Great Tales of Classic Science Fiction

by Isaac Asimov (Editor), Charles G. Waugh (Editor)

Note: This edition cut from 10 stories to 8, omitting "Alas, All Thinking!" by Harry Bates and "Seeker of Tomorrow" by Eric Frank Russell & Leslie J. Johnson.

* ix • Introduction: Science Fiction Finds Its Voice (The Mammoth Book of Classic Science Fiction: Short Novels of the 1930s) • (1988) • essay by Isaac Asimov
* 1 • The Shadow Out of Time • [Cthulhu Mythos] • (1936) • novella by H. P. Lovecraft
* 62 • A Matter of Form • (1938) • novella by Horace L. Gold
* 119 • Jane Brown's Body • (1938) • novella by Cornell Woolrich
* 188 • Who Goes There? • (1938) • novella by John W. Campbell, Jr. [as by Don A. Stuart ]
* 241 • Sidewise in Time • (1934) • novella by Murray Leinster
* 293 • Dawn of Flame • [Margaret of Urbs] • (1936) • novella by Stanley G. Weinbaum
* 351 • Divide and Rule • (1939) • novella by L. Sprague de Camp
* 431 • Wolves of Darkness • (1932) • novella by Jack Williamson

Genres: Science Fiction, Anthologies, Fiction

498 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Works of prolific Russian-American writer Isaac Asimov include popular explanations of scientific principles, The Foundation Trilogy (1951-1953), and other volumes of fiction.

Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.

Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).

People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.

Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.

Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...

Reviews

[Jon]

Contains two novellas nominated for the 1939 Retro Hugo Award for Best Novella:

"A Matter of Form" by Horace L. Gold - 3-3.5 stars - villains in pursuit of immortality, cliched now but perhaps not so much back then? Sort of Freaky Friday but between a man and a dog.

"Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell, Jr. - 4-4.5 stars - if you've never read this one, you don't know what you're missing. Read it now!

[Yuriy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book proves that regardless of the time when stories were written, interesting ideas that resonate today have been explored and exploited by authors.

[David Robbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great anthology. Includes terrific tales by some of the best writers from the 1930's. Among them is WHO GOES THERE?, by John W. Campbell, Jr. that was later made into three movies. (THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD, John Carpenter's THE THING, and the more recent THE THING.) In the introduction by Isaac Asimov, he had this to say about WHO GOES THERE?: 'It is included here and if you have never read it before, I envy you, for you'll find it among the cleverest and most insidiously horrifying stories you have ever read.' Also included are great stories by H.P. Lovecraft, Jack Williamson and others. If you are into anthologies and science fiction, this one's a treat.