Lo mejor de Fredric Brown

by Fredric Brown

Por primera vez reunidos en un solo volumen las 29 mejores historias cortas del mayor especialista del género en este tipo de relatos breves. La antología definitiva de las historias humorísticas, épicas, o terriblemente serias que muestran la riqueza de ideas y la habilidad sin par de Brown.

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Fiction, Fantasy, Humor, Anthologies, Horror

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

Fredric Brown was an American science fiction and mystery writer. He was one of the boldest early writers in genre fiction in his use of narrative experimentation. While never in the front rank of popularity in his lifetime, Brown has developed a considerable cult following in the almost half century since he last wrote. His works have been periodically reprinted and he has a worldwide fan base, most notably in the U.S. and Europe, and especially in France, where there have been several recent movie adaptations of his work. He also remains popular in Japan.

Never financially secure, Brown - like many other pulp writers - often wrote at a furious pace in order to pay bills. This accounts, at least in part, for the uneven quality of his work. A newspaperman by profession, Brown was only able to devote 14 years of his life as a full-time fiction writer. Brown was also a heavy drinker, and this at times doubtless affected his productivity. A cultured man and omnivorous reader whose interests ranged far beyond those of most pulp writers, Brown had a lifelong interest in the flute, chess, poker, and the works of Lewis Carroll. Brown married twice and was the father of two sons.

Reviews

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fairly quick read, worth a day or two of your time.

As with any anthology, some stories are better than others, but Brown remains one of the best classic SF writers. Since I'm a long-time Star Trek fan, I especially liked reading "Arena" and seeing the changes that -- probably -- the network or Standards and Practices forced on it.

Brown and Eric Frank Russell are both worth exploring if you're not familiar with their work.

[Inge · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my opinion Fredric brown is one of the best short story writers ever in all the world and time. He uses few words to let your imagination freefall through the plot and there are some vicious twists. But if you don't engage your imagination you may find the stories sparse. And some can be quite disturbing...

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brown was arguably the best short-fiction writer in the sf field for decades, and it's a shame that he's nearly forgotten now. His work still holds up wonderfully. While I never was too sure that this volume included alll of his "best" work, it does include classics such as "Arena," "Knock," and one off my all-time favorites, "Star Mouse."

[***Dave Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic SF shorts (along with a few of his equally famous mysteries) from the 40s-60s. Most of these are short-shorts, and feature twist endings that would have fit in perfectly on "The Twilight Zone". They tend to be a bit more satisfying than the longer tales, which either belabor the point or meander a bit (but remain entertaining or, in cases, disturbing).

Good stuff from an author sadly little known these days (and that mostly by Trekkies for his after-the-fact credit for the TOS episode "Arena," after Brown's lawyers objected to the distinct similarities to the story contained in this book).

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a charming collection overall, and it's nice to see the best stories of a once-popular and now-obscure Golden Age SF writer like Fredric Brown presented together in one volume. A handful of these tales ("Puppet Show," "Arena," "Reconciliation") are absolute gems. Moving, tense, and unpredictable. [Interesting note: "Arena" became the famous episode of Star Trek in which Kirk fought the Gorn. "The Geezenstacks" was produced on "Tales From the Darkside."]

Many of the other stories are solid entertainments, full of the twist endings that were one of Brown's trademarks. A few are duds, but that's to be expected in any collection. Yes, a helluva lot of whiskey, gin, and cigarettes are consumed within these pages. Yes, the female characters are given little to do except look voluptuous and chase men. That is, sadly, pretty much a given when you're talking about stories from 40s and 50s SF pulps. But a glance beyond the dated elements will prove that at the heart of most of these stories beats a wild, inventive premise. Enjoyed by me and recommended to anyone looking to expand their purview of mid-century science fiction.

[Jacob Ruefer · Rating 4 out of 5]

In grade school I borrowed a copy of this book, most likely inspired by the interesting cover and my love for The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits. The 300+ pages were a bit daunting back then, so I stuck to the shortest stories. Now, nearly 15 years later I finally found and finished a copy of this collection. I'm surprised Fredric Brown isn't given the respect he deserves anymore. In the 60's his story "Arena" was used in both Star Trek and The Outer Limits, but except for a short-lived resurgence in the 80's, Brown has been mostly forgotten. Which is a real shame. His stories are inspired, funny, and thought-provoking; not to mention almost 70 years old! An early Douglas Adams to be sure.

[Olethros · Rating 3 out of 5]

-Algunas muestras muy representativas del trabajo del autor.-

Género. Relatos.

Lo que nos cuenta. Con Robert Bloch como responsable de la recopilación y de su introducción, muestra bastante acertada de la obra corta de Brown (la parte del león de su producción, junto al noir y el misterio, por encima de la novela de Ciencia-Ficción).

¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:

http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...

[Olethros · Rating 3 out of 5]

-Algunas muestras muy representativas del trabajo del autor.-

Género. Relatos.

Lo que nos cuenta. Con Robert Bloch como responsable de la recopilación y de su introducción, muestra bastante acertada de la obra corta de Brown (la parte del león de su producción, junto al noir y el misterio, por encima de la novela de Ciencia-Ficción).

¿Quiere saber más de este libro, sin spoilers? Visite:

http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...

[Иван Величков · Rating 5 out of 5]

Фредрик Браун е един от много силните, но не толкова популярни гласове на фантастиката от златните години. Разказите му са идейни, много често свръх кратки и носят огромен заряд. Доста ще ми е трудно да запозная някой с тях, без да издам фабулата, защото повечето са толкова изчистени, че са само фабула.

Голяма част от събраните в тази книга са излизали на български в „Орбита“ и „Наука и техника за младежта“. За тези, които не знаят английски можете да ги откриете тук, както и много други неща https://scifi.nickmch.info/index.ang.... А някой други заглавия има в читанката.

Arena – Един от най-популярните разкази на автора, превърнат в епизод от „Стар Трек“. Един земянин попада в битка с извънземно същество, която ще реши съдбата на двете им цивилизации. Условията на арената са изравнени, така че никой да няма предимство.
Imagine – Кратко есе относно въображението.
Didn’t Happen – Когато печен адвокат поема случая на богаташ хладнокръвно застрелял стриптизьорка, няма представа каква невероятна история ще му бъде разказана.
Recessional – Кратка история за една вечно повтаряща се битка.
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik – Този сигурни ми е най-любимия от всичките, но аз имам нездрави влечение към Пъстрия Свирач.Пътуващ музикант попада в бар, където чува божествено изпълнение на старинен инструмент. Запознава се и отива да запива с колегата си, с мисълта да откупи инструмента, но го очаква изпълнена с чудеса нощ.
Puppet Show – Също много силен разказ. В Черибел се появява странно трио – магаре, ловец на глави и очевидно извънземен. Те изискват да проведат експеримент, дали сме достойни за галактически съюз.
Nightmare in Yellow - Сложна и внимателно изпипана схема за започване на нов живот се проваля от една невинна подробност.
Earthmen Bearing Gifts – Най-сетне земяните ще се срещнат с марсианските си братя по разум, трябва само да се изчисти една малка подробност.
Jaycee – Науката е постигнала зачеване чрез партеногенеза на човешко същество. Всъщност вече са 50 милиона. Само че порасналия първи опит започва да прави доста странни работи.
Pi in the Sky – Толкова се смях тук. Един ден звездите започват да се местят по небето. Всички астролози, любители, военни и прочие са в пълен шок. Само Роджър Флутър е обсебен от идеята да разплете вселенската загадка. И накрая успява.
Answer – Какъв би бил първия въпрос който ще зададете на свръхмощен суперкомпютър? А готови ли сте за отговора?
The Geezenstacks – Имам непоносимост към истории с кукли – зловещи са ми.Ричард подарява комплект кукли на деветгодишната си племенница. Скоро всички започват да забелязват, че игрите на малката Аубри с тях се повтарят в живота.
Hall of Mirrors – Едно от малкото сполучливи използвания на първо лице единствено число в литературата като цяло. Младият математик Норман Харис се оказва на интересно място, където трябва да разгадае загадката как е попаднал там. Отговорите му се предоставят почти на готово, но не са такива, каквито е смятал.
Knock – Вече съм казвал. Уж най-краткият хорър разказ, уж от Фредрик Браун. Разказът е от Елдрич, а версията на Браун е доста по-дълга и е фантастика.
Rebound – Дребният мошеник Лари Снел изведнъж придобива силата да убива с думи. Как ще я оползотвори?
The Star Mouse – Немски учен изпраща в космоса мишка в миниатюрна ракета. Последствията са доста забавни и нетрайни.
Abominable – В лов на отвратителния Снежен Човек, посмял да отвлече най-прекрасната кино звезда, сър Артън ще попадне на невероятно откритие, което ще го промени до живот.
Letter to a Phoenix – Едно от най-смислените есета на тема еволюция, което съм чел изобщо.
Not yet the End – Група извънземни кацат на земята, за да проверят развили ли сме се достатъчно за поробване. Малко са разочаровани.
Etaoin Shrulu – Когато в местната печатница идва неизвестен кабалист, пресата вече не е същата. Как може да се справи човек с подобен проблем?
Armageddon – И то в Синсинати. Дяволът има планове, но...
Experiment – Да си играеш с времевите потоци може да има непредвидени последствия.
The Short Happy Lives of Eustace Weaver – Три, кратки и не-толкова щастливи. Отново времева фантастика с доста хумор.
Reconciliation – Семеен скандал загасва невероятно.
Nothing Sirius – Експедиция каца на неизследвана и мистериозно неотбелязана на картите планета. Нещо им бърника из главите там.
Pattern – Но те не ни правят нищо, незнам защо мрънкат всички.
The Yehudini Principal – Не, няма малък невидим човек, който прави каквото му кажеш. Пробвай.
Come and Go Mad – Джордж Вин страда от тежка амнезия след катастрофа преди три години. Когато шефът му във вестника го придумва да влезе под прикритие в местната психиатрия, читателите разбират, че проблема е много по-голям. Джордж също го осъзнава.
The End – Чудесен край на книгата, защото, книгата на край чудесен.

[Manuel Alfonseca · Rating 3 out of 5]

ENGLISH: This book contains 29 stories, from super-short vignettes (less than one page) to longer ones, with tens of pages. The collection seems to have been well chosen. There is a little of everything. In fact, the same applies to my reaction to the stories. Three of them I liked a lot, seven I disliked or even abhorred! For me, the best three stories are the following:
1. Puppet show (1962)
2. The star mouse (1942)
3. Etaoin Shrdlu (1942)
I won't mention those that I abhorred. I'll just say that they are those where the author's ideology is clearer.

ESPAÑOL: Este libro contiene 29 cuentos, desde viñetas super-cortas (menos de una página) hasta cuentos más largos, con decenas de páginas. La colección parece haber sido bien elegida. Hay un poco de todo. De hecho, esta frase describe también mi reacción a los cuentos. Tres de ellos me gustaron mucho, siete me disgustaron, uno de ellos me pareció aborrecible. Para mí, los tres mejores fueron estos:
1. Espectáculo de marionetas (1962)
2. Ratón estelar (1942)
3. Etaoin Shrdlu (1942)
No mencionaré los que no me gustaron. Solo diré que son aquellos en los que se nota más la ideología del autor.

[Ira (SF Words of Wonder) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of short stories, some of these super short. I really enjoy Brown’s writing, and he can get a lot of story told in such a short time. There are some dark stories in here which I didn’t expect but they were really good, some of the writing is a bit dated but not bad considering these were written in the 40s 50s and 60s. Highly recommended to anyone who likes short fiction.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

All entertaining. Some of the stories are very strong, some merely enjoyable--a couple fall flat. But well worth anyone's time.

[Frode · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still good after a number of years. Lots of twists and unexpected endings. The book was published in 1977, but the stories are from the 40's and 50's. It was fun.

[Thom · Rating 4 out of 5]

These were fun stories, mostly very short - some only a few paragraphs. The first "Arena" famously adapted for Star Trek (and likely Blake's Seven). The cover depicts the "Star Mouse", one of the longer stories.

In addition to those two, I really enjoyed "Etaoin Shrdlu" and the should-be-famous "Answer". This is a solid collection, worth finding and reading. I read roughly a story a day, even the short ones :)

[Jerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fredric Brown definitely loves twists and surprise endings. Fortunately, he was very good at writing them. This collection includes some very classic science fiction stories, including one that ended up becoming a Star Trek episode. His twists are usually well-foreshadowed, like a good mystery solution. And his surprise endings are very twisted. Well worth reading.

[Taylor Bullock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Considering most of these stories were written in the 40s-60s, very advanced for their time. You can tell some of them provided influence for other sci fi stories that came later. I enjoy his writing style, he has a great way of jumping into a story and making it a kind of puzzle, with usually a twist at the end. Some hits and misses as with any short story compilation

[Silviu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This here is an amazing collection of stories.
A must read for all those who enjoy good science fiction.

[Xabi1990 · Rating 3 out of 5]

5/10. Media de los 6 libros leídos del autor : 6/10.

Historias cortas, que no son lo mío. El autor tampoco me encanta a pesar ed que era uno de los pocos que metían humor en la CF.

[Benjamin Hare · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of pulp fiction short stories covers a wide range of science fiction, a little bit of the weird, and some horror. Quite a few mix all three of these elements together, displaying a good cross-section of FB’s turn of mind as an author. His prose are lean to the point of starvation; short sentences, few adjectives, and introspection only occasionally. While his characters are generally good people they are not heroic in the sense typical of the early twentieth century pulp market. Brown’s emphasis is on plot and structure that moves quickly, challenging the reader’s preconceptions and delivering a surprising or thought provoking ending. Alien visitors come to Earth but have an unorthodox way of revealing themselves, and deciding whether humanity is worthy to join the rest of intergalactic civilization. The last man on Earth story is given a smart twist, as is the typical “human in an alien zoo” trope. My favorite is a story about a Linotype—a device used for setting newsprint type back in the day—that becomes sentient. The ending to that story is particularly intelligent. What I love about FB’s work is the core “can do” attitude of his characters when they use engineering, or lateral thinking to deal with a fantastic situation. His horror is less about the scare and more about leaving a smoldering implication for the reader to work out. It’s good stuff.

Some of the stories seem an odd choice for inclusion in a “Best of” book; “Star Mouse” is hardly an A-list tale, and FB’s best short—“Daymare” (1943)—is not included. Perhaps that tale has been anthologized so much Robert Bloch didn’t think it worth re-printing here. In 2002 Nesfa Press published a quality hard bound collection of the entirety of FB’s short fiction; “From These Ashes: The Complete Short SF of Fredric Brown”, if you want more.

What I like most about “The Best of Fredric Brown” is the small size—280 pages—and vivid cover by Richard Corben; if you loan this book out to a friend you can be sure at least some of it will be read.

[Leew49 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Born in Cincinatti in 1907, Fredric Brown worked at a wide variety of jobs before settling down as a proofreader. But with a family to support he began supplementing his income by writing for the pulp magazines which were so popular in that era. Mysteries, other crime fiction, fantasy and science fiction were all subject matter for Brown at various times, earning him the going rate of one or two cents per word. Later he published several successful novels and began to establish a name for himself, but--a true child of the Depression--he never gave up his day job as a proofreader.

This collection of short stories features the highly innovative fiction and surprise endings which are hallmarks of Brown's writing. Imagine if you will some of the following:

A human awakes on a mysterious planet and finds himself forced to battle an alien creature. The loser will not only die himself but consign his entire species to immediate extinction.
An itinerant musician discovers a unique and weirdly enchanting form of music that he feels an irresistible urge to duplicate. But the owner of the music has no desire to share.
A nine-foot alien rides a donkey into an isolated town in the American Southwest.
A man plans the Perfect Crime, to be executed at the exact anniversary of his birth.
A little girl's doll collection seems to predict events that will happen to members of her family.
The last man on earth sits alone in a room. There is a knock at the door . . .
A linotype machine develops a mind of its own, guided by whatever subject matter it happens to be printing.
A journalist gets himself committed incognito to an asylum. But is he just pretending to be insane, or will he discover that he really is?

Many of these stories made me think of the TV series "The Twilight Zone." There is humor, irony and surprise endings that invite comparison to O'Henry. Some are fairly lengthy, others only a page or two long. Not all were what I would consider first rate, but enough of them were to make me feel entertained beyond the price of the book.

[Joseph Carrabis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first encountered Fredric Brown as a pre-teen one summer visiting an aunt's camp in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine. I no longer have that book (can't find it, anyway, and also an anthology of his work) but do remember several stories in it that are also in this volume.
Fredric Brown started his career in science fiction's Bronze Age and wrote through its Golden Age. This book contains a good supply from both. Many of the stories are O'Henryish and wouldn't work today, which is a pity, because he tends to take soon-to-be tropes and turn them on their heads. His Star Mouse is a touching story of a lonely man in a strange country and the mouse who befriends him (and this story is a precursor to Daniel Keyes' Flowers for Algernon). His Come and Go Mad is a precursor to Stanislaw Lem's Solaris. The stories in this book are an interesting mix of humor and scifi horror.
Is it a good read? Yes, I enjoyed it. I'm not sure if many modern readers would, though, as his writing wanders a bit and you have to wait for the punchline. The stories build tension and conflict differently than modern stories do. My guess is his work wouldn't translate to the screen well, and I'd enjoy seeing something along those lines.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never heard of Fredric Brown, but in Bud Webster's 'Past Masters' (which is turning out to be a stellar piece of SF scholarship), I picked up the urge to read some of Brown's work.

He tended to write very short stories. Some of them, very, very short (e.g. Experiment, The End, Imagine, Jaycee, Answer, Pattern), and usually very good. I particularly liked Jaycee and Answer (Google them real quick. You'll read them in a short minute.)

'Knock' is rightly considered a classic.

Many of the others were hit or miss, and mostly miss. They were either too clever, or too boring, or too much a bit of both.

[Pablo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una recopilación de cuentos llenos de ingenio, y en los mejores con ideas directamente brillantes. El humor y la sorpresa los hacen muy disfrutables. Solo le faltaría algo más de ambición literaria para ser una obra perfecta.

[Brian Greiner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of these are OK, some are charming, and some are going to stick inside your head for some time. Yes, some of his stuff is dated, but the man was a writer's writer. Good stuff.

[Ty MC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fredric's are the shoulders upon which many greats have stood.

[Edward Peyton]

Fredric Brown's short stories are wonderfully clever, if a bit dark in thematic character.

[Jordil2 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Un 2.6. Me ha decepcionado bastante. Tenía muy buen recuerdo de uno de sus libros de relatos que leí hace años, pero esta recopilación incluye bastantes relatos que no me han gustado. Hay alguno bastante bueno, pero no es suficiente.

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muy bueno, me ha gustado mucho. Los cuentos de ciencia ficción o fantasía que plantea son muy completos con finales que no sueles esperar, o con giros en el guión. Quiero leer más de este autor en el futuro gracias a este libro.

[Hojaplateada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genial. Indispensable para el bolsillo del varón de la C.F (Y tal vez la cartera de la Dama de la C.F.)

[Kaylee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't believe I'd never heard of Fredric Brown before. His skill with the written word is impressive, and his imagination knew no bounds. The stories in this collection are a fine example of speculative fiction that really speculates, that makes you think and consider different possibilities, always asking "what if...?"

In some of the stories, the science is not really plausible, but these are stories where plausibility isn't necessary (in the same way that fairy tales don't need to be plausible; it's make-belief, and the point is not to convince, but to imagine). So, the purpose of these stories is to engage in interesting thought experiments, a wide variety of them, and I enjoyed that very much.

These stories have entertained and surprised me, some of them made me laugh, and the lot of them have delighted me with their imaginativeness. I find that a lot of today's fiction is very derivative, telling the same basic story over and over, only with different characters. Fred (if I may call him by the name his friends use) wrote completely new stories every time, always something different, and I loved reading so many new (or at least new-to-me) stories.

The foreword by Robert Bloch is also worth reading.

I could not find a physical copy anywhere, but you can read it online for free here: https://openlibrary.org/books/OL46023...

There were many stories that I liked, and only a couple that I didn't like. I rated each story as I went, and (with two exceptions) my ratings ranged from 3-5 stars, so I'm giving it a 4 overall.

My favorite line: "In all the universe only the human race has ever reached a high level of intelligence without reaching a high level of sanity. We are unique." Indeed. :)