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Isaac Asimov Presents the Great SF Stories #14
Isaac Asimov Presents The Great SF Stories 14: 1952
The Pedestrian; and A Sound of Thunder by Ray Bradbury; The Moon is Green; and Yesterday House by Fritz Leiber; Lost Memory by Peter Phillips; What Have I Done by Mark Clifton; Fast Falls the Eventide by Eric Frank Russell; The Business, As Usual by Mack Reynolds; Hobson's Choice by Alfred Bester; The Snowball Effect by Katherine MacLean; Delay in Transit by F. L. Wallace; Game for Blondes by John D. MacDonald; The Altar at Midnight by Cyril Kornbluth; Command Performance by Walter M. Miller, Jr.; The Impacted Man; and The Cost of Living by Robert Sheckley; What's it Like Out There by Edmond Hamilton; Sail On! Sail On by Philip Jose Farmer; and The Martian Way by Isaac Asimov.
Contents:
9 · 1952 Introduction · Martin H. Greenberg · in
13 · The Pedestrian · Ray Bradbury · ss The Reporter Aug 7 ’51; F&SF Feb ’52
19 · The Moon Is Green · Fritz Leiber · ss Galaxy Apr ’52
35 · Lost Memory · Peter Phillips · ss Galaxy May ’52
48 · What Have I Done? · Mark Clifton · ss Astounding May ’52
67 · Fast Falls the Eventide · Eric Frank Russell · ss Astounding May ’52
85 · The Business, as Usual · Mack Reynolds · vi F&SF Jun ’52
90 · A Sound of Thunder · Ray Bradbury · ss Colliers Jun 28 ’52
103 · Hobson’s Choice · Alfred Bester · ss F&SF Aug ’52
119 · Yesterday House · Fritz Leiber · nv Galaxy Aug ’52
146 · The Snowball Effect · Katherine MacLean · ss Galaxy Sep ’52
160 · Delay in Transit · Floyd L. Wallace · na Galaxy Sep ’52
206 · Game for Blondes · John D. MacDonald · ss Galaxy Oct ’52
217 · The Altar at Midnight · C. M. Kornbluth · ss Galaxy Nov ’52
225 · Command Performance · Walter M. Miller, Jr. · ss Galaxy Nov ’52
243 · The Martian Way · Isaac Asimov · na Galaxy Nov ’52
289 · The Impacted Man · Robert Sheckley · ss Astounding Dec ’52
308 · What’s It Like Out There? · Edmond Hamilton · nv Thrilling Wonder Stories Dec ’52
331 · Sail On! Sail On! · Philip José Farmer · ss Startling Stories Dec ’52
342 · Cost of Living · Robert Sheckley · ss Galaxy Dec ’52
Contents:
9 · 1952 Introduction · Martin H. Greenberg · in
13 · The Pedestrian · Ray Bradbury · ss The Reporter Aug 7 ’51; F&SF Feb ’52
19 · The Moon Is Green · Fritz Leiber · ss Galaxy Apr ’52
35 · Lost Memory · Peter Phillips · ss Galaxy May ’52
48 · What Have I Done? · Mark Clifton · ss Astounding May ’52
67 · Fast Falls the Eventide · Eric Frank Russell · ss Astounding May ’52
85 · The Business, as Usual · Mack Reynolds · vi F&SF Jun ’52
90 · A Sound of Thunder · Ray Bradbury · ss Colliers Jun 28 ’52
103 · Hobson’s Choice · Alfred Bester · ss F&SF Aug ’52
119 · Yesterday House · Fritz Leiber · nv Galaxy Aug ’52
146 · The Snowball Effect · Katherine MacLean · ss Galaxy Sep ’52
160 · Delay in Transit · Floyd L. Wallace · na Galaxy Sep ’52
206 · Game for Blondes · John D. MacDonald · ss Galaxy Oct ’52
217 · The Altar at Midnight · C. M. Kornbluth · ss Galaxy Nov ’52
225 · Command Performance · Walter M. Miller, Jr. · ss Galaxy Nov ’52
243 · The Martian Way · Isaac Asimov · na Galaxy Nov ’52
289 · The Impacted Man · Robert Sheckley · ss Astounding Dec ’52
308 · What’s It Like Out There? · Edmond Hamilton · nv Thrilling Wonder Stories Dec ’52
331 · Sail On! Sail On! · Philip José Farmer · ss Startling Stories Dec ’52
342 · Cost of Living · Robert Sheckley · ss Galaxy Dec ’52
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 7, 1986
2 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
About the author
Isaac Asimov
4,345 books27.9k followersWorks 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...
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...
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 22, 2024
Il pedone (The Pedestrian), di Ray Bradbury ****
Un uomo preferisce passeggiare invece di guardare la tv, una stranezza sospetta.
La luna è verde (The Moon Is Green), di Fritz Leiber ***
Dopo un confitto nucleare alcuni sopravvissuti vivono in rifugi sotterranei, ma è difficile non sognare.
Memoria perduta (Lost Memory), di Peter Phillips ****
Simpatici robot trovano un'astronave e la scambiano per una di loro, cos'altro potrebbe essere?
Cosa ho fatto? (What Have I Done?), di Mark Clifton ***
Un capace psicologo riconosce immediatamente un tipo strano all'ufficio di collocamento.
Rapida scende la sera (Fast Falls the Eventide), di Eric Frank Russell ***
Diventando grandi esperti di mondi e di speci, i terrestri sono richiestissimi per insegnare tra i pianeti.
Affari, come al solito (The Business, As Usual), di Mack Reynolds ***
Un viaggiatore del tempo si fa fregare con un baratto.
Un rumore di tuono (A Sound of Thunder), di Ray Bradbury *****
Safari all'epoca dei dinosauri.
La scelta di Hobson (Hobson's Choice), di Alfred Bester ***
Un addetto alla statistica scopre strani ed inspiegabili incrementi della popolazione e decide di indagare.
La Casa di Ieri (Yesterday House), di Fritz Leiber ***
Un uomo incontra su un'isola una strana fanciulla convinta di vivere 20 anni prima.
L'introduzione al racconto contiene spoiler.
Effetto valanga (The Snowball Effect), di Katherine MacLean ***
Cosa succederebbe se fosse data una struttura studiata a tavolino dalla sociologia ad un innoquo circolo del cucito?
Ritardo nel transito (Delay in Transit), di F. L. Wallace ****
Un'intelligenza artificiale impiantata chirurgicamente può far comodo a viaggiatori arenati su un pianeta di transito.
Gioco per bionde (Game for Blondes), di John D. MacDonald **
Caccia alla preda con premio per gruppi di tre bionde.
L'Altare a Mezzanotte (The Altar at Midnight), di Cyril M. Kornbluth ***
Come si può sentire l'inventore di viaggi iperveloci nello spazio?
Command performance (Command Performance), di Walter Miller ****
Giochi telepatici tra mutanti umani.
La via marziana (The Martian Way), di Isaac Asimov *****
La Terra non vuole più concedere acqua ai coloni di Marte.
L'uomo incastrato (The Impacted Man), di Robert Sheckley ****
La costruzione di una galassia può presentare imprevisti.
Com'è là fuori (What's It Like out There?), di Edmond Hamilton ****
Troppe domande ad un reduce di una missione su Marte.
Salpa! Salpa! (Sail on, Sail on), di Philip José Farmer **
Cherubini messaggeri in un universo alternativo.
Costo della Vita (Cost of Living), di Robert Sheckley ****
Per avere sempre più prodotti tecnologici andrà fatto qualche piccolo debito.
Un uomo preferisce passeggiare invece di guardare la tv, una stranezza sospetta.
La luna è verde (The Moon Is Green), di Fritz Leiber ***
Dopo un confitto nucleare alcuni sopravvissuti vivono in rifugi sotterranei, ma è difficile non sognare.
Memoria perduta (Lost Memory), di Peter Phillips ****
Simpatici robot trovano un'astronave e la scambiano per una di loro, cos'altro potrebbe essere?
Cosa ho fatto? (What Have I Done?), di Mark Clifton ***
Un capace psicologo riconosce immediatamente un tipo strano all'ufficio di collocamento.
Rapida scende la sera (Fast Falls the Eventide), di Eric Frank Russell ***
Diventando grandi esperti di mondi e di speci, i terrestri sono richiestissimi per insegnare tra i pianeti.
Affari, come al solito (The Business, As Usual), di Mack Reynolds ***
Un viaggiatore del tempo si fa fregare con un baratto.
Un rumore di tuono (A Sound of Thunder), di Ray Bradbury *****
Safari all'epoca dei dinosauri.
La scelta di Hobson (Hobson's Choice), di Alfred Bester ***
Un addetto alla statistica scopre strani ed inspiegabili incrementi della popolazione e decide di indagare.
La Casa di Ieri (Yesterday House), di Fritz Leiber ***
Un uomo incontra su un'isola una strana fanciulla convinta di vivere 20 anni prima.
L'introduzione al racconto contiene spoiler.
Effetto valanga (The Snowball Effect), di Katherine MacLean ***
Cosa succederebbe se fosse data una struttura studiata a tavolino dalla sociologia ad un innoquo circolo del cucito?
Ritardo nel transito (Delay in Transit), di F. L. Wallace ****
Un'intelligenza artificiale impiantata chirurgicamente può far comodo a viaggiatori arenati su un pianeta di transito.
Gioco per bionde (Game for Blondes), di John D. MacDonald **
Caccia alla preda con premio per gruppi di tre bionde.
L'Altare a Mezzanotte (The Altar at Midnight), di Cyril M. Kornbluth ***
Come si può sentire l'inventore di viaggi iperveloci nello spazio?
Command performance (Command Performance), di Walter Miller ****
Giochi telepatici tra mutanti umani.
La via marziana (The Martian Way), di Isaac Asimov *****
La Terra non vuole più concedere acqua ai coloni di Marte.
L'uomo incastrato (The Impacted Man), di Robert Sheckley ****
La costruzione di una galassia può presentare imprevisti.
Com'è là fuori (What's It Like out There?), di Edmond Hamilton ****
Troppe domande ad un reduce di una missione su Marte.
Salpa! Salpa! (Sail on, Sail on), di Philip José Farmer **
Cherubini messaggeri in un universo alternativo.
Costo della Vita (Cost of Living), di Robert Sheckley ****
Per avere sempre più prodotti tecnologici andrà fatto qualche piccolo debito.
February 12, 2020
The Great SF Stories 14 (1952) has been the best in the series so far, and I've been reading them in order since volume 1 (1939). Not only were there several famous stories:
- "The Pedestrian" by Ray Bradbury
- "A Sound of Thunder" by Ray Bradbury
- "The Martian Way" by Isaac Asimov
- "Sail On, Sail On" by Philip Jose Farmer
But I felt I discovered some forgotten classics that really deserved to be famous:
- "Delay in Transit" by F. L. Wallace
- "What's It Like Out There" by Edmond Hamilton
- "Lost Memories" by Peter Phillips"
- "What Have I Done" by Mark Clifton
- "Fast Falls The Eventide" by Eric Frank Russell
And there were several lesser-known stories by famous science fiction writers that were top-notch tales:
- "The Moon Is Green" by Fritz Leiber
- "Yesterday House" by Friz Leiber
- "The Impacted Man" by Robert Sheckley
- "Cost of Living" by Robert Sheckley
- "Command Performance" by Walter M. Miller, Jr.
- "The Altar at Midnight" by C. L. Kornbluth
- "Hobson's Choice" by Alfred Bester
Even the lesser stories by Mack Reynolds, Kathleen MacLean, and John D. MacDonald were pretty good.
- "The Pedestrian" by Ray Bradbury
- "A Sound of Thunder" by Ray Bradbury
- "The Martian Way" by Isaac Asimov
- "Sail On, Sail On" by Philip Jose Farmer
But I felt I discovered some forgotten classics that really deserved to be famous:
- "Delay in Transit" by F. L. Wallace
- "What's It Like Out There" by Edmond Hamilton
- "Lost Memories" by Peter Phillips"
- "What Have I Done" by Mark Clifton
- "Fast Falls The Eventide" by Eric Frank Russell
And there were several lesser-known stories by famous science fiction writers that were top-notch tales:
- "The Moon Is Green" by Fritz Leiber
- "Yesterday House" by Friz Leiber
- "The Impacted Man" by Robert Sheckley
- "Cost of Living" by Robert Sheckley
- "Command Performance" by Walter M. Miller, Jr.
- "The Altar at Midnight" by C. L. Kornbluth
- "Hobson's Choice" by Alfred Bester
Even the lesser stories by Mack Reynolds, Kathleen MacLean, and John D. MacDonald were pretty good.
April 26, 2023
I've read 1 - 14 of this series, and I think this may be the weakest entry. Fast Falls the Eventide, Yesterday House, Command Performance, The Impacted Man, What's It Like Out There?, and The Martian Way are clearly worthy of the series while Delay in Transit and What Have I Done? are minor works at best. The others were enjoyable but tend to be very idea-centric, and some are quite clunky in execution.
April 24, 2020
A very good collection.
January 22, 2014
Nel 1952 i Sovietici sono il nemico per eccellenza dell'Occidente, si sa. Ma il capitalismo è tanto meglio? Quasi controvoglia, perché non è nelle sue corde "dumasiane", Asimov apre, da liberal convinto quale è, la propria antologia a voci critiche nei riguardi del sistema. Entra così, tra i classici, un racconto del trotzkista americano Mack Reynolds, che quel sistema detesta. Fanno una clamorosa apparizione le favole crudeli e corrosive di Robert Sheckley, poco propenso ad accettare l'esistente quale male minore. Sono i primi vagiti della "fantascienza sociologica" tenuta a battesimo pochi anni prima da William Tenn. Asimov riserva per sé una delle sue opere meglio riuscite. "La via marziana", e lascia spazio a grandi autori ormai consacrati come Bradbury, Leiber e Bester. Ma sono gli alfieri della sf "sociologica", specchio distorto e critico del presente, a pungere di più. Non è difficile intuire che l'avvenire sarà loro. Asimov lo comprende e si inchina alla loro felicità inventiva e alla loro "cattiveria". (Valerio Evangelisti)
March 9, 2014
The Pedestrian- Bradbury: 4/5. Societal problems.
The moon is green- Leiber: 4/5. Nuclear warfare.
Lost memory- Philips: 5/5. Alien robots. Very dark!
What have I done- Clifton: 2/5. Alien invasion (subtle). "Too-good-to-be-true", not very exciting
Fast falls the eventide-Russell: 4/5. Humans travelling to aliens.
The business as usual- Reynolds: 5/5. Time travel paradox. Hilarious!
A sound of Thunder- Bradbury: 5/5. Time travel mishap. Great ending.
Hobson's choice- Bester: 3/5. Time travelling.
Yesterday House- Leiber: 4/5. Genetic manipulation. Almost like a ghost story, very creepy
Snowball Effect- Maclean: 2/5. Social science/mind control
Delay in Transit- Wallace: 4/5. Intergalactic space travel
Game for blondes- MacDonald: 3/5. time travelling
The altar at midnight-- Kombluth: 3/5. Dark sides of space travel
The moon is green- Leiber: 4/5. Nuclear warfare.
Lost memory- Philips: 5/5. Alien robots. Very dark!
What have I done- Clifton: 2/5. Alien invasion (subtle). "Too-good-to-be-true", not very exciting
Fast falls the eventide-Russell: 4/5. Humans travelling to aliens.
The business as usual- Reynolds: 5/5. Time travel paradox. Hilarious!
A sound of Thunder- Bradbury: 5/5. Time travel mishap. Great ending.
Hobson's choice- Bester: 3/5. Time travelling.
Yesterday House- Leiber: 4/5. Genetic manipulation. Almost like a ghost story, very creepy
Snowball Effect- Maclean: 2/5. Social science/mind control
Delay in Transit- Wallace: 4/5. Intergalactic space travel
Game for blondes- MacDonald: 3/5. time travelling
The altar at midnight-- Kombluth: 3/5. Dark sides of space travel
June 20, 2013
Consiglio vivamente. Questo libro trabocca di racconti meritevoli. Alcuni scadenti, ma davvero pochi. In ogni caso una raccolta di racconti che apre e chiude in bellezza. Apre con un gran bel racconto di Ray Bradbury (Il Pedone) e chiude con un altrettanto gradevole racconto racconto di Robert Sheckley (Il Costo della Vita). Questi due bravissimi autori sono presenti, tra l'altro, con due racconti ciascuno. E poi Asimov, Fritz Leiber, Mack Reynolds e chi più ne ha più ne metta. Aggiungerei che ho apprezzato tantissimo un racconto carico di ironia di Mack Reynolds, appunto; si tratta di un racconto di quattro pagine intitolato "Affari, Come Al Solito". Un racconto sui viaggi nel tempo davvero originale.
March 23, 2013
That's 1952..."Pedestrian" good Bradbury, despite the usual quaint tone--"Sound Of Thunder" overwritten; Leiber's "Moon Is Green" surprisingly a bit shticky. Good Asimov "Martian Way"--well-constructed; a real knack for realism in science fiction. Hamilton's "What's It Like Out There?" one of the greatest stories ever--and a sort of companion piece stylistically to "Coming Attraction."
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews