Call number
Genres
Publication
Garden City, N.Y., Doubleday, 1959.
Pages
527; 522
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
527, 522 p.; 8.5 inches
Local notes
Two-volume set
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User reviews
LibraryThing member annbury
Classic collection of Golden Age sci-fi stories, some of which are long enough to qualify as novellas. First published in 1959, this includes Wyndham, Bradbury, Heinlein, Dick, and on and on. It helped get me and many others get hooked on the genre, and is a prime source for those who want an
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overview of the old stuff. Old, but gold. Show Less
LibraryThing member WildMaggie
Read at the distance of more than 50 years (and many stories date to a decade or two prior to the collection's publication), this 2-volume anthology is very uneven with a few fine pieces but much more mediocre and totally forgetable stuff.
Re-birth by John Wyndham 3 stars. Post nuclear apocalypse
The Shape of Things that Came by Richard Deming 1/2 star. Dumb.
Pillar of Fire by Ray Bradbury 4 stars. A dead man walks after hundreds of years in the grave motivated by hatred of the living. But he finds a society that has no fear or crime, and no place for him.
Waldo by Robert Heinlein 2 stars. Super genius with serious physical limitation (nasty unpleasant character) figures out connection to alternative world. Lots of hard science fiction speculation that was probably moot before this book was published.
The Father Thing by Philip K. Dick. 4 1/2 stars. Great horror short story on the pod people theme.
The Children's Hour by Henry Kuttner and C.L.Moore. 4 stars. An alien-among-us story, The Star Trek episode The Squire of Gothos echos this theme. Super race lets their kiddies play with us then makes us forget.
Gomez by C.M Kornbluth. 1.5 stars. Boy-genius makes stunning scientific discovery and decides to erase it. Filled with post-atomic weapons fear of science and ethnic stereotypes. Very dated.
The [Widget], the [Wadget], and Boff by Theodore Sturgeon.2 stars (barely). Another aliens-among-us story, this time they're studynig us for psychological reactions. Way too much exposition and overuse of cutesy [can't translate into earth language] phases, turned into a real slog. Stereotypical characters right out of central casting and overwrought mid-20th century pseoudo-psychologiy.
Sandra by George P. Elliott.0 stars. Guy buys a slave woman, likes her so much she "takes advantage" so he starts beating her. Horrible misogynistic crap. Sorry I wasted my time reading it.
Beyond Space and Time by Joel Townsley Rogers. 1.5 stars. Fanciful sci-fi space and time travel all to support a cliched plot about killing the inconvenient husband.
The Martian Crown Jewels by Poul Anderson. 1.5 stars. Kind of dumb transposition of Sherlock Holmes into a Martian.
The Weapon Shops of Isher by A.E. von Vogt.2 stars. Muddled plot that tries to pull in some extreme physics but doesn't end up making a lot of sense. Decent characters (some of them).
Brain Wave by Poul Anderson.4 stars. Novella stands head-and-shoulders above the dreck (i.e., most of the collection). Everybody on earth is suddenly a whole lot smarter. Results are cataclysmic. Bugged me that while author could image much, he couldn't image any other social order than the patriarchal sexist one he was familiar with.
Bullard Reflects by Malcolm Jameson 2.5 stars. Well enough written story but it's basically just a lengthy set up for a dumb pun.
The Lost Years by Oscar Lewis. 2 stars. Bland alternative history in which Lincoln survives Booth's bullet. The point seemed to be that one man, even one important man, doesn't really impact the flow of history.
Dead Center by Judith Merril. 3 stars. Like the best sci fi, less about the gadgets and more about the people. A family tragedy facilitated by space travel.
Lost Art by George O. Smith 1.5 stars. Mostly about the gadget, a bit tedious. Presents the underwhelming revelation that someone a long time ago on another planet may have known how to do something we don't know how to do.
The Other Side of the Sky by Arthur C. Clark 4.5 stars. A gem sparkling among the cinders in this collection. People moving out from earth into space told as vignettes from one man's life.
The Man Who Sold the Moon by Robert A. Heinlein 2.5 stars. Heinlein's sometimes lovely language struggles to make this rather dull story of the Moses of space travel interesting. Lots of back-room wheeling and dealing goes on as the story focuses on the business of getting to the Moon--the least interesting part of the process. Plus the dialog sounds like a hackneyed mid-century B movie script.
Magic City by Nelson S. Bond. 3 stars. Above-average post nuclear apocalypse tale finds survivors reverted to primitive lives ruled by magic and good and evil deities.
The Morning of the Day They Did It by E. B. White. 2 stars .Imaginative world-building in a holocaust tale with a twist on human-caused world annihilation, although the twist doesn't really make any sense.
Piggy Bank by Henry Kuttner 2 stars. OK story about a ruthless man who gets exactly what he asks for--which turns out to be exactly what he deserves.
Letters from Laura by Mildred Clingerman 2 stars. Silly time travel tale with stereotyped female character.
The Stars my Destination by Alfred Bester 4 stars. This novella is one of the gems; not perfect but head-and-shoulders above most of the collection. Story about the people, refreshingly, and not just showing off clever ideas about future technology but still having plenty of fresh world-building to support the wonder in the story.
Re-birth by John Wyndham 3 stars. Post nuclear apocalypse
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society kills mutants. Telepathic children seem norm and are allowed to live but are seen as threat when their abilities are discovered.Cliched but good characterization.The Shape of Things that Came by Richard Deming 1/2 star. Dumb.
Pillar of Fire by Ray Bradbury 4 stars. A dead man walks after hundreds of years in the grave motivated by hatred of the living. But he finds a society that has no fear or crime, and no place for him.
Waldo by Robert Heinlein 2 stars. Super genius with serious physical limitation (nasty unpleasant character) figures out connection to alternative world. Lots of hard science fiction speculation that was probably moot before this book was published.
The Father Thing by Philip K. Dick. 4 1/2 stars. Great horror short story on the pod people theme.
The Children's Hour by Henry Kuttner and C.L.Moore. 4 stars. An alien-among-us story, The Star Trek episode The Squire of Gothos echos this theme. Super race lets their kiddies play with us then makes us forget.
Gomez by C.M Kornbluth. 1.5 stars. Boy-genius makes stunning scientific discovery and decides to erase it. Filled with post-atomic weapons fear of science and ethnic stereotypes. Very dated.
The [Widget], the [Wadget], and Boff by Theodore Sturgeon.2 stars (barely). Another aliens-among-us story, this time they're studynig us for psychological reactions. Way too much exposition and overuse of cutesy [can't translate into earth language] phases, turned into a real slog. Stereotypical characters right out of central casting and overwrought mid-20th century pseoudo-psychologiy.
Sandra by George P. Elliott.0 stars. Guy buys a slave woman, likes her so much she "takes advantage" so he starts beating her. Horrible misogynistic crap. Sorry I wasted my time reading it.
Beyond Space and Time by Joel Townsley Rogers. 1.5 stars. Fanciful sci-fi space and time travel all to support a cliched plot about killing the inconvenient husband.
The Martian Crown Jewels by Poul Anderson. 1.5 stars. Kind of dumb transposition of Sherlock Holmes into a Martian.
The Weapon Shops of Isher by A.E. von Vogt.2 stars. Muddled plot that tries to pull in some extreme physics but doesn't end up making a lot of sense. Decent characters (some of them).
Brain Wave by Poul Anderson.4 stars. Novella stands head-and-shoulders above the dreck (i.e., most of the collection). Everybody on earth is suddenly a whole lot smarter. Results are cataclysmic. Bugged me that while author could image much, he couldn't image any other social order than the patriarchal sexist one he was familiar with.
Bullard Reflects by Malcolm Jameson 2.5 stars. Well enough written story but it's basically just a lengthy set up for a dumb pun.
The Lost Years by Oscar Lewis. 2 stars. Bland alternative history in which Lincoln survives Booth's bullet. The point seemed to be that one man, even one important man, doesn't really impact the flow of history.
Dead Center by Judith Merril. 3 stars. Like the best sci fi, less about the gadgets and more about the people. A family tragedy facilitated by space travel.
Lost Art by George O. Smith 1.5 stars. Mostly about the gadget, a bit tedious. Presents the underwhelming revelation that someone a long time ago on another planet may have known how to do something we don't know how to do.
The Other Side of the Sky by Arthur C. Clark 4.5 stars. A gem sparkling among the cinders in this collection. People moving out from earth into space told as vignettes from one man's life.
The Man Who Sold the Moon by Robert A. Heinlein 2.5 stars. Heinlein's sometimes lovely language struggles to make this rather dull story of the Moses of space travel interesting. Lots of back-room wheeling and dealing goes on as the story focuses on the business of getting to the Moon--the least interesting part of the process. Plus the dialog sounds like a hackneyed mid-century B movie script.
Magic City by Nelson S. Bond. 3 stars. Above-average post nuclear apocalypse tale finds survivors reverted to primitive lives ruled by magic and good and evil deities.
The Morning of the Day They Did It by E. B. White. 2 stars .Imaginative world-building in a holocaust tale with a twist on human-caused world annihilation, although the twist doesn't really make any sense.
Piggy Bank by Henry Kuttner 2 stars. OK story about a ruthless man who gets exactly what he asks for--which turns out to be exactly what he deserves.
Letters from Laura by Mildred Clingerman 2 stars. Silly time travel tale with stereotyped female character.
The Stars my Destination by Alfred Bester 4 stars. This novella is one of the gems; not perfect but head-and-shoulders above most of the collection. Story about the people, refreshingly, and not just showing off clever ideas about future technology but still having plenty of fresh world-building to support the wonder in the story.
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LibraryThing member Borg-mx5
Two volume set. Mine is a book club edition. I loved sci-fi short story when I was a kid, I still do but find less and less interesting to read. This classic set still entertains me.
LibraryThing member jigarpatel
Vol 1
Re-Birth, Wyndham - 5/5 - A great coming-of-age-cum-enlightenment novella. This tends more towards YA than science fiction, but don't let that detract from its power. The story revolves around a mind-reading gestalt community and how they survive in an oppressive, religiously conservative
The Shape of Things That Came, Deming - 0/5 - Pointless short story.
Pillar of Fire, Bradbury - 2/5 - YA horror about an anachronistic individual born of hatred who decides to wreak havoc in search of companions. Cremation, considered by the protagonist as an aberration, is the norm in the world he discovers. If it sounds confused and a little out-there, you're right. It didn't strike the right cord with me.
Waldo, Heinlein
The Father Thing, Dick
The Childrens Hour, Kuttner and Moore
Gomez, Kornbluth
The Widget, The Wadget, and Boff, Sturgeon
Sandra, Eliot
Beyond Space and Time, Rogers
The Martian Crown Jewels, Anderson
The Weapon Shops of Isher, van Vot
Vol 2:
Brain Wave, Anderson
Bullard Reflects, Jameson
The Lost Years, Lewis
Dead Center, Merril
Lost Art, Smith
The Other Side of the Sky, Clarke
The Man Who Sold the Moon, Heinlein
Magic City, Bond
The Morning of the Day They Did It, White
Piggy Bank, Kuttner
Letters from Laura, Clingerman
The Stars My Destination, Beste
Re-Birth, Wyndham - 5/5 - A great coming-of-age-cum-enlightenment novella. This tends more towards YA than science fiction, but don't let that detract from its power. The story revolves around a mind-reading gestalt community and how they survive in an oppressive, religiously conservative
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society intolerant of anything or anyone abnormal. If you enjoy this, read also Sturgeon's fix-up More Than Human.The Shape of Things That Came, Deming - 0/5 - Pointless short story.
Pillar of Fire, Bradbury - 2/5 - YA horror about an anachronistic individual born of hatred who decides to wreak havoc in search of companions. Cremation, considered by the protagonist as an aberration, is the norm in the world he discovers. If it sounds confused and a little out-there, you're right. It didn't strike the right cord with me.
Waldo, Heinlein
The Father Thing, Dick
The Childrens Hour, Kuttner and Moore
Gomez, Kornbluth
The Widget, The Wadget, and Boff, Sturgeon
Sandra, Eliot
Beyond Space and Time, Rogers
The Martian Crown Jewels, Anderson
The Weapon Shops of Isher, van Vot
Vol 2:
Brain Wave, Anderson
Bullard Reflects, Jameson
The Lost Years, Lewis
Dead Center, Merril
Lost Art, Smith
The Other Side of the Sky, Clarke
The Man Who Sold the Moon, Heinlein
Magic City, Bond
The Morning of the Day They Did It, White
Piggy Bank, Kuttner
Letters from Laura, Clingerman
The Stars My Destination, Beste
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LibraryThing member jwhenderson
This is an essential collection of truly great science fiction from the 1940s and 50s. It includes works by familiar names like Bradbury, Heinlein, Dick, Sturgeon, Kornbluth, Van Vogt (my personal favorite), and others. All of the selections demonstrate why science fiction is such a special genre.