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Classic Science Fiction: The First Golden Age
Introduction by Terry Carr
The Smallest God by Lester del Rey
Into the Darkness by Ross Rocklynne
Vault of the Beast by A. E. van Vogt
The Mechanical Mice by Eric Frank Russell & Maurice G. Hugi
And He Built a Crooked House by Robert A. Heinlein
Microcosmic God by Theodore Sturgeon
Nightfall by Isaac Asimov
By His Bootstraps by Robert A. Heinlein
Child of the Green Light by Leigh Brackett
Victory Unintentional by Isaac Asimov
The Twonky by Henry Kuttner & C.L. Moore (as by Lewis Padgett)
Storm Warning by Donald A. Wollheim
The Smallest God by Lester del Rey
Into the Darkness by Ross Rocklynne
Vault of the Beast by A. E. van Vogt
The Mechanical Mice by Eric Frank Russell & Maurice G. Hugi
And He Built a Crooked House by Robert A. Heinlein
Microcosmic God by Theodore Sturgeon
Nightfall by Isaac Asimov
By His Bootstraps by Robert A. Heinlein
Child of the Green Light by Leigh Brackett
Victory Unintentional by Isaac Asimov
The Twonky by Henry Kuttner & C.L. Moore (as by Lewis Padgett)
Storm Warning by Donald A. Wollheim
445 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 1978
1 person is currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
Terry Carr
219 books31 followersCarr was born in Grants Pass, Oregon. He attended the City College of San Francisco and the University of California, Berkeley from 1954 to 1959.
Carr discovered science fiction fandom in 1949, where he became an enthusiastic publisher of fanzines, which later helped open his way into the commercial publishing world. (He was one of the two fans responsible for the hoax fan 'Carl Brandon' after whom the Carl Brandon Society takes its name.) Despite a long career as a science fiction professional, he continued to participate as a fan until his death. He was nominated five times for Hugos for Best Fanzine (1959–1961, 1967–1968), winning in 1959, was nominated three times for Best Fan Writer (1971–1973), winning in 1973, and was Fan Guest of Honor at ConFederation in 1986.
Though he published some fiction in the early 1960s, Carr concentrated on editing. He first worked at Ace Books, establishing the Ace Science Fiction Specials series which published, among other novels, The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin and Rite of Passage by Alexei Panshin.
After conflicts with Ace head Donald A. Wollheim, he worked as a freelancer. He edited an original story anthology series called Universe, and a popular series of The Best Science Fiction of the Year anthologies that ran from 1972 until his death in 1987. He also edited numerous one-off anthologies over the same time span. He was nominated for the Hugo for Best Editor thirteen times (1973–1975, 1977–1979, 1981–1987), winning twice (1985 and 1987). His win in 1985 was the first time a freelance editor had won.
Carr taught at the Clarion Workshop at Michigan State University in 1978, where his students included Richard Kadrey and Pat Murphy.
Carr discovered science fiction fandom in 1949, where he became an enthusiastic publisher of fanzines, which later helped open his way into the commercial publishing world. (He was one of the two fans responsible for the hoax fan 'Carl Brandon' after whom the Carl Brandon Society takes its name.) Despite a long career as a science fiction professional, he continued to participate as a fan until his death. He was nominated five times for Hugos for Best Fanzine (1959–1961, 1967–1968), winning in 1959, was nominated three times for Best Fan Writer (1971–1973), winning in 1973, and was Fan Guest of Honor at ConFederation in 1986.
Though he published some fiction in the early 1960s, Carr concentrated on editing. He first worked at Ace Books, establishing the Ace Science Fiction Specials series which published, among other novels, The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin and Rite of Passage by Alexei Panshin.
After conflicts with Ace head Donald A. Wollheim, he worked as a freelancer. He edited an original story anthology series called Universe, and a popular series of The Best Science Fiction of the Year anthologies that ran from 1972 until his death in 1987. He also edited numerous one-off anthologies over the same time span. He was nominated for the Hugo for Best Editor thirteen times (1973–1975, 1977–1979, 1981–1987), winning twice (1985 and 1987). His win in 1985 was the first time a freelance editor had won.
Carr taught at the Clarion Workshop at Michigan State University in 1978, where his students included Richard Kadrey and Pat Murphy.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 24, 2016
I won't do a proper review as such for this; instead these are the notes I made whilst reading.
The Smallest God - Lester Del Rey.
2 scientists working in university - don’t get on well.
One makes living sentient being.
Well written, scientists feel more real than often the case.
Vault Of The Beast by A.E. Van Vogt.
Read this previously in another collection. Good ideas and well written.
The Mechanical Mice by Eric Frank Russell.
Accidental life is created and found. Some interesting questions asked.
By His Bootstraps by Robert A. Heinlein.
Fantastic time paradox story.
Victory Unintentional by Isaac Asimov.
3 man-made robots go to jupiter to investigate very aggressive species. Things happen. Very interesting take on first contact idea whilst also being really funny and intelligently written.
Storm Warning by Donald A. Wollheim.
A story about two meteorologists going out and getting caught in a very unique storm. I read this whilst there was a massive sudden thunderstorm going on outside (not planned like that). Really added to the feel of it and probably hard to replicate.
The Smallest God - Lester Del Rey.
2 scientists working in university - don’t get on well.
One makes living sentient being.
Well written, scientists feel more real than often the case.
Vault Of The Beast by A.E. Van Vogt.
Read this previously in another collection. Good ideas and well written.
The Mechanical Mice by Eric Frank Russell.
Accidental life is created and found. Some interesting questions asked.
By His Bootstraps by Robert A. Heinlein.
Fantastic time paradox story.
Victory Unintentional by Isaac Asimov.
3 man-made robots go to jupiter to investigate very aggressive species. Things happen. Very interesting take on first contact idea whilst also being really funny and intelligently written.
Storm Warning by Donald A. Wollheim.
A story about two meteorologists going out and getting caught in a very unique storm. I read this whilst there was a massive sudden thunderstorm going on outside (not planned like that). Really added to the feel of it and probably hard to replicate.
May 23, 2020
In this volume, Carr anthologized a dozen classic stories from science fiction's golden age, the John Campbell-dominated early years of World War Two. All but three of the selections are from his Astounding Science Fiction Magazine. There are two stories each by Robert A. Heinlein and Isaac Asimov. I can't find fault with any of the selections; my reservations are more with what's not here than with what is. (No Leinster or Moore or Simak or...or...or...) I'd read almost all of the stories before in other collections, though I believe he made an attempt to include some that were not quite as well previously exposed. I'm particularly fond of Microcosmic God by Theodore Sturgeon and Vault of the Beast by A.E. van Vogt, as well as The Mechanical Mice by Eric Frank Russell and the Heinleins. It's a good, strong, representative picture of the field of the time.
October 18, 2010
• The Smallest God by Lester del Rey 5/5
• Into the Darkness by Ross Rocklynne 5/5
• Vault of the Beast by A.E. van Vogt
• The Mechanical Mice by Eric Frank Russell 4.5/5
• "—And He Built a Crooked House" by Robert A. Heinlein
• Microcosmic God by Theodore Sturgeon 5/5
• Nightfall by Isaac Asimov 5/5
• By His Bootstraps by Robert A. Heinlein
• Child of the Green Light by Leigh Brackett 4.5/5
• Victory Unintentional by Isaac Asimov
• The Twonky by Henry Kuttner & C.L. Moore 4/5
• Storm Warning by Donald A. Wollheim 5/5
• Editor's introductions 5/5
• Into the Darkness by Ross Rocklynne 5/5
• Vault of the Beast by A.E. van Vogt
• The Mechanical Mice by Eric Frank Russell 4.5/5
• "—And He Built a Crooked House" by Robert A. Heinlein
• Microcosmic God by Theodore Sturgeon 5/5
• Nightfall by Isaac Asimov 5/5
• By His Bootstraps by Robert A. Heinlein
• Child of the Green Light by Leigh Brackett 4.5/5
• Victory Unintentional by Isaac Asimov
• The Twonky by Henry Kuttner & C.L. Moore 4/5
• Storm Warning by Donald A. Wollheim 5/5
• Editor's introductions 5/5
June 4, 2020
These are great stories. And while I enjoyed all, probably my favorite one was the very last and the shortest of the 12 stories in this collection: Storm Warning, by Donald A. Wollheim.
I also very much liked the editorials by Terry Carr.
This book is a keeper: my copy is a first edition, but it is in very rough shape. I'll keep it nevertheless.
I also very much liked the editorials by Terry Carr.
This book is a keeper: my copy is a first edition, but it is in very rough shape. I'll keep it nevertheless.
April 12, 2017
This book has a special place in my heart because it was the first "collectable" book I ever bought. At that time I was just as happy to read a beat up paperback to library book and I had no idea what it meant to have a first edition. (I later found out I had quite a few of them.) Anyway, I had already read most of the stories in the book but I bought it because it had the most fabulous cover I'd ever seen and it was in perfect condition. It had this little piece of paper that said it was a review copy tucked in side.
I never actually read the book itself. There was only one story I hadn't read and I easily found that somewhere else. It was clear the book had never been read before and I wanted to leave it that way.
As book collectors go I'm a failure. I still don't understand why a lousy book with a perfect dust jacket is worth more than a torn water stained copy of James Joyce or Henry Miller. But this one book gives me an inkling of what they must feel when they find a treasure.
I never actually read the book itself. There was only one story I hadn't read and I easily found that somewhere else. It was clear the book had never been read before and I wanted to leave it that way.
As book collectors go I'm a failure. I still don't understand why a lousy book with a perfect dust jacket is worth more than a torn water stained copy of James Joyce or Henry Miller. But this one book gives me an inkling of what they must feel when they find a treasure.
May 6, 2014
A nice collection of early science fiction, from the heyday of Astounding Science Fiction, with John Campbell as editor. I had read about about 40% of these stories before in different other collections, but in between them Carr shuffles in a thin book about science fiction publishing in the 30s and 40s - who was doing it and why, who was writing for it, how much they got paid, how they drew their inspiration, and the extent to which they supported and played off of each other.
As one reads these early stories (early in the field of science fiction), one is struck both by the crudeness of the writing craft itself, and also by the callow tone of the authors towards women, people of different races, and other cultures in general. It literally feels like they were written by young men, and that may be explained in part by the fact that almost all of the authors, and even editors, in the field were barely out of their teen years - they really did not have much experience in the wider world, and were a product of their culture, especially a culture that was busy telling them that the power structure that existed was the way things ought to be. Another amazing revelation was the extent to which John Campbell fed his ideas to his writers, many of whom converted them brilliantly into excellent stories. Carr does a good job of highlighting just how responsible Campbell was for some of the mind-blowing concepts that were explored in these early writings.
Geeky good fun.
As one reads these early stories (early in the field of science fiction), one is struck both by the crudeness of the writing craft itself, and also by the callow tone of the authors towards women, people of different races, and other cultures in general. It literally feels like they were written by young men, and that may be explained in part by the fact that almost all of the authors, and even editors, in the field were barely out of their teen years - they really did not have much experience in the wider world, and were a product of their culture, especially a culture that was busy telling them that the power structure that existed was the way things ought to be. Another amazing revelation was the extent to which John Campbell fed his ideas to his writers, many of whom converted them brilliantly into excellent stories. Carr does a good job of highlighting just how responsible Campbell was for some of the mind-blowing concepts that were explored in these early writings.
Geeky good fun.
March 31, 2016
A fun look back at sci-fi from the 40's. Full of sexisism, racism, and some pretty good predictions of the future. Taken in context (which is also provided) it's an enjoyable read for sci-fi fans. A pretty wide swing of stories here. I loved "Victory Unintentional" and "The Mechanical Mice" and found "Vault of the Beast" to be almost incomprehensible, if anyone wants to explain it to me I'd be grateful.
October 17, 2020
Enjoyed very much. The genesis of the genre is interesting. The early writing style is fun to hear. You can invision American culture in the 30s and 40s with its nascent understanding of technology as the writers connect with readers using the metaphors of the day. It's like watching film noir.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews