Customer Reviews

Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Century

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a much better than average Ace anthology. Typically Ace, it doesn't quite live up to its hype. The twenty six stories collected here are not the "Best Science Fiction of the Century" by anybody's count, even Orson Scott Card's own. Card himself describes his selection process in the Introduction: these are stories he loved at the first reading, enjoys on repeat readings, and "[a]bove all, these are stories that I cannot forget."

I, however, *can* forget several of these stories - and already have, a mere few days after reading them. Most of the forgettable stories are the more recent ones, which is probably not a coincidence. Early science fiction (pre-1960s, let's say) is almost inherently more worthwhile than most later science fiction, and the stories selected here are cases in point. Terry Bisson's "Bears Discover Fire" is a meandering inanity. "Dog Fight" by William Gibson and Michael Swanwick is a drugs and sex tale, "appealing" only in the way that Trainspotting was "appealing." "Rat" by James Patrick Kelly is similar.

There are, however, some truly, truly great stories here, which more than merit four stars. "The Tunnel Under the World" by Frederick Pohl, for example, ends with a revelation worth the price of admission. "Inconstant Moon" by Larry Niven is full of emotional impact as two individuals adjust to the thought of the sun going nova. George R. R. Martin's "Sandkings", despite being relatively recent, is a story that would might expect from Stephen King at the top of his game. Heinlein's "All You Zombies-" is a time-travel story to make the head spin. James Blish's "A Work of Art" puts Richard Strauss into the 22d century. Perhaps the most enjoyable of all is "Tunesmith" by Lloyd Biggle, Jr. Biggle, writing in 1957, the dawn of the television age, predicts a society where commercials have subsumed all other forms of art, until a gifted musician appears to save society. A surprisingly moving story, and finely crafted, skilfully bringing the reader full circle without the reader ever suspecting that he was moving.

...if you truly want "masterpieces," you should pick up Silverberg's Science Fiction Hall of Fame, volume one, or even the Best of the Nebulas edited by Ben Bova. But if you want several excellent stories by talented writers, you would do much worse than this collection of Card's favorites.

Don't be fooled by the title. There are very few "masterpieces" in this book. Even the stories by "masterpiece" authors are not their best (Asimov, Heinlein, Silverberg, Ellison, and Aldiss, for example). Where are Bester, Wolfe, Zelazny, and and Robert Reed? -- writers whose genius was at its best in shorter venues. Almost half of this book (which is "The Best Science Fiction of the Century") is from the 80s and 90s, much by unheard of authors. On top of that Card's introductions are very sloppy. In one he uses the phrase "science fiction" three times in one sentence. Quite frankly, I'm not sure that Card actually edited the book. It looks like Ace decided to put together an anthology to boost residual sales, putting the focus on more contemporary work and getting a popular author to put his name on the cover.

This latest "best ... of the century" actually consists of twenty-six tales from the second half of the twentieth century and one story from the 1940s. Either that means science fiction matured considerably after World War II, the editor is too young to appreciate the early years, or the anthology should be labeled differently. In either case, the contributions are all aces and represent the wide gamut of the genre divided into three classifications: "The Golden Age, "The New Wave", and "The Media Generation". Though I enjoyed the other two periods, my favorite stories are from "The New Wave" because I cut my molars on several of these including having read some while working on a masters thesis involving science fiction. Regardless of nostalgia or other reasons for personal taste, each entry is powerful and shows how enlightening the genre can be when written by masters like those who rendered entries to MASTERPIECES: THE BEST SCIENCE FICTION OF THE CENTURY.

Harriet Klausner

This review applies to BOTH Science Fiction anthologies I bought at the same time ... all are works from early in SF's history. It consistently amazes me how accurate and forward-seeing the authors seemed to be. The occasional references to "tubes" and "tapes" can be forgiven, as it would be beyond belief to expect anyone to precisely preconceive transistors and solid-state microcircuits. Both "Masterpieces: 20th Century SF" and "SF Hall of Fame, Vol 1" are enthusiastically recommended.

Masterpieces is the most accessible anthology of great science fiction short stories I have ever read. Every piece was easy to get into, yet not lacking in depth. Only the Niven and Asimov pieces were even vaguely familiar -- well, I've read absolutely ALL of Asimov. Each author was carefully and, in my opinion, well selected. I was especially impressed by George R.R. Martin's menacing "Sandkings", C.J. Cherryh's "Pots", set in yet another invented universe, and by "Dogfight", the most readable Gibson (written with Michael Swanwick) I've ever encountered, but still illuminated by narrative from within cyberspace. I thoroughly enjoyed every story.

Perhaps any book with the title "Masterpieces, The Best Science Fiction of the Century," has to be a bit overblown.
You can argue whether every story is a masterpiece, although some clearly are. Heinlein's "All You Zombies" has to be on any Masterpiece list. "Passengers" still carries a punch although no one can forget the last line so it's not shocking anymore. A few, such as "Bears Discover Fire" leave me cold but, overall, the quality is very high, and Card provides a fine and diverse sampling of science fiction of the 20th century. Readers might be amused in judging which section of the century produced the best work.
A collection of outstanding writers and outstanding stories.

These twenty-seven science fiction stories are those Orson Scott Card found memorable, enjoyable and influential. Card stratifies his collection by three eras of twentieth century science fiction: The Golden Age (beginning of the century to the mid-1960s); The New Wave (mid-1960s to mid-1970s); and The Media Generation (mid-1970s and onward). Readers interested in the genre's history might consult Adam Roberts' History of Science Fiction for a definition of these eras--and pre-twentieth-century periods that Card omits from consideration.

The Golden Age "includes the writers and stories that created science fiction as we know it." Of Card's nine stories, two stand out. Poul Anderson's "Call Me Joe" explores the psychological connection between a biologically-engineered "remote" on Jupiter's surface and its human operator in orbit above. The still-current topic contrasts with a retro feel from "tubes and circuits" technology. Robert Heinlein's "All You Zombies--" guides us through the now-familiar scenario of a time-traveling police force that guards the timelines and recruits from various eras. The story's recruitment is undertaken with a close-knit cast of characters.

New Wave stories are drawn from a period when science fiction was moving beyond the common story structures of the Golden Age. I have two favorites of Card's seven. Ursula Le Guin's "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas" reminds us that we pay an almost-hidden price for our happy lives. After reading her story, we cannot claim to have no choice. Larry Niven's "Inconstant Moon" paces through the long, sleepless night after its protagonist figures out the puzzle of the evening sky's too-bright moon.

Media Generation stories come from a less well-defined era, produced by writers who grew up watching science fiction movies and television shows. Here are the best two of Card's eleven. George Martin's "Sandkings" features a wealthy man who is self-centered, vain and cruel. And yet his alien pets worship him. Terry Bisson's "Bear's Discover Fire" explores the implications of a slight intelligence increase in a familiar mammal. It is understated, clever, and emotionally rich.

The collection is highly recommended, both to experienced fans and to those needing an introduction to this century's science fiction. As Card admits, there are many good stories left out, many important authors not represented. Read for what is here. And enjoy.

This collection of 27 stories, edited by Orson Scott Card, a science fiction writer of acclaim in his own right, is divided into three sections: "The Golden Age", "The New Wave", and "The Media Generation". Many of the giants of the genre are represented here. Mr Card provides a useful general inroduction to the volume and separate introductions for each story. Story selection is good, for the most part. I personally enjoy "concept driven" or "character driven", as opposed to "technology driven", Sci Fi and these stories fit that description. Some of the selections, especially in the first section, have been frequently anthologized and may be familiar to a well-read Sci Fi fan. However, many stories are not so well-known, especially in the two later sections. There is a fairly high proportion of "gems", worthy of multiple reads, in this volume. (To be fair, there are also a few duds, in my opinion.) Overall, for the money, a great buy.

This title of the book is wrongly chosen, which I don't believe, or some people wanted to betray other people.
It's of course a tricky business to choose _the_ masterpieces of the century. I think that Card could/should have invested more time in seeking pieces that actually deserve the title best.
I have nothing against Card, but I hope that some editor will soon make a defining best of anthology.
Still three stars. Why? Let me explain. This isn't all mediocre.
The good: Call me Joe, All You Zombies, Nine Billion Names, Repent, Eurema's Dam, Passengers, Who Can Replace, Le Guin story, Niven story, SANDKINGS, dogfight and Snow of Crowley.
That's a lot of good stories. I didn't like the recent ones.
Most others were very readable. If this anthology wouldn't have featured such a title it would get four stars.
If somebody would lower the price and remove some stories from this book it would get five stars.
Now, if I would create an anthology bearing this name your eyes would roll out of their sockets. It would include Cordwainer Smith, Henry Kuttner, Kornbluth, brown etc. My reference book will therefore remain The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, vol. one, ed. by Silverberg. For now.
If you really want to own these stories then by all means buy this book. But remember its setup. The editor and publisher lured you to buy this book. Don't stink into it. Look beyond the sausage and go hunt some other best of....
Just my thoughts. Hey, just to keep things straight: I didn't buy this book. I know its contents.

Once again Card (or his publishers) has found a great way to make some money and keep his name (and authority) current. Here we have an excellent "primer" for late 20th century science fiction. About half the stories are clear "masterpieces" while those closer to our own time seem merely to be Card's favorites. The Lloyd Biggle Jr. story is an example. Biggle was a fine writer in his time, but is he high enough to have a story listed with the 26 greatest sf stories of all time? I don't think so. The greatest anthology of clear "masterpieces" was Robert Silverberg's SCIENCE FICTION HALL OF FAME, Volume One. It ends in 1964 but captures the very essence of sf in its infancy under the influence of John W. Campbell. Card is less enamored of the 1930s and 1940s. It's the 1980s and 1990s that interest him. That's where all his friends are--and some of them are in this book. (And no one has yet to beat the Asimov/Greenburg Great SF Stories that DAW published years ago.) Still, this anthology is a good read, especially for the younger fan . . . which is the audience Card has always aimed for.