| Author: | Science Fiction Authors of America, The |
| Copyright: | 1970 |
| Date Reviewed: | 1/2/84 |
| Rating: | 8.0 |
The 26 best science fiction stories written before 1965. I agree that many of the stories were fantastic although many more were just not that good. Still I would recommend the book. Three of the stories I had already read, four were adopted for TV.
"A Martian Odyssey" by Stanley G. Weinbaum (8). A man meets an alien on Mars and has some interesting adventures with it. Old fashioned story that is not technically accurate but a lot of fun.
"Twilight" by John W. Campbell (5). A man meets a future man who tells him of the downfall of the human race. Third party narration is confusing. Good idea but too depressing for too long.
"Helen O'Loy" by Lester del Ray (7). Two men build a woman robot and then both fall in love with her. Fairly good story though predictable. I've read stories like it before.
"The Roads Must Roll" by Robert A. Heinlein (6). The Chief Engineer thwarts a revolutionary attempt to stop the roads. Not one of his best stories but still interesting.
"Microcosmic God" by Theodore Sturgeon ( 10). A genius builds a world so the people in it can invent things for him. Fantastic story! Broad scope and gripping.
"Nightfall" by Isaac Asimov (8). The people of Lagash face madness during an eclipse. I enjoyed this more than last time though the ending should be changed.
"The Weapon Shop" by A. E. van Vogt (7). In a totalitarian world, the Weapon Shops dole out justice. An entertaining story but was padded in places. Parts were too pretentious.
"Mimsy Were the Borogoves" by Lewis Padgett (5). Two children find toys from the future that change their perspective. Good idea but too much talk and theory.
"Huddling Place" by Clifford D. Simak (3). A man must go to Mars to operate on a friend but is afraid to leave his home. Uninteresting story about a culture that stays home.
"Arena" by Frederic Brown (9). A man and an alien from two warring factions do 'Single Combat'. Excellent story ("Star Trek" episode). Alien is unusual and interesting.
"First Contact" by Murray Leinster (7) Human and alien ships meet in space. Each can't let the other go home alive. Interesting idea but painfully repetitive. Final solution good.
"That only a Mother" by Judith Merril (10). During a nuclear war a woman gives birth to an intelligent worm. Fantastic! Read it twice. Good style and a gripping ending.
"Scanners Live in Vain" by Cordwainer Smith (6). Scanners guide ships through space without emotion. A good story but not very important. Couldn't feel for the scanners.
"Mars is Heaven!" by Ray Bradbury (5). Astronauts on Mars are greeted by their relatives. This theme has been done before and better.
"The Little Black Bag" by C. M Kornbluth (8). An alcoholic former doctor finds a medical bag from the future. Good story though I liked the ending of the "Night Gallery" episode better.
"Born of Man and Woman" by Richard Matheson (10). An extremely malformed boy tells of his life in a cellar. Very short story packs a lot into a few pages.
"Coming Attraction" by Fritz Leiber (2). Women wear masks to entice men. A forgettable little story. Worthless.
"The Quest for Saint Aquin" by Anthony Boucher (4). A priest and his robot look for the Saint for guidance. Another religious story whose point I probably missed.
"Surface Tension" by James Blish ( 10). Story about microscopic humans genetically engineered to survive in ponds. A truly fantastic creation story. The micro angle is most entertaining.
"The Nine Billion Names of God" by A. C. Clark (5). A group of Tibetan monks buy a computer to print all possible names of God. Disappointing story. Only the ending is interesting. Bad use of computers.
"It's a Good Life" by Jerome Bixby (9). A boy has ultimate power in the only small town left on Earth. Great story just like the "Twilight Zone" episode.
"The Cold Equations" by Tom Godwin (9). A girl stows away on a space ship and must die for it. Though wordy, this is a fine story with an ending I'll never forget.
"Fondly Fahrenheit" by Alfred Bester (3). A robot kills when it gets hot. Boring story. Few good parts.
"The Country of the Kind" by Damon Knight (5). In a society that can't punish, a man learns he can do anything he wants. The story starts interestingly enough but goes no where.
"Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes (10). A retarded man becomes intelligent but only for a small time. Fantastic!! Better than the movie. Autobiographical really makes it.
"A Rose for Ecclesiastes" by Roger Zelazny (3). A man on Mars forms a relationship with religious Martians based on the bible. Boring story for non-bible readers.