Customer Reviews

Famous Science-Fiction Stories (Modern Library Giant, 31.2)

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This was certainly not the very first SF anthology published in the USA -- there was a Pocket paperback original a couple of years earlier, and Groff Conklin's 'The Best of Science Fiction' came out the same year (1946) -- but it remains the best-known and best-loved early example. It's easy to see why: 1000 pages of extremely well-chosen stories from the early years of the "Golden Age", 1937-1945, by virtually every big-name American writer in the field. It's all from the magazines, mostly "Astounding", and nearly every story and writer featured went on to become classics in the field. Sadly, in 2009, both the anthology and even some of the writers within are now fading into history; the book is apparently out of print as I write this. It can be easily found here or in used book stores though; I'd plump for a copy of the Modern Library edition from the 50s, a hardcover with thin paper but nice heft and quality. This is one that you'll want to keep.

There isn't a whole lot in the way of introductory or critical material here - this was published originally when these stories were new and fresh and most of the writers in early or mid-career, so it's a snapshot of the era without a lot of editorializing; for that you'd need to look elsewhere. This is all about putting as many great stories between two covers as can be reasonably done, stories that the editors hoped would last - and in a surprisingly high number of cases, they have been right.

Personal favorite stories: Van Vogt, "The Weapon Shop"; Campbell Jr, "Who Goes There"; Asimov, "Nightfall"; Heinlein, "Requiem"; Van Vogt, "Black Destroyer"; Del Rey, "Nerves". There aren't a lot of real obscurities here, but given the blinders that many fans increasingly have towards the early days of the field I'm not sure what counts as "famous" from the 30s or 40s anymore. I still haven't gotten through every story, so I expect that list to grow.

One of the earliest sci-fi anthologies, and one of the best for "golden age" fans. Includes "Farewell to the Master," the inspiration for "The Day the Earth Stood Still" as well as the seminal "Forgetfulness" by Don A. Stuart (nom de plume of famous editor John D. MacDonald), as well as his "Who Goes There?" (inspiration for the films "The Thing (From Outer Space)," Asimov's "Nightfall," Bester's "Adam and No Eve," Van Vogt's "The Weapon Shop," (prequel to his famous novel of the same name) and the first two stories of Heinlein' famous "Future History" series, "Requiem" and "The Roads Must Roll." Also includes Van Vogt's now (unjustly) forgotten "Asylum," a sci-fi (not horror) vampire story. The book was one of my first introductions to sci-fi, and I've been hooked ever since. Required reading!