The Year's Best S-F, 5th Annual Edition

The Year's Best S-F (Merril) #5

by Judith Merril (Editor), Richard M. Powers (Illustrator), Damon Knight

It contains:

9 • The Handler • (1960) • short story by Damon Knight
14 • The Other Wife • (1960) • short story by Jack Finney
30 • No Fire Burns • (1959) • short story by Avram Davidson
48 • No, No, Not Rogov! • [The Instrumentality of Mankind] • (1959) • short story by Cordwainer Smith
67 • The Shoreline at Sunset • (1959) • short story by Ray Bradbury
78 • The Dreamsman • (1959) • short story by Gordon R. Dickson
87 • Multum in Parvo • (1959) • short story by Jack Sharkey
91 • Flowers for Algernon • (1959) • novelette by Daniel Keyes
123 • "What Do You Mean ... Human?" • [Editorial (Astounding)] • (1959) • essay by John W. Campbell, Jr.
131 • Sierra Sam • (1960) • essay by Ralph Dighton
134 • A Death in the House • (1959) • novelette by Clifford D. Simak
155 • Mariana • (1960) • short story by Fritz Leiber
161 • An Inquiry Concerning the Curvature of the Earth's Surface and Divers Investigations of a Metaphysical Nature • (1958) • short story by Roger Price (1918-1990)
163 • Day at the Beach • (1959) • short story by Carol Emshwiller
174 • Hot Argument • [Poor Willie] • (1960) • poem by Randall Garrett
175 • What the Left Hand Was Doing • (1960) • novelette by Randall Garrett [as by Darrell T. Langart]
204 • The Sound Sweep • (1960) • novelette by J. G. Ballard (variant of The Sound-Sweep)
245 • Plenitude • (1959) • short story by Will Mohler [as by Will Worthington]
258 • The Man Who Lost the Sea • (1959) • short story by Theodore Sturgeon
271 • Make a Prison • (1959) • short story by Lawrence Block
275 • What Now, Little Man? • (1959) • novelette by Mark Clifton
311 • Me • (1959) • poem by Hilbert Schenck
312 • The Year's S-F, Summary and Honorable Mentions • (1960) • essay by Judith Merril (variant of The Year's S-F, Summation and Honorable Mentions (The 5th Annual of the Year's Best S-F))

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Fiction, Anthologies

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1960

About the author

Josephine Juliet Grossman

aka Cyril Judd (with C.M. Kornbluth)

Judith Josephine Grossman (Boston, Massachusetts, January 21, 1923 - Toronto, Ontario, September 12, 1997), who took the pen-name Judith Merril about 1945, was an American and then Canadian science fiction writer, editor and political activist.

Although Judith Merril's first paid writing was in other genres, in her first few years of writing published science fiction she wrote her three novels (all but the first in collaboration with C.M. Kornbluth) and some stories. Her roughly four decades in that genre also included writing 26 published short stories, and editing a similar number of anthologies.

Reviews

[Ari Pérez · Rating 3 out of 5]

[***] The Handler • (1960) • short story by Damon Knight
[***] The Other Wife • (1960) • short story by Jack Finney
[*] No Fire Burns • (1959) • short story by Avram Davidson
[***] No, No, Not Rogov! • [The Instrumentality of Mankind] • (1959) • short story by Cordwainer Smith
[***] The Shoreline at Sunset • (1959) • short story by Ray Bradbury
[***] The Dreamsman • (1959) • short story by Gordon R. Dickson
[**] Multum in Parvo • (1959) • short story by Jack Sharkey
[*****] Flowers for Algernon • (1959) • novelette by Daniel Keyes
[***] A Death in the House • (1959) • novelette by Clifford D. Simak
[****] Mariana • (1960) • short story by Fritz Leiber
[**] An Inquiry Concerning the Curvature of the Earth's Surface and Divers Investigations of a Metaphysical Nature • (1958) • short story by Roger Price
[****] Day at the Beach • (1959) • short story by Carol Emshwiller
[*] What the Left Hand Was Doing • (1960) • novelette by Randall Garrett [as by Darrell T. Langart]
[***] The Sound Sweep • (1960) • novelette by J. G. Ballard
[***] Plenitude • (1959) • short story by Will Mohler [as by Will Worthington]
[****] The Man Who Lost the Sea • (1959) • short story by Theodore Sturgeon
[*] Make a Prison • (1959) • short story by Lawrence Block
[****] What Now, Little Man? • (1959) • novelette by Mark Clifton

[Austin Beeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE 5TH ANNUAL OF THE YEAR'S BEST S-F. IS RATED 93%.
20 STORIES : 5 GREAT / 12 GOOD / 3 AVERAGE / 0 POOR / 0 DNF

This is an exceptional anthology which contains arguably the greatest Science Fiction short story and the greatest Fantasy story ever written … in the same collection! There are five great stories here and 12 good stories that range from entertaining diversions to seriously interesting. Even the average stories in this book aren’t that average. They are very short essays that might have been interesting at the time, but are forgettable today.

I strongly recommend this anthology. It is one of the best “Best of the Year” volumes I’ve come across. There is, however, a weird focus by editor Judith Merril on calling out Kingsley Amis for his criticism of science fiction in an article. Not sure what is up with that.

The Great Stories:

“The Shoreline at Sunset” by Ray Bradbury. 1959. So other work of Fantasy hits me a powerfully as Bradbury’s story of a mermaid that washes ashore and changes the lives of a few young men. Bradbury was a master of mood and emotion, showing in brief beautiful perfection of this fable.

“Flowers For Algernon” by Daniel Keyes. 1959. There may not be a more complete work of Science Fiction. This bittersweet novella tells the story of a mentally handicapped man who undergoes scientific experimentation to become more intelligent. Another near perfect story. Deeply complex characters. Exceptional and innovative prose styling. It has sometime important to say about the value of human beings and the value of science. A true masterpiece.

“A Death in the House” by Clifford D. Simak. 1959. This is Simak at his most Simak. A rural man treats a dying alien with dignity and respect, even when no one else in the world will. A tale of decency, integrity, and sacrifice. Probably a forgotten gem.

“Day At the Beach” by Carol Emshwiller. 1959. A quietly bleak tale of dystopia. It might be Saturday and in an attempt at normalcy, a family tries to spend a simple day at the beach. But nothing is normal about the state of this world. Flashes of horror amongst attempts at humanity.

“The Man Who Lost the Sea” by Theodore Sturgeon. 1959. So much style here! A young boy and a dying astronaut and the ocean and you.

***

THE 5TH ANNUAL OF THE YEAR'S BEST S-F. IS RATED 93%.
20 STORIES : 5 GREAT / 12 GOOD / 3 AVERAGE / 0 POOR / 0 DNF

“The Handler” by Damon Knight. 1960

Good. A fun little story about the ‘little people’ behind the ‘great ones.’ In Hollywood and life.

“The Other Wife” by Jack Finney. 1960

Good. Charming, but dated, fantasy about alternate worlds and alternate wives.

“No Fire Burns” by Avram Davidson. 1959.

Average. The first Davidson story that I could actually finish. Mediocre tale of physiological testing with a decent twist ending.

“No, No, Not Rogov!” by Cordwainer Smith. 1958

Good. A riveting Cold War tale of secret Soviet KGB science experiments and the people who undertook them.

“The Shoreline at Sunset” by Ray Bradbury. 1959

Great. Lives are forever changed with a mermaid washes ashore. A masterpiece of mood.

“The Dreamsman'“ by Gordon R. Dickson. 1959

Good. A man visits a young couple who has been projecting their psi-powers.

“Multum in Parvo” by Jack Sharkey. 1959

Good. Funny with lots of puns. This are ‘historical frictions.’

“Flowers For Algernon” by Daniel Keyes. 1959

Great. Told in first person journals, a mentally handicapped man has his intelligence increased by scientific experimentation. But is this a blessing or a curse?

"What Do You Mean . . . Human?" by John W. Campbell Jr.

Good. Nonfiction. Using Isaac Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics as a starting point, Campbell tries to create a mental structure by which humanity is defined. And that isn’t so easy.

“Sierra Sam” by Ralph Dighton. 1960

Average. An associated press article about man-like devices for testing.

“A Death in the House” by Clifford D. Simak. 1959

Great. A rural man discovers a dying alien and treats it with respect.

“Mariana” by Fritz Leiber. 1960

Good. A bored housewife starts flicking switches and pieces of her world start to disappear.

“An Inquiry Concerning the Curvature Of the Earth's Surface and Divers Investigations of a Metaphysical Nature” by Roger Price. 1958.

Average. A very short essay about “Flat Earthers.”

“Day At the Beach” by Carol Emshwiller. 1959

Great. A quietly chilling dystopian apocalypse tale of a mother who just wants the whole family to go to the beach.

“What the Left Hand was Doing” by Randall Garrett
(as Darrel T. Langart.). 1960

Good. A James Bond—esque story about extracting a captured scientist from a future China.

“The Sound Sweep” by J. G. Ballard. 1960

Good. A mute young man who sweeps up the sound residue of a resonating audio technology has a friendship with a washed up prima-donna who wants nothing more than to sing out loud again.

“Plentitude” by Will Worthington. 1959

Good. A family that lives in the wild is intensely affected by a trip to ‘the city’ where people have are changed in horrific ways. Intense and sharp vignette.

“The Man Who Lost the Sea” by Theodore Sturgeon. 1959

Great. A literary masterpiece of a dying astronaut and his entire life.

“Make a Prison” by Lawrence Block. 1958

Good. A peaceful society tries to build a prison for a murderer. A fun, little gimmick story.

“What Now, Little Man?” by Mark Clifton. 1959

Good. The goonies have no problem with working as human slaves and dying to be human food, but now a human is teaching them to talk and think.

[Skjam! · Rating 3 out of 5]

This 1960 book features a selection of speculative fiction short stories published during the 1958-60 time period. Editor Judith Merrill provides an introduction about the concept of wonder, chatty introductions to each story (she doesn’t think much of Kingsley Amis as a literary critic) and an ending summary (as well as a listing of “honorable mention” stories.)

The 22 stories themselves begin with Damon Knight’s “The Handler”, which is a metaphor for Hollywood phoniness, and end with “Me” by Hilbert Schenk, Jr., a humorous poem about the difference between machines and humans (which is as of now, still true.)

The absolute standout in this volume is the original novella version of “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes. Charlie Taylor, a man with developmental disabilities, volunteers for an experimental surgery that increases his intelligence. Told through Charlie’s own journal, the use of changing vocabulary, literary style and attitude is masterful. The dawning of a new intellectual world, the disappointment when Charles learns that being smart doesn’t in itself make you happier, and the sinking horror when he discovers that it’s all going away make for a powerful gut punch.

The story is also commendable for the sharply drawn minor characters, like Fanny Girden, who fears what has happened to Charlie and considers it evil, but refuses to sign a petition to fire him because discrimination is against her principles. The novel version is also excellent but contains more sexual content (sometimes published as Charly because of the Cliff Robertson movie.)

Also interesting is an editorial by John W. Campbell, Jr. titled “What Do You Mean…Human?” It asks the perennial question of what precisely the definition of “human” is, and how to explain it to something that is not human, such as an intelligent robot. The question remains open at the end, but it’s a good starting point for late night discussions.

“Mariana” by Fritz Leiber turns out to be about clinical depression, and a failed treatment program.

Mark Clifton’s “What Now, Little Man?” is a question about the nature of intelligence, and an uncomfortable look at colonialism.

“The Other Wife” by Jack Finney details how one man learned how to travel between alternate universes, and how he exploits this fact. Kind of sexist, as he doesn’t let either wife in on what’s going on, but decides for them that this is the best use of his time.

Most of the other stories are readable, but also a bit forgettable. As is common with books of this vintage, “World’s Best” means the English-speaking world at maximum, and there’s a heavy tilt towards white male protagonists. The New Wave hasn’t quite hit in this volume, although there is a hint of it in J.G. Ballard’s “The Sound Sweep” which focuses on the social effects of new acoustic technology.

Well worth looking up at your library or picking up if you see it at the used bookstore.

[Paul Bryant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best ones here : A Death in the House by Clifford Simak, Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes (unmissable) and The Handler by Damon Knight.

[Francisco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judith Merril comes back to edit the fifth in her series of Best of the Year anthologies, this time for 1959. I really like her choices but I also really like her editorial voice. Before each of the stories in the volume she gives a small introduction to the tale as well as giving a "state of the sci-fi field" address at the end of the volume. This year she is really pissed off at Kingsley Amis who apparently wrote some uninformed things about Science Fiction in the UK, so she kind of picks on him repeatedly through the volume, which is really fun to read.

The story highlights here are several, including stories by Ray Bradbury, Carol Emshwiller, Jack Finney, Theodore Sturgeon and Fritz Leiber. However there are definitely two stories which are heads and shoulders above the rest, and these are The Sound-Sweep by J. G. Ballard and the short story version of Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes. Two longish stories by supreme stylist Ballard and a really touching short by Algernon which would, in novel form become one of the most famous books in the genre. I had actually never read it, and it was really touching.

It's a pity that there are not more women writers represented, with the only one being Emshwiller with the also great Day at the Beach, somewhere on the edges of sci-fi, but Merril's view of the field is one that is certainly much wider than that of her contemporaries, making the volume diverse and always interesting. Definite recommend.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though two-thirds of the stories are so-so, I thought two were tremendous, among the best SF short stories of all-time:

- "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes
- "The Man Who Lost the Sea" by Theodore Sturgeon

and two were very impressive:

- "A Death in the House" by Clifford Simak
- "Sound Sweep" by J. G. Ballard

Below that were some 4-star stories

- "No, No, Not Rogov!" by Cordwainer Smith
- "Day at the Beach" by Carol Emshwiller
- "What Now, Little Man?" by Mark Clifton

There were two trick stories I enjoyed but they were minor but fun:

- "The Handler" by Damon Knight
- "Make a Prison" by Lawrence Block

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute gems of classic science fiction! Most of the tales here have a general feel of the classic "Twilight Zone" TV series.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quarantine Corona Diaries book 14 -

I've read Merril's Best S-F '58, '59, and '60 and so far '60 is the best. The selection of stories was good overall and Merril cut out the awful nonfiction section, which tended to make every entry a slog by the end. Her constant jabs at Kingsley Amis, who had just published his book of sf criticism New Maps of Hell, was pretty amusing as well.

Some highlights -

The Handler by Damon Knight - one night in a bar a gregarious guy everyone loves finally takes a well needed break. A very fun short short.

No Fire Burns by Avram Davidson - a business executive hires a psychologist to ferret out whether his firm has any psychopaths. Took some unexpected twists and turns.

No, No, Not Rogov! by Cordwainer Smith - Soviet super scientists work to create a remote viewing device, much like they tried to in real life. Instead of nothing, they see something quite mind-blowing. Very cool story from the perspective of the untalented hangers-on at the facility.

A Death in the House by Clifford Simak - a widower finds a surprising companion one night in a nearby forest. A sweet and heartfelt tale about loneliness.

Mariana by Fritz Leiber - a very short story about a housewife on the moon accidentally erasing her husband's cherished forest. Good stuff.

The Man Who Lost the Sea by Theodore Sturgeon - I tend to loathe stories told in the second person but it's redeemed by a dynamite ending.

What Now, Little Man? by Mark Clifton - it seems that every sf anthology I read from the fifties and sixties has to include a riff on discovering a planet of dumb alien natives. This one I felt took an unusual look at this rather tired trope. In this one humans discover a planet of vaguely humanoid aliens who are about as bright as dodos. OR ARE THEY?

I skipped reading Flowers for Algernon because, well, I've read it a few times and can only take so much bummer lit right now.

Lowlights include the John W Campbell essay, which says if there are humans there must of course mean there are SUBhumans (yuck), and not one but two "humorous" stories that have not aged well. Maybe my long neglected dream to write a story that ends in a pun is bad for everyone, including those not yet born.

[TrumanCoyote · Rating 3 out of 5]

First read: * * * *

REREADING: 1959...Has "Algernon"--and not much else that seemed tremendously compelling. Annoyingly eclectic choices by Merril (from The Times and so on) beginning to show here. Goofball Bradbury--and Sturgeon trying to sound like Bradbury ("The Man Who Lost the Sea"). Dopey story by Ballard--"The Sound Sweep"; though not particularly so for him. "The Handler" by Damon Knight a good joke.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

It includes the classic short Flowers for Algernon. That's an amazing story that hasn't lost a bit of its power.

The Fritz Leiber story, Marianna, is excellent.

'Make a prison' was a very short story, but had a good funny twist at the end.