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The Super Hugos
A collection of Hugo Award-winning science fiction tales features the work of Robert A. Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Larry Niven, Poul Anderson, Frank Herbert, Roger Zelazny, Harlan Ellison, Anne McCaffrey, Orson Scott Card, and others.
Contents:
Introduction / Charles Sheffield --
Sandkings / George R.R. Martin --
The bicentennial man / Isaac Asimov --
Enemy mine / Barry B. Longyear --
The star / Arthur C. Clarke --
The big front yard / Clifford D. Simak --
"Repent, Harlequin!" said the Ticktockman / Harlan Ellison --
Weyr search / Anne McCaffrey --
Neutron star / Larry Niven --
I have no mouth, and I must scream / Harlan Ellison --
Flowers for Algernon / Daniel Keyes
Contents:
Introduction / Charles Sheffield --
Sandkings / George R.R. Martin --
The bicentennial man / Isaac Asimov --
Enemy mine / Barry B. Longyear --
The star / Arthur C. Clarke --
The big front yard / Clifford D. Simak --
"Repent, Harlequin!" said the Ticktockman / Harlan Ellison --
Weyr search / Anne McCaffrey --
Neutron star / Larry Niven --
I have no mouth, and I must scream / Harlan Ellison --
Flowers for Algernon / Daniel Keyes
432 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1992
1 person is currently reading
147 people want to read
About the author
Isaac Asimov
4,345 books27.9k followersWorks of prolific Russian-American writer Isaac Asimov include popular explanations of scientific principles,
The Foundation Trilogy
(1951-1953), and other volumes of fiction.
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
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September 29, 2021NPR has an ongoing project called PG-13: Risky Reads where authors talk about a book that they read as a young teenager that gave them a taste of adulthood. Reading their articles, of course, I couldn't resist thinking about my own experiences as an adolescent reader.
I think this may be my first real grown-up reading experience. I had already read many classics and books written for adults, but this one was special. This book was terrifying and suspensful and emotional and interesting. The stories are wonderful and all deserve the praise they have received, although 15 years later I can't remember all of them.
I do remember Sandkings, "Repent, Harlequin," said the Ticktock Man (My favorite), The Bicentennial Man, Flowers for Algernon, I Have no Mouth Yet I Must Scream, and several other fragments that have melded together from the other stories.
It seems like most of the books I read 15 years ago have been more forgettable. This one sticks.
I think this may be my first real grown-up reading experience. I had already read many classics and books written for adults, but this one was special. This book was terrifying and suspensful and emotional and interesting. The stories are wonderful and all deserve the praise they have received, although 15 years later I can't remember all of them.
I do remember Sandkings, "Repent, Harlequin," said the Ticktock Man (My favorite), The Bicentennial Man, Flowers for Algernon, I Have no Mouth Yet I Must Scream, and several other fragments that have melded together from the other stories.
It seems like most of the books I read 15 years ago have been more forgettable. This one sticks.
March 25, 2018
This collection was an outstanding tour of some of the very best science fiction of all time. If you can lay your hands on this book, if you're a science fiction fan, you really must read it.
I have reviewed most of the individual stories. The links below will take you to my reviews:
Featured Stories:
Sandkings by George R.R. Martin - Read for the 12 in 12 Challenge and the Big Fun in a Little Package Novella Challenge. This story won the Hugo, Nebula and Locus Awards for Best Novelette (1979 and 1980). This is an outstanding story about the dangers of hubris and cruelty that is the height of science fiction cleverness. If you've got GRRM pegged as strictly a fantasy writer, think again: and note that the signs of greatness were recognized back in 1980. 5 stars
The Bicentennial Man by Isaac Asimov
Enemy Mine by Barry B. Longyear
The Star by Arthur C. Clarke
The Big Front Yard by Clifford D. Simak
"Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman by Harlan Ellison
Weyr Search by Anne McCaffrey
Neutron Star by Larry Niven - An excellent story about relativity, tides, and the effects of gravity. 5 stars. Read for the 12 in 12 Challenge.
I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes - Read for the 12 in 12 Challenge and the Big Fun in a Little Package Novella Challenge. This story won the 1959 Hugo for Best Novella. I've read this classic science fiction before. This was the original novella that was eventually expanded into the novel Flowers for Algernon, which was also excellent. I remember reading this in grade school, and it stuck with me clearly enough that I remembered almost everything about it. The novel also won a Hugo in 1967 for Best Novel, and a Nebula in 1966. I'm not sure the novelization adds anything, but it doesn't take anything away either. I think this is exactly what science fiction is all about. 5 stars.
In a nutshell: brilliant, brilliant, brilliant! Go read it! Why are you still here?
I have reviewed most of the individual stories. The links below will take you to my reviews:
Featured Stories:
Sandkings by George R.R. Martin - Read for the 12 in 12 Challenge and the Big Fun in a Little Package Novella Challenge. This story won the Hugo, Nebula and Locus Awards for Best Novelette (1979 and 1980). This is an outstanding story about the dangers of hubris and cruelty that is the height of science fiction cleverness. If you've got GRRM pegged as strictly a fantasy writer, think again: and note that the signs of greatness were recognized back in 1980. 5 stars
The Bicentennial Man by Isaac Asimov
Enemy Mine by Barry B. Longyear
The Star by Arthur C. Clarke
The Big Front Yard by Clifford D. Simak
"Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman by Harlan Ellison
Weyr Search by Anne McCaffrey
Neutron Star by Larry Niven - An excellent story about relativity, tides, and the effects of gravity. 5 stars. Read for the 12 in 12 Challenge.
I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes - Read for the 12 in 12 Challenge and the Big Fun in a Little Package Novella Challenge. This story won the 1959 Hugo for Best Novella. I've read this classic science fiction before. This was the original novella that was eventually expanded into the novel Flowers for Algernon, which was also excellent. I remember reading this in grade school, and it stuck with me clearly enough that I remembered almost everything about it. The novel also won a Hugo in 1967 for Best Novel, and a Nebula in 1966. I'm not sure the novelization adds anything, but it doesn't take anything away either. I think this is exactly what science fiction is all about. 5 stars.
In a nutshell: brilliant, brilliant, brilliant! Go read it! Why are you still here?
February 1, 2026
I came to this book looking to re-read "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream" which I first read over 20 years ago. Only after receiving the book through inter-library loan did I realize all of the other classics contained within. Some I had read before ("Bicentennial Man", "Flowers for Algernon", "I Have No Mouth..."), some I had heard of but never read ("Enemy Mine") and some were brand new to me. I was knocked out by George R.R. Martin's "Sandkings" which I had never read before. Being a fan of Martin from his "Tuf Voyaging" series, I was very pleased to find that particular gem.
In short, if you want an introduction to some of the best-ever SF short fiction (or want to revisit some old favorites) you couldn't find a better place to start than this book.
In short, if you want an introduction to some of the best-ever SF short fiction (or want to revisit some old favorites) you couldn't find a better place to start than this book.
February 15, 2008
I got hooked on the "Vatta's War" military sci-fi series last year, but found that all other representatives of that strange sub-genre were miserable. I mentioned this to a friend, who then asked why I was reading such crap, and then recommended this collection of Hugo award-winning short stories. "This is what sci-fi ideally should be," he told me. He was completely correct. Almost all the stories were great (only a couple of disappointments), and concluding story "Flowers for Algernon" is the first sci-fi story that had me in tears at the end. Beautiful.
July 20, 2016
This is a fantastic introduction to classic Science Fiction and Fantasy. It's more on the sci/fi side than not, and includes the originals of what became pivotal works in genre literature and movie fiction: Enemy Mine, Sandkings, Flowers for Algernon, Wyer Search (became Dragonriders of Pern), and Bicentennial Man.
My favorite story in the set is Clarke's "The Star" for it's exploration of religion and science and the conflicts that arise when one is lent weight by the other.
My favorite story in the set is Clarke's "The Star" for it's exploration of religion and science and the conflicts that arise when one is lent weight by the other.
January 14, 2018
They're called the best of the best for good reason. All first time reads for me. And it turns out that I like George Martin when he's not writing ASoIaF. His Sandkings story is top notch. There's not a bad story in the lot, though, if I had to choose one that didn't wow me, it'd be Neutron Star. Luckily, it was followed up by Flowers for Algernon. Probably the best one in the collection, even topping my beloved Enemy Mine.
Definite recommend.
Definite recommend.
October 21, 2007
Great collection of Hugo-winning SF stories, selected as the Best-of-the-Best by voters in 1992. Includes Sandkings, The Bicentennial Man, Enemy Mine, The Star, The Big Front Yard, Repent, Harlequin! Said the Ticktockman, Weyr Search, Neutron Star, I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream and Flowers for Algernon.
October 11, 2013
Interesting "best of" kind of anthology that also gives you info on how they voted then. Some classic stories. Downside might be they're widely anthologized stories so you may have seen them elsewhere.
The cover is maybe a tad cheesy though. I know it's nostalgic and fun or whatever, but it's a bit embarrassing in some contexts.
The cover is maybe a tad cheesy though. I know it's nostalgic and fun or whatever, but it's a bit embarrassing in some contexts.
May 12, 2007
Some of the best sci-fi shorts compiled in one place.
May 19, 2012
Some of the best SCI-FI of all time - I LOVE LOVE this collection.
December 30, 2021
This is a remarkable anthology of some of the best science fiction stories of all time, as picked by the members of the 1992 World Science Fiction Convention. Not all the stories have held up over time, but most of them are still powerful and influential. What would an anthology like this look like today? Certainly, something like "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes would be there, but tastes have changed and new writers have produced some amazing fiction in the past three decades. However, the diversity of tastes and the diversity of authors producing those works today might make it hard to come up with a strong consensus of all-time winners. In the meantime, we can enjoy these classics (as an inexpensive used book from various internet sellers).
"Sandkings" by George R. R. Martin (Omni, August 1979 - novelette)
1980 Hugo Award winner and 1980 Nebula Award winner
5 Stars
Once upon a time, George R. R. Martin wrote science fiction, and in my opinion it's better than the fantasy he is better known for. "Sandkings" is arguably his best piece of fiction, combining sf with horror in a powerful and potent way. The ending is unforgettable.
"The Bicentennial Man" by Isaac Asimov (Stellar #2, February 1976 - novelette)
1977 Hugo Award winner and 1977 Nebula Award winner
5 Stars
Asimov finally learned how to tell a character driven story in this tale of a robot who wants to become a man. At its core it's still a puzzle story—how the robot Andrew Martin finally succeeds in his quest is the solution. This was made into a mediocre film in 1999 with Robin Williams.
"Enemy Mine" by Barry B. Longyear (Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, September 1979 - novella)
1980 Hugo Award winner and 1980 Nebula Award winner
5 Stars
A human and an alien are stranded on an island on a bleak planet. The two races are at war with each other and are taught to hate each others' species. The two gradually learn to rely on one another, but then the alien reveals a secret that changes everything. It's a powerful metaphor for any war, and how sometimes our similarities are greater than our differences. The story was made into a film of the same name in 1985, although the details were greatly changed, especially the ending.
"The Star" by Arthur C. Clarke (Infinity Science Fiction, November 1955 - short story)
1956 Hugo Award winner
4 Stars
This very short piece uses its twist ending to explain an iconic religious symbol as a secular event. The implication is that many, if not all, religious beliefs can be explained by science, a comforting idea for many readers and a controversial one for others. This kind of thought provocation, not necessarily with easy answers, is what elevates good science fiction to great science fiction.
"The Big Front Yard" by Clifford D. Simak (Astounding Science Fiction, October 1958 - novella)
1959 Hugo Award winner
5 Stars
A wonderful tale of exotic aliens juxtaposed with the commonplace environment of rural America, and how one man is able to avert an interstellar war.
""Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman" by Harlan Ellison (Galaxy Magazine, December 1965 - short story)
1966 Hugo Award winner and 1966 Nebula Award winner
5 Stars
In a dystopian future, time is strictly regulated by the Ticktockman. Being late is a crime. So when Everett C. Marm, aka Harlequin, engages in a whimsical rebellion against deadlines, the ensuing disruptions must be dealt with harshly. This satirical story, that stretches conventional writing style, is one of the most reprinted stories of all time.
"Weyr Search" by Anne McCaffrey (Analog, October 1967 - novella)
1968 Hugo Award winner and 1968 Nebula Award finalist
3 Stars
The rating here reflects my rating of the novel Dragonflight (1968) of which this novella is the first part. It reads like a fantasy, but the introduction clearly establishes that the "dragons" and their powers are science based, but that humans have forgotten their origins. My memories of the series are that the books are entertaining enough, but not terribly profound.
"Neutron Star" by Larry Niven (If, October 1966 - novelette)
1967 Hugo Award winner
4 Stars
This is a hard-sf story that would be at home with the problem-solving stories of the 1940s and 50s. There's not much in the way of characterization, although Niven creates some truly alien aliens with the puppeteers, and the problem's solution seems rather obvious for anyone acquainted with the physics of gravity.
"I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream" by Harlan Ellison (If, March 1967 - short story)
1968 Hugo Award winner
5 Stars
After military AIs of different nations join up and become a sentient intelligence launching nuclear armageddon and wiping out humanity, it spares four men and one woman to torture forever, using its vast powers to transcend normal reality but keep them alive. This is the ultimate cautionary tale, certainly for the Cold War of its time, but still valid as our world becomes more and more dependent on computers.
"Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes (The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, April 1959 - novelette)
1960 Hugo Award winner (The 1966 novel-length version won the Nebula Award and was a Hugo Award finalist.)
5 Stars
This is one of the most well known and popular sf stories of all time. It is a heartbreaking, emotional look at how society treats those with mental handicaps. Cliff Robertson received an Emmy nomination for the tv adaptation on the U.S. Steel Hour: "The Two Worlds of Charlie Gordon" (2/22/1961) and went on to win an Oscar for his reprisal of the role in the feature film Charly (1968) that was a 1969 Hugo Award finalist.
"Sandkings" by George R. R. Martin (Omni, August 1979 - novelette)
1980 Hugo Award winner and 1980 Nebula Award winner
5 Stars
Once upon a time, George R. R. Martin wrote science fiction, and in my opinion it's better than the fantasy he is better known for. "Sandkings" is arguably his best piece of fiction, combining sf with horror in a powerful and potent way. The ending is unforgettable.
"The Bicentennial Man" by Isaac Asimov (Stellar #2, February 1976 - novelette)
1977 Hugo Award winner and 1977 Nebula Award winner
5 Stars
Asimov finally learned how to tell a character driven story in this tale of a robot who wants to become a man. At its core it's still a puzzle story—how the robot Andrew Martin finally succeeds in his quest is the solution. This was made into a mediocre film in 1999 with Robin Williams.
"Enemy Mine" by Barry B. Longyear (Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, September 1979 - novella)
1980 Hugo Award winner and 1980 Nebula Award winner
5 Stars
A human and an alien are stranded on an island on a bleak planet. The two races are at war with each other and are taught to hate each others' species. The two gradually learn to rely on one another, but then the alien reveals a secret that changes everything. It's a powerful metaphor for any war, and how sometimes our similarities are greater than our differences. The story was made into a film of the same name in 1985, although the details were greatly changed, especially the ending.
"The Star" by Arthur C. Clarke (Infinity Science Fiction, November 1955 - short story)
1956 Hugo Award winner
4 Stars
This very short piece uses its twist ending to explain an iconic religious symbol as a secular event. The implication is that many, if not all, religious beliefs can be explained by science, a comforting idea for many readers and a controversial one for others. This kind of thought provocation, not necessarily with easy answers, is what elevates good science fiction to great science fiction.
"The Big Front Yard" by Clifford D. Simak (Astounding Science Fiction, October 1958 - novella)
1959 Hugo Award winner
5 Stars
A wonderful tale of exotic aliens juxtaposed with the commonplace environment of rural America, and how one man is able to avert an interstellar war.
""Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman" by Harlan Ellison (Galaxy Magazine, December 1965 - short story)
1966 Hugo Award winner and 1966 Nebula Award winner
5 Stars
In a dystopian future, time is strictly regulated by the Ticktockman. Being late is a crime. So when Everett C. Marm, aka Harlequin, engages in a whimsical rebellion against deadlines, the ensuing disruptions must be dealt with harshly. This satirical story, that stretches conventional writing style, is one of the most reprinted stories of all time.
"Weyr Search" by Anne McCaffrey (Analog, October 1967 - novella)
1968 Hugo Award winner and 1968 Nebula Award finalist
3 Stars
The rating here reflects my rating of the novel Dragonflight (1968) of which this novella is the first part. It reads like a fantasy, but the introduction clearly establishes that the "dragons" and their powers are science based, but that humans have forgotten their origins. My memories of the series are that the books are entertaining enough, but not terribly profound.
"Neutron Star" by Larry Niven (If, October 1966 - novelette)
1967 Hugo Award winner
4 Stars
This is a hard-sf story that would be at home with the problem-solving stories of the 1940s and 50s. There's not much in the way of characterization, although Niven creates some truly alien aliens with the puppeteers, and the problem's solution seems rather obvious for anyone acquainted with the physics of gravity.
"I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream" by Harlan Ellison (If, March 1967 - short story)
1968 Hugo Award winner
5 Stars
After military AIs of different nations join up and become a sentient intelligence launching nuclear armageddon and wiping out humanity, it spares four men and one woman to torture forever, using its vast powers to transcend normal reality but keep them alive. This is the ultimate cautionary tale, certainly for the Cold War of its time, but still valid as our world becomes more and more dependent on computers.
"Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes (The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, April 1959 - novelette)
1960 Hugo Award winner (The 1966 novel-length version won the Nebula Award and was a Hugo Award finalist.)
5 Stars
This is one of the most well known and popular sf stories of all time. It is a heartbreaking, emotional look at how society treats those with mental handicaps. Cliff Robertson received an Emmy nomination for the tv adaptation on the U.S. Steel Hour: "The Two Worlds of Charlie Gordon" (2/22/1961) and went on to win an Oscar for his reprisal of the role in the feature film Charly (1968) that was a 1969 Hugo Award finalist.
December 28, 2022
The stories I'd read before (marked with *) are masterpieces that were a lot of fun to revisit but the new stories were mostly forgettable. It was strange reading 'Weyr Search' while I was reading 'Dragonflight'.
*Sandkings / George R.R. Martin -- 10/10
The bicentennial man / Isaac Asimov -- 8/10
*Enemy mine / Barry B. Longyear -- 10/10
The star / Arthur C. Clarke -- 6/10
The big front yard / Clifford D. Simak -- 6/10
"Repent, Harlequin!" said the Ticktockman / Harlan Ellison -- 7/10
Weyr search / Anne McCaffrey -- 5/10
Neutron star / Larry Niven -- 6/10
*I have no mouth, and I must scream / Harlan Ellison -- 9/10
*Flowers for Algernon / Daniel Keyes -- 10/10
*Sandkings / George R.R. Martin -- 10/10
The bicentennial man / Isaac Asimov -- 8/10
*Enemy mine / Barry B. Longyear -- 10/10
The star / Arthur C. Clarke -- 6/10
The big front yard / Clifford D. Simak -- 6/10
"Repent, Harlequin!" said the Ticktockman / Harlan Ellison -- 7/10
Weyr search / Anne McCaffrey -- 5/10
Neutron star / Larry Niven -- 6/10
*I have no mouth, and I must scream / Harlan Ellison -- 9/10
*Flowers for Algernon / Daniel Keyes -- 10/10
November 2, 2025
Some old classics that like many sci-fi shorts send you into a quick spiral of "what if...?" and "thank goodness that doesn't.." kind of nightmares and gratitude 😆
Enter with caution... 😜
Enter with caution... 😜
August 20, 2009
"The best of the best." Great sci-fi sorries but a bit much to read them all back to back.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews