Customer Reviews

Nightfall and Other Stories

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

 

 

I read Fantastic Voyage in the late 90s when I was a teenager for a high school book report. While I enjoyed the novel at that time, I look back on the experience as a simple joy for s straight forward plot with a simple, yet original idea. Likewise, these short stories provide the same simple pleasure- short and simple. While I do love short story collection in general, the collection in Nightfall feelS oh so dated (originally published 1941-1967).

The story length is terribly different from the 1941-1951 (average of 30 pages each) to 1952-1967 (average of 10 pages each). I'm leaning towards the idea that he sold his name in his later stores as more and more publications wanted to cash-in on his fame as opposed to his previous stories when he was writing for pleasure and for the advancement of the science fiction genre.

Nightfall - 3/5 - Six sun sunset approaches; cultish fever abounds. 33 pages

Green Patches - 4/5 - Benevolent parasitic alien hitchhikes earthbound. 15 pages

Hostess - 4/5 - Alien logic meets police logic; all fails. 38 pages

Breeds There a Man? - 5/5 - Genius avoids ingenuity and pushes the barrier. 35 pages

C-Chute - 3/5 - Imprisoned humans attempt overpowering alien captors. 35 pages

In a Good Cause - 4/5 - Revolutionary pushes change, seeks alien truth. 24 pages

What If - 2/5 - Asimov's only and last romance story. 13 pages

Sally - 4/5 - Intelligent car farm up rises against aggressive buyout. 18 pages

Flies - 2/5 - Flies plague one man because of odor or curse? 7 pages

Nobody Here But - 4/5 - Self awaked computer fools makers. 11 pages

It's Such a Beautiful Day - 3/5 - Boy loves nature; mom freaks. 22 pages

Strikebreaker - 3/5 - Social untouchable strikes; breaker steps in. 13 pages

Insert Knob A in Hole B - 3/5 - A solution with the same problem. 2 pages

The Up-to-Date Sorcerer - 2/5 - Love potion forces awkward love. 14 pages

Unto the Fourth Generation - 2/5 - Lefkowitz isn't such a common name. 8 pages

What is This Thing Called Love? - 4/5 - Darned unpredictable humans! 13 pages

The Machine That Won the War - 4/5 - So much for technology! 6 pages

My Son, the Physicist - 2/5 - Converse with Pluto, duh! 4 pages

Eyes Do More Than See - 4/5 - Energy beings intuit former material selves. 4 pages

Segregationist - 3/5 - Will that be plastic or metal today, sir? 6 pages

The classic title story of this collection of short fiction, Nightfall, was voted the best science fiction short story of all-time. It is a classic of the field, and a masterpiece of atmosphere. Anyone who calls theirself a science fiction fan and has not read it is merely posing. This book, for most readers, then, is worth picking up for that story alone. That said, despite its classic status, the rest of this collection, though it does have its moments, does not reach the high standards set by the title story. Other winners include the classic and oft-anthologized It's Such A Beautiful Day and the rendering and chilling "Breeds There A Man...?" There are other stories of quality in this book, but, unfortunately, they are not among Asimov's best. Like his contemporary Grand Master, Arthur C. Clarke, as Asimov got further and further into his writing career, though his novels remained excellent, his short stories began to falter: many of them seem infected with an over-eager attempt at cleverness. While this often makes for some amusing stories (Strikebreaker, What If..., What Is This Thing Called Love?), it does not often make for classics. Thus, while this collection is certainly good - and the title story is an absolute must-read - it is not Asimov's best short story collection (try Nine Tomorrows or one of the Robot anthologies for that.) If you are a die-hard Asimov fan, I recommend picking this up; however, if you are a casual reader, or new to the good Doctor, or perhaps just want to read Nightfall, then I suggest you pick up a more wide-ranging collection such as The Complete Stories.

The book arrived very fast, but it was in poor though readable condition, though for the price was certainly worth it.

Asimov talks here about how Nightfall the story began to make him known, and how before this book came out he had not included it in a collection due to frequent anthology appearances.

He also talks in some detail about each entry's publication.

Later on he writes more than once about writing in a humorous style.

This collection only a 3.23 average.

Nightfall and Other Stories : Nightfall - Isaac Asimov
Nightfall and Other Stories : Green Patches - Isaac Asimov
Nightfall and Other Stories : Hostess - Isaac Asimov
Nightfall and Other Stories : Breeds There a Man? - Isaac Asimov
Nightfall and Other Stories : The C-Chute - Isaac Asimov
Nightfall and Other Stories : In a Good Cause-- - Isaac Asimov
Nightfall and Other Stories : What If - Isaac Asimov
Nightfall and Other Stories : Sally - Isaac Asimov
Nightfall and Other Stories : Flies - Isaac Asimov
Nightfall and Other Stories : Nobody Here But-- - Isaac Asimov
Nightfall and Other Stories : Its Such a Beautiful Day - Isaac Asimov
Nightfall and Other Stories : Strikebreaker - Isaac Asimov
Nightfall and Other Stories : Insert Knob A in Hole B - Isaac Asimov
Nightfall and Other Stories : The Up-to-Date Sorcerer - Isaac Asimov
Nightfall and Other Stories : Unto the Fourth Generation - Isaac Asimov
Nightfall and Other Stories : What Is This Thing Called Love? - Isaac Asimov
Nightfall and Other Stories : The Machine That Won the War - Isaac Asimov
Nightfall and Other Stories : My Son the Physicist! - Isaac Asimov
Nightfall and Other Stories : Eyes Do More Than See - Isaac Asimov
Nightfall and Other Stories : Segregationist - Isaac Asimov


Media and religion struggle with science. Still.

4 out of 5


Lack of grouping relief.

3 out of 5


Doctor, Doctor, can't give them the news, we're full of mind parasites that kill them fools.

4 out of 5


Doctor, Doctor, can't give them the news, we're full of mind parasites that kill them fools.

3 out of 5


Mental giant experiment.

3 out of 5


Jumping into space escape is a gas.

3.5 out of 5


Diaboli political protest.

3.5 out of 5


Marriage party possibilities.

3 out of 5


Robocar protection.

4 out of 5


Beelzebub bloke.

3.5 out of 5


Junior stopping galoot.

3.5 out of 5


Mekkano instructions.

3 out of 5

Outcast negotiator.

3 out of 5


Hard to RTFM.

3 out of 5


Endocrinology attraction.

3 out of 5


Ancestral spelling.

2.5 out of 5


Flying saucer guys not norg men.

4 out of 5


Coin flip strategy.

3 out of 5


Female communication strategy advice.

3 out of 5


Art does Matter.

3 out of 5


Metallo wannabes.

3 out of 5




3.5 out of 5

In the past century there have been countless anthologies in the field of SF. This one is the paramount. The Grand Master of SF assembeles tales that range from cynical humor to predictions of the future, to just generaly great stories. From the tile story Nightfall to my personal favorite Sally, this book will hold you captivated not just once, but over and over again.

I have been looking for a copy of this out-of-print book forever. It is one of my all-time favorites. I enjoy all the stories: "Nightfall" is of course very good but many of the others are just as intriguing to me. Definitely worth picking up if you can find it.

This collection of early Asimov short stories starts of with a bang in the form of the title story, Nightfall. It's an amazing story for many reasons: great concept, smooth pacing, a good conveyance of atmosphere, AND the fact that Asimov actually wrote it. If only the rest of the stories in this book (or for that matter, ANY of his other stories) could be thought out like this. The remainder of the book is a bunch of throw-aways. Asimov says in the intro that Nightfall has been anthologized time and time again; well, I guess I'll have to look for one of those so I can get rid of this book and not be bothered with the others.