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Category Archives: SF Anthologies
Wednesday, March, 30, 2016
THE EARLY POHL (1976) by Frederik Pohl
This time out, I'm going to take a look at a collection of very early stories by one of my favourite SF writers, who also happened to be one of the best editors in the SF industry, and one of the true titans of the SF world, Frederik Pohl. The eight stories and single poem span the years 1937-1944, and there is also a nice introduction and further introductory piece, The Early Pohl, both written by the man himself.
TITLE: THE EARLY POHL
AUTHOR: Frederik Pohl
CATEGORY: Short Fiction
SUB-CATEGORY: Single-Author Collection
FORMAT: Hardback (with dustjacket), US 1st Edition, New York, 1976, 183 pages
PUBLISHER: Doubleday & Co. Inc., New York.
Contents (8 stories, 1 poem):
Introduction by Frederik Pohl
The Early Pohl by Frederik Pohl
"Elegy to a Dead Planet: Luna", originally published as "Elegy to a Dead Satellite: Luna" under the pseudonym "Elton Andrews", (poem, Amazing, October 1937)
"The Dweller in the Ice", originally published under the pseudonym "James MacCreigh" (short story, Super Science Stories, January 1941)
"The King's Eye", originally published under the pseudonym "James MacCreigh", (short story, Astonishing Stories, February 1941)
"It's a Young World", originally published under the pseudonym "James MacCreigh", (novelette, Astonishing Stories, April 1941)
"Daughters of Eternity", originally published under the pseudonym "James MacCreigh" (short story, Astonishing Stories, March 1942)
"Earth, Farewell!", originally published under the pseudonym "James MacCreigh", (novelette, Astonishing Stories, February 1943)
"Conspiracy on Callisto", originally published under the pseudonym "James MacCreigh", (short story, Planet Stories, Winter 1943)
"Highwayman of the Void", originally published under the pseudonym "Dirk Wylie", (novelette, Planet Stories, Fall 1944)
"Double-Cross", originally published under the pseudonym "James MacCreigh", (short story, Planet Stories, Winter 1944)
Aside from the poem, "Elegy to a Dead Planet: Luna", which was Pohl's first published work, I haven't read any of these stories before. The first two Pohl stories that I did read, way back in my early and mid-teens, were also early ones from the same era as these stories, both appearing under the same "James MacCreigh" pseudonym as most of the stories in this collection.
"Wings of the Lightning Land" was a novelette which first appeared in the November 1941 edition of Astonishing Stories, and was the very first Pohl/MacCreigh story that I ever read, in the classic anthology Science Fiction: The Great Years, edited by Carol & Frederik Pohl (who else?). The other one that I read shortly afterwards was "Let the Ants Try", a short story that first appeared in the Winter 1949 edition of Planet Stories, and which I read in another SF anthology (can't remember which) back in my mid-teens. Both of these stories had a huge effect on me at that early age, and have remained firm favourites ever since I first read them over forty years ago. They are among a select group of SF stories that have stuck firmly in my mind virtually my entire life.
I'm actually very surprised that both of these stories were not included in this collection, as they're two of Pohl's best early stories from this era, and they really should've been in this book. They would've been a perfect fit for this one. Ah, well, I have them in other anthologies anyway. As I'm a big fan of Pohl's work, and I always love stories from this time period, I really should enjoy these stories. I think I'll be in for a real treat with this collection.
Posted in SF Anthologies
Tagged Amazing, Astonishing Stories, Dirk Wylie, Doubleday & Co. Inc, Elton Andrews, Frederik Pohl, James MacCreigh, Planet Stories, Super Science Stories
Thursday, November, 26, 2015
BEYOND THE BARRIERS OF SPACE AND TIME edited by Judith Merril
This time around, we have an SF anthology. This one is an oldie, from 1955, and is compiled and edited by Judith Merril, another of my favourite anthologists. This is the first Judith Merril anthology that I've featured on this blog, and most certainly won't be the last.
TITLE: BEYOND THE BARRIERS OF SPACE AND TIME
EDITED BY: Judith Merril
CATEGORY:Short Fiction
SUB-CATEGORY:Anthology
PUBLISHER: Sidgwick and Jackson, London, 1955
FORMAT: Hardback, 1st Edition, 291 pages
Introduction by Theodore Sturgeon
Preface by Judith Merril
"Wolf Pack" by Walter M. Miller, Jr. (short story, Fantastic, Sept/Oct 1953)
"No One Believed Me" by Will Thompson (Saturday Evening Post, April 24, 1948)
"Perforce to Dream" by John Wyndham (short story, Beyond Fantasy Fiction, Jan 1954)
"The Laocoon Complex" by J. C. Furnas (Esquire, April 1937)
"Crazy Joey" by Mark Clifton and Alex Apostolides (short story, Astounding Science Fiction, August 1953)
"The Golden Man" by Phillip K. Dick (novelette, If Magazine, April 1954)
"Malice Aforethought" by David Grinnell [Donald A. Wollheim] (short story, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Nov 1952)
"The Last Seance" by Agatha Christie (short story, Ghost Stories, November 1926)
"Medicine Dancer" by Bill Brown (short story, Fantasy Fiction, November 1953)
"Behold It Was a Dream" by Rhoda Broughton (Temple Bar, November 1872)
"Belief" by Isaac Asimov (novelette, Astounding Science Fiction, October 1953)
"The Veldt" by Ray Bradbury (Saturday Evening Post, September 23, 1950)
"Mr. Kincaid's Pasts" by J. J. Coupling [John R. Pierce] (short story, Fantasy & Science Fiction, August 1953)
"The Warning" by Peter Phillips (short story, Fantasy & Science Fiction, September 1953)
"The Ghost of Me" by Anthony Boucher (short story, Unknown, June 1942)
"The Wall Around the World" by Theodore R. Cogswell (novelette, Beyond Fantasy Fiction, September 1953)
"Operating Instructions" by Robert Sheckley (short story, Astounding Science Fiction, May 1953)
"Interpretation of a Dream" by John Collier (The New Yorker, May 5, 1951)
"Defense Mechanism" by Katherine MacLean (short story, Astounding Science Fiction, October 1949)
This anthology is a 1st UK Edition, published in London by Sidgwick & Jackson, old stalwarts in the SF publishing field. It features nineteen stories by a wide assortment of authors, many of them pretty obscure. There is also an Introduction by Theodore Sturgeon, a Preface by Judith Merril, and a Bibliography at the back of the book.
The Bibliography erroneously lists the Anthony Boucher story ("The Ghost of Me") as having appeared in the June 1942 edition of Astounding Science Fiction. It was the June 1942 edition of Unknown. I've done the usual with all of the stories that appeared in the SF&F magazines, giving their month and year of publication, and noting if the stories were short stories, novelettes, etc. But several of the stories were not published in the SF&F magazines, appearing instead in general mass media publications. In those instances, only the name of the magazine and the year of publication is listed.
Highlighting the stories from the regular SF&F publications of that era, there are a few familiar faces and stories, although many are also totally unfamiliar to me. There are some old favourites – Bradbury's "The Veldt", Asimov's "Belief", and Dick's "The Golden Man" (an old childhood favourite of mine). There are also a bunch of unfamiliar stories from very familiar authors – Wyndham, Miller, Boucher, Sheckley, Clifton, Cogswell, Phillips, Wollheim (as David Grinnell) and MacLean. But the other stories are by totally unknown authors (to me, anyway). The stories may have appeared in the regular SF mags, but I'm afraid I'm totally unfamiliar with them and their authors (J. J. Coupling and Bill Brown).
In among the regular SF authors and magazines from that era, there are some real oddities. As I've already mentioned, there were several totally unfamiliar stories by unfamiliar authors, originally published in mainstream non-SF publications – John Collier (The New Yorker), J. C. Furnas (Esquire) and Will Thompson (Saturday Evening Post).
There is also a story from 1926 by Agatha Christie ("The Last Seance"), which is a strange one for an SF anthology, although many pre-1960s SF&F anthologies were often a varied mix of more cross-genre types of stories. Finally, there is another oddity which was first published way back in 1873, a story by Rhoda Broughton ("Behold It Was a Dream"). Broughton was the niece of J. Sheridan Le Fanu, and an accomplished author in her own right, although regretfully now mostly forgotten. The Bibliography completely omits the listing for this story, for some reason.
A very interesting anthology, and a bit of a strange mix. Should be a good read.
Tagged Agatha Christie, Alex Apostolides, Anthony Boucher, Astounding Science Fiction, Beyond, Bill Brown, David Grinnell, Esquire, Fantastic, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Fantasy Fiction, If Magazine, Isaac Asimov, J. C. Furnas, J. J. Coupling, John Collier, John Wyndham, Judith Merril, Katherine MacLean, Mark Clifton, Peter Phillips, Philip K. Dick, Ray Bradbury, Rhoda Broughton, Robert Sheckley, Saturday Evening Post, Sidgwick and Jackson, The New Yorker, Theodore R. Cogswell, Theodore Sturgeon, Unknown, Walter M Miller Jr, Will Thompson
Monday, September, 28, 2015
6 GREAT SHORT NOVELS OF SCIENCE FICTION (1954) edited by Groff Conklin
For this post, we have an anthology, this one from 1954. It's another from one of the old dependables and one of my own personal favourite anthologists, Groff Conklin.
This anthology is a paperback, published by Dell, one of their Dell First Edition range, number D9, to be precise. It's billed as "six short novels by six masters of imaginative storytelling". One of the six is a long novella (98 pages), and the other five are all short novellas, and one long novelette, spanning 49-58 pages in length, from shortest story to longest.
TITLE: 6 GREAT SHORT NOVELS OF SCIENCE FICTION
EDITED BY: Groff Conklin
SUB-CATEGORY: Anthology
PUBLISHER: Dell First Edition, New York, 1954.
CONTENTS (6 Stories)
Introduction by Groff Conklin
"The Blast" by Stuart Cloete (novella, Collier's, April 1946)
"Coventry" by Robert A. Heinlein (novella, Astounding Science Fiction, July 1940)
"The Other World" by Murray Leinster (novella, Startling Stories, November 1949)
"Barrier" by Anthony Boucher (novella, Astounding Science Fiction, September 1942)
"Surface Tension" by James Blish (novelette, Galaxy, August 1952)
"Maturity" by Theodore Sturgeon (novella, Astounding Science Fiction, February 1947)
The first story, "The Blast", is a bit of an oddity, as it's by a writer that I've never heard of, Stuart Cloete, and it didn't even appear in one of the science fiction magazines, but rather in an April 1946 edition of Collier's, one of the big mass market, general magazines, which was published in the US between 1888 and 1957.
The other five stories are all from science fiction magazines, Astounding, Galaxy and Startling Stories, and all spanning the years 1940-1952. I'm familiar with three of them (Leinster, Boucher and Blish), and they're old favourites of mine, although it's many years since I've read any of them. The titles of the Heinlein and Sturgeon stories vaguely ring a bell for me, so I may or may not have read them at some point in distant past, but I recall absolutely nothing about them.
Quite an interesting anthology of stories. Should be fun reading this one.
Tagged Anthony Boucher, Astounding Science Fiction, Colliers, Dell, Dell First Edition, Galaxy, Groff Conklin, James Blish, Murray Leinster, Robert A. Heinlein, Startling Stories, Stuart Cloete, Theodore Sturgeon
Saturday, May, 30, 2015
CLASSIC SCIENCE FICTION – THE FIRST GOLDEN AGE edited by Terry Carr
Here is yet another SF anthology edited by one of my favourite SF anthologists, Terry Carr. It's a nice, beefy one this time, at 445 pages, with twelve stories, plus an introduction by Carr.
I know most people usually dive on into the stories first, but take may advice, and do NOT skip the Introduction. It is a fascinating, lengthy, detailed 17-page thesis by Carr, which serves as an excellent historical background to the First Golden Age of Science Fiction. This one is an absolute must for anyone, like myself, who is as much a student of the history of science fiction as I am a fan of the literature itself.
TITLE: CLASSIC SCIENCE FICTION – THE FIRST GOLDEN AGE
EDITED BY: Terry Carr
PUBLISHER: Harper & Row, New York, 1978
ISBN 10: 0-06-010634-4
ISBN 13: 9780-06-010634-8
Introduction by Terry Carr
"The Smallest God" by Lester del Rey (Astounding Science Fiction, January 1940)
"Into the Darkness" by Ross Rocklynne (Astonishing Stories, June 1940)
"Vault of the Beast" by A. E. van Vogt (Astounding Science Fiction, August 1940)
"The Mechanical Mice" by Eric Frank Russell (Astounding Science Fiction, January 1941)
"-And He Built a Crooked House-" by Robert A Heinlein (Astounding Science Fiction, February 1941)
"Microcosmic God" by Theodore Sturgeon (Astounding Science Fiction, April 1941)
"Nightfall" by Isaac Asimov (Astounding Science Fiction, September 1941)
"By His Bootstraps" by Robert A. Heinlein (Astounding Science Fiction, October 1941)
"Child of the Green Light" by Leigh Brackett (Super Science Stories, February 1942)
"Victory Unintentional" by Isaac Asimov (Super Science Stories, August 1942)
"The Twonky" by Henry Kuttner (Astounding Science Fiction, September 1942)
"Storm Warning" by Donald A. Wollheim (Future Fantasy and Science Fiction, October 1942)
Intriguingly, and in addition to the fantastic main Introduction, each of the twelve stories has its own multi-page introduction, each of which which gives detailed background information on the author and the story itself. How I wish that every anthology would do this. And then there are the twelve stories themselves. And what stories they are.
This anthology contains some of the greatest short stories from the Golden Age of Science Fiction, and I'm familiar with most, but not all, of them, as they've appeared in other anthologies or single-author collections. Just looking at the roll-call of authors, it's like a who's-who of the biggest SF names from that era. Of course, eight of the twelve stories are from Astounding Science Fiction, which is unsurprising, as it was by far the biggest SF magazine of the Golden Age.
We have two of the best of the early stories written by Isaac Asimov, as well as one of the best and probably the most famous story written by Henry Kuttner, and likewise absolute gems by Eric Frank Russell, Theodore Sturgeon and Lester del Rey. I've always been a huge fan of Leigh Brackett, and her story "Child of the Green Light" is also a cracker. Even the two stories that I was totally unfamiliar with, "Storm Warning" by Donald A. Wollheim and "Into the Darkness" by Ross Rocklynne, are excellent stories.
A. E. van Vogt's story "Vault of the Beast" easily ranks up there alongside "Black Destroyer", "The Monster" and "Dormant", as one of my all-time favourite van Vogt short tales. And the two Robert A. Heinlein short stories, "By His Bootstraps" and "-And He Built a Crooked House-", well, what superlatives can I heap upon them other than to say that they are two of the greatest SF short stories ever written?
As this is an older book, and has been out of print for a number of years, I guess anyone looking for a copy will have to haunt the second-hand/used books stores. And if you spot one, snap it up right away! This is a fantastic anthology of Golden Age SF short fiction. I enjoyed every single story, which is something that I rarely say about most anthologies, as there are usually at least one or two stories which aren't as good as the rest.
Terry Carr very rarely disappointed with his anthologies, and with this one, he came up with the goods yet again. This is an absolute gem of an anthology, and I'd recommend it without any hesitation to all fans of Golden Age SF.
Tagged A. E. van Vogt, Astonishing Stories, Astounding Science Fiction, Donald A. Wollheim, Eric Frank Russell, Future Fantasy and Science Fiction, Golden Age of Science Fiction, Henry Kuttner, Isaac Asimov, Leigh Brackett, Lester del Rey, Robert A. Heinlein, Ross Rocklynne, Super Science Stories, Terry Carr, Theodore Sturgeon
Thursday, March, 26, 2015
STORIES FOR TOMORROW (1954) edited by William Sloane
I've got an interesting anthology in front of me at the moment. Actually, I've got two different editions of it. Firstly an original US 1st Edition hardback, which I bought from a dealer on Amazon. This is an ex-library copy, and came without a dustjacket, otherwise the book itself is in excellent condition. The other edition is the UK 1st Edition hardback, complete with dustjacket (pictured here), which has slightly different contents to the US Edition.
The US edition first…
TITLE: STORIES FOR TOMORROW
EDITED BY: William Sloane
PUBLISHER: Funk & Wagnalls, US, 1954
CONTENTS LISTING:
About This Book by William Sloane
PART I: THE HUMAN HEART
"The Wilderness" by Ray Bradbury (Today, April 6th 1952, revised for Fantasy & Science Fiction, November 1952)
"Starbride" by Anthony Boucher (Thrilling Wonder Stories, December 1951)
"Second Childhood" by Clifford D. Simak (Galaxy, Feb 1951)
"Homeland" by Mari Wolf (first published as "The Statue", If Magazine, January 1953)
"Let Nothing You Dismay" by William Sloane (written for this anthology)
"A Scent of Sarsaparilla" by Ray Bradbury (Star Science Fiction Stories #1, February 1953
PART II: THERE ARE NO EASY ANSWERS
"The Exile" by Alfred Coppel (Astounding Science Fiction, October 1952)
"The Farthest Horizon" by Raymond F. Jones (Astounding Science
Fiction, April 1952)
"Noise Level" by Raymond F. Jones (Astounding Science Fiction, December 1952)
"First Contact" by Murray Leinster (Astounding Science Fiction, May 1945)
PART III: SWEAT OF THE BROW
"Franchise" by Kris Neville (Astounding Science Fiction, February 1951)
"In Value Deceived" by H. B. Fyfe (Astounding Science Fiction, November 1950)
"Okie" by James Blish (Astounding Science Fiction, April 1950)
"Black Eyes and the Daily Grind" by Milton Lesser (If Magazine, March 1952)
PART IV: DIFFERENCE WITH DISTINCTION
"Socrates" by John Christopher (Galaxy, March 1951)
"In Hiding" by Wilmar H. Shiras (Astounding Science Fiction, November 1948)
"Bettyann" by Kris Neville (reprinted from New Tales of Space & Time, edited by Raymond J. Healey, 1951)
PART V: THE TROUBLE WITH PEOPLE IS PEOPLE
"The Ant and the Eye" by Chad Oliver (Astounding Science Fiction, April 1953)
"Beep" by James Blish (Galaxy, February 1954)
"And Then There Were None" by Eric Frank RussellAstounding Science Fiction, June 1951)
"The Girls from Earth" by Frank M. Robinson (Galaxy, January 1952)
PART VI: VISITORS
"Minister Without Portfolio" by Mildred Clingerman (Fantasy & Science Fiction, Feb 1952)
"The Head-Hunters" by Ralph Williams (Astounding Science Fiction, October 1951)
"Dune Roller" by Julian May (Astounding Science Fiction, December 1951)
"Disguise" by Donald A. Wollheim (Other Worlds Science Stories, February 1953)
"The Shed" by E. Everett Evans (Avon SF&F Reader, January 1953)
PART VII: THREE EPILOGS
"The Nine Billion Names of God" by Arthur C. Clarke (Star Science Fiction Stories #1, ed. Frederik Pohl, Ballantine, 1953)
"The Forgotten Enemy" by Arthur C. Clarke (King's College Review, December 1948)
"The Answers" [also as "…And the Truth Shall Make You Free"] by Clifford D. Simak (Future, March 1953)
This is an ex-library copy, which came without a dustcover, when I bought it from a dealer on Amazon. Otherwise the book itself is in excellent condition.
There are a few stories here that I'm familiar with, either being old favourites of mine, or having vague but fond memories of them – all of the stories by Clarke, Bradbury, Simak, Russell, Leinster and Blish. The rest I've either not read at all or read so long ago that I can't remember them. Personal favourites among these are Blish's "Beep", Leinster's "First Contact", Russell's "And Then There Were None", Simak's "Second Childhood", Bradbury's "The Wilderness", Robinson's "The Girls from Earth", and both of the Clarke stories.
As I've already said, the UK 1st edition is slightly different to the US edition:
PUBLISHER: Eyre & Spottiswoode, London, 1955.
"The Wilderness" by Ray Bradbury
"Starbride" by Anthony Boucher
"Homeland" by Mari Wolf
"Let Nothing You Dismay" by William Sloane
"A Scent of Sarsaparilla" by Ray Bradbury
"Noise Level" by Raymond F. Jones
"First Contact" by Murray Leinster
"Franchise" by Kris Neville
"In Value Deceived" by H. B. Fyfe
"Black Eyes and the Daily Grind" by Milton Lesser
"Socrates" by John Christopher
"In Hiding" by Wilmar H. Shiras
"Bettyann" by Kris Neville
"The Ant and the Eye" by Chad Oliver
"Beep" by James Blish
"And Then There Were None" by Eric Frank Russell
"The Girls from Earth" by Frank M. Robinson
"Minister Without Portfolio" by Mildred Clingerman
"The Head-Hunters" by Ralph Williams
"The Nine Billion Names of God" by Arthur C. Clarke
"The Forgotten Enemy" by Arthur C. Clarke
"The Answers" by Clifford D. Simak
As with many anthologies from that period, a number of the stories have been cut from the UK edition that were in the original US edition. There are seven fewer stories, and the UK edition is 152 pages shorter. My UK edition also has a nice dustjacket, although the one on my copy is a bit on the tatty side.
Overall, another very interesting anthology. I'm looking forward to working my way through this one.
Tagged Alfred Coppel, Anthony Boucher, Arthur C. Clarke, Astounding Science Fiction, Avon SF&F Reader, Chad Oliver, Clifford D. Simak, Donald A. Wollheim, E. Everett Evans, Eric Frank Russell, Eyre & Spottiswoode, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Frank M. Robinson, Funk & Wagnalls, Future, Galaxy, H. B. Fyfe, If Magazine, James Blish, John Christopher, Julian May, King's College Review, Kris Neville, Mari Wolf, Mildred Clingerman, Milton Lesser, Murray Leinster, Other Worlds Science Stories, Ralph Williams, Ray Bradbury, Raymond F. Jones, Raymond J. Healey, Star Science Fiction Stories, Thrilling Wonder Stories, William Sloane, Wilmar H. Shiras
Wednesday, December, 31, 2014
BUG-EYED MONSTERS edited by Anthony Cheetham
This is a nice little anthology, containing ten stories (more accurately NINE stories and one radio play adaptation) spanning thirty years 1938-1968. It is edited by Anthony Cheetham, with whom I am totally unfamiliar.
TITLE: BUG-EYED MONSTERS
EDITED BY: Anthony Cheetham
PUBLISHER: Sidgwick & Jackson, London, 1972.
ISBN: 0 283 97864 3
Introduction by Anthony Cheetham
"Invasion from Mars" by Howard Koch (with Orson Welles) – 1938 radio adaptation of War of the Worlds, CBS, October 30, 1938
"Not Only Dead Men" by A. E. Van Vogt (1942) (Astounding Science Fiction, November 1942)
"Arena" by Fredric Brown (1944) (Astounding Science Fiction, June 1944)
"Surface Tension" by James Blish (Galaxy, August 1952)
"The Deserter" by William Tenn (1953) (reprinted from Star Science Fiction Stories, edited by Frederik Pohl, Ballantine, February 1953)
"Mother" by Philip José Farmer (1953) (Thrilling Wonder Stories, April 1953)
"Stranger Station" by Damon Knight (1956) (Fantasy & Science Fiction, December 1956)
"Greenslaves" by Frank Herbert (1965) (Amazing Stories, March 1965)
"Balanced Ecology" by James H. Schmitz (1967) (Analog, March 1965)
"The Dance of the Changer & Three" by Terry Carr (1968) (reprinted from The Farthest Reaches, edited by Joseph Elder, Trident 1968)
According to Cheetham's interesting little introduction, the title of the book is a gentle, fun jibe at the old, stereotypical "bug-eyed monster" of the pulps. However the ten stories in the anthology are of an altogether higher quality than those old yarns in the pulps, almost a "rehabilitation" of the old bug-eyed monster.
There's quite a mix in this anthology. We start off with one which is very apt, given the title of the anthology. Howard Koch's (and Orson Welles's) classic 1938 radio adaptation of H. G. Wells's seminal 1898 interplanetary invasion novel War of the Worlds. It first appeared in book form in the anthology Invasion from Mars), edited by Orson Welles (Dell, 1949). The Martian invaders are probably the original archetype for all the B.E.M.s that came afterwards, so this one is as good a place to start as any. I've read it before in a number of publications, and it's always nice to revisit it.
As for the other nine stories, as usual, there are a few that I'm familiar with, and a few that I'm not. Fredric Brown's classic Arena and James Blish's Surface Tension are the two that I remember best. Both have always been favourites of mine. Frank Herbert's Greenslaves is another one that I recall liking, although my memory is a bit fuzzier on the details of that one. I have very vague memories about encountering the Van Vogt, Knight, Tenn and Carr stories at some point in the distant past, but don't recall anything about them except the briefest details. I don't recall ever reading either the Farmer or Schmitz stories before.
I may not know (or recall) a few of the stories, but with the exception of Koch, the other nine authors in the anthology are all VERY familiar to me. No obscure writers here, although I must admit that I'm much more familiar with Terry Carr as one of my favourite anthologists, rather than as an author. Overall, this looks like a good one. With those names in it, how could it not be? I think I'm going to really enjoy reading BUG-EYED MONSTERS. 🙂
Tagged A. E. van Vogt, Amazing Stories, Analog, Anthony Cheetham, Astounding Science Fiction, Ballantine, Damon Knight, Fantasy & Science Fiction, Frank Herbert, Frederik Pohl, Fredric Brown, Galaxy, H. G. Wells, Howard Koch, James Blish, James H. Schmitz, Joseph Elder, Orson Welles, Philip José Farmer, Sidgwick & Jackson, Star Science Fiction Stories, Terry Carr, Thrilling Wonder Stories, Trident, William Tenn
Sunday, November, 30, 2014
POSSIBLE WORLDS OF SCIENCE FICTION edited by Groff Conklin
This is an interesting anthology, edited by one of the great classic SF anthologists, and another of my favourites, Groff Conklin.
TITLE: POSSIBLE WORLDS OF SCIENCE FICTION
CATEGORY: Anthology
SUB-CATEGORY: Short Fiction
PUBLISHER: Grayson & Grayson, Ltd, London, 1952.
PART ONE: THE SOLAR SYSTEM
"Operation Pumice" by Raymond Z. Gallun (Thrilling Wonder Stories, April 1949)
"Enchanted Village" by A. E. Van Vogt (Other Worlds Science Stories, July 1950)
"Lilies of Life" by Malcolm Jameson (Astounding Science Fiction, January 1945)
"Asleep in Armageddon" by Ray Bradbury (Planet Stories, Winter 1948)
"Not Final!" by Isaac Asimov (Astounding Science Fiction, October 1941)
"Moon of Delirium" by D. L. James (Astounding Science Fiction, January 1940)
"The Pillows" by Margaret St. Clair (Thrilling Wonder Stories, June 1950)
PART TWO: THE GALAXY
"Propagandist" by Murray Leinster (Astounding Science Fiction, October 1947)
"Hard-Luck Diggings" by Jack Vance (Startling Stories, July 1948)
"Space Rating" by John Berryman (Astounding Science Fiction, October 1939)
"Limiting Factor" by Clifford D. Simak (Startling Stories, November 1949)
"Exit Line" by Samuel Merwin, Jr. (Startling Stories, September 1948)
"The Helping Hand" by Poul Anderson (Astounding Science Fiction, May 1950)
The theme of this anthology is "Possible Worlds", mankind's possible future exploration of space, and the worlds and lifeforms he might encounter "out there". The book is divided into two sections. The first, containing seven stories, deals with possible worlds within the solar system. The second section, comprised of six stories, takes us out to encounter worlds and life out in the galaxy.
There are quite a few familiar names here from the many anthologies I've collected over the years. Anderson, Asimov, Vance, Simak, Van Vogt, Leinster, Bradbury and Gallun. The others – Merwin, St. Clair, Jameson, Berryman and James – aren't familiar to me at all. I either don't know them at all, or have met them so infrequently that they don't register in my fading memory. As for the stories, however, only the Van Vogt, Asimov, Bradbury and Leinster ring a bell. I don't recall the others at all. Maybe I've read some or all of them at some point in the distant past, but I just don't remember them. So it should be fun making my way through this anthology, given that I really love vintage SF from this era.
We've got thirteen stories in all, the oldest from 1939, the newest from 1950. They are culled from a range of SF magazines from that period – unsurprisingly there's a large contingent (six stories) from Astounding, and the rest are spread around Startling Stories (three stories), Thrilling Wonder Stories (two stories), and one story each from Planet Stories and Other Worlds Science Stories.
I've had this anthology in my collection for many years, but I don't think I've ever actually read it. As I have a rather huge collection of many thousands of SF books, it's not exactly on its lonesome there – so many books to read, not enough years left in my life to read 'em all. But at least this one has moved to the top of the list and will not remain unread before I shuffle off this mortal coil. 🙂
Tagged A. E. van Vogt, Astounding Science Fiction, Clifford D. Simak, D. L. James, Grayson & Grayson Ltd, Groff Conklin, Isaac Asimov, Jack Vance, John Berryman, Malcolm Jameson, Margaret St. Clair, Murray Leinster, Other Worlds Science Stories, Planet Stories, Poul Anderson, Ray Bradbury, Raymond Z. Gallun, Samuel Merwin Jr, Startling Stories, Thrilling Wonder Stories
Wednesday, August, 27, 2014
A SENSE OF WONDER edited by Sam Moskowitz
At only 197 pages long, A SENSE OF WONDER is quite a short anthology. But it's also an old favourite of mine.
TITLE: A SENSE OF WONDER
EDITED BY: Sam Moskowitz
PUBLISHER: Sidgwick & Jackson, London, 1967. Originally published in the US in 1967 by Doubleday and Company, Inc. under the title THREE STORIES.
Introduction by Sam Moskowitz
"Exiles on Asperus" by John Wyndham [as by John Beynon Harris] (Wonder Stories Quarterly, Winter 1933)
"The Mole Pirate" by Murray Leinster (Astounding Science Fiction, November 1935)
"The Moon Era" by Jack Williamson (Wonder Stories, February 1932)
The edition that I have is the 1967 UK 1st edition hardback, in excellent condition, and complete with pristine condition dustjacket. It was published back in 1967 by good old UK SF reliables, Sidgwick & Jackson. The US 1st edition had been published earlier the same year by Doubleday and Company, Inc. under the much more bland title THREE STORIES.
The anthology is edited by SF legend Sam Moskowitz, contains only three stories, all novellas, and an introduction by Moskowitz himself. Whilst there are only three (pretty long, admittedly) stories in this anthology, the introduction by Moskowitz is also a fascinating read in itself. I often find a really good introduction to a book to be just as interesting as the stories themselves. And this one, though relatively short, at only three pages, is definitely interesting.
According to Moskowitz's introduction, this 1967 anthology marked the first time that any of these three stories had appeared since their original publication in the SF "pulps", back in the early-to-mid 1930's. So we have Moskowitz to thank for rescuing these three old gems from the depths of literary obscurity, although it must be pointed out that this anthology is forty-seven years old, and is in itself a forgotten gem by today's standards. It's scary to think that the publication date of the book is actually closer to the original first appearances of the stories in those ancient SF magazines than it is to the present day.
The first of the three novellas is "Exiles on Asperus" by John Wyndham, which was first published in the Winter 1933 edition of Wonder Stories Quarterly. It was written under his real name, John Beynon Harris. It's a long time since I've read any Wyndham, and I don't recall ever reading this one before.
The second story is "The Mole Pirate" by Murray Leinster, which first appeared in the November 1935 edition of Astounding Science Fiction. I'm familiar with this one only by reputation, as I've never read it. I haven't read any Murray Leinster in a long time, but I just recently bought the two volumes of Murray Leinster Wildside Press Megapacks on Amazon, so I reckon it's well past time for me to reacquaint myself with the old master.
The third and final story is "The Moon Era" by Jack Williamson, which was first published in the February 1932 edition of Wonder Stories. I remember reading this one as a teenager (in an old paperback edition of A SENSE OF WONDER, no less), and it has always remained a favourite of mine, one of those stories that still sticks in your mind thirty-five or forty years after you first read it.
Despite being written in 1931, this is essentially an updated nineteenth century "scientific romance" in the style of H. G. Wells, which is no bad thing in my book. And we all know that Jack Williamson was a huge fan of Wells and the other scientific romance authors, with the Wells influences showing through very heavily in a lot of his early writing. Since I absolutely love scientific romances (that's how I started off reading SF in the first place, with H. G. Wells and Jules Verne), this story was already a winner from the first time I laid eyes on it.
I'm looking forward to reading this anthology again. It's been many years since I read "The Moon Era", and I'm itching to re-read it. As far as I recall, back when I read A SENSE OF WONDER all those years ago, I just read "The Moon Era" over and over again (I was really obsessed with it as a teenager), and didn't even bother with the other two stories. So it'll also be nice to actually read "Exiles on Asperus" and "The Mole Pirate" for the first time, as I don't recall ever reading either of them before, despite having this anthology on my bookshelves for many years.
Tagged Astounding Science Fiction, Doubleday & Co. Inc, H. G. Wells, Jack Williamson, John Wyndham, Jules Verne, Megapacks, Murray Leinster, Sam Moskowitz, Sidgwick & Jackson, Wildside Press, Wonder Stories, Wonder Stories Quarterly
Sunday, July, 27, 2014
SCIENCE FICTION edited by S. H. Burton
TITLE: SCIENCE FICTION
EDITED BY: S. H. Burton
PUBLISHER: Longman, The Heritage of Literature Series, London, 1967.
Introduction by S. H. Burton
"Requiem" by Robert A. Heinlein (Astounding Science Fiction, January 1940)
"A Present from Joe" by Eric Frank Russell (Astounding Science Fiction, February 1949)
"Dark They Were and Golden-Eyed" by Ray Bradbury (Thrilling Wonder Stories, August 1949, as "The Naming of Names")
"Protected Species" by H. B. Fyfe (Astounding Science Fiction, March 1951)
"The New Wine" by John Christopher (Fantastic Story Magazine, Summer 1954)
"The Windows of Heaven" by John Brunner (New Worlds, May 1956, as "Two by Two")
"Youth" by Isaac Asimov (Space Science Fiction, May 1952)
"The Star" by Arthur C. Clarke (Infinity Science Fiction, November 1955)
This is an unusual little book, a very small hardcover, only the size of a paperback. It's also interesting in that it was published as part of Longmans' prestige "The Heritage of Literature Series", rather than as a commercial SF paperback or hardback. This series seems to be more of an academic line, covering not only science fiction, but detective fiction and general short fiction. Very interesting.
It's a fairly short anthology, and there are a few classic, well-known stories by big name authors, which have seen publication previously in many anthologies and single-author collections – Heinlein's "Requiem", Bradbury's "Dark They Were and Golden-Eyed", Asimov's "Nightfall" and Clarke's "The Star". It's always nice to re-read these excellent stories, especially if you haven't read them for a while.
There are also several stories, by familiar authors, which are not so well known – Asimov's "Youth", Russell's "A Present from Joe", Brunner's "The Windows of Heaven" and Christopher's "The New Wine". And finally, there is also a story by an author with whom I'm totally unfamiliar, although I have seen his name in old magazine listings – H. B. Fyfe's "Protected Species". I haven't read this one (or anything by this author) before.
I've started reading this anthology with the least familiar, so right now I'm part way through Fyfe's "Protected Species", which is quite a good story, at least so far. It'll be interesting to see where it leads. After that, I'll move onto the other stories that I haven't read before, although the author's ARE familiar to me – Russell, Brunner and Christopher. And I'll finally finish off by re-reading the biggies from Clarke, Asimov, Heinlein and Bradbury.
As this anthology is short, it shouldn't take me very long to finish it. I'm off to read the rest of "Protected Species"…
Tagged Arthur C. Clarke, Astounding Science Fiction, Eric Frank Russell, Fantastic Story Magazine, H. B. Fyfe, Infinity Science Fiction, Isaac Asimov, John Brunner, John Christopher, Longmans, New Worlds, Ray Bradbury, Robert A. Heinlein, S. H. Burton, Space Science Fiction, Thrilling Wonder Stories
Friday, June, 27, 2014
THE GREAT SF STORIES VOL. 1 (1939) edited by Isaac Asimov and Martin H. Greenberg
TITLE: ISAAC ASIMOV PRESENTS THE GREAT SF STORIES VOL. 1 (1939)
EDITED BY: Isaac Asimov and Martin H. Greenberg
PUBLISHER: DAW Books, New York, 1st Printing, March 1979.
Those are the various general details, and here's a listing of the contents:
Introduction by Isaac Asimov
"I, Robot" by Eando Binder (Amazing Stories, January 1939)
"The Strange Flight of Richard Clayton" by Robert Bloch (Amazing Stories, March 1939)
"Trouble with Water" by H. L. Gold (Unknown, March 1939)
"Cloak of Aesir" by Don A. Stuart (John W. Campbell, Jr.) (Astounding Science Fiction, March 1939)
"The Day is Done" by Lester Del Rey (Astounding Science Fiction, May 1939)
"The Ultimate Catalyst" by John Taine (Thrilling Wonder Stories, June 1939)
"The Gnarly Man" by L. Sprague De Camp (Unknown, June 1939)
"Black Destroyer" by A. E. Van Vogt (Astounding Science Fiction, July 1939)
"Greater Than Gods" by C. L. Moore (Astounding Science Fiction, July 1939)
"Trends" by Isaac Asimov (Astounding Science Fiction, July 1939)
"The Blue Giraffe" by L. Sprague De Camp (Astounding Science Fiction, August 1939)
"The Misguided Halo" by Henry Kuttner (Unknown, August 1939)
"Heavy Planet" by Milton A. Rothman (Astounding Science Fiction, August 1939)
"Life-Line" by Robert A. Heinlein (Astounding Science Fiction, August 1939)
"Ether Breather" by Theodore Sturgeon (Astounding Science Fiction, September 1939)
"Pilgrimage" by Nelson Bond (Amazing Stories, October 1939)
"Rust" by Joseph E. Kelleam (Astounding Science Fiction, October 1939)
"The Four-Sided Triangle" by William F. Temple (Amazing Stories, November 1939)
"Star Bright" by Jack Williamson (Argosy, November 1939)
"Misfit" by Robert A. Heinlein (Astounding Science Fiction, November 1939)
This is a real gem of an anthology, and what a year 1939 was! It's hard to know where to start with this lot, but it would probably be with the three that really stand out for me, Van Vogt's "Black Destroyer", John W. Campbell's (under his "Don A. Stuart" pseudonym) "Cloak of Aesir" and Milton A. Rothman's "Heavy Planet", which are all stories that impacted greatly on me when I first started reading short SF way back in my early teens.
But there are also so many other good stories here, in particular C. L. Moore's "Greater Than Gods", Jack Williamson's "Star Bright", Lester Del Rey's "The Day is Done", Eando Binder's "I, Robot", Isaac Asimov's "Trends", and the two Robert A. Heinlein stories "Life-Line" and "Misfit". Most of the others I can't really remember, as I read them so long ago, and there are a few that I don't think I've actually read before.
I'm really looking forward to reading (or is that re-reading?) Henry Kuttner's "The Misguided Halo" (I'm a big fan of his), Theodore Sturgeon's "Ether Breather" (likewise a big fan of his), Robert Bloch's "The Strange Flight of Richard Clayton" and the two L. Sprague De Camp stories "The Gnarly Man" and "The Blue Giraffe". All big names that I've enjoyed reading before.
This book was the first in a very long series, and Isaac Asimov Presents the Great SF Stories, Volumes 1-25, was one of the greatest ever series of science fiction anthologies. Published by DAW Books, the twenty-five volumes each covered a single year, and the entire series spanned the years 1939-1964.
The first twelve of these volumes were also later repackaged in a series of hardcovers, Isaac Asimov Presents the Golden Years of Science Fiction. There were six volumes in total of that one, First Series-Sixth Series, each one containing two of the original paperback volumes. For some reason (I've never found out why), this series of hardcovers stopped at the half-way mark, and the remaining thirteen volumes of the paperbacks were never collected in hardback. Pity. Those hardbacks were really nice, and I'm fortunate enough to have all six of them.
The twenty-five volume paperback set is a different matter. I only started to collect those several months ago, and so far I only have nine of them, although I continue to pick up the odd one here and there, with the intention of collecting the entire series, eventually. The books in this series are also quite expensive and hard to find, and most of the copies that I've seen are from US sellers, so the shipping charges to the UK and Ireland are also very expensive. I've often seen costs totalling up to $50 on Ebay for one of these paperbacks inclusive of shipping, as some of the US sellers charge ridiculously and inexcusably high transatlantic shipping charges. It's much better if you can find them on Amazon UK, as they only charge £2.80 shipping from all Amazon sellers, even those in the US.
Anyways, nine down, sixteen to go. Oboy! I guess it's time to get the credit card out and start buying a few more of these books…
Tagged A. E. van Vogt, Amazing Stories, Argosy, Astounding Science Fiction, C. L. Moore, DAW Books, Don A. Stuart, Eando Binder, H. L. Gold, Henry Kuttner, Isaac Asimov, Jack Williamson, John Taine, John W. Campbell Jr, Joseph E. Kelleam, L. Sprague de Camp, Lester del Rey, Martin H. Greenberg, Milton A. Rothman, Nelson S. Bond, Robert A. Heinlein, Robert Bloch, Theodore Sturgeon, Thrilling Wonder Stories, Unknown, William F. Temple
SCIENCE FICTION OF THE THIRTIES edited by Damon Knight
TITLE: SCIENCE FICTION OF THE THIRTIES
EDITED BY: Damon Knight
PUBLISHER: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc., Indianapolis/New York, 1975
Foreword by Damon Knight
"Out Around Rigel" by Robert H. Wilson (1931)
"The Fifth-Dimension Catapult" by Murray Leinster (1931)
"Into the Meteorite Orbit" by Frank K. Kelly (1933)
"The Battery of Hate" by John W. Campbell, Jr. (1933)
"The Wall" by Howard W. Graham, Ph.D. (1934)
"The Lost Language" by David H. Keller, M.D. (1934)
"The Last Men" by Frank Belknap Long, Jr. (1934)
"The Other" by Howard W. Graham, Ph.D. (1934)
"The Mad Moon" by Stanley G. Weinbaum (1935)
"Davey Jones' Ambassador" by Raymond Z. Gallun (1935)
"Alas, All Thinking" by Harry Bates (1935)
"The Time Decelerator" by A. Macfadyen, Jr. (1936)
"The Council of Drones" by W. K. Sonnemann (1936)
"Seeker of Tomorrow" by Eric Frank Russell and Leslie T. Johnson (1937)
"Hyperpilosity" by L. Sprague de Camp (1938)
"Pithecanthropus Rejectus" by Manly W. Wellman (1938)
"The Merman" by L. Sprague de Camp (1938)
"The Day is Done" by Lester del Rey (1939)
What SF Master Damon Knight has done for Science Fiction of the Thirties is to plough his way through hundreds of classic "pulps" from the 30's, mining them for a few of the forgotten gems from that era, and picking out the best of them for this anthology. He has reappraised the best of the tales from the 1930s SF magazines, with the added condition that his choices are stories which have rarely, some of them never, been published before in SF anthologies. And it's a real thrill to read these stories, particularly for a jaded old fan like me who thought he'd read all the good old stuff worth reading.
Reading the short but fascinating Foreword to this anthology, we come to understand that Knight had been a life-long critic of the stories in the pulps, but had undergone a recent change of heart. Sturgeon's Law ("Ninety Percent of Everything is Crud") applies to the pulps just as much as it does to everything else, and it is the ten percent of stories which are not crud which make it worth persevering, and wading through the crap, to find the diamonds in the rough. And these stories are all good 'uns. Damon Knight, former unrelenting critic of the "pulps", is a hard taskmaster, and his standards are VERY high.
So, given that I've read a LOT of vintage SF, how has he done? The good news is that I'm totally unfamiliar with at least six of the authors in this anthology. The rest of them are names that I know, but the real surprise is that I have never read most of these stories before. I'm familiar with only THREE out of the eighteen stories – Weinbaum's "The Mad Moon", Campbell's "The Battery of Hate" and Bates' "Alas, All Thinking" (all of which I read many, many years ago) – which is a pretty amazing strike rate for Knight and the stories that he has chosen here. He has really come up with the goods, producing an anthology of stories that few SF readers will have seen before.
Most modern SF anthologies showcasing stories from "the old days" have long since started to reprint the same classic stories over and over again, so an avid SF fan would very likely have read most of them before. As good as many classic SF stories are, it becomes a bit tiring and disheartening to see them in every other anthology – "The Cold Equations" and "It's a Good Life" are two examples of classic SF stories that come to mind. I have these two in so many old anthologies that I could scream every time I see them in yet another. I love these stories to bits, but too much of a good thing, etc…
Which raises the question: if Damon Knight could find these forgotten gems, surely there are many, many more in those SF magazines, just waiting for some adventurous researcher and editor to find them? And now that Damon has sadly passed on from us, to that great everlasting Science Fiction Convention in the Sky, who is willing to step into his giant shoes and continue to unearth these hidden treasures of the past? Or do hardcore fans like me have to continue ponying up exorbitant amounts of money for the old SF magazines or rare, out-of-print anthologies from the dim and distant past, in order to unearth more forgotten SF gems?
SF editors need to start using a bit of imagination and initiative, as in "Great story, but it's been published a zillion times before. How's about something that hasn't been published before?". I know that great editors of the past (and present) have produced many excellent anthologies of vintage SF. Editors like Groff Conklin, Terry Carr, Isaac Asimov, Martin H. Greenberg, Gardner Dozois, Brian W. Aldiss, Mike Ashley, and many others have produced some amazing anthologies over the years. But many of the classic editors/anthologists have now sadly passed on, and we have a dire need for newer editors to come forward and take up the gauntlet, to continue the great work that Damon Knight and the other great editors of the past have done to unearth the forgotten SF treasures of the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. Sure, I'd be the first to say that we need new authors producing great new SF. But we should also never, EVER forget the old masters.
So what's my verdict of Science Fiction of the Thirties? Overall, I think this is an excellent anthology. Taking into account that these are NOT modern literary SF masterpieces, and that the stories are 1930s pulp SF tales, churned out at a few cents per word, it's amazing that ANY of them were any good. But some were real beauts. Even for as low grade a market as the "pulps", many talented writers took extreme pride and joy in their work, and went way beyond the line of duty, producing something much more than the miserly word rates they were being paid could ever merit. Damon Knight has uncovered a few of those forgotten gems for us and put them together in this very nice anthology. For someone like myself, who is a huge fan of finding good old SF stories that I haven't read before, this type of book is just right up my alley.
I wish there were a few more volumes of anthologies containing similarly rare old SF magazine stories out there. Here's hoping that someone will continue on with the good work of finding classic stories from the "pulps" that we haven't read before. I, for one, will be eagerly watching out for more.
Tagged A. Macfadyen Jr, Brian Aldiss, David H. Keller, Eric Frank Russell, Frank Belknap Long, Frank K. Kelly, Gardner Dozois, Groff Conklin, Harry Bates, Howard W. Graham, Isaac Asimov, John W. Campbell Jr, L. Sprague de Camp, Leslie T. Johnson, Lester del Rey, Manly Wade Wellman, Martin H. Greenberg, Mike Ashley, Murray Leinster, Raymond Z. Gallun, Robert H. Wilson, Stanley G. Weinbaum, Terry Carr, The Bobbs-Merrill Company Inc, W. K. Sonnemann
Wednesday, April, 23, 2014
PLANETS OF WONDER edited by Terry Carr
TITLE: PLANETS OF WONDER – A TREASURY OF SPACE OPERA
PUBLISHER: Thomas Nelson Inc., Nashville, Tennessee, 1976
FORMAT: Hardback, 1st Edition, 189 pages, ISBN: 0-8407-6526-6
"Dust of Gods" by C. L. Moore (Weird Tales, August 1934)
"We Guard the Black Planet!" by Henry Kuttner (Super Science Stories, November 1942)
"The Veil of Astellar" by Leigh Brackett (Thrilling Wonder Stories, Spring 1944)
"Kingdoms of the Stars" by Edmond Hamilton (Amazing Stories, September 1964)
This is one of my favourite SF anthologies, edited by one of the best anthologists out there, Terry Carr. It's also a pretty short one, at only 189 pages, with only four stories, but what stories they are.
What we have here are four of the genuine Classic Space Opera adventures from days gone by, one from the 1930s, two from the 1940s and one from the 1960s. Even more importantly, all of these stories were authored by four of the greatest proponents of that sub-genre of SF, Henry Kuttner, C. L. Moore, Leigh Brackett and Edmond Hamilton. These two great husband and wife author teams of the Thirties and Forties, are among my favourite SF writers of that era, and I'll read pretty much anything written by the four of them. Kuttner, Moore and Brackett, in particular, are three of my favourite SF authors ever.
This is a gem of an anthology, with four great stories and an excellent introduction by Terry Car. I reckon that it's been out of print for many years, but it would be well worth tracking down in used book stores. I wish that far more old anthologies like this would again be made available in electronic format for the Kindle, Nook and various other eReader devices out there, For the enjoyment of newer generations of SF readers, who have never seen these old classics before.
Poor kids. They don't know what they're missing!
Tagged Amazing Stories, C. L. Moore, Classic Space Opera, Edmond Hamilton, Henry Kuttner, Leigh Brackett, Super Science Stories, Terry Carr, Thomas Nelson Inc., Thrilling Wonder Stories, Weird Tales
Saturday, March, 22, 2014
BEACHHEADS IN SPACE edited by August Derleth
TITLE: BEACHHEADS IN SPACE
EDITED BY: August Derleth
PUBLISHER: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London, 1954 (Originally published in the US in 1952 by Pellegrini & Cudahy).
That's the various general details, here's a listing of the contents:
"Beachhead" by Clifford D. Simak (1951)
"The Years Draw Nigh" by Lester del Rey (1951)
"Metamorphosite" by Eric Frank Russell (1946)
"Breeds There a Man…?" by Isaac Asimov (1951)
"And the Walls Came Tumbling Down" by John Wyndham (1951)
"The Blinding Shadows" by Donald Wandrei (1934)
"The Metamorphosis of Earth" by Clark Ashton Smith (1951)
This is an interesting old anthology, edited by another of my favourite SF anthologists, August Derleth. The theme of this anthology, according to the book's jacket blurb, is "invasion from another world, or counter-attack from Earth against the planets".
I haven't read this one in many years, maybe twenty-five years or more, but I remember that it was a favourite of mine way back in the day, and it still has a special place on my bookshelves. Obviously my memories of the individual stories are vague after all this time, and I don't remember all of them clearly, and a couple of them not at all. But the ones that I do recall really liking are Clifford D. Simak's very clever short story "Beachhead" (AKA "You'll Never Go Home Again!", first published in Fantastic Adventures, July 1951), Eric Frank Russell's excellent novella "Metamorphosite", (from Astounding, December 1946), and Clark Ashton Smith's scary and unusual alien invasion SF/Horror novelette "The Metamorphosis of Earth" (Weird Tales, September 1951).
I also remember liking Lester del Rey's "The Years Draw Nigh" and Isaac Asimov's "Breeds There a Man…?", although for some reason I remember a lot less about them than I do about the Russell, Simak and Smith stories. I don't recall anything at all about the Wyndham and Wandrei stories. I'm surprised about not remembering the Wyndham story, as I'm usually a big fan of his writing.
But as good as my recollections are of the Simak and Smith stories, the stand-out story for me in this anthology has always been Eric Frank Russell's classic "Metamorphosite", which I recall having a huge impact on me back when I was a young guy in my twenties. I don't think this story is in any of my other anthologies (and I have zillions of the darned things!), so I reckon it hasn't been reprinted very often. It's far, far too many years since I last read it, and indeed this entire anthology, so it's long overdue for a re-read. I've already started on the Simak story, and, so far, it's at least as good as I remember it, if not better. If the rest of the stories hold up as well as this one is doing, I'm going to really enjoy reading this anthology again.
Please take note that this is the 1954 UK edition, which is different from the original 1952 US hardcover edition, published by Pellegrini & Cudahy. Apparently all editions aside from the original hardcover edition have been "butchered" in some way, missing stories, etc. This UK edition is missing the Introduction and seven of the stories from the US edition. Also note that John Wyndham has two stories in the original US edition, one under his usual John Wyndham pseudonym, and the other as John Benyon.
Here is the full Contents Listing of the original 1952 US edition:
Introduction by August Derleth
"The Star" by David H. Keller, M.D.
"The Man from Outside" by Jack Williamson
"Beachhead" by Clifford D. Simak
"The Years Draw Nigh" by Lester del Rey
"Metamorphosite" by Eric Frank Russell
"The Ordeal of Professor Klein" by L. Sprague de Camp
"Repetition" by A. E. van Vogt
"Breeds There a Man…?" by Isaac Asimov
"Meteor" by John Beynon
"And the Walls Came Tumbling Down" by John Wyndham
"Blinding Shadows" by Donald Wandrei
"The Metamorphosis of Earth" by Clark Ashton Smith
"The Ambassadors from Venus" by Kendell F. Crossen
"To People a New World" by Nelson S. Bond
For lovers of old-style, classic SF short fiction, this anthology would be right up their alley. If you can actually find it, that is. As it's such an old book, it's obviously long out of print, and you'll have to hunt through used book stores to find this anthology. But it'll be well worth the trouble it takes to find it, as are any other anthologies edited by August Derleth.
After all these years, I think I'll actually make a major effort to get off my butt and track down the longer original US hardcover edition, which I didn't even realize was different/longer until I recently read the Wikipedia entry on the anthology.
Highly recommended, particularly the original US hardcover edition.
Tagged A. E. van Vogt, Astounding Science Fiction, August Derleth, Clark Ashton Smith, Clifford D. Simak, David H. Keller, Donald Wandrei, Eric Frank Russell, Fantastic Adventures, Interplanetary Invasion, Isaac Asimov, Jack Williamson, John Wyndham, Kendell F. Crossen, L. Sprague de Camp, Lester del Rey, Nelson S. Bond, Pellegrini & Cudahy, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, Weird Tales
Monday, December, 30, 2013
ON OUR WAY TO THE FUTURE edited by Terry Carr
We've certainly got an interesting anthology here, an oldish one from 1970. It's also the first anthology posting (but definitely will not be the last) on this blog from another of my favourite SF anthologists, Terry Carr.
TITLE: ON OUR WAY TO THE FUTURE
PUBLISHER: Ace Books, New York, 1970
FORMAT: Paperback, 253 pages.
Greenslaves by Frank Herbert (1965)
A Better Mousehole by Edgar Pangborn (1965)
Ballenger's People by Kris Neville (1967)
King Solomon's Ring by Roger Zelazny (1963)
Sundance by Robert Silverberg (1969)
Be Merry by Algis Budrys (1966)
Under the Dragon's Tail by Philip Latham (1966)
A Taste for Dostoevsky by Brian W. Aldiss (1967)
Cyclops by Fritz Leiber (1965)
Goblin Night by James H. Schmitz (1965)
This anthology isn't restricted to a single theme, as were the two Robert Silverberg anthologies in my previous posts, and is more of a general multi-theme "ten science fiction adventures in tomorrow" kind of thing, charting our journey into infinity, our way into the future. There's a wider variety of stories here by big-name SF authors, stories which, up until the time of publication, had never appeared in paperback before.
As usual, I'll continue working my way through the stories in this, and the previous anthologies, completely at random, in a totally haphazard fashion, pretty much as the whim takes me and when I get free time to do so. I usually just lift a book, any book, from the "to read" stack, and read any story that takes my fancy. Next time, I might do the same, but with a completely different anthology, and so on.
I don't have any real system for reading, but usually pick my favourite authors first, then work my way down to least favourite (or authors I haven't encountered before), The main postings themselves are more for providing general overall information about the various anthologies and individual author collections, but will also be interspersed with posts on the individual stories as and when I have read them.
Tagged Ace Books, Algis Budrys, Brian W. Aldiss, Edgar Pangborn, Frank Herbert, Fritz Leiber, James H. Schmitz, Kris Neville, Philip Latham, Poul Anderson, Robert Silverberg, Roger Zelazny, Terry Carr
Sunday, September, 15, 2013
VOYAGERS IN TIME edited by Robert Silverberg
In my last SF Anthologies post I commented that I'd recently bought a couple of nice old SF anthologies from Amazon UK. I made a few comments about the newer of the two anthologies, TRIPS IN TIME and gave a contents listing for it. Here's the same routine for the second anthology, which was published ten years earlier, but can be considered a "companion" anthology, from a thematic viewpoint, since both books contain short stories about time travel. This one is VOYAGERS IN TIME, edited by Robert Silverberg.
TITLE: VOYAGERS IN TIME – Twelve Stories of Science Fiction
EDITED BY: Robert Silverberg
PUBLISHER: Meredith Press, New York, 1967
FORMAT: Hardcover, 243 pages.
This anthology is a collection of more traditional (but still fun) time travel stories than those in TRIPS IN TIME. The stories in this one span a thirty year period, the earliest originally published in 1937, and the last in 1967. Here's a listing of the contents:
The Sands of Time by P. Schuyler Miller (1937)
…And It Comes Out Here by Lester del Rey (1950)
Brooklyn Project by William Tenn (1948)
The Men Who Murdered Mohammed by Alfred Bester (1964)
Time Heals by Poul Anderson (1949)
Wrong-Way Street by Larry Niven (1965)
Flux by Michael Moorcock (1963)
Dominoes by C. M. Kornbluth (1953)
A Bulletin from the Trustees by Wilma Shore (1964)
Traveler's Rest by David I. Masson (1965)
Absolutely Inflexible by Robert Silverberg (1956, revised version 1967)
THE TIME MACHINE [Chapter XI, XII – part] by H. G. Wells (1895)
This looks like another very interesting anthology of short fiction. Silverbob certainly does know how to put together a good anthology of stories. Again, some of them I remember well (Wells, Bester, Tenn, and Moorcock), others I vaguely remember (Miller, del Rey, Anderson, Niven, Kornbluth and Silverberg), and the last two I'm not familiar with at all (Shore, Masson).
As I've already said, this is a kinda/sorta "sister" anthology to the later TRIPS IN TIME (1977), which is a more unusual and quirky collection of time travel tales. I've already read several of the stories in TRIPS IN TIME, but now I've started reading some of the stories in VOYAGERS IN TIME as well. I'm dipping in and out of both books, and it will be nice to compare the two anthologies when I've finished both of them.
As usual, I'm working my way through the stories in both books slowly, as and when I get free time to do so, and not in any kind of order. I'll just pick stories at random, usually with favourite authors first and working my way to least favourite or least familiar. Once I've finished I'll start posting comments on individual stories (with the exception of the excerpts from The Time Machine, as I'll be reviewing the novel at some point), and comments on the two anthologies as a whole.
Tagged Alfred Bester, Cyril M. Kornbluth, David I. Masson, H. G. Wells, Larry Niven, Lester del Rey, Meredith Press, Michael Moorcock, P. Schuyler Miller, Poul Anderson, Robert Silverberg, Temporal Paradoxes, Time Travel, William Tenn, Wilma Shore
In my last post I commented that I'd recently bought a couple of nice old SF anthologies from Amazon UK. I made a few comments about one of the anthologies, TRIPS IN TIME and gave a contents listing for it. Here's the same routine for the other anthology, which was published ten years earlier, but can be considered a "companion" anthology, from a thematic viewpoint, since both books contain short stories about time travel. The second of the two anthologies is VOYAGERS IN TIME, edited by Robert Silverberg.
Wednesday, September, 11, 2013
TRIPS IN TIME edited by Robert Silverberg
Recently I bought a couple of nice old SF anthologies from Amazon UK, both edited by Robert Silverberg. The first of the two is:
TITLE: TRIPS IN TIME – Nine Stories of Science Fiction
PUBLISHED: Wildside Press, 1977
FORMAT: Trade paperback, 152 pages.
The anthology is a collection of quirky time travel stories, which span a thirty-five year period, the earliest being originally published in 1941, and the last in 1976. Here's a listing of the contents:
An Infinite Summer by Christopher Priest (1976)
The King's Wishes by Robert Sheckley (1953)
Manna by Peter Phillips (1949)
The Long Remembering by Poul Anderson (1957)
Try and Change the Past by Fritz Leiber (1958)
Divine Madness by Roger Zelazny (1966)
Mugwump 4 by Robert Silverberg (1959)
Secret Rider by Marta Randall (1976)
The Seesaw by A. E. van Vogt (1941)
This looks like a very interesting anthology of short fiction. Some of these stories I remember well as old favourites (the Priest and Leiber), others I vaguely remember (Sheckley, Anderson, Zelazny, van Vogt, Silverberg), and the other two I'm not familiar with at all (Phillips, Randall).
Apparently this is a kinda/sorta "sister" anthology to an earlier one, VOYAGERS IN TIME (1967), which is a more traditional/typical collection of time travel tales. That's the other paper book I mentioned, and I'll get to that anthology once I've finished with this one. It will be nice to compare the two collections of short stories.
I'm looking forward to working my way through TRIPS IN TIME (however slowly, and most likely not in order of the contents listing), and will make a short progress report in this discussion thread as I finish each story.
Tagged A. E. van Vogt, Christopher Priest, Fritz Leiber, Marta Randall, Peter Phillips, Poul Anderson, Robert Sheckley, Robert Silverberg, Roger Zelazny, Temporal Paradoxes, Time Travel, Wildside Press
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Doctor Who: Under the Lake Starting Soon!
Thunderbirds Turns 50!
Doctor Who: The Witch's Familiar is On TV Tonight!
Doctor Who Series 9 Episodes Listing
Steve Traves on Some New Doctor Who Books (Part Two)
Phil Friel on Happy 50th Anniversary, Lost in Space!
Dayton Ward on Happy 50th Anniversary, Lost in Space!
Phil Friel on SCIENCE FICTION OF THE THIRTIES edited by Damon Knight
Hobbs on SCIENCE FICTION OF THE THIRTIES edited by Damon Knight
Phil Friel on Another Doctor Who Night In (Part Four)
Ben Herman: In My Not So Humble Opinion on Another Doctor Who Night In (Part Four)
Phil Friel on Fanzines – Creative Genius at the Grass Roots (Part Three)
montagfire on Fanzines – Creative Genius at the Grass Roots (Part Three)
Lee Rawlings on Fanzines – Creative Genius at the Grass Roots (Part Three)
Phil Friel on EMPIRE by H. Beam Piper
Robert Gillespie on EMPIRE by H. Beam Piper
Phil Friel on FEDERATION by H. Beam Piper
Phil Friel on VOYAGERS IN TIME edited by Robert Silverberg
Phil Friel on About the Author – Part 2
Robert Gillespie on FEDERATION by H. Beam Piper
Robert Gillespie on About the Author – Part 2
Robert Gillespie on VOYAGERS IN TIME edited by Robert Silverberg
Phil Friel on About the Author
Phil Friel on About Me – the Author
Nick Seidler on About the Author – Part 1
Nick Seidler on About the Author