Thor's Hammer

The Future at War Series #1

by Reginald Bretnor (Editor), Robert A. Heinlein, Gregory Benford

In this, Thor's Hammer, Vol I of THE FUTURE AT WAR series, some of the most brilliant science fiction and military writers of this decade take a close look at the future of our planet in the light of History's only sure thing: The Future of War. "Unfortunately, war sings its own siren-songs, with an appeal which, given the right conditions, can be almost universal...", Reginald Bretnor, From his Introduction. Contains short stories, articles, and a poem dealing with future warfare on earth and in near space.

Contents:
* Introduction, Thor's Hammer (The Future at War, Vol 1) (1979) • essay by Reginald Bretnor
* The Long Watch [Future History] (1949) / short story by Robert A. Heinlein
* Defending the Third Industrial Revolution (1979) • essay by G. Harry Stine • interior artwork by David Egge
* Old Woman by the Road (1978) / short story by Gregory Benford
* Encased in the Amber of Eternity • poem by Robert Frazier
* Moon Rocks (1973) / short story by Tom Purdom
* Lasers, Grasers, and Marxists (1976) • essay by Jerry Pournelle
* Fixed Price War [Merle Walters • 1] (1978) / short story by Charles Sheffield
* Marius [Psychotechnic League] (1957) / short story by Poul Anderson
* Weapons in Future Warfare (1979) • essay by Roger A. Beaumont, and R. Snowden Ficks
* Scenario for the Fall of Night (1979) / short story by Roger A. Beaumont
* The Spell of War [Lord Darcy] (1978) / novelette by Randall Garrett
* Military Vehicles: Into the Third Millennium (1979) • essay by Dean Ing • interior artwork by Stephen Fabian
* The Man in the Gray Weapons Suit (1979) / short story by Paul J. Nahin
* Just an Old-Fashioned War Story (1977) / short story by Michael G. Coney
* The Private War of Private Jacob (1974) / short story by Joe Haldeman
* One Foot in the Grave: Medicine in Future Warfare (1979) • essay by Alan E. Nourse
* Shark (1973) / short story by Edward Bryant
* Training (1979) / short story by David Langford
* Final Muster (1961) / novelette by Rick Rubin

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Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Short Stories, Anthologies

391 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 1, 1979

Reviews

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

An anthology of futuristic warfare, and its immediate aftermath. Some are better than others.

[Kevin Findley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was published 30 years ago (Mar '88) and some of the stories and articles are older than that. It is surprising to see just how accurate a few of the predictions were (satellites and communication) and just how wrong so many of them were on politics (no one predicted the USSR's collapse in just three years).

If you have any interest in military fiction, history, or science fiction, you should find a copy. It is time well spent.

Find it! Read it!

[DAVID2112 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic short stories by great Sci fi writers

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an earlier "future at war" series than Pournelle's "There Will Be War." This was probably a precursor to it and an influence on that later series. It was also very good, although I've only been able to find two of the books in the series. I need to get the second volume. Good stuff by Anderson, Heinlein and many others. Recommended.

[Jay]

I have the first Ace printing August 1979, with cover art that does not match what Goodreads shows for the matching ISBN.