Customer Reviews

Gates to Tomorrow: An Introduction to Science Fiction

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Gates to Tomorrow is a SF anthology intended for young adult readers. Initiated at the suggestion of a school teacher, these stories were collected as an introduction to science fiction in secondary education classrooms. The volume contains twelve stories with a range of speculative topics.

Shape by Robert Sheckley is a story of shapeshifting aliens invading the Earth. Rust by Joseph E. Kelleam is tale about a world populated by robots who are slowly breaking down. Command by Bernard I. Kahn is the account of a spaceship captain on his first long voyage. The Naming of Names by Ray Bradbury tells of a family from Earth who have migrated to Mars and miss their old home. The Plague by Keith Laumer depicts an invasion of parasites on an extraterristrial planet. A Pail of Air by Fritz Leiber recounts an unusual day in the city long after a dark star has snatched the Earth away from the Sun.

Living Fossil by L. Sprague de Camp describes an encounter by an intellligent species of the future with a lifeform long thought to be extinct. The Flame Midget by Frank Belknap Long, Jr., recounts the discovery of a microscopic alien man. Expedition Polychrome by J. A. Winter, M.D., reports the consternation of a medical expedition to the planet Minotaur when one of the crew members turns blue. Untouched by Human Hands by Robert Sheckley relates the fate of two emaciated explorers faced with a warehouse of potential food labelled in an alien language. Ultimatum by Keith Laumer discloses the gallant actions of the Corps Diplomatique Terrestienne after receipt of an ultimatum from aliens who appear out of nowhere on an unoccupied planet. The Sheriff of Canyon Gulch by Poul Anderson and Gordon Dickson reveals the plight of a young Terran officer stranded on a planet of playful aliens who look like teddy bears.

This collection is a fairly representive sample of SF short stories of the mid-twentieth century. Most of the authors were well-known then and several produced novels of enduring fame.

Highly recommended for young adults and anyone else who enjoys older SF stories.

-Arthur W. Jordin

I thought I knew most of Andre Nortons works but was unfamiliar with this book, selected and edited by her and Ernestine Donaldy. So often I'm disappointed with books edited by authors I enjoy. The selections aren't up to their standard. The genre isn't similar. Whatever the cause. But with Gates to Tomorrow I was in for a treat.
This book includes some little known and hard to find short stories by marvelous authors. I was familiar, though only vaguely, with only two of these stories. The rest were completely new and fresh.
Robert Sheckley's Shape is so different from what I expected that after the first couple pages I gave up preconceived notions. The ending, while you hope for it, was a joy
Josehp E Kelleam's Rust is almost heartbreaking at the end. Sympathy for a robot. Who would have thought it?
Bernard I Kahn's Command shows how nothing talks like money - even in the future - and the problems it can cause.
Ray Bradbury's The Naming of Names....the only story I had read before, awhile back. And still I loved it. Eager for the next bit and slow transition of the Earthlings.
Keith Laumer's The Plague. A taste of Retief, need I say more? :-)
A Pail of Air by Fritz Leiber was familiar to me by name only. I had no idea of the story line. And even once begun found it very different and gripping.
L Sprague de Camp, what a genius!, Living Fossil is bitingly ironic in one way, a sad comment in another.
Frank Belknap Long, Jr, The Flame Midget. Wow! A common enough theme with an unusual twist.
J A Winter, M.D., Expedition Polychrome, Loved it! Sound in theory (at least to me) with a great twist. And friendly aliens and patient explorers! What a combination! (Ok, so I'm being a bit sarcastic. But a great twosome!)
Robert Sheckley, Untouched by Human Hands. Something I've always wondered about is how different species would think. Here it's taken up a notch.
Keith Laumer, Ultimatum. True today, it only takes a couple, or in this case, one war monger, to cause a war
Poul Anderson and Gordon Dickson, The Sheriff of Canyon Gulch. This is too funny. I loved it! Furry teddy bears, vicious lizards and a somewhat inept spaceman. It's amazing how humans can affect things without trying!
All of these authors have written marvelous books and other short stories. I was very familiar with most of them. But not with these stories and I've got a large collection of books, including lots by most of these authors. I found all of these to be fresh, well written and enjoyable or in a couple cases, very sad, as intended. But all well worth reading and re-reading.
If you've ever wondered about any of these authors, this gives you a good idea of the quality of their work. Find more! Enjoy!

Gates To Tomorrow
Andre Norton & Ernestine Donaldy

It is my understanding that Gates To Tomorrow (1973) was compiled by Andre Norton to introduce people at the high school level or possibly middle school, or, junior high school as they called it then, to the genre of Science Fiction. It contains the following short stories by some of Science Fiction's best authors:

Shape by Robert Sheckkley (1954)

Rust by Joseph E. Kelleam (1939)

Command by Bernard Kahn (1947)

The Naming of Names by Ray Bradbury (1949)

The Plague by Keith Laumer (1970)

A Pail of Air byFritz Leiber (1951)

Living Fossil by L Sprague de Camp (1939)

The Flame Midget by Frank Belknap (1936)

Expedition Polychrome by J.A. Winter (1949)

Untouched by Human Hands by Robert Sheckley (1954)

Ultimatum by Keith Laumer (1963)

The Sheriff of Canyon Gulch by Poul Anderson and Gordon Dickson (1951)

If there is a book containing twelve short stories that are a better introduction to the full range of the Science Fiction genre I haven't found it. The only problem is I believe the book is out of print so you'll have to buy a used library copy like I did (mine is from the Forestburg Library, wherever that is).

I highly recommend this book.

As I have told numerous people there is an unwritten rule in Science Fiction that good Science fiction writers use a broad vocabulary. A good way to improve your lexicon is to use a 3X5 card as a book mark and write down any word that you're not sure of on the card. At the end of the book, look up the words in the dictionary into your personal lexicon. You'll be glad you did come SAT time. It improved my Verbal SAT score by at least 100 points.

Gunner May, 2007