Isaac Asimov Presents the Great SF Stories 9: 1947

Isaac Asimov Presents the Great SF Stories #9

by Martin H. Greenberg

14 short sf stories from the Golden Age of Science Fiction. A science fiction anthology, the ninth volume of Isaac Asimov Presents The Great SF Stories, a definitive series of sf short story anthologies, covering year by year the truly memorable stories that have progressively brought science fiction to its present prominence. The Golden Age is dated as beginning in 1939 and lasting until 1963.
Contents:
*Introduction (The Great Science Fiction Stories Volume 9, 1947) • essay by Martin H. Greenberg
*Little Lost Robot [Susan Calvin] (1947) / novelette by Isaac Asimov
*Tomorrow's Children [Tomorrow's Children • 1] (1947) / novelette by Poul Anderson, F. N. Waldrop
*Child's Play [Child's Play • 1] (1947) / novelette by William Tenn
*Time and Time Again (1947) / short story by H. Beam Piper
*Tiny and the Monster (1947) / novelette by Theodore Sturgeon
*E for Effort (1947) / novelette by T. L. Sherred
*Letter to Ellen (1947) / short story by Chan Davis
*The Figure (1947) / short story by Edward Grendon
*With Folded Hands ... [Humanoids] (1947) / novelette by Jack Williamson
*The Fires Within (1947) / short story by Arthur C. Clarke
*Zero Hour (1947) / short story by Ray Bradbury
*Hobbyist (1947) / novelette by Eric Frank Russell
*Exit the Professor [Hogben • 2] (1947) / short story by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore [as by Lewis Padgett]
*Thunder and Roses (1947) / novelette by Theodore Sturgeon

fyi: This book, Isaac Asimov Presents The Great SF Stories 9 (1947), was later reprinted as the first half of Isaac Asimov Presents The Golden Years of Science Fiction, Fifth Series with the second half being Isaac Asimov Presents The Great SF Stories 10 (1948).
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Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction

366 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published February 1, 1983

About the author

Martin Harry Greenberg was an American academic and speculative fiction anthologist. In all, he compiled 1,298 anthologies and commissioned over 8,200 original short stories. He founded Tekno Books, a packager of more than 2000 published books. In addition, he was a co-founder of the Sci-Fi Channel.

For the 1950s anthologist and publisher of Gnome Press, see Martin Greenberg.

Reviews

[Paul Bryant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading old science fiction is like moving into a much smaller house while you’re drunk. You are going to bang your head and stub your toe on those attitudes - here's one guy talking about his secretary -

Since the day when Lew had noticed that Tina had the correct proportions of dress-filling substances, Sam’s chances had been worth a crowbar at Fort Knox.

The stories themselves have a very clear cartoonish quality, they’re all about The Idea. The tellers of these tales all seem to be wry guys in armchairs smoking pipes, but the ideas themselves are a lot sharper and clearer than modern sf because they were coming up with them for the first time. Modern sf has almost no new ideas but instead has massive style, beautiful writers, it’s art.

This book is part of a series of 25 retrospective year’s-bests running from 1939 to 1963. It’s one of several hundred anthologies where Martin Greenberg does the actual work involved and Isaac Asimov steps in at the last minute and sprinkles a few comical remarks here and there, puts his name in the title and cashes the cheque. Yes, he was a giant of the field, but didn’t he love to tell you he was! The size of Isaac Asimov’s ego! It’s like one of those interstellar cruiseships he wrote about. In the introductions to these stories he’s always bragging about this, bragging about that, and then bragging about how modest he is! (That’s supposed to be comical.) This is Isaac, from one of the story intros -

Some science fiction writers are pertinacious and seemingly endless, to the delight of their readers. As an example, Bob Heinlein, Arthur Clarke and I (the endlessly cited “Big Three”) have been at it for forty years and more, and show absolutely no signs of any loss in ability.

It has to be said – Isaac Asimov was annoying.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the ninth annual volume of Asimov and Greenberg's selections of the best of golden age sf, representing 1947. It's another strong collection, including classics from H. Beam Piper, T.L Sherred, Jack Williamson's famous "With Folded Hands...", Clarke, Bradbury, Russell, Anderson, Tenn, Asimov himself, etc. My favorite piece in this one is Theodore Sturgeon's "Thunder and Roses."

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Quickie Review

I'm not a big short story fan; I prefer novels. Still, when I saw this at a garage sale, I picked it up, and I'm glad I did! A bit of old-school sci-fi fun, as well as a blast from the past featuring authors that are likely all deceased, including Asimov himself, this was a treat.

Score: 4/5

[Norman Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

These stories from right after World War 2 reflect the fears of the time, particularly of nuclear war. There are also a number of stories meant to be lighthearted or humorous, perhaps to help ease readers' anxieties. There aren't any stories here that I would consider all-time classics, but there are several that are quite good. "With Folded Hands ..." by Jack Williamson is probably the best known, and several future Grand Masters are represented with oft-reprinted stories, as well.

"Little Lost Robot" by Isaac Asimov (Astounding Science Fiction, March 1947 – novelette)
4 Stars
After Asimov came up with the Three Laws of Robotics, he did everything he could think of to bend them into puzzle stories. Here, a secret research project has slightly modified the first law in order for their dangerous experiments to continue without their robots constantly interfering. This leads to a dilemma when one robot interprets an order quite literally, and it's up to Susan Calvin to figure out a solution.

"Tomorrow's Children" by Poul Anderson • (Astounding Science Fiction, March 1947 – novelette)
4 Stars
The Internet Science Fiction Database indicates that this story was co-written by F. N. Waldrop. It is billed as Poul Anderson's first published story. It is one of a slew of stories after World War 2 that extrapolate the effects of nuclear war. The protagonist in this thin shell of a story travels around the world, showing us the devastation wrought by nuclear war. The most disturbing results are the myriad mutations caused by the radiation. Stories like this should be required reading in political and military classes.

"Child's Play" by William Tenn • (Astounding Science Fiction, March 1947 – novelette)
4 Stars
This is a lighthearted story about an ordinary man who accidentally receives a package from the future labelled “Bild-A-Man”. The man proceeds to follow the included instructions to create living beings. Hilarity ensues.

"Time and Time Again" by H. Beam Piper (Astounding Science Fiction, April 1947 - short story)
4 Stars
Piper's first published story concerns a middle-aged man inexplicably transported into his 13-year-old self, 30 years in the past. Now, having the foreknowledge of the future, he goes about making changes to his life and those around him, with the clear implication that his new future will be much better than his old one.

"Tiny and the Monster" by Theodore Sturgeon (Astounding Science Fiction, May 1947 – novelette)
4 Stars
This feel-good story is not quite a screwball comedy, but still full of lighthearted fun. Aliens use a Great Dane to try to communicate with some humans, with varying levels of success. It's perhaps one of the few science fiction stories that doesn't paint aliens as world-conquering monsters.

"E for Effort" by T. L. Sherred (Astounding Science Fiction, May 1947 – novelette)
5 Stars
This long novelette tells the story of a device that can travel through time and photograph (stills and movies) the people and events of those times. The curators of this machine make some “documentary” films and make a fortune. But when they try to demonstrate how the device can be used to stop war, certain vested interests try to stop them. It's a chilling look at how the military-industrial complex controls the world.

"Letter to Ellen" by Chan Davis (Astounding Science Fiction, June 1947 - short story)
5 Stars
This story explores some of the ethics of cloning (or, really, building from scratch from DNA from various sources) humans. Are the resulting beings humans or something else? What if you are a clone but don't know it (a question also at the core of the film Blade Runner)? What are the implications vis-à-vis eugenics? Heavy stuff.

"The Figure" by Edward Grendon (Astounding Science Fiction, July 1947 - short story)
4 Stars
Scientists invent a time machine of sorts that brings back an artifact from the far future. What this object tells them of humanity's fate is revealed in a twist that would be right at home on The Twilight Zone.

"With Folded Hands ..." by Jack Williamson • (Astounding Science Fiction, July 1947 – novelette)
5 Stars
Part of Williamson's Humanoids series, this long novelette tells how the alien robots were developed and came to Earth. Their mission is to protect humanity from harm, but in doing so they eliminate any source of danger, rendering life bland and meaningless for most people. The questions this story raises can easily be applied to today's conundrums centered around the burgeoning AI in our lives.

"The Fires Within" by Arthur C. Clarke (Fantasy, August 1947 - short story)
3 Stars
This story clearly predates the use of seismic devices to map the interior of Earth, but the idea is the same—here using sound waves to penetrate the crust to see what's at the core. The twist involves who or what lives at subterranean depths. It's written like a technical paper without much in the way of drama.

"Zero Hour" by Ray Bradbury (Thrilling Wonder Stories, Fall 1947 - short story)
3 Stars
This is a fairly straightforward “children take over the world” story, wherein the adult characters are clueless to what's going on until it's too late, but it's obvious to the reader from early on.

"Hobbyist" by Eric Frank Russell (Astounding Science Fiction, September 1947 – novelette)
3 Stars
This is simultaneously a first-contact story and a puzzle story. A lone astronaut (accompanied by his pet macaw) crash lands on an uncharted planet and must figure out how to refuel his ship while exploring the alien flora and fauna. It's a fairly routine space opera heavy on exposition and light on dialog.

"Exit the Professor" by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore (as by Lewis Padgett) • (Thrilling Wonder Stories, October 1947 - short story)
3 Stars
A backwoods family in Kentucky who have mutant superpowers comes to the attention of a big city scientist who wants to study them, and comedy ensues. There's never any doubt that the simpletons will best the learned professor, but there is some entertainment in how it comes about. This is part of a series featuring this unusual family.

"Thunder and Roses" by Theodore Sturgeon (Astounding Science Fiction, November 1947 - novelette)
4 Stars
This story is set in a remote military base shortly after a devastating nuclear war. The survivors are faced with the prospect of dying from airborne radiation and must decide whether to launch one last counterstrike. A famous singer arrives at the camp carrying a message of peace for the soldiers, but will they listen? If all of humanity is going to die anyway, is there a purpose in retaliating? Seeing how the characters answer these questions gives the reader plenty to think about.

[TrumanCoyote · Rating 4 out of 5]

"E For Effort" is of course one of the alltime classics, with a perfectly sardonic and cynical tone.

[Kamitsuki · Rating 4 out of 5]

• Il piccolo robot smarrito (Little Lost Robot), di Isaac Asimov ****
Un robot con la mente diversa si nasconde tra altri 62 robot. Una psicologa dovrà trovarlo.

• I Figli del Domani (Twilight World), di Poul Anderson ****
Dopo una guerra mondiale con uso di armi nucleari e biologiche, la razza umana non sarà più la stessa, con mutazioni genetiche incontrollate.

• Gioco da bambini (Child's Play), di William Tenn ****
Un giovane e timido avvocato riceve per sbaglio una cassa dal futuro con il gioco "Costruitevi-Un-Uomo". Riuscirà a resistere alla tentazione di provarci?

• Molte volte, ripetutamente (Time and Time Again), di H. Beam Piper *****
Un quarantatreenne si ritrova nel suo stesso corpo ed epoca di tredicenne. Come sfrutterà le conoscenze acquisite in 30 anni?

• Tiny e il mostro (Tiny and the Monster), di Theodore Sturgeon ***
Un grosso cane diventa il tramite di una entità a cui serve qualcosa... Tutto condito da una zuccherosa storia il cui fine ultimo è il matrimonio.

• D come Diamoci Dentro (E for Effort), di Thomas L. Sherred ***
Un genio inventa una macchina che può cambiare il mondo e decide di farlo producendo film.

• Lettera a Ellen (Letter to Ellen), di Chan Davis ***
Un tizio scrive una lettera alla fidanzata per farle una confessione (im)prevedibile raccontandole del suo amico.

• La statuetta (The Figure), di Edward Grendon ****
Cosa riporterà dal futuro una macchina che viaggia nel tempo?

• A mani incrociate... (With Folded Hands...), di Jack Williamson ****
Automi così perfetti da non lasciare spazio all'imperfezione umana faranno impazzire varie persone.

• I fuochi dentro (The Fires Within), di Arthur C. Clarke *****
Un sonar super sensibile scaverà nelle profondità della Terra.

• Ora zero (Zero Hour), di Ray Bradbury *****
Bambini sottovalutati.

• Modellista (Hobbyist), di Eric Frank Russell *****
Un esploratore spaziale si trova col suo macao su un pianeta un po' strano e incontra una misteriosa entità.

• Esce il Professore (Exit the Professor), di Lewis Padgett ***
Un immortale con la parlata da bifolco protegge la sua famiglia di mutanti da uno scienziato troppo curioso.

• Il tuono e le rose (Thunder and Rose), di Theodore Sturgeon ***
Dopo un attacco nucleare un soldato deve decidere se rispondere al fuoco o meno.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great volume of Golden Age Sci Fi!

[Matteo Pellegrini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nel nono volume de Le grandi storie della fantascienza, Isaac Asimov comincia a raccogliere le inquietudini che, nel dopoguerra, serpeggiano nella società americana, come in ogni altra società. È il 1947, l'euforia per la guerra vinta dalle potenze antifasciste si sta attenuando. Sorgono altri problemi, che dividono gli stessi vincitori: politici, geopolitici, sociali. La fantascienza di stampo avventuroso resta appannaggio di un Jack Williamson, che aggiorna le formule degli anni Venti, mentre quella che pare occuparsi di pura tecnologia ha in Arthur C. Clarke il più illustre esponente. Accanto a questi nomi ne emergono altri, e nuove tendenze ancora embrionali. Sturgeon e Bradbury paiono interessarsi più all'uomo che agli "effetti speciali''. Il quasi esordiente William Tenn, con il suo caustico umorismo, mette in luce i difetti della società che lo circonda, e anticipa la science fiction che verrà. È un disagio collettivo, quello che mettono in luce, a volte trasfigurato in ironia, gli scrittori che Asimov chiama a raccolta: da un veterano come Lewis Padgett (pseudonimo di Henry Kuttner, quando scrive con la moglie Catherine L. Moore) all'inglese Eric Frank Russelt. Rispetto alla fantascienza delle origini, quella del secondo dopoguerra è profondamente diversa. Niente positivismo, piuttosto smarrimento. Carenza di finali lieti. E, se c'è da divertirsi, sarà un ghigno, più che una risata.

[Sbulf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Niente di speciale, forse perché si tratta di racconti un po' vecchiotti (sono tutti del 1947). Queste tre stelle sono la media di tutti i racconti ma soltanto a quelli di Bradbury ("Ora Zero") e di Jack Williamson ("A mani incrociate") darei il massimo voto. Peccato, ahimé, che il racconto di Bradbury lo avevo già letto in un'altra raccolta.