My Best Science Fiction Story

by Leo Margulies (Editor), Oscar J. Friend (Editor), Isaac Asimov

Two editors asked twelve top writers a "loaded" question: "What do you think is your best science fiction story?" The result? This book, in which you'll find their selections - stories of robots, space ships, startling scientific ideas and even more startling people both in and out of this world!

Contents:

Introduction to the Pocket Book Edition by Leo Margulies and Oscar J. Friend
Why I Selected Robot AL-76 Goes Astray by Isaac Asimov
Robot AL-76 Goes Astray by Isaac Asimov
Why I Selected The Teacher from Mars by Otto Binder [as by Eando Binder ]
The Teacher from Mars by Otto Binder [as by Eando Binder ]
Why I Selected Almost Human by Robert Bloch
Almost Human by Robert Bloch [as by Tarleton Fiske ]
Why I Selected Blindness by John W. Campbell, Jr.
Blindness by John W. Campbell, Jr.
Why I Selected The Inn Outside the World by Edmond Hamilton
The Inn Outside the World by Edmond Hamilton
Why I Selected Don't Look Now by Henry Kuttner
Don't Look Now by Henry Kuttner
Why I Selected The Lost Race by Murray Leinster
The Lost Race by Murray Leinster
Why I Selected Doctor Grimshaw's Sanitarium by Fletcher Pratt
Doctor Grimshaw's Sanitarium by Fletcher Pratt
Why I Selected The Ultimate Catalyst by Eric Temple Bell [as by John Taine ]
The Ultimate Catalyst by Eric Temple Bell [as by John Taine ]
Why I Selected Project-Spaceship A. E. van Vogt
Project-Spaceship A. E. van Vogt (aka The Problem Professor)
Why I Selected Space Station No. 1 by Manly Wade Wellman
Space Station No. 1 by Manly Wade Wellman
Why I Selected Star Bright essay by Jack Williamson
Star Bright by Jack Williamson

Genres: Science Fiction

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1949

About the author

Leo Margulies was born in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, but was raised in Norwalk, Connecticut. After briefly attending Columbia University, Margulies began working for Munsey's Magazine, selling subsidiary rights to its stories. He later spent five years as head of East Coast research for Fox Films, a predecessor company of 20th Century Fox, and afterward became editorial chief of publisher Ned Pines' Standard Magazines. At one time in the 1930s, he reputedly edited 46 magazines, including the pulp magazines Startling Stories and Thrilling Wonder Stories.

During World War II, Margulies served as a war correspondent. He was on board the USS Missouri when the Japanese surrendered.

After the war, Margulies helped launch Pines' Popular Library line of paperback books. He was co-editor of the anthology My Best Science Fiction Story in 1949, and went on to compile several several science fiction and fantasy paperback anthologies. He was editor of Mike Shayne's Mystery Magazine at the time of his death.

In December 1975 he was attending a meeting in London of the Mystery Writers of America when he suffered a stroke. He died December 26 in Los Angeles, California.

Margulies was married to the former Cylvia Kleinman at the time of his death.

[From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_Marg...]

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an anthology that Margulies and Friend produced in 1949 with an intriguing concept, in that sf writers picked the favorite of their own stories and wrote a short introduction to explain why they chose it. (Harry Harrison edited a whole series of books in the 1970's called SF Author's Choice with the same premise.) Of course the selections were limited to stories that were available, that were of acceptable content and subject matter and length, etc., but it was still a very nice idea. My Pocket Books paperback edition from 1954 is an abridgment and only includes twelve of the stories from the original Merlin hardback. It's intriguing that the only story from Astounding magazine is the one by John W. Campbell. The other authors include Isaac Asimov, Eando Binder, Robert Bloch, Edmond Hamilton (one of Weird Tales stories!), Henry Kuttner, Murray Leinster, Fletcher Pratt, John Taine, A.E. van Vogt, Manly Wade Wellman, and Jack Williamson. I can think of stories from many of these writers that I would have selected rather than the ones here, but the choice was supposed to be theirs, and that's part of the fun.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

David gave me the (abridged 12 story) paperback but we are both still looking for the hardcover, which may be at mobius (midwest).
---
I have now read it and say:

This is neat, but very old, and the editor is clearly being disingenuous to say "best." These are stories the authors picked that 1. were short and 2. the rights to which were available, and 3. the authors chose as their 'favorite' for often whimsical reasons. So, I can't give it four stars, as that would imply a sort of recommendation... otoh, I did enjoy it (and do want to find the longer edition, too).

Hey, shout out to the inclusion of Eando Binder though. (And if you know what I mean, you're more likely to be interested in this than if you don't.)

[Dale Lehman · Rating 4 out of 5]

You won't likely find a copy of this outside of a used book store. Originally published in 1949, this unique anthology is comprised of stories a select group of science fiction authors selected as their own best stories at that time. Half of these luminaries you'll know, including Isaac Asimov, Robert Bloch, John W. Campbell, Jr., A. E. van Vogt, Manly Wade Wellman, and Jack Williamson. The other half are, today, less well-known (although possibly you're more familiar with them than I). But together the present an intriguing view of science fiction in the first half of the 20th century.

The stories are fun, but equally fun are the introductions by the authors explaining why they selected these tales as their best. Some are serious, others lighthearted. John Taine gets my vote for the best, unabashedly announcing that "The Ultimate Catalyst" is his best science fiction short story because it's the only science fiction short story he had written!

In any event, if you can find a copy of this book, you'll likely enjoy it. I sure did!

[Scout Who · Rating 3 out of 5]

Abridged. Maybe someday I can find the unabridged hardcover.

[Jim Davis]

Interesting collection although I didn't enjoy it very much. I love classic SF and there were many of my favorite authors included here such as Asimov, Fredric Brown, Kuttner, Sturgeon. I guess I am very surprised at what the author considers their best SF story before 1949 compared to what story from that period I enjoyed the most. They are usually very different. There were a few that we agreed on such as "Zero Hour" by Ray Bradbury. "Thunder and Roses" may have been my favorite story in the anthology but not my favorite Sturgeon story from that period. There were also many authors presented who even in the much smaller universe of pre 1949 authors were not not that good or that popular. Unless you have a strong desire to know what some Sf writers considered their favorite pre 1949 story and why (although not everybody explained why they chose the story they did) then skip this anthology and pick up Adventures in Time and Space by Raymond J. Healy and Frances McCormack (1946) or an early Groff Conklin collection like The Best of Science Fiction (1946), Treasury of Science Fiction (1946) or The Science Fiction Galaxy (1950) to see what was considered good at the time.