Grand Masters' Choice

by Andre Norton (Editor/Contributor), Ingrid Zierhut (Editor), Robert A. Heinlein

These eight great authors share a unique position in science fiction and fantasy. They are all Grand Masters of Science Fiction, as lauded by their peers, the members of the Science fiction Writers of America.
Each Grand Master was asked to name the story that he or she felt was the finest short work produced during the career that earned this singular honor. The eight stories chosen by the eight Grand Masters comprise the main contents of this book. All the stories are memorable; many are reprinted for the first time in many years.
Also contained are essays about the authors, and an Introduction by Robert Bloch. Altogether, Grand Masters' Choice is a fitting tribute to eight of the
greatest writers in the field, entertaining readers with the words they themselves are most proud to have written.

• Introduction • essay by Robert Bloch
• The Long Watch • (1949) • Robert A. Heinlein
• With Folded Hands • (1948) • Jack Williamson
• The Autumn Land • (1971) • Clifford D. Simak
• A Gun for Dinosaur • (1956) • L. Sprague de Camp
• Lean Times in Lankhmar • (1959) • Fritz Leiber
• Toads of Grimmerdale • (1973) • Andre Norton
• Transit of Earth • (1971) • Arthur C. Clarke
• The Last Question • (1956) • Isaac Asimov

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Fiction

355 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Andre Norton, born Alice Mary Norton, was a pioneering American author of science fiction and fantasy, widely regarded as the Grande Dame of those genres. She also wrote historical and contemporary fiction, publishing under the pen names Andre Alice Norton, Andrew North, and Allen Weston. She launched her career in 1934 with The Prince Commands, adopting the name “Andre” to appeal to a male readership. After working for the Cleveland Library System and the Library of Congress, she began publishing science fiction under “Andrew North” and fantasy under her own name. She became a full-time writer in 1958 and was known for her prolific output, including Star Man’s Son, 2250 A.D. and Witch World, the latter spawning a long-running series and shared universe. Norton was a founding member of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers' Guild of America and authored Quag Keep, the first novel based on the Dungeons & Dragons game. She influenced generations of writers, including Lois McMaster Bujold and Mercedes Lackey. Among her many honors were being the first woman named Gandalf Grand Master of Fantasy and SFWA Grand Master. In her later years, she established the High Hallack Library to support research in genre fiction. Her legacy continues with the Andre Norton Award for young adult science fiction and fantasy.

Reviews

[useFOSS]

The Long Watch (1949) by Robert A. Heinlein 4.5/5
With Folded Hands (1947) by Jack Williamson 4/5
The Autumn Land (1971) by Clifford D. Simak 4/5
A Gun for Dinosaur (1956) by L. Sprague de Camp 5/5
Lean Times in Lankhmar (1959) by Fritz Leiber 3/5
Toads of Grimmerdale (1973) by Andre Norton 4/5
Transit of Earth (1971) by Arthur C. Clarke 4/5
The Last Question (1956) by Isaac Asimov 4/5
Editors' introductions 5/5

[The Bauchler]

A great collection from and chosen by the 'original' Grand Master's.

I grew up reading these guys (and gal - i didn't realise back then that Andre Norton was a woman).

The introductions to each author are interesting and provide a pithy background to each story.

Some of these stories I have read already, often a number of times. There isn't a weak story amongst them, but individual tastes will provide you favourites.

Mine are..

Lean Times in Lankhmar • (1959) • Fritz Leiber
Toads of Grimmerdale • (1973) • Andre Norton

[Tapani Aulu]

Aivan upeita novelleja, joista vain yksi oli ennestään tuttu. Pari näistä suurmestareista oli ihan tuntemattomia, joten nyt pitänee kaivaa heiltä lisää lukemista.

[Jeff]

This is one of the best Science Fiction books I have read in a long time. I guess it's not 100% SF, because there is are a couple of stories that might be considered Fantasy. Anyway...published back in 1989, and compiled when there were only 8 Grand Masters (there have been quite a few more awarded since then), this book has the best of the best in it. All of the authors were still alive when this book was published. Many of them have passed on since then.

Here's the story list for it:
1. The Long Watch, by Robert Heinlein
2. With Folded Hands, by Jack Williamson
3. The Autumn Land, by Clifford Simak
4. A Gun for Dinosaur, by L. Sprague de Camp
5. Lean Times in Lankhmar, by Fritz Leiber
6. Toads of Grimmerdale, by Andre Norton
7. Transit of Earth, by Arthur C. Clarke
8. The Last Question, by Isaac Asimov

Wow. For a few days, I was in the company of greatness! This book made want to read everything these people have written. Well, everything fiction, at least...Asimov wrote more books about more things than anyone ever has, I think, including a commentary on the Bible. I've also printed out a list of all the Grand Masters to date, and plan to expose myself to as many of them as possible. Wait...maybe I should rephrase that...

[Patricia Ferreira]

Livro que reúne os melhores contos de oito autores, realmente contos muito bons.
O primeiro conto: 'The Long Watch' de Robert A. Heinlein, escrito no auge da guerra fria, trata do medo constante de uma guerra nuclear;
osegundo conto: 'With folded hands', de Jack Williamson, trata de uma invasão alienígena diferente;
o terceiro: 'The Autumn Land de Clifford Simak trata de um universo paralelo que está constantemente no outono;
o quarto: 'A gun for dinosaur' de L. Sprague de Camp é um conto sensacional sobre caçadores, que já que não podem caçar no presente, usam uma máquina do tempo pra voltar ao passado pra caçar dinossauros;
o quinto: 'Lean times in Lankhmar' de Fritz Leiber é um ótimo conto que lembra muito o Discworld de Terry Pratchett;
o sexto; Toads of Grimmerdale' de Andre Norton trata de seres alienígenas que habitam um mundo fantástico;
o sétimo: 'Transit of Earth' de Arthur C. Clarcke trata de um astronauta/cientista que está em Marte acompanhando o trânsito da Terra no seu alinhamento com o sol;
e finalmente o oitavo: 'The Last Question' de Isaac Asimov trata de uma pergunta feita para um seupercomputador através de trilhões de anos.
Recomendadíssimo.

[A.N.]

"The Long Watch"--3/5, a nuclear story.
"With Folded Hands"--4/5, robotopia.
"The Autumn Land"--2/5, something about nothing.
"Lean Times in Lankhmar"--2/5, eh, Cohen, the barbarian?
"A Gun for Dinosaur"--2/5, another scrap of time trip.
"Toads of Grimmerdale"--3/5, a toad-minded girl in war time.
"Transit of Earth"--5/10, another boring story of Clarke.
"The Last Question"--3/5, let there be no light!