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What If? #2
What If? Volume 2
Contents:
"My Aunt Cora," essay by Richard A. Lupoff
"The Pi Man," short story by Alfred Bester
"The Lost Kafoozalum," novella by Pauline Ashwell
"The Sources of the Nile," novelette by Avram Davidson
"Where Is the Bird of Fire?," novella by Thomas Burnett Swann
"Stand-By," short story by Philip K. Dick
"Now Is Forever," short story by Thomas M. Disch
"All the King's Men," novelette by Barrington J. Bayley
"My Aunt Cora," essay by Richard A. Lupoff
"The Pi Man," short story by Alfred Bester
"The Lost Kafoozalum," novella by Pauline Ashwell
"The Sources of the Nile," novelette by Avram Davidson
"Where Is the Bird of Fire?," novella by Thomas Burnett Swann
"Stand-By," short story by Philip K. Dick
"Now Is Forever," short story by Thomas M. Disch
"All the King's Men," novelette by Barrington J. Bayley
239 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
19 people want to read
About the author
Richard A. Lupoff
219 books39 followersRichard Allen "Dick" Lupoff (born February 21, 1935 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American science fiction and mystery author, who has also written humor, satire, non-fiction and reviews. In addition to his two dozen novels and more than 40 short stories, he has also edited science-fantasy anthologies. He is an expert on the writing of Edgar Rice Burroughs and has an equally strong interest in H. P. Lovecraft. Before becoming a full-time writer in 1970 he worked in the computer industry.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 11, 2024
This book collects the science fiction stories that should have won awards if the process hadn't been biased. To be honest, sometimes the intros were better than the stories.
September 16, 2024
A fun read of some of the lesser known science fiction back in the early 60s.
Unsurprisingly, two of the best tales were written by Alfred Bester "The Pi Man" and Philip K. Dick "Stand-by". Stories that still work today and show why these two authors are considered legends.
My favorite, however, was "The Last Kafoozalum" by Pauline Ashwell. If the name is unfamiliar, you're not alone. According to Lupoff, Ashwell wrote only a few stories before moving on to other pastures. She gave no reason why, but Lupoff does state that Ashwell is a pseudonym. No hint that she was a more well known writer either.
What would be VERY interesting to those who like a peek behind the curtain is Lupoff's details of how the voting was conducted. It changed over a few years due to the last of the pulp magazines ceasing publication and how the Hugos eventually decided to stop accepting serialized tales for the book award until it was published in hard- or paperback.
Highly recommended for fans of sci-fi/fantasy and especially for those who want to learn more about the history of the genre.
Find it. Buy it. Read it!
Unsurprisingly, two of the best tales were written by Alfred Bester "The Pi Man" and Philip K. Dick "Stand-by". Stories that still work today and show why these two authors are considered legends.
My favorite, however, was "The Last Kafoozalum" by Pauline Ashwell. If the name is unfamiliar, you're not alone. According to Lupoff, Ashwell wrote only a few stories before moving on to other pastures. She gave no reason why, but Lupoff does state that Ashwell is a pseudonym. No hint that she was a more well known writer either.
What would be VERY interesting to those who like a peek behind the curtain is Lupoff's details of how the voting was conducted. It changed over a few years due to the last of the pulp magazines ceasing publication and how the Hugos eventually decided to stop accepting serialized tales for the book award until it was published in hard- or paperback.
Highly recommended for fans of sci-fi/fantasy and especially for those who want to learn more about the history of the genre.
Find it. Buy it. Read it!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews