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Future Crimes: Mysteries and Detection through Time and Space
Assignment 1: Find party responsible for murders by space virus.
Assignment 2: Investigate ‘accidental’ deaths on orbital solar shield.
Assignment 3: Apprehend criminal possessing short term time machine.
Science fiction meets crime in this new anthology exploring one of the genre’s most popular mystery and detection. Pitching detectives against time paradoxes, alien intruders, AI gone bad and psychic mutation are ten stories embodying the exciting range of the sub-genre, rarely given the recognition it deserves in the literary sphere. With fascinating settings such as robot society, asteroid belt space stations, and worlds similar to our own but uncannily altered, these stories are masterpieces of satisfying setups, memorable mysteries, and timeless twists.
Assignment 2: Investigate ‘accidental’ deaths on orbital solar shield.
Assignment 3: Apprehend criminal possessing short term time machine.
Science fiction meets crime in this new anthology exploring one of the genre’s most popular mystery and detection. Pitching detectives against time paradoxes, alien intruders, AI gone bad and psychic mutation are ten stories embodying the exciting range of the sub-genre, rarely given the recognition it deserves in the literary sphere. With fascinating settings such as robot society, asteroid belt space stations, and worlds similar to our own but uncannily altered, these stories are masterpieces of satisfying setups, memorable mysteries, and timeless twists.
320 pages, Paperback
Published November 1, 2021
54 people are currently reading
120 people want to read
About the author
Mike Ashley
278 books130 followersMichael Raymond Donald Ashley is the author and editor of over sixty books that in total have sold over a million copies worldwide. He lives in Chatham, Kent.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
April 24, 2024
So I've been reading the offerings in the British Library Crime Classics for a while now and happened upon the existence of the British Library Science Fiction Classics. I'm thrilled! I chose this first because it's the merging of my two faves, crime fiction and science fiction. I mean, I need more of that in my life so I was an easy sell here. This one and several others (not all) are currently Kindle Unlimited options but for those that I could only get through analog, I've ordered them.
Moonrise: The Golden Age of Lunar Adventures
arrived in the post yesterday. An incomplete list of the books are here on Goodreads.
Now to my review of the book. I liked the majority of the stories here. The introduction at the beginning was informative and so too were the intros to each story. I found even more works I'd like to seek out and read. There were ten in all and what follows are my thoughts on each:
Elsewhen by Anthony Boucher - Great story in which experimenter Mr. Partridge concocts a time machine and uses it for nefarious purposes. The clever bit here is in the investigator, one Fergus O'Breen who in trying to solve it & prove Partidge's guilt happens into a unique pocket which Partridge created for his alibi and ultimately himself fell victim to.
Puzzle for a Spacemen by John Brunner- Another clever story in which a psychologist needs to get to the bottom of a murder and enlists a reluctant station chief. For the chief's part, he just wants the psychologist to reclaim the dead body and get off his station so that tensions ease and work can continue.
Legwork by Eric Frank Russell- Not a fave and a bit overlong but did excellently show the investigative process and "legwork" of different agencies is tracking a bank robber who happens to be an alien who has arrived as reconnaissance and to destroy humans.
Mirror Image by Isaac Asimov- Esteemed mathematicians both claim work and that the other has stolen it. To make matters more difficult, their robot attendant backs up each of their claims. The Three Laws of Robotics come into play. Lije Baley is backed to suss this out by his robot friend, Daneel Olivaw. Very tidy.
The Flying Eye by Jacques Futrelle- No actual crime takes place in this story nor any real detective work but it was a reasonably good short story. Points for early stealth tech.
Nonentity by E.C. Tubb- Great story. A sabotage on a ship leads to a lifeboat situation. with an ultimately grisly end. I can't give this one away and it may be my favourite in the bunch. It was easy to suss out what was going on but I think at the time this was written, it may have been quite a surprise.
Death of Telepath by George Chailey- Telepathy not being my thing, this wasn't a fave but was a well done story.
Murder, 1986 by P.D. James- A quiet story of a murder investigation during a pandemic. The glimpse into the society and also interesting ideas on what one may or may not do for the love of another. Also what constitutes a worthwhile life, what is done with the time had or how long a time one has. I really liked this one.
Apple by Anne McCaffrey- A telepathy and pre-cog abilities story which was fine.
The Absolutely Perfect Murder by Miriam Allen deFord- In which Mervin Alspaugh of the year 2146 has his perfect plan go awry because of his mistake in believing in a lie. A great story and a great one to end on.
Also, points for this having shoutout to The Measure of Malice: Scientific Detection Stories compiled by Martin Edwards in the British Library Classic Crime reissues for additional reads of scientific detective stories. I think I have it and will have to move that up on my TBR list.
Recommended.
Reread: April 2024: still fantastic and recommended
Now to my review of the book. I liked the majority of the stories here. The introduction at the beginning was informative and so too were the intros to each story. I found even more works I'd like to seek out and read. There were ten in all and what follows are my thoughts on each:
Elsewhen by Anthony Boucher - Great story in which experimenter Mr. Partridge concocts a time machine and uses it for nefarious purposes. The clever bit here is in the investigator, one Fergus O'Breen who in trying to solve it & prove Partidge's guilt happens into a unique pocket which Partridge created for his alibi and ultimately himself fell victim to.
Puzzle for a Spacemen by John Brunner- Another clever story in which a psychologist needs to get to the bottom of a murder and enlists a reluctant station chief. For the chief's part, he just wants the psychologist to reclaim the dead body and get off his station so that tensions ease and work can continue.
Legwork by Eric Frank Russell- Not a fave and a bit overlong but did excellently show the investigative process and "legwork" of different agencies is tracking a bank robber who happens to be an alien who has arrived as reconnaissance and to destroy humans.
Mirror Image by Isaac Asimov- Esteemed mathematicians both claim work and that the other has stolen it. To make matters more difficult, their robot attendant backs up each of their claims. The Three Laws of Robotics come into play. Lije Baley is backed to suss this out by his robot friend, Daneel Olivaw. Very tidy.
The Flying Eye by Jacques Futrelle- No actual crime takes place in this story nor any real detective work but it was a reasonably good short story. Points for early stealth tech.
Nonentity by E.C. Tubb- Great story. A sabotage on a ship leads to a lifeboat situation. with an ultimately grisly end. I can't give this one away and it may be my favourite in the bunch. It was easy to suss out what was going on but I think at the time this was written, it may have been quite a surprise.
Death of Telepath by George Chailey- Telepathy not being my thing, this wasn't a fave but was a well done story.
Murder, 1986 by P.D. James- A quiet story of a murder investigation during a pandemic. The glimpse into the society and also interesting ideas on what one may or may not do for the love of another. Also what constitutes a worthwhile life, what is done with the time had or how long a time one has. I really liked this one.
Apple by Anne McCaffrey- A telepathy and pre-cog abilities story which was fine.
The Absolutely Perfect Murder by Miriam Allen deFord- In which Mervin Alspaugh of the year 2146 has his perfect plan go awry because of his mistake in believing in a lie. A great story and a great one to end on.
Also, points for this having shoutout to The Measure of Malice: Scientific Detection Stories compiled by Martin Edwards in the British Library Classic Crime reissues for additional reads of scientific detective stories. I think I have it and will have to move that up on my TBR list.
Recommended.
Reread: April 2024: still fantastic and recommended
April 11, 2024
This book combines two of my favorite genres, science fiction and murder mysteries. You can't go wrong. These are all pretty much hard boiled, classic golden age "sci-fi" short stories, so if you go for the, they will be right up your alley.
May 7, 2022
My selection for the 'Two or More Authors' square for the r/Fantasy 2022 Bingo (Hard Mode).
An anthology of ten pieces of science fiction short fiction (short story and novelette length) written between 1910 and 1972 by ten authors (three women and seven men), three of whom I've never heard of. They varied in quality. The E. C. Tubb one was pure pulp and a tad depressing. Growing up in England, I was a big fan of John Brunner and Eric Frank Russell, so their two stories among my favorites. The one that I give top spot to was 'The Absolutely Perfect Murder' by Miriam Allen deFord and was relatively short, sweet, humorous and very well crafted. It involved the use of a time machine by Mervin Alspaugh, to try to prevent the wife he hated from ever existing.
(Other 2022 Bingo squares that this would fit: Five SFF Short Stories (HM); Self-Published OR Indie Publisher; No Ifs, Ands, or Buts).
An anthology of ten pieces of science fiction short fiction (short story and novelette length) written between 1910 and 1972 by ten authors (three women and seven men), three of whom I've never heard of. They varied in quality. The E. C. Tubb one was pure pulp and a tad depressing. Growing up in England, I was a big fan of John Brunner and Eric Frank Russell, so their two stories among my favorites. The one that I give top spot to was 'The Absolutely Perfect Murder' by Miriam Allen deFord and was relatively short, sweet, humorous and very well crafted. It involved the use of a time machine by Mervin Alspaugh, to try to prevent the wife he hated from ever existing.
(Other 2022 Bingo squares that this would fit: Five SFF Short Stories (HM); Self-Published OR Indie Publisher; No Ifs, Ands, or Buts).
December 5, 2021
This review first appeared on my blog - https://nsfordwriter.com - on 20th November 2021.
Do you like classic crime fiction? Do you like classic sci-fi? Then this book might be your cup of tea, as the stories are a merger of the two genres. This is the 3rd of the British Library Science Fiction Classics I’ve read and again I found this collection to be a mixed bag. Only the story by P D James really wowed me. The rest of them were clever and sometimes enjoyable but I’d never want to re-read.
I liked the general introduction and the mini introduction to each story, which were spoiler-free and quite interesting. Some of the stories are by authors best known for crime fiction, others are known for science fiction. As always the authors are a selection of the famous and the obscure. I hadn’t previously read any of the 10 stories.
‘Elsewhen’ by Anthony Boucher – the impossibility of solving a murder where the suspect uses a time machine to provide his own alibi.
‘Puzzle for Spacemen’ by John Brunner is a very detailed murder investigation set in space but which didn’t grip me.
‘Legwork’ by Eric Frank Russell – a long story of a bank robbery by an alien, which became less interesting a few pages in.
‘Mirror Image’ by Isaac Asimov considers whether robots can lie to protect their masters, a typical Asimov robot story.
‘The Flying Eye’ by Jacques Futrelle is a humorous story about a giant eye which appears in the sky.
‘Nonentity’ by E C Tubb – a grim and clever murder mystery about survivors stranded in space.
‘Death of a Telepath’ by George Chailey examines how it’s possible for a telepath to be murdered, as they can read the murderer’s thoughts.
‘Murder, 1986’ by P D James is a brilliantly crafted story set in a frightening dystopia 16 years in the future.
‘Apple’ by Anne McCaffrey – in a society of people with psychic talents, police are chasing a woman who uses telekinetic powers to commit crime.
‘The Absolutely Perfect Murder’ by Miriam Allen deFord is an amusing warning against using time travel to attempt to remove your spouse from existence.
Do you like classic crime fiction? Do you like classic sci-fi? Then this book might be your cup of tea, as the stories are a merger of the two genres. This is the 3rd of the British Library Science Fiction Classics I’ve read and again I found this collection to be a mixed bag. Only the story by P D James really wowed me. The rest of them were clever and sometimes enjoyable but I’d never want to re-read.
I liked the general introduction and the mini introduction to each story, which were spoiler-free and quite interesting. Some of the stories are by authors best known for crime fiction, others are known for science fiction. As always the authors are a selection of the famous and the obscure. I hadn’t previously read any of the 10 stories.
‘Elsewhen’ by Anthony Boucher – the impossibility of solving a murder where the suspect uses a time machine to provide his own alibi.
‘Puzzle for Spacemen’ by John Brunner is a very detailed murder investigation set in space but which didn’t grip me.
‘Legwork’ by Eric Frank Russell – a long story of a bank robbery by an alien, which became less interesting a few pages in.
‘Mirror Image’ by Isaac Asimov considers whether robots can lie to protect their masters, a typical Asimov robot story.
‘The Flying Eye’ by Jacques Futrelle is a humorous story about a giant eye which appears in the sky.
‘Nonentity’ by E C Tubb – a grim and clever murder mystery about survivors stranded in space.
‘Death of a Telepath’ by George Chailey examines how it’s possible for a telepath to be murdered, as they can read the murderer’s thoughts.
‘Murder, 1986’ by P D James is a brilliantly crafted story set in a frightening dystopia 16 years in the future.
‘Apple’ by Anne McCaffrey – in a society of people with psychic talents, police are chasing a woman who uses telekinetic powers to commit crime.
‘The Absolutely Perfect Murder’ by Miriam Allen deFord is an amusing warning against using time travel to attempt to remove your spouse from existence.
October 9, 2021
Time travel, telepaths and technology…
A new anthology in the British Library Science Fiction Classics series, this one brings together ten stories each featuring a crime mystery in a futuristic setting. It is edited as usual by Mike Ashley, who also provides a short introduction to the collection and an individual mini-bio of each of the authors. Most of the stories date from the 1950s and ‘60s – still in the heyday of the science fiction magazines – and there’s a lot of play on time travel, telepathy and advanced technology, with the occasional alien thrown in for good measure. As always, some of the authors are so well known even I, as a dabbler in SF, know of them, such as Isaac Asimov and Anne McCaffrey; some have become familiar to me through their inclusion in earlier anthologies in the series, such as John Brunner and Eric Frank Russell; and a couple are new names to me, such as George Chailey and Miriam Allen deFord. While most of them are SF writers crossing over into crime, crime fans will also be intrigued to see PD James putting in an appearance, crossing in the other direction into SF.
As in any anthology, the quality of the stories, or my enjoyment of them at least, varies quite a lot. Overall, I gave three of them five stars while another three really didn’t work for me, and the rest all rated four stars, so I’d consider this as a solid collection rather than an outstanding one. In tone, they range from fairly light-hearted amusements to rather bleak, almost dystopian tales, verging on noir once or twice.
Overall, I found it fun to see how the authors try to stick to the conventions of mystery writing while incorporating the more imaginative SF stuff. Recommended to SF fans, but also to mystery fans who dare to step a little out of their comfort zone.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, the British Library.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
A new anthology in the British Library Science Fiction Classics series, this one brings together ten stories each featuring a crime mystery in a futuristic setting. It is edited as usual by Mike Ashley, who also provides a short introduction to the collection and an individual mini-bio of each of the authors. Most of the stories date from the 1950s and ‘60s – still in the heyday of the science fiction magazines – and there’s a lot of play on time travel, telepathy and advanced technology, with the occasional alien thrown in for good measure. As always, some of the authors are so well known even I, as a dabbler in SF, know of them, such as Isaac Asimov and Anne McCaffrey; some have become familiar to me through their inclusion in earlier anthologies in the series, such as John Brunner and Eric Frank Russell; and a couple are new names to me, such as George Chailey and Miriam Allen deFord. While most of them are SF writers crossing over into crime, crime fans will also be intrigued to see PD James putting in an appearance, crossing in the other direction into SF.
As in any anthology, the quality of the stories, or my enjoyment of them at least, varies quite a lot. Overall, I gave three of them five stars while another three really didn’t work for me, and the rest all rated four stars, so I’d consider this as a solid collection rather than an outstanding one. In tone, they range from fairly light-hearted amusements to rather bleak, almost dystopian tales, verging on noir once or twice.
Overall, I found it fun to see how the authors try to stick to the conventions of mystery writing while incorporating the more imaginative SF stuff. Recommended to SF fans, but also to mystery fans who dare to step a little out of their comfort zone.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, the British Library.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
June 29, 2024
This book absolutely reminds why 60 plus years ago I started to read Sci-Fi and about 10 years later I also started reading Crime books as well.
It's a good reminder and a good feeling!!
It's a good reminder and a good feeling!!
May 20, 2023
RATED 90% POSITIVE. STORY SCORE 4.1 OF 5
10 STORIES : 3 GREAT / 5 GOOD / 3 AVERAGE / 0 POOR / 0 DNF
https://www.shortsf.com for 70+ Science Fiction Anthologies reviewed.
During my youth, I stumbled upon the captivating worlds of science fiction and mysteries simultaneously. If one were to predict my future literary preferences, it would seem logical to expect mystery novels to dominate my reading choices. From the enthralling tales of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew to the vast collections of Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, mysteries became my primary literary passion. However, I also found myself drawn to the works of Isaac Asimov, as his Robot and Foundation series intertwined seamlessly with the mystery genre. Furthermore, Conan Doyle's Lost World effortlessly led me into the captivating realms crafted by HG Wells, Jules Verne, and Ray Bradbury.
While mystery books for adults often delve into sadistic thrillers, serial killers, and horrifying elements, these were themes that didn't quite resonate with me. Consequently, I sought intellectual exhilaration within the pages of science fiction magazines and anthologies instead.
So obviously I had a great deal of pleasure in this anthology of science fictional mysteries. Mike Ashley has put together a quite enjoyable collect of excellent SF mysteries of varying lengths and styles. It is good enough to make me purchase other anthologies by Ashley already.
Three of these stories make their way onto the All-Time Great List:
Elsewhen • (1943) • novelette by Anthony Boucher
A scientist creates a Time Machine with one problem it can only take you back a couple hours. But that is enough for an alibi. Reminded me of an episode of Columbo. First you see the killer commit the murder and then you follow the detective trying to solve it. This is a fun, cozy sci-fi mystery.
Legwork • (1956) • novelette by Eric Frank Russell
An alien with the power to completely overcome a human mind starts a mission of reconnaissance in a small town. He seems to be wildly overpowering to all human institutions until he robs a bank. The strange nature of the crime starts an investigation that highlight the one possible strength that human beings might have: their gumption and stick-to-it-ness. The opening sequence instead the head of the merciless alien really creates a sense of human hopelessness.
Murder, 1986 • (1970) • novelette by P. D. James
A pandemic caused by space travel might destroy the human race. Carriers of the disease are isolated in squalor and ignored. This mystery starts with the murder of a carrier. A murder that the people in power want squashed, but one detective can’t let go. Not just cool idea and story, but superb detailed prose.
TIME CRIMES
10 STORIES : 3 GREAT / 5 GOOD / 2 AVERAGE / 0 POOR / 0 DNF
Elsewhen • (1943) • novelette by Anthony Boucher
Great. A scientist creates a Time Machine with one problem it can only take you back a couple hours. But that is enough for an alibi. Reminded me of an episode of Columbo. First you see the killer commit the murder and then you follow the detective trying to solve it. This is a fun, cozy sci-fi mystery.
Puzzle for Spacemen • (1955) • novelette by John Brunner
Average. A death of decompression in space may have been murder, but no one is quite sure why or how. Suffers a bit from overcomplexity of world building, wooded dialogue, and a bit of a pat ending.
Legwork • (1956) • novelette by Eric Frank Russell
Great. An alien with the power to completely overcome a human mind starts a mission of reconnaissance in a small town. He seems to be wildly overpowering to all human institutions until he robs a bank. The strange nature of the crime starts an investigation that highlight the one possible strength that human beings might have: their gumption and stick-to-it-ness. The opening sequence instead the head of the merciless alien really creates a sense of human hopelessness.
Mirror Image • [Elijah Baley / R. Daneel Olivaw] • (1972) • short story by Isaac Asimov
Good. A clever story about two scientists who each claim that the other person is stealing their discovery. The secret lies within their robots and the Three Laws of Robotics.
The Flying Eye • [Paul Darraq] • short story by Jacques Futrelle (variant of The Secret Exploits of Paul Darraq, III: The Flying Eye 1912)
Good. A detective believes he is seeing a giant eye looking down at him in a park on a sunny day.
Nonentity • (1955) • short story by E. C. Tubb
Good. A terrorist attack on a spaceship leaves a lifeboat packed with too many survivors. Some of them have to go.
Death of a Telepath • (1959) • short story by George Chailey
Good. All normal people hate telepaths, but how could someone kill one when they know all your thoughts.
Murder, 1986 • (1970) • novelette by P. D. James
Great. A pandemic caused by space travel might destroy the human race. Carriers of the disease are isolated in squalor and ignored. This mystery starts with the murder of a carrier. A murder that the people in power want squashed, but one detective can’t let go. Not just cool idea and story, but superb detailed prose.
Apple • [Talents (Anne McCaffrey)] • (1969) • novelette by Anne McCaffrey
Average. In the days before an important vote on a the rights of parapsychic “Talented” people, a robbery takes place that seems like it could only have been done by one of the Talented.
The Absolutely Perfect Murder • (1965) • short story by Miriam Allen deFord
Good. SciFi-Mystery-Comedy about a mad who really wants to get rid of his wife, but could never act on it until time travel was invented.
10 STORIES : 3 GREAT / 5 GOOD / 3 AVERAGE / 0 POOR / 0 DNF
https://www.shortsf.com for 70+ Science Fiction Anthologies reviewed.
During my youth, I stumbled upon the captivating worlds of science fiction and mysteries simultaneously. If one were to predict my future literary preferences, it would seem logical to expect mystery novels to dominate my reading choices. From the enthralling tales of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew to the vast collections of Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, mysteries became my primary literary passion. However, I also found myself drawn to the works of Isaac Asimov, as his Robot and Foundation series intertwined seamlessly with the mystery genre. Furthermore, Conan Doyle's Lost World effortlessly led me into the captivating realms crafted by HG Wells, Jules Verne, and Ray Bradbury.
While mystery books for adults often delve into sadistic thrillers, serial killers, and horrifying elements, these were themes that didn't quite resonate with me. Consequently, I sought intellectual exhilaration within the pages of science fiction magazines and anthologies instead.
So obviously I had a great deal of pleasure in this anthology of science fictional mysteries. Mike Ashley has put together a quite enjoyable collect of excellent SF mysteries of varying lengths and styles. It is good enough to make me purchase other anthologies by Ashley already.
Three of these stories make their way onto the All-Time Great List:
Elsewhen • (1943) • novelette by Anthony Boucher
A scientist creates a Time Machine with one problem it can only take you back a couple hours. But that is enough for an alibi. Reminded me of an episode of Columbo. First you see the killer commit the murder and then you follow the detective trying to solve it. This is a fun, cozy sci-fi mystery.
Legwork • (1956) • novelette by Eric Frank Russell
An alien with the power to completely overcome a human mind starts a mission of reconnaissance in a small town. He seems to be wildly overpowering to all human institutions until he robs a bank. The strange nature of the crime starts an investigation that highlight the one possible strength that human beings might have: their gumption and stick-to-it-ness. The opening sequence instead the head of the merciless alien really creates a sense of human hopelessness.
Murder, 1986 • (1970) • novelette by P. D. James
A pandemic caused by space travel might destroy the human race. Carriers of the disease are isolated in squalor and ignored. This mystery starts with the murder of a carrier. A murder that the people in power want squashed, but one detective can’t let go. Not just cool idea and story, but superb detailed prose.
TIME CRIMES
10 STORIES : 3 GREAT / 5 GOOD / 2 AVERAGE / 0 POOR / 0 DNF
Elsewhen • (1943) • novelette by Anthony Boucher
Great. A scientist creates a Time Machine with one problem it can only take you back a couple hours. But that is enough for an alibi. Reminded me of an episode of Columbo. First you see the killer commit the murder and then you follow the detective trying to solve it. This is a fun, cozy sci-fi mystery.
Puzzle for Spacemen • (1955) • novelette by John Brunner
Average. A death of decompression in space may have been murder, but no one is quite sure why or how. Suffers a bit from overcomplexity of world building, wooded dialogue, and a bit of a pat ending.
Legwork • (1956) • novelette by Eric Frank Russell
Great. An alien with the power to completely overcome a human mind starts a mission of reconnaissance in a small town. He seems to be wildly overpowering to all human institutions until he robs a bank. The strange nature of the crime starts an investigation that highlight the one possible strength that human beings might have: their gumption and stick-to-it-ness. The opening sequence instead the head of the merciless alien really creates a sense of human hopelessness.
Mirror Image • [Elijah Baley / R. Daneel Olivaw] • (1972) • short story by Isaac Asimov
Good. A clever story about two scientists who each claim that the other person is stealing their discovery. The secret lies within their robots and the Three Laws of Robotics.
The Flying Eye • [Paul Darraq] • short story by Jacques Futrelle (variant of The Secret Exploits of Paul Darraq, III: The Flying Eye 1912)
Good. A detective believes he is seeing a giant eye looking down at him in a park on a sunny day.
Nonentity • (1955) • short story by E. C. Tubb
Good. A terrorist attack on a spaceship leaves a lifeboat packed with too many survivors. Some of them have to go.
Death of a Telepath • (1959) • short story by George Chailey
Good. All normal people hate telepaths, but how could someone kill one when they know all your thoughts.
Murder, 1986 • (1970) • novelette by P. D. James
Great. A pandemic caused by space travel might destroy the human race. Carriers of the disease are isolated in squalor and ignored. This mystery starts with the murder of a carrier. A murder that the people in power want squashed, but one detective can’t let go. Not just cool idea and story, but superb detailed prose.
Apple • [Talents (Anne McCaffrey)] • (1969) • novelette by Anne McCaffrey
Average. In the days before an important vote on a the rights of parapsychic “Talented” people, a robbery takes place that seems like it could only have been done by one of the Talented.
The Absolutely Perfect Murder • (1965) • short story by Miriam Allen deFord
Good. SciFi-Mystery-Comedy about a mad who really wants to get rid of his wife, but could never act on it until time travel was invented.
March 25, 2024
Larry Niven obserbed that there are similarities between a good SF story and a good detective story, in that both types invite speculation from the reader and in some cases both are puzzles. The genres can blend in a lot of cases, such as (Lord Darcy or Flatlander where they blend well and are well-written, too.
So, it seems good that this series has a collection of detective stories with an SF background. The stories are from the past, so not all of the crimes committed are set in our future, or the 'in-story' future. But most of them are fair detective stories, sometimes from the armchair detective point of view, sometimes a police procedural, but sadly no hard-boiled private eyes. I juse didn't find any of the sotries that interesting. I suspect because none of had Chandler's skill with language. Ah, well. You might find something you like out of these:
Introduction: Mike Ashley
Elsewhen: Anthony Boucher
Puzzle for Spacemen: John Brunner
Legwork: Eric Frank Russell
Mirror Image: Isaac Asimov
The Flying Eye: Jacques Futrelle
Nonentity: E.C.Tubb
Death of a Telepath: George Chailey
Murder, 1986: P.D. James
Apple: Anne McCaffrey
The Absolutely Perfect Murder: Miriam Allen deFord
So, it seems good that this series has a collection of detective stories with an SF background. The stories are from the past, so not all of the crimes committed are set in our future, or the 'in-story' future. But most of them are fair detective stories, sometimes from the armchair detective point of view, sometimes a police procedural, but sadly no hard-boiled private eyes. I juse didn't find any of the sotries that interesting. I suspect because none of had Chandler's skill with language. Ah, well. You might find something you like out of these:
Introduction: Mike Ashley
Elsewhen: Anthony Boucher
Puzzle for Spacemen: John Brunner
Legwork: Eric Frank Russell
Mirror Image: Isaac Asimov
The Flying Eye: Jacques Futrelle
Nonentity: E.C.Tubb
Death of a Telepath: George Chailey
Murder, 1986: P.D. James
Apple: Anne McCaffrey
The Absolutely Perfect Murder: Miriam Allen deFord
Read
October 30, 2021Continuing my exploration of Golden Age SF and mystery stories, I came across this British Library Publishing collection which combines both genres in the same volume. The original publication dates range from 1912 to 1972, mainly spanning the 50s and 60s. Asimov, Russell and McCaffrey are familiar authors to me, while I've not read anything by the others. So the introductory notes before each story were quite interesting to set the context of the piece.
The editing seemed good, and I didn't notice any obvious typos or OCR-type errors. All the stories were readable, although of course written in different styles. Perhaps because the focus included mysteries as well as SF elements, they didn't strike me as quite as dated as other SF works from the period.
My favourite was "Legwork" by Eric Frank Russell, but then he's my favourite author out of this collection. On reading "Apple" by Anne McCaffrey, I found the characterisation much flatter than in her other stories. Perhaps too much emphasis on the mechanics of the mystery, as opposed to the people of the world?
This collection's currently on Kindle Unlimited, and worth checking out if you want to sample some authors writing outside the areas they're known for.
The editing seemed good, and I didn't notice any obvious typos or OCR-type errors. All the stories were readable, although of course written in different styles. Perhaps because the focus included mysteries as well as SF elements, they didn't strike me as quite as dated as other SF works from the period.
My favourite was "Legwork" by Eric Frank Russell, but then he's my favourite author out of this collection. On reading "Apple" by Anne McCaffrey, I found the characterisation much flatter than in her other stories. Perhaps too much emphasis on the mechanics of the mystery, as opposed to the people of the world?
This collection's currently on Kindle Unlimited, and worth checking out if you want to sample some authors writing outside the areas they're known for.
January 2, 2022
Elsewhen .. *****
Excellent story well written . Amusing and entertaining.
Puzzle for spacemen ****
Good plotting and setup but somewhat dry . But a good mystery all the same.
Legwork *****
Novellete size . SF police procedural .
Mirror image *****
Brilliant as usual .
Flying eye ****
Very old but decent story.Not too wordy to irritate . The central idea is simple but effective .
Nonentity **
Bleak ,dark and pointless . Cringeworthy stuff .Read if you want to feel depressed .
Death of a telepath ****
Very short but logical sf mystery .
Murder 1986 ***
Well written but dystopian . Sad .
Apple **
Clunky . Lots of similarity with a Philip k dik story.
Absolutely perfect murder *****
It is absolutely perfect.Short and funny.Great short story.Must read some more of the authors work.
Excellent story well written . Amusing and entertaining.
Puzzle for spacemen ****
Good plotting and setup but somewhat dry . But a good mystery all the same.
Legwork *****
Novellete size . SF police procedural .
Mirror image *****
Brilliant as usual .
Flying eye ****
Very old but decent story.Not too wordy to irritate . The central idea is simple but effective .
Nonentity **
Bleak ,dark and pointless . Cringeworthy stuff .Read if you want to feel depressed .
Death of a telepath ****
Very short but logical sf mystery .
Murder 1986 ***
Well written but dystopian . Sad .
Apple **
Clunky . Lots of similarity with a Philip k dik story.
Absolutely perfect murder *****
It is absolutely perfect.Short and funny.Great short story.Must read some more of the authors work.
February 10, 2022
A varied collection of stories. Some are classic detective tales with a SF twist, while others are a bit darker. As with many collections, I really enjoyed some and didn't enjoy others. Ones I particularly enjoyed included Legwork and Elsewhen. I've read (and enjoyed) Apple and Mirror image before too. Murder, 1986 by PD James also deserves a mention. While not my preferred kind of story (it's a bit too melancholic for me), the ability to convey not just the mechanics but also the feel of the imagined world in just 25 pages was impressive, and the story haunted me for a while afterwards.
November 17, 2023
Classic crime meets classic sci-fi and I mean CLASSIC. This is a short story anthology by some of the original sci-fi and crime story authors. So in many ways the stories are somewhat old-fashioned in outlook but all of the stories were quite interesting. I really appreciated the mini-introductions to each story, I liked learning about the authors, most of which I hadn’t read before. I recommend this anthology for anyone who enjoys reading the classics!
June 1, 2025
It delivers what it claims in the intro except I would not agree that the stories don't show dating.
All stories were written between 1910-1960. I believe that they show the usual dating of the period in writing that is full of errors of assumption and essentially, written for an uneducated audience (one that in modern standards stopped around eighth grade).
All stories were written between 1910-1960. I believe that they show the usual dating of the period in writing that is full of errors of assumption and essentially, written for an uneducated audience (one that in modern standards stopped around eighth grade).
August 23, 2021
A brilliant collection of short stories, some witty, some sad but all intelligent. Don’t let the fact the age of some of these stories but you off. They are just as relevant and fresh now as they were when they were originally published.
Full review coming through the British Fantasy Society
Full review coming through the British Fantasy Society
September 30, 2021
An interesting collection of tales.
November 24, 2022
A well curated collection of science fiction tinged crime. The selection of authors is varied and interesting with each story being preceded by a brief overview of their work.
April 15, 2025
Very fun book with some really thought-provoking stories. It's especially an interesting look at very early sci-fi, when the conventions of the genre were not yet solidified.
September 22, 2025
The P.D. James one lent some much needed depth to an otherwise lightweight experience.
August 31, 2022
I haven’t previously read much mystery or space novels. This was a great way to start. I really enjoyed the stories and now know some authors who I would like to pick up from again in the future.
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