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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fifty Years of Craftmanship, December 5, 2002
This collection contains 50 stories written by Harry Harrison in 50 years of professional writing of science fiction. Most of the stories are well-written, but a few are outdated by subsequence events. Some are deliberately shocking -- Rescue Operation, Roommates -- and others are humorous -- The Man From P.I.G. -- and some supposed to be -- Space Rats of the CCC -- but some of the best stories aren't in this collection since they were expanded into novels and even into movie scripts.
Although already writing in other fields, Harrison originally came into science fiction as an artist and some samples of his works are included. Harrison also worked as an editor, first in comics and then moving on to science fiction magazines. He also edited the Best SF series with Brian Aldiss, the Nova series, and the SF Authors' Choice anthologies. He is probably best known for the Stainless Steel Rat series, which started off with a bang, but have become rather predictable. His Deathworld trilogy continues to be admired by his long time fans, showing the advantage of quitting while you are ahead.
Harrison and I are almost diametrically opposed on many political and social issues, so I wish I knew the man personally and could sit down with him for extented discussions of anything and everything. Reading his works is the next best thing and I have done so for over 40 years. I still think he is one of the best at his craft.
Having read Harrison for so long, most of these stories are old friends that I read when first published, but some were new to me. I bought it for old times sake, but I suggest you try this collection if you have never read any of Harrison's short works. It should be an interesting experience.
-Arthur W. Jordin
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoyable collection, August 3, 2001
'50 in 50' was surprisingly enjoyable. Many stories from decades past are trite and out-of-date. Most of the stories in Harry Harrison's new collection hold up very well. There are several overarching themes in Harrison's stories. The major theme is overpopulation. My favorite story in the volume is about a couple who breaks the law by having a second child. By law if you bring an unauthorized life into the world, another life must leave. So the government hires an assassin to kill one of the parents. This is a taut, chilling story of a man's desire to protect his family against a cold-blooded killer. The other overpopulation stories are equally memorable. Included in this collection is the story that was the basis for the movie 'Soylent Green'. Most of the 50 stories in the collection are entertaining. A few are dated, such as stories about interplanetary flights and space exploration, but on the whole they hold up quite well. I was disappointed with the lack of a bibliography telling when each story was published. The reader is left to guess at each story's publication date. The cover art is marvelous, which, though inconsequential, made the book all-the-more enjoyable for me to read. A solid collection. Though there are no award-winners in here, it's a good read.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A must read, May 17, 2001
In sports, fans talk about players' careers stretching four decades without gimmicks like a one-plate appearance ten years after retirement. Usually four decades means playing in the last year of one decade, lasting through two more, and completing your career in the early year or two of a fourth decade. In summary, the career spans twenty to twenty-three years but when it stared is critical. Harry Harrison makes the above accomplishment look feeble. One of the greatest writers of any genre of the twentieth century, Mr. Harrison has put together a fifty-story collection to commemorate his half-century of science fiction writing. Mr. Harrison has chosen one story from each year starting in 1950 and ending in 1999. That is quite an accomplishment, as the book contains more than just the longevity of this awesome author. However, 50 IN 50 is a fabulous anthology that not only shows the versatility of Mr. Harrison, but it also provides insight into the cutting edge of scientific trends. Most of the stories are excellent and none are bad. The tales run the genre gamut: alien invaders and alien worlds, end of the world scenarios, dangerous inventions and not just robots, misuse of psychology, a wee bit of fantasy, and tales that defy classification. Harry Harrison, whose fans think highly of, will expect 75 in 75. Harriet Klausner
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