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Worst Contact
STORIES OF ALIEN CONTACT GONE WRONG. Will it be, "Greeting, fellow Sentients" or, "Nice Planet—we'll take it”? These stories from SF greats answer the question, "Are we alone in the universe?" with a resounding, "No, but we wish we were!"
When the first contact between humans and aliens from another planet happens, will they say, “Take me to your leader,” or is “Surrender, puny primitive bipeds” more likely? Or maybe, “Hello there, I’m selling the latest edition of the Galactic Encyclopedia , and no planet should be without a set,” might be the first words from the alien visitor.
Ever since H.G. Wells wrote The War of the Worlds , science fiction writers have speculated on what the first contact might be like. From attacking invaders to wise and benevolent visitors who are ready to solve all our problems for us, from horror stories to hilarious satire, with all the stops in between, including plenty of tales in which the aliens are the ones who wish they’d stayed at home and never come across Earth and its inhabitants.
With stories by such science fiction masters as Poul Anderson, David Drake, William Tenn, Sarah A. Hoyt, Tony Daniel, and more, this is a collection filled with chills, thrills, and laughter, all reporting on what happens when First Contact turns into Worst Contact .
At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).
Praise for anthologies edited by Hank
A Cosmic Christmas 2 You : “This creative and sprightly Christmas science fiction anthology spins in some surprising directions . . . A satisfying read for cold winter evenings, this anthology is a great stocking stuffer for SF fans.”— Publishers Weekly
In Space No One Can Hear You Scream : “From Arthur C. Clarke's interplanetary riff on the lonely night's walk ("A Walk in the Dark") to George R.R. Martin's award-winning classic of irresponsible alien pet ownership ("Sandkings"), the 13 tales in this collection blend sf with horror to demonstrate the resiliency of both genres. Including selections by Clark Ashton Smith, Robert Sheckley, Elizabeth Bear, Sarah Monette, and other stars, this seasonal collection offers strong tales by the genre's best storytellers.” — Library Journal
Hank Davis is Senior Editor at Baen Books.
When the first contact between humans and aliens from another planet happens, will they say, “Take me to your leader,” or is “Surrender, puny primitive bipeds” more likely? Or maybe, “Hello there, I’m selling the latest edition of the Galactic Encyclopedia , and no planet should be without a set,” might be the first words from the alien visitor.
Ever since H.G. Wells wrote The War of the Worlds , science fiction writers have speculated on what the first contact might be like. From attacking invaders to wise and benevolent visitors who are ready to solve all our problems for us, from horror stories to hilarious satire, with all the stops in between, including plenty of tales in which the aliens are the ones who wish they’d stayed at home and never come across Earth and its inhabitants.
With stories by such science fiction masters as Poul Anderson, David Drake, William Tenn, Sarah A. Hoyt, Tony Daniel, and more, this is a collection filled with chills, thrills, and laughter, all reporting on what happens when First Contact turns into Worst Contact .
At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).
Praise for anthologies edited by Hank
A Cosmic Christmas 2 You : “This creative and sprightly Christmas science fiction anthology spins in some surprising directions . . . A satisfying read for cold winter evenings, this anthology is a great stocking stuffer for SF fans.”— Publishers Weekly
In Space No One Can Hear You Scream : “From Arthur C. Clarke's interplanetary riff on the lonely night's walk ("A Walk in the Dark") to George R.R. Martin's award-winning classic of irresponsible alien pet ownership ("Sandkings"), the 13 tales in this collection blend sf with horror to demonstrate the resiliency of both genres. Including selections by Clark Ashton Smith, Robert Sheckley, Elizabeth Bear, Sarah Monette, and other stars, this seasonal collection offers strong tales by the genre's best storytellers.” — Library Journal
Hank Davis is Senior Editor at Baen Books.
413 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 5, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 25, 2026
Been picking away at this one for months; haven't read it all because I was jumping around.
Sci-fi is a tricky genre — sometimes stories don't age well. Many of these stories are humorous takes on "alien" encounters, and humour too is often based on contemporary context.
That said, there is a mix of stories here, some you will like and some you may skip.
Although published in 2016, many of these stories (and authors) harken back to much earlier decades (perhaps even the 1940s). All too often the "humour" leans heavily on the sexist attitudes of those ancient times.
To be fair, it is a rare anthology that is not "hit-and-miss". It is a rare science fiction story from 1940, however, that today seems more visionary than outdated.
Sci-fi is a tricky genre — sometimes stories don't age well. Many of these stories are humorous takes on "alien" encounters, and humour too is often based on contemporary context.
That said, there is a mix of stories here, some you will like and some you may skip.
Although published in 2016, many of these stories (and authors) harken back to much earlier decades (perhaps even the 1940s). All too often the "humour" leans heavily on the sexist attitudes of those ancient times.
To be fair, it is a rare anthology that is not "hit-and-miss". It is a rare science fiction story from 1940, however, that today seems more visionary than outdated.
January 9, 2016
"First Contact, Sort of", "Fortitude", and "they're made out of meat" I quite enjoyed, and "Pictures dont lie" and "no shoulder to cry on" were cleverly ended. Overall, this was actually a pretty varied selection of works, with some golden SF gems thrown in.
May 7, 2021
Anthology of older, mostly lighthearted stories about first contact with an alien race.
I enjoyed the stories from authors like Clifford D. Simak and Robert Sheckley that I was reading in middle school and high school.
I enjoyed the stories from authors like Clifford D. Simak and Robert Sheckley that I was reading in middle school and high school.
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July 21, 2024Anthology / collection of 21 stories, 1945 to 2016. A few big names (Larry Niven, Gene Wolfe, David Brin, Poul Anderson, Clifford D. Simak). I made a detailed list with ranking and date read for each story.
September 6, 2016
A great collection of "first contact" stories gone bad. Some are funny; some make you think. All in all, a very, very good collection of stories that I can easily recommend.
March 23, 2016
A nice collection, some weren't my style, and so I did not enjoy this collection as well as I expected to, but my preferences don't speak for everyone, and all of these stories were well put together stories, even if they failed to interest me. If you like alien contact stories, then don't miss this collection, there's something here for everyone.
May 16, 2016
Very entertaining. A good mix of stories, and not one that I skipped. Well done.
August 26, 2016
Mixed bunch of stories, more good than bad. I found some new (to me) authors, which is always a good thing. Didn't like the last story in the book, so not as positive as I might have been.
April 24, 2018
Worst Contact is a book of short stories all centered around meeting alien beings and the events going wrong for at least one of the parties. It's a pretty fun collection with some clever twists and turns. Some of the stories are better than others, but the good ones are quite clever. As could be expected with older science fiction stories, they are predominantly focused on men and several include especially blatant misogyny. I can appreciate and enjoy it for what it is and would recommend it for someone looking into older science fiction.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews