatures vaguely reminiscent of ants. They come in sets of four colored “castles” which have wars until only one remains. Simon Kress, however, is a cruel man and does not want to wait for his pets to war in their own time. How does it end? It’s by George R.R. Martin, how do you think it ends? An outstanding application of horror sensibilities to science fiction.
“The Way of Cross and Dragon” is also by George R.R. Martin, the first time an author had ever won two of the short categories in the same year. An inquistor for a future Catholic church is sent to stamp out a heresy that venerates Judas Iscariot (and dragons.) The inquisitor finds it a particularly appealing heresy, well-crafted and visually attractive. But that’s not the real trap–there’s a more dangerous heresy underneath. Of note is that the heretics have vandalized the local equivalent of the internet and Wikipedia so that those doing research would find supporting evidence for the heresy.
Also in 1980, The Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke took home the novel Hugo, and Alien won Best Dramatic Presentation. Barry B. Longyear was also picked as Best New Writer.
“Lost Dorsai” by Gordon R. Dickson is as you might suspect set in his Dorsai Cycle, a story universe where the resource-poor planet Dorsai makes its employment credits by hiring out its inhabitants as top-notch mercenary soldiers. This story tackles the question of what happens when a Dorsai decides that he will not kill humans under any circumstances. Even when he’s one of a handful of people in a fortress surrounded by bloodthirsty revolutionaries. What does make a man a hero, anyway?
“The Cloak and the Staff” is also by Mr. Dickson, making him the second author to win two of the short categories in the same year. Both he and Mr. Martin had won the third short category previously as well. The Aalaag are superior to Earthlings in every way, and hold our planet in an unbreakable grip. Even if somehow humans managed to rise up and kill all the Aalaag on Earth, the vast Aalaag Empire would simply wipe out the inhabitants and replant. Courier Shane knows this better than almost anyone else, and yet he finds that he’s sparked a resistance movement with a bit of graffiti. He manages to save one rebel for the moment, but there’s noting more he or anyone can do….
“Grotto of the Dancing Deer” by Clifford D. Simak concerns an archaeologist who goes back to the dig site of some cave paintings one last time. He discovers the title grotto, and its connection to one of the dig workers. It’s a rather sad story about a man who wants one person to know the truth before he leaves again.
Also in 1981, The Snow Queen won Best Novel for Joan D. Vinge, Best Dramatic Presentation went to The Empire Strikes Back, and Somtow Sucharitkul (S.P. Somtow) was Best New Writer.
“The Saturn Game” by Poul Anderson concerns an expedition to Iapetus, a moon of Saturn, which turns deadly due to a moment of inattention.
A bit of context for our younger readers–the turn of the 1980s is when role-playing games, especially Dungeons and Dragons, went from an obscure hobby to a cultural phenomenon. The usual cultural conservative distrust of anything new that kids get into converged with the 1980s “Satanic Panic” in which people sincerely believed there was a worldwide network of Satanists abusing children and performing human sacrifices. So many people worried that RPGs would either teach children how to perform actual black magic (see Jack Chick’s unintentionally hilarious Dark Dungeons for an example of this thinking) or make impressionable teens unable to distinguish between reality and fantasy and thus act out their violent pretendy fun times on real people. This last one was a bit more plausible; most roleplayers know that one guy who takes the game way too seriously, akin to the sportsball fans that have violent temper tantrums when their team loses.
Mr. Anderson’s story works with the latter concept; it never uses the phrase “role-playing games” as those died out during a bad time in human history–the future equivalent is “psychodramas.” Three-quarters of the expedition have been playing in the same game for the last eight years as their larger ship has been headed to Saturn. In the future, psychiatry has been replaced by pharmacology to balance brain chemistry, and no one thought ahead about the possible consequences. So when the players find themselves in a fantastic landscape that suits their story, they fall into a semihypnotic state acting out the play, and miss the real danger.
Mind, Poul Anderson also shows the strength that can be drawn from imagination, as the fantasy helps sustain the strength of the survivors, even as they know they must not succumb to it and ignore what must be done. One of the flashbacks is about the significant other who doesn’t “get” role-playing games, and is unable to distinguish between in-character romance and an actual affair between players. She forces the player to choose between her and the gaming group–it does not turn out the way she hoped.
“Unicorn Variations” by Roger Zelazny is more in the fantasy realm than straight science fiction. When a species goes extinct, a new species comes to take its place. And in a future where extinctions have become even more common, the unicorns have grown impatient to replace humans. But one human bargains with the unicorn representative. If he can beat it in a game of chess, the unicorn will not directly hasten the extinction of humans. Unicorns, as it turns out, are very good at chess…but the human turns out to have a surprise backer. If you have your chessboard handy, play along!
“The Pusher” by John Varley, is set in a future with relativistic space travel and time dilation. That is, time on ship passes more slowly than for those standing still. Six months on board is thirty years back on Earth. Ian Haise, a “pusher” (starship crewmember) doesn’t want to entirely lose touch with those on the ground, so he has a scheme to befriend children so that when he returns decades later, they will remember him and welcome his return. It’s an uncomfortable story, as Haise’s methods are strikingly similar to those used by a pedophile to “groom” victims.
1982’s Best Novel was Downbelow Station by C.J. Cherryh, Raiders of the Lost Ark took home the Best Dramatic Presentation Hugo, and the Best New Writer was Alexis Gilliland (who beat out David Brin!)
This collection really strikes a chord for me as it’s in my early adulthood, and I read most of these stories first-run. It looks “modern” to me in ways that early SF doesn’t, and the field was becoming more diverse (even though all these stories happen to be by white guys.) It’s worth finding just for “Sandkings” if you’ve never read that story, but the others are good as well, especially “Enemy Mine.”
“Editor” Isaac Asimov spends much of the introduction detailing the history of the science fiction magazine Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine, of which he was the figurehead. It’s relevant because 1980 was the first year a story from that magazine won a Hugo.
“Enemy Mine” by Barry B. Longyear was that story. Two soldiers from opposing sides are stranded on a deserted island–one of whom is a pregnant alien. To survive, they must work together, and come to respect each other and bridge the gap between their cultures. This one was made into a movie, and Hollywood inserted an actual mine run by enemies. Perhaps this was necessary as the emotional climax of the story is a three-hour recitation of family history, but Mr. Longyear was not well pleased. It’s an excellent story.
“Sandkings” by George R.R. Martin is a chiller about a man who collects exotic pets. The Sandkings of the title are hive-mind creatures vaguely reminiscent of ants. They come in sets of four colored “castles” which have wars until only one remains. Simon Kress, however, is a cruel man and does not want to wait for his pets to war in their own time. How does it end? It’s by George R.R. Martin, how do you think it ends? An outstanding application of horror sensibilities to science fiction.
“The Way of Cross and Dragon” is also by George R.R. Martin, the first time an author had ever won two of the short categories in the same year. An inquistor for a future Catholic church is sent to stamp out a heresy that venerates Judas Iscariot (and dragons.) The inquisitor finds it a particularly appealing heresy, well-crafted and visually attractive. But that’s not the real trap–there’s a more dangerous heresy underneath. Of note is that the heretics have vandalized the local equivalent of the internet and Wikipedia so that those doing research would find supporting evidence for the heresy.
Also in 1980, The Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke took home the novel Hugo, and Alien won Best Dramatic Presentation. Barry B. Longyear was also picked as Best New Writer.
“Lost Dorsai” by Gordon R. Dickson is as you might suspect set in his Dorsai Cycle, a story universe where the resource-poor planet Dorsai makes its employment credits by hiring out its inhabitants as top-notch mercenary soldiers. This story tackles the question of what happens when a Dorsai decides that he will not kill humans under any circumstances. Even when he’s one of a handful of people in a fortress surrounded by bloodthirsty revolutionaries. What does make a man a hero, anyway?
“The Cloak and the Staff” is also by Mr. Dickson, making him the second author to win two of the short categories in the same year. Both he and Mr. Martin had won the third short category previously as well. The Aalaag are superior to Earthlings in every way, and hold our planet in an unbreakable grip. Even if somehow humans managed to rise up and kill all the Aalaag on Earth, the vast Aalaag Empire would simply wipe out the inhabitants and replant. Courier Shane knows this better than almost anyone else, and yet he finds that he’s sparked a resistance movement with a bit of graffiti. He manages to save one rebel for the moment, but there’s noting more he or anyone can do….
“Grotto of the Dancing Deer” by Clifford D. Simak concerns an archaeologist who goes back to the dig site of some cave paintings one last time. He discovers the title grotto, and its connection to one of the dig workers. It’s a rather sad story about a man who wants one person to know the truth before he leaves again.
Also in 1981, The Snow Queen won Best Novel for Joan D. Vinge, Best Dramatic Presentation went to The Empire Strikes Back, and Somtow Sucharitkul (S.P. Somtow) was Best New Writer.
“The Saturn Game” by Poul Anderson concerns an expedition to Iapetus, a moon of Saturn, which turns deadly due to a moment of inattention.
A bit of context for our younger readers–the turn of the 1980s is when role-playing games, especially Dungeons and Dragons, went from an obscure hobby to a cultural phenomenon. The usual cultural conservative distrust of anything new that kids get into converged with the 1980s “Satanic Panic” in which people sincerely believed there was a worldwide network of Satanists abusing children and performing human sacrifices. So many people worried that RPGs would either teach children how to perform actual black magic (see Jack Chick’s unintentionally hilarious Dark Dungeons for an example of this thinking) or make impressionable teens unable to distinguish between reality and fantasy and thus act out their violent pretendy fun times on real people. This last one was a bit more plausible; most roleplayers know that one guy who takes the game way too seriously, akin to the sportsball fans that have violent temper tantrums when their team loses.
Mr. Anderson’s story works with the latter concept; it never uses the phrase “role-playing games” as those died out during a bad time in human history–the future equivalent is “psychodramas.” Three-quarters of the expedition have been playing in the same game for the last eight years as their larger ship has been headed to Saturn. In the future, psychiatry has been replaced by pharmacology to balance brain chemistry, and no one thought ahead about the possible consequences. So when the players find themselves in a fantastic landscape that suits their story, they fall into a semihypnotic state acting out the play, and miss the real danger.
Mind, Poul Anderson also shows the strength that can be drawn from imagination, as the fantasy helps sustain the strength of the survivors, even as they know they must not succumb to it and ignore what must be done. One of the flashbacks is about the significant other who doesn’t “get” role-playing games, and is unable to distinguish between in-character romance and an actual affair between players. She forces the player to choose between her and the gaming group–it does not turn out the way she hoped.
“Unicorn Variations” by Roger Zelazny is more in the fantasy realm than straight science fiction. When a species goes extinct, a new species comes to take its place. And in a future where extinctions have become even more common, the unicorns have grown impatient to replace humans. But one human bargains with the unicorn representative. If he can beat it in a game of chess, the unicorn will not directly hasten the extinction of humans. Unicorns, as it turns out, are very good at chess…but the human turns out to have a surprise backer. If you have your chessboard handy, play along!
“The Pusher” by John Varley, is set in a future with relativistic space travel and time dilation. That is, time on ship passes more slowly than for those standing still. Six months on board is thirty years back on Earth. Ian Haise, a “pusher” (starship crewmember) doesn’t want to entirely lose touch with those on the ground, so he has a scheme to befriend children so that when he returns decades later, they will remember him and welcome his return. It’s an uncomfortable story, as Haise’s methods are strikingly similar to those used by a pedophile to “groom” victims.
1982’s Best Novel was Downbelow Station by C.J. Cherryh, Raiders of the Lost Ark took home the Best Dramatic Presentation Hugo, and the Best New Writer was Alexis Gilliland (who beat out David Brin!)
This collection really strikes a chord for me as it’s in my early adulthood, and I read most of these stories first-run. It looks “modern” to me in ways that early SF doesn’t, and the field was becoming more diverse (even though all these stories happen to be by white guys.) It’s worth finding just for “Sandkings” if you’ve never read that story, but the others are good as well, especially “Enemy Mine.”
May 26, 2017
I haven't read a scifi collection in a while, and this one was particularly great because it was loaned to me by a cutie that I like. There were stories that I loved, and those that felt more like a trudge.
1) Enemy Mine, by Barry B. Longyear -- This feels like a classic, the meeting of enemies who become friends who become family through challenge and loss.
2) Sandkings, by George R. R. Martin -- Good, horrifying, a look at hubris and it's near inevitable fall.
3) The Way of the Cross and Dragon, by George R. R. Martin -- an interesting look into religion and scifi. I've read better, though those have been more recent and maybe somewhat influenced by this. I'M thinking in particular of The Sparrow.
4) Lost Dorsai, by Gordon R. Dickson -- Not really my favorite, too much military ponderings for me, but I did love the final image of the taunting, loan opponent standing against an army.
5) The Cloak and the Staff, by Gordon R. Dickson -- Oh man, this was such a great piece on how one strains against oppression as an underclass. Horrifying, enraging, all of that.
6) Grotto of the Dancing Dear, by Clifford D. Simak -- a lovely short story about a possibly eternal being living through time, from the cave painting era until now.
7) The Saturn Game, by Poul Anderson -- I found this one a little harder to get through. The "psychodrama" aka roleplaying games, that the crew engages in to get through their space travel and missions is an interesting idea, but I didn't connect with the characters enough to follow them in one reality, much less two.
8) Unicorn Variations, by Roger Zelazny -- Okay, I loved this one, and not just because it was the one that ventured off into fantasy the most. I liked the idea that as a species became extinct, a mythical species took it's place. The chess story framework was also really fun.
9) The Pusher, by John Varley -- this was the most uncomfortable story for me, as others before me have said, the narration does closely resemble how folks groom their victims and stuff.
1) Enemy Mine, by Barry B. Longyear -- This feels like a classic, the meeting of enemies who become friends who become family through challenge and loss.
2) Sandkings, by George R. R. Martin -- Good, horrifying, a look at hubris and it's near inevitable fall.
3) The Way of the Cross and Dragon, by George R. R. Martin -- an interesting look into religion and scifi. I've read better, though those have been more recent and maybe somewhat influenced by this. I'M thinking in particular of The Sparrow.
4) Lost Dorsai, by Gordon R. Dickson -- Not really my favorite, too much military ponderings for me, but I did love the final image of the taunting, loan opponent standing against an army.
5) The Cloak and the Staff, by Gordon R. Dickson -- Oh man, this was such a great piece on how one strains against oppression as an underclass. Horrifying, enraging, all of that.
6) Grotto of the Dancing Dear, by Clifford D. Simak -- a lovely short story about a possibly eternal being living through time, from the cave painting era until now.
7) The Saturn Game, by Poul Anderson -- I found this one a little harder to get through. The "psychodrama" aka roleplaying games, that the crew engages in to get through their space travel and missions is an interesting idea, but I didn't connect with the characters enough to follow them in one reality, much less two.
8) Unicorn Variations, by Roger Zelazny -- Okay, I loved this one, and not just because it was the one that ventured off into fantasy the most. I liked the idea that as a species became extinct, a mythical species took it's place. The chess story framework was also really fun.
9) The Pusher, by John Varley -- this was the most uncomfortable story for me, as others before me have said, the narration does closely resemble how folks groom their victims and stuff.
April 21, 2021
1980 was a great year for science fiction, but it seems that 1981 wasn't. The Zelazny story is great, and, while I didn't particularly enjoy reading "The Pusher," I don't think that discredits it as a good story.
While GRRM might be my favorite writer and I do love his two stories here, the absolute standout is "Enemy Mine." Seriously, I'm ashamed that I had never heard of this story before. It feels so familiar, like something I've seen a dozen times before (probably in stories that borrowed from it), but boy is it a powerful novella. I genuinely had to fight back tears at the end.
While GRRM might be my favorite writer and I do love his two stories here, the absolute standout is "Enemy Mine." Seriously, I'm ashamed that I had never heard of this story before. It feels so familiar, like something I've seen a dozen times before (probably in stories that borrowed from it), but boy is it a powerful novella. I genuinely had to fight back tears at the end.
January 30, 2026
Nine works of short fiction which were deemed the best science fiction of their year -- three each of novella, novelette, and short story. Tastes vary; to mine, the first half of the book was excellent (especially "Enemy Mine") and the second half was merely good. Part of that may be because, being a big Simak fan, his "Grotto of the Dancing Deer" did not come close to meeting my expectations. Asimov's introductions to the stories are sometimes fun quick reads, but overall they add little to the book.
February 16, 2024
Great collection of stories. I have to find the next series of volumes. I hope there is more. All the stories are good. Perhaps the best is Roger Zelanzy's. As Asimov notes it is not quite SF, but it is a danged good story and I'm glad it was included. It deserved an award. Good book, good entertainment. As easy four stars.
July 28, 2019
Another fine selection of award-winning stories. Kept my interst all the way through; even some that started out rough developed into interesting stories.
August 21, 2024
En este libro se encuentran algunos de mis relatos de ciencia ficción favoritos. Los Reyes de la Arena, de George R. R. Martin, es un ejemplo de lo que este autor, hoy tan conocido, puede hacer cuando no cobra por palabras: un relato corto y redondo, en el que no sobra nada. De Enemigo Mío recuerdo la traducción del título que hizo Nueva Dimensión cuando gano el premio: Mina Enemiga. Sí, Enemy Mine se puede traducir de las dos formas, y antes de leerlo es imposible saber cuál es la correcta. Y el Dorsai Perdido, del ciclo de los Dorsai, resume muy bien lo que es la serie siendo uno de los relatos menos militaristas de la misma.
Evidentemente una recopilación de Premios Hugo no puede ser mala, pero algunas, como esta, son mejores que las demás.
Evidentemente una recopilación de Premios Hugo no puede ser mala, pero algunas, como esta, son mejores que las demás.
April 13, 2015
Like all other areas of fiction, a science fiction story will evoke different responses in different people. Even the greatest stories of the time, so acknowledged by the author receiving a Hugo for writing it, fall into that category. This collection is no different; there were some that I found much more interesting than others. It contains the stories:
*) Enemy Mine, by Barry B. Longyear
*) Sandkings, by George R. R. Martin
*) The Way of the Cross and Dragon, by George R. R. Martin
*) Lost Dorsai, by Gordon R. Dickson
*) The Cloak and the Staff, by Gordon R. Dickson
*) Grotto of the Dancing Dear, by Clifford D. Simak
*) The Saturn Game, by Poul Anderson
*) Unicorn Variations, by Roger Zelazny
*) The Pusher, by John Varley
“Enemy Mine” has since been made into a movie that was a big hit.
In my opinion, three of the stories are truly great, “Enemy Mine”, “Lost Dorsai” and “The Cloak and the Staff.” The first and the third both deal with what I consider the most significant theme of science fiction, what will happen when humans encounter an intelligent species from another world. In “Enemy Mine” the other species (Dracons) is roughly of the same technical competence and temperament, so they engage in a ruthless war with the humans over space and supremacy. There is a much greater disparity in “The Cloak and the Staff.” The Aalaag are technically superior and have conquered many other planets. The main character is human and serves the Aalaag and understands how futile resistance is. And yet, he starts a resistance movement that has no hope of success. I consider this one of the best science fiction stories ever written and fortunately, Dickson expanded it into the book, “Way of the Pilgrim.”
Collections of award-winning stories always contain a wide variation of themes and this one is no exception. However, unlike some others, even the worst of this group is very, very good and well worth reading.
This review also appears on Amazon
*) Enemy Mine, by Barry B. Longyear
*) Sandkings, by George R. R. Martin
*) The Way of the Cross and Dragon, by George R. R. Martin
*) Lost Dorsai, by Gordon R. Dickson
*) The Cloak and the Staff, by Gordon R. Dickson
*) Grotto of the Dancing Dear, by Clifford D. Simak
*) The Saturn Game, by Poul Anderson
*) Unicorn Variations, by Roger Zelazny
*) The Pusher, by John Varley
“Enemy Mine” has since been made into a movie that was a big hit.
In my opinion, three of the stories are truly great, “Enemy Mine”, “Lost Dorsai” and “The Cloak and the Staff.” The first and the third both deal with what I consider the most significant theme of science fiction, what will happen when humans encounter an intelligent species from another world. In “Enemy Mine” the other species (Dracons) is roughly of the same technical competence and temperament, so they engage in a ruthless war with the humans over space and supremacy. There is a much greater disparity in “The Cloak and the Staff.” The Aalaag are technically superior and have conquered many other planets. The main character is human and serves the Aalaag and understands how futile resistance is. And yet, he starts a resistance movement that has no hope of success. I consider this one of the best science fiction stories ever written and fortunately, Dickson expanded it into the book, “Way of the Pilgrim.”
Collections of award-winning stories always contain a wide variation of themes and this one is no exception. However, unlike some others, even the worst of this group is very, very good and well worth reading.
This review also appears on Amazon
February 7, 2014
No duds in this collection. My enjoyment of this anthology was increased by remembering these stories from when they were first published. I read all but Longyear's "Enemy Mine" before they were Hugo winners - and now I understand why Longyear was unhappy with how the film adaptation of his story turned out. All of the stories were to some degree familiar to me, but none lost any appeal for all of that. Martin's "Sandkings" was every bit as creepy as I remembered. "Lost Dorsai," has lost none of its impact with the passing of the years. Varley's "The Pusher" was as strangely twisted at the end as I remembered. And these are just the three that come to mind without trying. A lot of entertainment in one book!
January 25, 2013
Just finished. All top name authors including 2 from George R. R. Martin before he was the Game of Thrones guy. Very good stories, will keep me thinking for weeks. I love Asimov's intro's as a look into the old school Sci-Fi lifestyle.
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