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The Robert Sheckley Omnibus
Twelve brilliant Sheckley stories plus his intoxicatingly ingenious novel Immortality Inc: the story of a man involved in a car crash who wakes to find himself in the 22nd century--in a new body!
Introduction • essay by Robert Conquest
Immortality, Inc. • (1959)
Specialist • (1953)
Bad Medicine • (1956) • Robert Sheckley as Finn O'Donnevan
Pilgrimage to Earth • (1956)
Ask a Foolish Question • (1953)
A Ticket to Tranai • (1955)
The Battle • (1954)
Hands Off • (1954)
The Prize of Peril • (1958)
Hunting Problem • (1955)
Ghost V • [AAA Ace] • (1954)
Something for Nothing • (1954)
The Store of the Worlds • (1959)
Introduction • essay by Robert Conquest
Immortality, Inc. • (1959)
Specialist • (1953)
Bad Medicine • (1956) • Robert Sheckley as Finn O'Donnevan
Pilgrimage to Earth • (1956)
Ask a Foolish Question • (1953)
A Ticket to Tranai • (1955)
The Battle • (1954)
Hands Off • (1954)
The Prize of Peril • (1958)
Hunting Problem • (1955)
Ghost V • [AAA Ace] • (1954)
Something for Nothing • (1954)
The Store of the Worlds • (1959)
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published May 29, 1975
2 people are currently reading
113 people want to read
About the author
Robert Sheckley
1,395 books668 followersOne of science fiction's great humorists, Sheckley was a prolific short story writer beginning in 1952 with titles including "Specialist", "Pilgrimage to Earth", "Warm", "The Prize of Peril", and "Seventh Victim", collected in volumes from Untouched by Human Hands (1954) to Is That What People Do? (1984) and a five-volume set of Collected Stories (1991). His first novel, Immortality, Inc. (1958), was followed by The Status Civilization (1960), Journey Beyond Tomorrow (1962), Mindswap (1966), and several others. Sheckley served as fiction editor for Omni magazine from January 1980 through September 1981, and was named Author Emeritus by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 2001.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 12, 2020
Twelve brilliant stories plus the novella "Immortality Inc." take you into the weird world of Robert Sheckley
The short stories are;
Specialist • (1953)
Bad Medicine • (1956)
Pilgrimage to Earth • (1956)
Ask a Foolish Question • (1953)
A Ticket to Tranai • (1955)
The Battle • (1954)
Hands Off • (1954)
The Prize of Peril • (1958)
Hunting Problem • (1955)
Ghost V • [AAA Ace] • (1954)
Something for Nothing • (1954)
The Store of the Worlds • (1959)
Don't be put off by the early publication dates. These stories are still as fresh today and totally out of this world!
My favorite "Hunting Problem" when a dreamer of a boy scout must capture a human hide.
Enjoy!
The short stories are;
Specialist • (1953)
Bad Medicine • (1956)
Pilgrimage to Earth • (1956)
Ask a Foolish Question • (1953)
A Ticket to Tranai • (1955)
The Battle • (1954)
Hands Off • (1954)
The Prize of Peril • (1958)
Hunting Problem • (1955)
Ghost V • [AAA Ace] • (1954)
Something for Nothing • (1954)
The Store of the Worlds • (1959)
Don't be put off by the early publication dates. These stories are still as fresh today and totally out of this world!
My favorite "Hunting Problem" when a dreamer of a boy scout must capture a human hide.
Enjoy!
July 26, 2021
A collection of twelve science fiction stories by Robert Sheckley together with a novel, Immortality Inc which I have already read and reviewed - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2103407084 and could give only two stars.
The short stories in this collection are better, and also better than a previous collection of his I've just re-read, The People Trap, though some of the stories have 1950s attitudes we now find quite unacceptable.
'Specialist' concerns the crew of an alien spaceship who land on Earth because they need to replace a member of their ensemble crew. Each member is specialised to handle one function, such as creating the motive power, forming the living walls of the ship, seeing the way forward etc, and they need a pusher, who seems to be the one who provides the momentum and directional control. They are viewed as monsters initially by the human they encounter and find his reactions baffling.
'Bad Medicine' is a droll tale of a homicidal maniac who attempts to purchase a machine from a store which provides machines to cure psychological disorders, but is accidentally sold a Martian model, and the difficulties that ensue.
In 'Pilgrimage to Earth', a denizen of a far off colony world returns to Earth in the mistaken belief that only on the home planet can true love be found, the colonies being far too busy surviving to indulge themselves in it. This one has misogynistic undertones.
'Ask a Foolish Question' is more interesting: a vanished race who possessed all the knowledge of the universe designed a machine which can answer any question - but only if the one asking knows exactly how to phrase the question correctly, not based upon mistaken beliefs and assumptions.
In 'Ticket to Tranai', a man tires of his unsatisfactory existence on Earth and hears from an old space man of a utopian planet elsewhere. After long travail he reaches it, only to find out what the reader might guess - not such a utopia after all. Again, this has a misogynistic underlying theme and an assumption that women only find fulfilment in parties and holidays, not in satisfying work or creativity - or childcare, given the ridiculous premise .
'The Battle' is a departure into straight fantasy with the final Armaggedon being fought against the denizens of hell with disastrous consequences.
'Hands Off' tells of the encounter between human space pirates and a non violent vaguely humanoid lifeform with specialised survival needs, and the turning of tables when the humans attempt to murder him and steal his ship. Probably my favourite in the collection.
'The Prize of Peril' is an idea which has been used by a number of other writers since though Sheckley must be one of the earliest since his story dates from 1958. In teh future people are so jaded that they watch TV reality shows where the protagonist must survive being hunted - if he survives, he wins a cash prize. Raeder has worked his way up from minor shows to one with a big prize, and discovers in the course of the tale that although some people will help him out, because they then are interviewed live about how altruistic they are, others derive equal pleasure from giving him away to his pursuers.
In 'Hunting Problem', a member of an alien race must earn the equivalent of a scout badge by hunting a species they don't accept as intelligent - . This one has a double twist.
'Ghost V' also featured in The People Trap and is one of the misadventures of two old friends who run a planetary decontamination business, and how they attempt to deal with a reputedly haunted planet.
'Something for Nothing' has a theme Sheckley returns to quite often: a machine which appears to dole out something for free, which proves to be too good to be true.
Finally, in 'The Store of the Worlds', Mr Wayne visits someone who can give everyone a taste of what it would be like to live in the world out of the many alternatives theoretically available, as long as they can pay a price. The twist to this story is rather poignant; my second favourite in the collection.
Although there are a few duds and so-so stories in this, plus the novel which I don't care for, on the basis of the couple of stories that I do like a lot, I'm awarding this 3 stars overall.
The short stories in this collection are better, and also better than a previous collection of his I've just re-read, The People Trap, though some of the stories have 1950s attitudes we now find quite unacceptable.
'Specialist' concerns the crew of an alien spaceship who land on Earth because they need to replace a member of their ensemble crew. Each member is specialised to handle one function, such as creating the motive power, forming the living walls of the ship, seeing the way forward etc, and they need a pusher, who seems to be the one who provides the momentum and directional control. They are viewed as monsters initially by the human they encounter and find his reactions baffling.
'Bad Medicine' is a droll tale of a homicidal maniac who attempts to purchase a machine from a store which provides machines to cure psychological disorders, but is accidentally sold a Martian model, and the difficulties that ensue.
In 'Pilgrimage to Earth', a denizen of a far off colony world returns to Earth in the mistaken belief that only on the home planet can true love be found, the colonies being far too busy surviving to indulge themselves in it. This one has misogynistic undertones.
'Ask a Foolish Question' is more interesting: a vanished race who possessed all the knowledge of the universe designed a machine which can answer any question - but only if the one asking knows exactly how to phrase the question correctly, not based upon mistaken beliefs and assumptions.
In 'Ticket to Tranai', a man tires of his unsatisfactory existence on Earth and hears from an old space man of a utopian planet elsewhere. After long travail he reaches it, only to find out what the reader might guess - not such a utopia after all. Again, this has a misogynistic underlying theme and an assumption that women only find fulfilment in parties and holidays, not in satisfying work or creativity - or childcare, given the ridiculous premise .
'The Battle' is a departure into straight fantasy with the final Armaggedon being fought against the denizens of hell with disastrous consequences.
'Hands Off' tells of the encounter between human space pirates and a non violent vaguely humanoid lifeform with specialised survival needs, and the turning of tables when the humans attempt to murder him and steal his ship. Probably my favourite in the collection.
'The Prize of Peril' is an idea which has been used by a number of other writers since though Sheckley must be one of the earliest since his story dates from 1958. In teh future people are so jaded that they watch TV reality shows where the protagonist must survive being hunted - if he survives, he wins a cash prize. Raeder has worked his way up from minor shows to one with a big prize, and discovers in the course of the tale that although some people will help him out, because they then are interviewed live about how altruistic they are, others derive equal pleasure from giving him away to his pursuers.
In 'Hunting Problem', a member of an alien race must earn the equivalent of a scout badge by hunting a species they don't accept as intelligent - . This one has a double twist.
'Ghost V' also featured in The People Trap and is one of the misadventures of two old friends who run a planetary decontamination business, and how they attempt to deal with a reputedly haunted planet.
'Something for Nothing' has a theme Sheckley returns to quite often: a machine which appears to dole out something for free, which proves to be too good to be true.
Finally, in 'The Store of the Worlds', Mr Wayne visits someone who can give everyone a taste of what it would be like to live in the world out of the many alternatives theoretically available, as long as they can pay a price. The twist to this story is rather poignant; my second favourite in the collection.
Although there are a few duds and so-so stories in this, plus the novel which I don't care for, on the basis of the couple of stories that I do like a lot, I'm awarding this 3 stars overall.
Read
February 22, 2010It's been a while since I read any and I'm glad to say that it's as good as I remember. Sheckley's promised presence at WorldCon 2005 was a major draw for me, and I'm sorry that ill health meant that he had to withdraw, just months before his death, meaning that I never got to meet him.
This volume is effectively two books in one, containing one novel, Immortality Inc. and enough short stories to form a book in their own right. I've always thought that Sheckley is at his strongest in short stories, so I skipped the novel and went straight there.
I don't think I found anything that I hadn't read before, but familiar stories like Specialist (Humanity finds its place in the co-operative community of the galaxy), Ask A Foolish Question (a device is built that can answer any question, but only if framed correctly), Pilgrimage to Earth (a colonist travels to Earth in search of true love) and many more are a joy to read and re-read.
This volume is effectively two books in one, containing one novel, Immortality Inc. and enough short stories to form a book in their own right. I've always thought that Sheckley is at his strongest in short stories, so I skipped the novel and went straight there.
I don't think I found anything that I hadn't read before, but familiar stories like Specialist (Humanity finds its place in the co-operative community of the galaxy), Ask A Foolish Question (a device is built that can answer any question, but only if framed correctly), Pilgrimage to Earth (a colonist travels to Earth in search of true love) and many more are a joy to read and re-read.
January 26, 2020
There was no way I could not give this five stars. If I could give it ten I would. The stories were greatly creative and each had some humour in them but also life lessons.
Can not get enough of Sheckleys stories.
Can not get enough of Sheckleys stories.
October 27, 2011
I skipped the longer works in the Omnibus, the novel Immortality Inc and the story "A Ticket to Tranai," and focused on the shorter pieces. I'll come back to them eventually. Here are some brief thoughts on everything else...
"Specialist" works as a wonderful, if a tad simplistic, metaphor. 4*
I liked the worldbuilding (i.e. Sheckley's commentary on his--and even MY--world) in "Bad Medicine" a bit better than I liked the overall plot. 4*
The prose style of "Pilgrimage to Earth" might show its age a bit, but the story's concepts and the way Sheckley pulls them off are pure 21st century, IMO. 5*
5* for "Ask a Foolish Question" because Sheckley's The Answerer predates--and outthinks--Deep Thought.
"The Battle" is an even better scifi/fantasy mashup than that Joan Aiken story I read the other week. 5*
"Hands Off" gets points for cleverness, but the old-school prose style just turned me off. 4*
"The Prize of Peril." Same prose issues as "Pilgrimage to Earth," but it gets 5* for talking about the issues we talk about concerning reality TV today. Except Sheckley did it, oh fifty-freaking-years ago!
"Hunting Problem" was a little too predictable, mostly because I'd already read "Hands Off." 3*
Odd, that I remembered reading "Ghost V" in Sheckley's The People Trap, yet I don't recall the ending touching me quite as much as it did this time around. 5*
"Something for Nothing" is another 50+ year-old too-close-to-home prediction of 2011. 5*
There's a tiny part of me that's pissed off that I didn't see the ending of "The Store of the Worlds" coming a mile away. But then I re-read it. Nope, almost no way I could've seen it. I've been misdirected by plot before; never by theme. 5*
"Specialist" works as a wonderful, if a tad simplistic, metaphor. 4*
I liked the worldbuilding (i.e. Sheckley's commentary on his--and even MY--world) in "Bad Medicine" a bit better than I liked the overall plot. 4*
The prose style of "Pilgrimage to Earth" might show its age a bit, but the story's concepts and the way Sheckley pulls them off are pure 21st century, IMO. 5*
5* for "Ask a Foolish Question" because Sheckley's The Answerer predates--and outthinks--Deep Thought.
"The Battle" is an even better scifi/fantasy mashup than that Joan Aiken story I read the other week. 5*
"Hands Off" gets points for cleverness, but the old-school prose style just turned me off. 4*
"The Prize of Peril." Same prose issues as "Pilgrimage to Earth," but it gets 5* for talking about the issues we talk about concerning reality TV today. Except Sheckley did it, oh fifty-freaking-years ago!
"Hunting Problem" was a little too predictable, mostly because I'd already read "Hands Off." 3*
Odd, that I remembered reading "Ghost V" in Sheckley's The People Trap, yet I don't recall the ending touching me quite as much as it did this time around. 5*
"Something for Nothing" is another 50+ year-old too-close-to-home prediction of 2011. 5*
There's a tiny part of me that's pissed off that I didn't see the ending of "The Store of the Worlds" coming a mile away. But then I re-read it. Nope, almost no way I could've seen it. I've been misdirected by plot before; never by theme. 5*
June 17, 2021
I enjoyed this collection of stories. Immortality Inc. is one of the best science fiction stories I have read in a while. This and some of his other stories seem to inspire some of the current science fiction shows. Altered Carbon is based on a different story, but the basic premise can be seen here. The premise of travelers can also be drawn from this story. Sheckley was a diverse writer and a lot of themes can be pulled from his writings.
Sheckley had some humor as well. It presents in the same vein as Oscar Wilde. So hilarious with over commercialization. He nails it in a couple of stories.
The stories are very inspirational and ingenious. He displays very well how people interact with the environment and the mores around them.
Sheckley had some humor as well. It presents in the same vein as Oscar Wilde. So hilarious with over commercialization. He nails it in a couple of stories.
The stories are very inspirational and ingenious. He displays very well how people interact with the environment and the mores around them.
May 15, 2024
Another fun collection of tales from one of the all-time masters of humorous science fiction, comprising some of Sheckley's best-loved tales from the 1950s, including 'Immortality, Inc', 'Pilgrimage to Earth', 'Ghost V' and 'The Store of the Worlds'. Sheckley a always a great read, and I highly recommend this book.
Want to read
October 30, 20231 novel:
Immortality, Inc. (1959)
12 stories (12/12 read):
# Specialist (1953)
# Bad Medicine (1956)
# Pilgrimage to Earth (1956)
# Ask a Foolish Question (1953)
# A Ticket to Tranai (1955)
# The Battle (1954)
# Hands Off (1954)
# The Prize of Peril (1958)
# Hunting Problem (1955)
# Ghost V (1954)
# Something for Nothing (1954)
# The Store of the Worlds (1959)
Immortality, Inc. (1959)
12 stories (12/12 read):
# Specialist (1953)
# Bad Medicine (1956)
# Pilgrimage to Earth (1956)
# Ask a Foolish Question (1953)
# A Ticket to Tranai (1955)
# The Battle (1954)
# Hands Off (1954)
# The Prize of Peril (1958)
# Hunting Problem (1955)
# Ghost V (1954)
# Something for Nothing (1954)
# The Store of the Worlds (1959)
April 12, 2014
One of the better collections of Robert Sheckley short stories.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews