Science Fiction Thinking Machines

by Groff Conklin

A collection of SF stories and plays about thinking machines. The original, 1954, hardback version contains many stories not included in the later "Selections from Science Fiction Thinking Machines."

The following are in both the hardback and softback:
Robbie by Isaac Asimov
Virtuoso by Herbert Goldstone
Boomerang by Eric Frank Russell
The Jester by William Tenn
Skirmish by Clifford D. Simak
Men Are Different by Alan Bloch
Letter to Ellen by Chan Davis
The Golden Egg by Theodore Sturgeon
Dead End by W. Macfarlane
Sam Hall by Poul Anderson
Dumb Waiter by Walter M. Miller, Jr.
Problem for Emmy by Robert Sherman Townes

The hardback also includes:
R.U.R. (play) by Karel Capek (translated by Paul Selver)
The Mechanical Bride (teleplay) by Fritz Leiber
Moxon's Master by Ambrose Bierce
"Automata: I, Automata: II, and Automata: III" by S. Fowler Wright
"The Scarab" by Raymond Z. Gallun
"Soldier Boy" by Michael Shaara
"Sculptors of Life" by Wallace West
"Answer" by Hal Clement
"Selected List of Tales About Robots, Androids, and Computers" by Groff Conklin

Genres: Science Fiction

367 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1954

About the author

Edward Groff Conklin (September 6, 1904, Glen Ridge, New Jersey - July 19, 1968, Pawling, New York) was a leading science fiction anthologist. Conklin edited 41 anthologies of science fiction, wrote books on home improvement and was a freelance writer on scientific subjects. From 1950 to 1955, he was the book critic for Galaxy Science Fiction.

Reviews

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains stories that proved more influential to my concept of artificial intelligence than nearly any other single work to date. Of course, R.U.R. the play that coined the term "robot" is included, as well as the "Automata" trilogy and "Moxon's Master." Well worth the time spent.