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Space Odyssey: an Anthology of Great Science Fiction Stories
Includes:
Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
The engine at heartspring's centre by Roger Zelazny
Twillight by John C. Campbell
Mysterious doings in the Metropolitan Museum by Fritz Leiber
The crystal egg by H.G. Wells
The Gioconda of the twilight moon by J.G. Ballard
The tunnel under the world by Frederik Pohl
The coffin cure by Alan E. Nourse
Castaway by Arthur C. Clarke
The lost machine by John Wyndham
"--And he built a crooked house--" by Robert A. Heinlein
The third expedition by Ray Bradbury
The day beofre the revolution by Ursula K. LeGuin
The insect tapes by Michael Scott Rohan
Carrier by Robert Sheckley
Descending by Thomas M. Disch
Abreaction by Theodore Sturgeon
Vault of the beast by A.E. van Vogt
Eurema's dam by R.A. Lafferty
Ghetto by Paul Anderson
Is your child using drugs? Seven ways to recognize a drug addict by Rachel Pollack
The ninth symphony of Ludwig Van Beethoven and other lost songs by Carter Scholz
The electric ant by Philip K. Roth
"Arena" by Fredric Brown
The man who came back by Robert Silverberg
Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
The engine at heartspring's centre by Roger Zelazny
Twillight by John C. Campbell
Mysterious doings in the Metropolitan Museum by Fritz Leiber
The crystal egg by H.G. Wells
The Gioconda of the twilight moon by J.G. Ballard
The tunnel under the world by Frederik Pohl
The coffin cure by Alan E. Nourse
Castaway by Arthur C. Clarke
The lost machine by John Wyndham
"--And he built a crooked house--" by Robert A. Heinlein
The third expedition by Ray Bradbury
The day beofre the revolution by Ursula K. LeGuin
The insect tapes by Michael Scott Rohan
Carrier by Robert Sheckley
Descending by Thomas M. Disch
Abreaction by Theodore Sturgeon
Vault of the beast by A.E. van Vogt
Eurema's dam by R.A. Lafferty
Ghetto by Paul Anderson
Is your child using drugs? Seven ways to recognize a drug addict by Rachel Pollack
The ninth symphony of Ludwig Van Beethoven and other lost songs by Carter Scholz
The electric ant by Philip K. Roth
"Arena" by Fredric Brown
The man who came back by Robert Silverberg
349 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1983
8 people are currently reading
186 people want to read
About the author
Robert Silverberg
2,345 books1,606 followersThere are many authors in the database with this name.
Robert Silverberg is a highly celebrated American science fiction author and editor known for his prolific output and literary range. Over a career spanning decades, he has won multiple Hugo and Nebula Awards and was named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 2004. Inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 1999, Silverberg is recognized for both his immense productivity and his contributions to the genre's evolution.
Born in Brooklyn, he began writing in his teens and won his first Hugo Award in 1956 as the best new writer. Throughout the 1950s, he produced vast amounts of fiction, often under pseudonyms, and was known for writing up to a million words a year. When the market declined, he diversified into other genres, including historical nonfiction and erotica.
Silverberg’s return to science fiction in the 1960s marked a shift toward deeper psychological and literary themes, contributing significantly to the New Wave movement. Acclaimed works from this period include Downward to the Earth, Dying Inside, Nightwings, and The World Inside. In the 1980s, he launched the Majipoor series with Lord Valentine’s Castle, creating one of the most imaginative planetary settings in science fiction.
Though he announced his retirement from writing in the mid-1970s, Silverberg returned with renewed vigor and continued to publish acclaimed fiction into the 1990s. He received further recognition with the Nebula-winning Sailing to Byzantium and the Hugo-winning Gilgamesh in the Outback.
Silverberg has also played a significant role as an editor and anthologist, shaping science fiction literature through both his own work and his influence on others. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, author Karen Haber.
Robert Silverberg is a highly celebrated American science fiction author and editor known for his prolific output and literary range. Over a career spanning decades, he has won multiple Hugo and Nebula Awards and was named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 2004. Inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 1999, Silverberg is recognized for both his immense productivity and his contributions to the genre's evolution.
Born in Brooklyn, he began writing in his teens and won his first Hugo Award in 1956 as the best new writer. Throughout the 1950s, he produced vast amounts of fiction, often under pseudonyms, and was known for writing up to a million words a year. When the market declined, he diversified into other genres, including historical nonfiction and erotica.
Silverberg’s return to science fiction in the 1960s marked a shift toward deeper psychological and literary themes, contributing significantly to the New Wave movement. Acclaimed works from this period include Downward to the Earth, Dying Inside, Nightwings, and The World Inside. In the 1980s, he launched the Majipoor series with Lord Valentine’s Castle, creating one of the most imaginative planetary settings in science fiction.
Though he announced his retirement from writing in the mid-1970s, Silverberg returned with renewed vigor and continued to publish acclaimed fiction into the 1990s. He received further recognition with the Nebula-winning Sailing to Byzantium and the Hugo-winning Gilgamesh in the Outback.
Silverberg has also played a significant role as an editor and anthologist, shaping science fiction literature through both his own work and his influence on others. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, author Karen Haber.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 25, 2016
Superlative, imo. Only two stories didn't quite work for me. My edition does not credit Silverberg as editor, and in fact I doubt he chose the stories, as his taste and mine seldom converge. I'll hang onto this awhile and read it once more before giving it away, skipping the stories that are so memorable I don't need to read them again... which might turn out to be several of them....
June 18, 2009
One of the best collections of SF stories from the 20th century. Wells, Vonnegut, Silverberg... it's a great representation of the genre.
I recently found this anthology in a second-hand bookstore and I remembered just how much it had gripped me when I was a child.
It kicks off with Harrison Bergeron, which is probably the most familiar of Vonnegut's shorts, and
Rachel Pollack's "Is Your Child Using Drugs?" was frankly terrifying when I was younger and hasn't lost much of its power now that I'm old enough to understand what it's all about. The same goes for "Descending", and "The Engine at Heartspring's Center".
There's not a story here that I would hesitate to recommend on its own merits.
I recently found this anthology in a second-hand bookstore and I remembered just how much it had gripped me when I was a child.
It kicks off with Harrison Bergeron, which is probably the most familiar of Vonnegut's shorts, and
Rachel Pollack's "Is Your Child Using Drugs?" was frankly terrifying when I was younger and hasn't lost much of its power now that I'm old enough to understand what it's all about. The same goes for "Descending", and "The Engine at Heartspring's Center".
There's not a story here that I would hesitate to recommend on its own merits.
May 10, 2022
This anthology is touted as an excellent introduction to SF. In its time (the early eighties), it would have been just that, being comprised of a rich cross-section of authors, and stories that touch upon most sub-genres (though one or two are closer to Fantasy than they are SF). Today, however, quite a number of tales have dated and might even put any potential new SF reader off. Space Odyssey is therefore much better read as a nostalgic trip down memory lane for the aficionado of today.
Stand-outs for me are: The Engine at Heartspring's Centre, Roger Zelazny (a melancholy tale of love in a euthanasia centre); The Tunnel Under the World, Frederik Pohl (the world is false, your life is false, only the adverts are true); '- And He Built a Crooked House -', Robert A Heinlein (four-dimensional real estate); The Third Expedition, Ray Bradbury (a haunting Martian Chronicles tale that always seemed a little out of place in that collection, but on its own seems to work much better); The Insect Tapes, Michael Scott Rohan (an amusing warning against fiddling with nature in a closed environment); Descending, Thomas M Disch (more surreal Horror than SF, but a strong reminder to read more Disch); and The Electric Ant, Philip K Dick (experiments with the perceived reality of an android).
Stand-outs for me are: The Engine at Heartspring's Centre, Roger Zelazny (a melancholy tale of love in a euthanasia centre); The Tunnel Under the World, Frederik Pohl (the world is false, your life is false, only the adverts are true); '- And He Built a Crooked House -', Robert A Heinlein (four-dimensional real estate); The Third Expedition, Ray Bradbury (a haunting Martian Chronicles tale that always seemed a little out of place in that collection, but on its own seems to work much better); The Insect Tapes, Michael Scott Rohan (an amusing warning against fiddling with nature in a closed environment); Descending, Thomas M Disch (more surreal Horror than SF, but a strong reminder to read more Disch); and The Electric Ant, Philip K Dick (experiments with the perceived reality of an android).
June 9, 2025
Space odyssey anthology Ratings:
Harrison Bergeron 8/10
The engine at heartspring’s centre 7.5/10
Twilight 7/10
Mysterious doings at the Met 3.5/10
The crystal egg 5.5/10
The gioconda of the twilight noon 8.5/10
The tunnel under the world 6/10
Coffin cure 5/10
Castaway 6/10
The Lost robot 5.5/10
And he built a crooked house 9/10
The third expedition 5/10
The Day Before the Revolution 7.5/10
The insect tapes 7/10 (funny)
Carrier 8/10
Descending 6/10
Abreaction 4/10
Eurema’s dam 8.5/10
Harrison Bergeron 8/10
The engine at heartspring’s centre 7.5/10
Twilight 7/10
Mysterious doings at the Met 3.5/10
The crystal egg 5.5/10
The gioconda of the twilight noon 8.5/10
The tunnel under the world 6/10
Coffin cure 5/10
Castaway 6/10
The Lost robot 5.5/10
And he built a crooked house 9/10
The third expedition 5/10
The Day Before the Revolution 7.5/10
The insect tapes 7/10 (funny)
Carrier 8/10
Descending 6/10
Abreaction 4/10
Eurema’s dam 8.5/10
May 8, 2021
Actually I liked about half of these stories. Because of concept or the story, outstanding ones were:
The Coffin Cure
Carrier
Descending
The Ninth Symphony of Ludwig Van Beethoven and Other Lost Songs
The Man Who Came Back
The Coffin Cure
Carrier
Descending
The Ninth Symphony of Ludwig Van Beethoven and Other Lost Songs
The Man Who Came Back
September 15, 2021
Great collection of short sci fi stories. Most are very old, like the beginnings of sci fi writing. But, those are always fun to read because of the technology. Back in the day it seemed like the future would be full of computers running on reels of tape, and mars would be a habitable planet.
May 27, 2019
Really liked that part when computer gone crazy. All other parts were boring.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2025
For a detailed review check out
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC82t...
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC82t...
December 19, 2025
Pretty good, standout stories from Disch and Frederic Brown. Some stories really show their age though. I’m looking at you Poul Anderson.
June 8, 2020
I read this book when I was 14 and it started me off on a lifetime’s obsession with stories set in other galaxies that tell us a bit of truth about our own.
Wells, Zelazny, Vonnegut Jr, Dick, Heinlein, Van Voigt, Wyndham, Bradbury, Leiber, Ballard and other greats of English language sci fi at their very best.
The collection covers practically every type of sci fi. From the straightforward kind where spacemen fight deadly alien adversaries, to the sort that rips apart and takes a peek beyond the thin veil of reality. And everything in between.
My face melted when I read it first. And every time that I have re-read it in the intervening 30 years, I have never failed to marvel at what a great representation this book is of a rich and varied genre.
Highly recommended.
Wells, Zelazny, Vonnegut Jr, Dick, Heinlein, Van Voigt, Wyndham, Bradbury, Leiber, Ballard and other greats of English language sci fi at their very best.
The collection covers practically every type of sci fi. From the straightforward kind where spacemen fight deadly alien adversaries, to the sort that rips apart and takes a peek beyond the thin veil of reality. And everything in between.
My face melted when I read it first. And every time that I have re-read it in the intervening 30 years, I have never failed to marvel at what a great representation this book is of a rich and varied genre.
Highly recommended.
October 8, 2011
an anthology if terrific short stories....older tales but exceptional stories
July 8, 2013
Terminado el último relato. No creo que haga reseña pues es un libro y una edición antigua, pero quizá me animo.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews