The Second Galaxy Reader of Science Fiction

Galaxy Reader #2

by H.L. Gold (Editor/Contributor), James Blish (Contributor), Katherine MacLean (Contributor)

This is the 2nd volume in this long running series of fiction taken from the Galaxy Science Fiction Magazine. This is much longer than future volumes, containing 31 stories many of which are modern classics.
A Saucer of Loneliness (1953) story by Theodore Sturgeon
University (1953) novelette by Peter Phillips (1920-)
Unready to Wear (1953) story by Kurt Vonnegut Jr
Junkyard (1953) novelette by Clifford D. Simak
Specialist (1953) story by Robert Sheckley
Not Fit for Children (1953) story by Evelyn E. Smith
Warm (1953) story by Robert Sheckley
Caretaker (1953) story by James H. Schmitz
A Bad Day for Sales (1953) story by Fritz Leiber
Minimum Sentence (1953) story by Theodore R. Cogswell
Problem on Balak (1953) story by Roger Dee
Four in One (1953) novelette by Damon Knight
Teething Ring (1953) story by James Causey
Self Portrait (1951) novelette by Bernard Wolfe
Tiger by the Tail (1951) story by Alan E. Nourse
Pillar to Post (1951) novelette by John Wyndham
A Pail of Air (1951) story by Fritz Leiber
The Year of the Jackpot (1952) novelette by Robert A. Heinlein
Star, Bright (1952) novelette by Mark Clifton
Surface Tension/Pantropy (1952) novelette by James Blish
The Snowball Effect (1952) story by Katherine MacLean
Tea Tray in the Sky (1952) story by Evelyn E. Smith
Game for Blondes (1952) story by John D. MacDonald
The Misogynist (1952) story by James E. Gunn
Lost Memory (1952) story by Peter Phillips
Command Performance (1952) novelette by Walter M. Miller Jr
The C-Chute (1951) novelette by Isaac Asimov
Lover, When You're Near Me (1952) novelette by Richard Matheson
Student Body (1953) novelette by Floyd L. Wallace
Hallucination Orbit (1952) novelette by J.T. McIntosh
A Gleeb for Earth (1953) story by Charles Schafhauser
Editor's Page: To the Hills! (1953) essay by Horace L. Gold

Genres: Science Fiction

504 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1954

About the author

Horace Leonard Gold was a science fiction writer and editor most noted for bringing an innovative and fresh approach to science fiction while he was the editor of Galaxy Science Fiction, and also wrote briefly for DC Comics. Born in Canada, Gold moved to the United States at the age of two. He also published under the pseudonyms Clyde Crane Campbell, Dudley Dell, Christopher Grimm, and Leigh Keith.

Reviews

[Erik Graff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the last of the lot of science fiction collections which my brother gave me for Christmas--all obtained from the Benton Harbor, Michigan Public Library.

Being from 1954 and earlier, many of the stories are dated. What is outstanding are the frequent uses of alcohol consumption as a plot device, the recurrent references to characters smoking (on spacecraft!), and, of course, the maleness of perspective, even in stories written by women.

Still, these were--and some still are--major authors in the genre at the time and some of the stories hold up quite well. Note that one is by Vonnegut, not yet established as being more than a science fiction writer.

[Jim Davis]

There were a lot of very good stories here. Unfortunately if you read many anthologies of classic SF then you probably read them already.

[Chelsey Patton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fun! Some of the stories were better than others.