The Best of Edmond Hamilton

by Edmond Hamilton, Leigh Brackett

Here is a collection of some of the finest short fiction penned by one of the "fathers" of modern science fiction.

These stories were selected (and edited) by Hamilton's wife, Leigh Brackett -- an author and a screenwriter. Her screenwriting credits include work on such films as The Big Sleep, Rio Bravo, The Long Goodbye, and Star The Empire Strikes Back.

This collection spans nearly half a century of Edmond Hamilton's work and was selected from a repository of hundreds of stories that he had written over that period.

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Fiction, Fantasy, Collections, Science Fiction Fantasy, Anthologies

348 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 1977

About the author

Edmond Moore Hamilton was a popular author of science fiction stories and novels throughout the mid-twentieth century. Born in Youngstown, Ohio, he was raised there and in nearby New Castle, Pennsylvania. Something of a child prodigy, he graduated high school and started college (Westminster College, New Wilmington, Pennsylvania) at the age of 14--but washed out at 17. He was the Golden Age writer who worked on Batman, the Legion of Super-Heroes, and many sci-fi books.

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the best of Del Rey's "Best of" series, because it showcases the long span (the earliest story here, The Monster-God of Mamurth, is from the August 1926 issue of the Weird Tales and the latest, Castaway, is from a 1968 original anthology; both are excellent) of Hamilton's career, his wide range of genre (there are fantasies, horrors, space operas, psychological sf tales, etc.), and his writing skill. His prose isn't particularly polished, but, like Howard, he was a good plotter and a natural storyteller. Hamilton is now best remembered for his Captain Future novels, The Star Kings, and his DC comics work, but he was an accomplished short fiction writer as well, as this volume proves. The book was edited by his wife, the famous Leigh Brackett, who also contributes an amusing introduction. My favorites are The Pro, Exile, and What's It Like Out There?

[Jeff Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was one of Phoenix Picks monthly free selections.

I was not familiar with the author and really this turned out to be a serious hole in my knowledge. He started writing for the various pulp magazines in the 20's and his career extended up to his death in the 70s.

This collection of stories was edited by his wife Leigh Brackett who I was aware of. Her introduction sets up his career quite well and how his stories stood out from the beginning.

This is one of the best short story collections I have read from a single author. Greatly imaginative each story left me fulfilled which is something short stories don't usually do for me. The science behind them was often of the pulp variety, but the stories themselves stand on their own. Because the story telling was so good with great premises you hardly feel that they were dated at all. Some of the stories have Twilight Zone appeal to them and one of them was made into one of my favorite Outer Limits episodes. Another one of the stories had a theme reminiscent of the movie Avatar where somebody joins the aliens that are being warred on for their resources.

Will have to look up his novels

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. I had read some of Hamilton's stuff before and liked it but this was a very nice collection of many of his best short stories. Certainly there was action, but there was a lot of feeling and emotion and character in these as well, and some truly cool ideas that you could see had a strong influence on later writers and on SF TV and movies.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though not a huge sci-fi fan, this collection of the late Edmond Hamilton had some read gems. From other reviews I take it that Hamilton was known for some crazy and insane ideas--at least they were considered so at the time he wrote them. He has more than one "mad scientist" style story along with tales of whole worlds being destroyed or saved.

But he was also a very good character writer. His stories "What's It Like Out There?" and "He That Hath Wings" are incredibly rich in terms of feeling and experiencing the psychology of the characters within. In addition, Hamilton was good at producing mood pieces, particularly depressing or nihilistic ones.

Good collection! Recommend!

[TrumanCoyote · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised at what a large percentage of the stories first appeared in Weird Tales. Anyway, even with the first one ("The Monster God of Mamurth") Hamilton has his finger on the Lovecraftian pulse of that genre. "The Man Who Evolved" is very cool too (as well as presumably the inspiration for the Outer Limits episode with David McCallum, "The Sixth Finger")--although one does have to wonder why someone who "can send my mind forth to make contact with other minds without the slightest material connection" needs a couple guys to stand there to flip a switch for him (lol). The only real clinker I thought in this selection was "The Island of Unreason" (too bad Leigh couldn't have substituted "Devolution" for that, then this truly would've been the "Best of"...but perhaps that story was awaiting the compiling of a Volume 2). :) "Thundering Worlds" was pretty cave, although the sheer spectacle made for some goofy fun; still, you'd think any civilization that could rig up its constituent planets with Evinrudes could devise some sort of a heater instead of going through all that fuss (as indeed they seemed to be doing through the interstellar wastes with that whole dome business). "The Man Who Returned" was marvelously Hitchcockian/Woolrichian. "Child of the Winds" was a splendid allegory, as was "He That Hath Wings." And of course "Fessenden's Worlds" was a nerve-wracking variation on the Microcosmic God theme (in fact, I think I'll take to referring to God as Fessenden in my more irreverent moments). "Easy Money" was quite amusing, as was the brief "Exile." "Alien Earth" was a great idea, the notion of the hunati being one that has long stuck with me. And "What's It Like Out There?" is quite simply perhaps the greatest science fiction story ever written (and a splendid companion piece to the similarly sombre "Coming Attraction" by Fritz Leiber).

[bluetyson]

Best of Edmond Hamilton by Edmond Hamilton (1978)

[Sara Light-Waller · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent collection of Edmond Hamilton's stories. Leigh Brackett, the editor of the collection, and Hamilton's wife, had a big job, choosing but a few of Hamilton's many stories for this "best of" collection. As I read previous reviews of this book, I see many comments about the writing credentials of both Brackett and Hamilton, Hamilton's impressive and prolific span of work, and his famous nickname of "worldwrecker." All true and valid points. But, as both a reader and a writer myself, I'd like to address something else about these stories - their enduring power.

We are, today, much more sophisticated in technological speak. As Hamilton himself says in the afterword, by the 1970's it was no longer as easy to "fudge" your sci-fi tech-speak. And today, it's even more true. Science fiction during the pulp era spoke to readers of the time, and a common complaint of modern readers is that the old works sound frustratingly, old-fashioned. No wonder! They were written long before men got to the moon!

I'm rarely bothered by those old visions of future tech. When I read a pulp story, I'm looking for far more than technological speculation. I'm looking for the story's heart. And what is that? I'd call it the romance of the story, not in the sense of romantic love, but in a sweeping tale that carries you into the vision of the writer, sweeps you through, and drops you on the other side, changed.

Hamilton is good at that. Feelings linger after reading his stories - some creepy, some sad, and some stunning in their profundity.

"Exile" was my favorite in the collection and left me thoughtful. "He That Hath Wings" and "Child Of The Winds" made me sad. "Day Of Judgment" was a big powerful story, and again, left me thoughtful. "Fessenden's Worlds" made me mad, as it was supposed to, I believe. After reading "Castaway," I wondered aloud if a writer today could get away with using Edgar Allen Poe as a main character. Somehow I doubt it, but the treat worked well in Hamilton's capable hands. Each story in the collection brought something to mind for me...none of them were so-so.

In the story, "The Pro," you hear Hamilton speaking to the readers as a version of himself. It's a revealing glimpse into Hamilton's feelings about writing. That story was published on the month and year of my birth. Funny thing to see that bit of trivia in the records. Somehow it made the story feel like a birthday present to me, one I discovered just yesterday. What an awfully "Timey-wimey" thought! But how perfect for a well-written science fiction story from one of the best.

Thank you Edmond Hamilton!

[Michael Samerdyke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a tremendously interesting book.

Hamilton is perhaps best remembered for "space opera," but apart from one story "space opera" doesn't appear in this book.

Instead, "The Best of Edmond Hamilton" shows a 20th Century science fiction career that seemingly owes nothing to John W. Campbell's "Astounding" or "Galaxy" magazine.

"A Conquest of Two Worlds" from 1932 is simultaneously a pre-Campbell story in its "crudeness" and post-Campbell in its cynical view of space travel/exploration. Indeed, this story is anti-imperialist, anti-colonialist, and could almost be seen as the forerunner of Cameron's "Avatar."

"What's It Like Out There?", perhaps Hamilton's most famous story, feels like it's "really" about PTSD. It has a post-Vietnam feel (for a 1952 story!).

"Requiem" and "The Pro" have an elegiac feel, yet "Island of Unreason" and "Easy Money" are both very funny.

"He That Hath Wings" is incredibly moving.

Just a very enjoyable and thought-provoking collection.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost put this down in the beginning, but, it's short stories arranged chronologically, so the next one will surely be better, I kept thinking. Well, I was right. Something happened in 1936. The March story was the same as the earlier, with bad science and workmanlike exposition etc. But in May he got "Child of the Winds" published and it's *far* better written, and much more interesting, than any of the previous stories.

Is that when he started getting help from his wife, the editor of this collection?

I have the companion book, her stories as edited by him, and plan to read it soon. So maybe a comparison will be enlightening.

I do plan to keep these collections for awhile and reread the best stories from them.

You can check out Child of the Winds and others in the scanned & free-to-borrow edition on openlibrary.org. If you have any interest in a good story and in the 'evolutionary history of SF' I recommend that you do so.

[David Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining collection that spans nearly half a century. Some of the earlier stories are either derivative or silly, like the one in which our entire solar system is moved by enormous rockets helmed by pilots, as if the planets were spaceships. But the stories are clever and fun, and by the time of "What's It Like Out There?," about an astronaut who like a military commander has to inform relatives of how his crewmates died, Hamilton has adapted to a modern, grimmer style. I don't necessarily need to read more Hamilton, but I'm glad I read this one.

[Victor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good collection of SF . Stories of this kind is not written anymore …
Monster god of MAMURTH has been a childhood favourite ever since I read it at the age of 7 , in a collection of adventure stories in my native tongue of Bengali. This book unearthed quite a few good stories for me …but the only other story that I really liked is EASY MONEY…. great fun !
The island of unreason was another very good one .

[Jim Mcvoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of science fiction stretches from the mid-1920s to the seventies. Some of the older ones seem incredibly naive in terms of the science behind them, but are good fun to read. My favorite is Fessenden's World which I recall reading as a teenager.

[Steven Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some very good stories here. “The Pro” was especially poignant for a parent of adult children.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

✔️ Seeds from Outside 05/13/2025

[Forked Radish]

(The) Conquest of two Worlds
(The) Island of Unreason
Thundering Worlds
(The) Man who Returned ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Just like a pig, a man is worth more dead than alive.
In the World’s Dusk ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Evo don’t work like dat.
(The) Child of the Winds
(The) Seeds from Outside ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Ash and Elm.
He That Hath Wings
The others are listed separately.

[Jerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some good stories in here. Edmond Hamilton is especially good at emotional tales. He also likes end-of-the-world stories—or at least, end-of-man stories, for the world will usually survive. There are at least five in this collection, all very good, and very different. They range from pure fantasy to hard science. The end can come to people, to the planet, to the sun.