The Best from Galaxy, Volume 3

by Jim Baen (Editor), James Blish (Contributor), Robert Sheckley (Contributor)

Come away, for a while, to the future.
Find out what happens when . . . the entire world is in the care of a single machine--and it breaks down . . . when a task-force of extraterrestrials is trying to save Mankind--but they can't get our attention . . . when a man must choose between absolute freedom and total responsibility for the welfare of his people . . . and much, much more!

The Best from Galaxy, Volume III is, very simply, the best of the best. Hours of reading pleasure by the finest writers of science such sf luminaries as Isaac Asimov, Joe Haldeman, Ursula K. LeGuin (her Nebular-winning "The Day Before the Revolution"), Frederik Pohl, R.A. Lafferty, Robert Sheckley and many more are represented here with their finest works.

The Day Before the Revolution Ursula K. LeGuin
The Private War of Pvt. Jacob Joe Haldeman
Passages Joanna Russ
Sweet Sister, Green Brother Sydney J. Van Scyoc
Rivers of Damascus R.A. Lafferty
The Glitch James Blish and L. Jerome Stanton
Answer Came There None James White
The Splendid Freedom Arsen Darnay
End City Robert Sheckley
Opening Problem J.A. Lawrence
The Gift of Garigolli Frederik Pohl and C.M. Kornbluth
Is There Hope for the Future? Isaac Asimov

Genres: Science Fiction, Anthologies, Short Stories

219 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1975

About the author

Jim Baen was Editor-in-Chief and publisher of Baen Books, and renowned in the science fiction field for his taste and ability to select authors with strong storytelling ability and steer them to commercial success. Prior to founding of Baen Books, he was the editor of science fiction magazine Galaxy, science fiction editor of Ace Books, and an editor at Tor Books.

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

James Baen edited Galaxy Magazine for three years before he moved to book publishing at Ace and then with his self-named company. The magazine had been in something of a decline after Frederik Pohl and then Ejler Jakobsson left and the company faced a series of financial challenges. It limped along for another couple of years on an irregular schedule after Baen left, but would never again see the success it had enjoyed in the 1950's and '60's under H.L. Gold and Pohl. This volume is the first of two Best-ofs that Baen edited, and includes material first published from December, 1973 through August of 1974. It has a few good stories, but isn't a particularly memorable volume. There's a good one by Sydney J. Van Scyoc, a posthumous collaboration by Pohl and C.M. Kornbluth, a very short (we'd call it flash these days) Joanna Russ, an article by Isaac Asimov, and a few others. The best one is probably The Day Before the Revolution by Ursula K. LeGuin.

[Larry Wegman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Less than half of them were.