Best Science Fiction Stories of Clifford D. Simak

by Clifford D. Simak

Collection of wonderful science fiction from a Grand Master, Hugo and Nebula Award winner.

Includes:

Founding Father (1957)
Immigrant (1954)
New Folks' Home (1963)
Crying Jag (1960)
All the Traps of Earth (1960)
Lulu (1957)
Neighbor (1954)

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

253 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1965

About the author

"He was honored by fans with three Hugo awards and by colleagues with one Nebula award and was named the third Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) in 1977." (Wikipedia)

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifford...

Reviews

[Paul Weiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely an enjoyable easy-reading anthology of sci-fi shorts

Clifford D Simak’s thumbnail bio on Wikipedia tells us,

“Clifford Donald Simak was an American science fiction writer. He won three Hugo Awards and one Nebula Award. The Science Fiction Writers of America made him its third SFWA Grand Master and the Horror Writers Association made him one of three inaugural winners of the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement.”

His laid-back, unassuming, folksy, distinctly and identifiably American style of pastoral, uncomplicated story-telling earned him a well-deserved place in the pantheon of science fiction’s Golden Age of celebrated authors. So unless the minds of the editors or publishers of this particular anthology were somewhere else, far, far, away, it’s a sure bet that BEST SCIENCE FICTION STORIES OF CLIFFORD D SIMAK will be a winner. Be assured it doesn’t disappoint. You might have and Joe might have and I might have picked other stories from Simak as better and more worthy of the term “best” but … it is what it is and you won’t be sorry for spending the time on this set of sure-fire winners.

Two asides:

First, Isaac Asimov’s CAVES OF STEEL was first published as a serial in Galaxy magazine, from October to December 1953. ALL THE TRAPS OF EARTH, the particular story featuring robot Richard Daniel’s clearly sentient quest for a safe permanent home and autonomy was published in 1960. Richard Daniel? R Daneel Olivaw? Mighty close, wouldn’t you say? I wonder if Simak was offering a tip of the hat and a small bit of homage to a colleague who made robots and robotics in sci-fi such a rewarding staple!

Second, in NEIGHBOR, also first published in 1960, Simak took a few words to characterize the mental outlook of the USA’s Midwest rural farming population: “I’m afraid that we may be a bit provincial, for it’s fairly hard to get us stirred up much about world happenings … we haven’t got the time to worry about all those outside things. I imagine you’d call us conservative, for most of us vote Republican without even wondering why … ” Hmmm, plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose, n’est-ce pas?

Enjoy!

Paul Weiss

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only thing wrong with this collection of Simak stories is the title. The same holds true for any collection of stories or songs by anyone, of course; your selection of tracks that belong on the best of any band will not match mine or anyone else's, for example. I can't see how they called anything the best of Simak without including The Big Front Yard or anything from City or...or...or... But, it is a good collection of good stories by Simak. Founding Father is an atypically (for Simak) dark story of interstellar expansion, Immigrant is a good tale of first contact and illustrates how The Prime Directive should have been applied, New Folks' Home is a touching look at aging and incorporates his pastoral philosophies excellently, and Crying Jag is a very funny tale of common sense versus intellectual arrogance. All the Traps of Earth is an excellent robot story that examines artificial intelligence with warmth and compassion, as does the next story, Lulu, which takes a comedic look at the same subject with some insight into interstellar exploration. The final story, Neighbor, is another classic with a feel-good message of togetherness that would have made a terrific episode of The Twilight Zone. All The Traps of Earth originally appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction in 1960 and New Folks' Home was from Analog (formerly known as Astounding SF Magazine) in 1963, and all of the rest appeared in the 1950's in either Astounding or Galaxy Magazine. Simak was a terrific storyteller and had the knack of making the reader feel like he was your pal and you were both there to have a good time.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do love the way Simak writes – so simply, so subtly, giving the reader a hug, or a wink, as the case may be. Also, his works (with some exceptions) do not feel as dated to me as so much of the older sci-fi does. I should really dig through our bookshelves more often – “wow, look, I found a collection of Simak stories I hadn’t read!”

“Founding Father” – coziness at a colony on a new planet gets turned around by a surprise ending and a panicky, suffocating feeling in the last sentences. It reminded me of Bradbury.

“Immigrant” – there is an El Dorado kind of planet that everyone dreams of going to. Then there is a twist, and then another, and then another. Quite lovely.

“New Folk’s Home” – the basic idea is interesting, but the story itself is nothing special. It is only the writing that makes it stand out.

“Crying Jag” – a hilarious and nonsensical story about aliens and sadness.

“All the Traps of Earth” – a robot on the run almost becomes a robot messiah. This was a really heartwarming story.

“Lulu” – OR “How to Write About a Rogue AI in a Sexist Way”. Do read more Simak by all means, but skip this one.

“Neighbor” – There are aliens among us! Here is a story that manages to be pastoral, cozy and spooky at the same time.

[Jo Eva · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED this collection. I wish "Immigrant" was a full novel.

[Joachim Boaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review: https://sciencefictionruminations.com...

3.5/5 (Collated Rating: Good)

"I can’t get off my Clifford D. Simak (1904-1988) kick–the author that’s defined, directly and indirectly, my 2024 reading and writing adventure. Rather than hunt for more stories on the theme of organized labor, I fished out a collection languishing in a dusty corner of my shelves instead. Best Science [...]"

[Tom Britz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a fan of Clifford D. Simak's novels for a long time, but for some reason I've not read many of his short stories. This collection just reaffirms his standing as my most favorite SF writer. Each and every story in this collection were unique, well written and insightful. And yes, the Simakian humor was present throughout. No wonder he was the third person chosen for The Grand Master award.
The tales included:
Founding Father - 4.5/5
Immigrant - 5/5
New Folks Home - 4.5/5
Crying Jag 5/5
All The Traps of Earth - 5/5
Lulu - 5/5
Neighbor -5/5

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

When great science fiction writers are mentioned, Clifford D. Simak is often and unfortunately relegated to an asterisk or footnote. I have always been very impressed by his writing and as the title implies, this book contains his best. The stories in the collection are:
*) Founding Father
*) Immigrant
*) New Folks’ Home
*) Crying Jag
*) All the Traps on Earth
*) Lulu
*) Neighbor
My favorite is “Neighbor”, as story about a simple farming community in the eastern United States where a new family called the Heath’s move into an empty and neglected farm. In true rural tradition the Heath’s stick to their business and remake the farm into a model. Their crops grow well and they raise a large vegetable garden that contains some types of vegetables never seen before.
Other odd things start happening, the weather starts to be ideal, with rain coming right when it is needed and never too much. The people start getting and staying healthier and this draws the attention of the government. Being farmers, the other people are dubious and use their natural insular nature to protect their “new” and now cherished neighbors. It is a simple and basic story about acceptance.
Simak is truly one of the lesser masters of science fiction in the 1950’s and these stories demonstrate that fact. They are clean, have some depth of substance and have aged very well.

[Tikhon Jelvis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was thinking recently that I hadn't read too many science fiction short stories in years. I loved the classics—Asimov, Bradbury, Clarke...—back in high school, but hadn't read them since.

So when I saw an appropriately old collection of science fiction short stories at a local bookshop, I picked it up on a whim. And I got, well, pretty much exactly what I expected: a collection of seven science fiction short stories that had some neat concepts, some rather dated details and wooden-but-serviceable prose. Barely any characterization but, well, that simply isn't what science fiction short stories are for!

It's a bit dismissive to Simak but this was, essentially, store-brand science fiction. "We have Asimov at home." I wouldn't go out of my way to read it but, given I had a copy, it was a satisfying little snack over a couple of rainy afternoons.

I also appreciate my copy—printed in 1971 or maybe even 1965—for the, frankly, wild design. The author's face as a lightbulb plugged into an outlet encircled with text, the minimalist typography, the matte, seemingly undyed dust cover that had yellowed with age over the decades... It is confident design, and unpretentious, and, honestly, I think it works.

[Ian Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short story collections are hard to rate. So here're ratings for each story:

Founding Father- 5 star

Immigrant- 2 star. Mildly interesting classic Sci Fi premise. If I had read it in high school or middle school, would have loved the idea. However, there doesn't seem to be anything except a cute idea. Characters not interesting.

New Folks home - 3 star. Started very strongly, but then just ended in another cute, throwaway idea.

Crying Jag - 5 star. Very funny and pitch perfect. Good concept for Sci Fi and the characters are just right.

All The Traps of Earth - 3 star. Almost a robot Jesus story, but the concept never gets fleshed out. Tries to end on a profound note, but never justifies it.

Lulu - 4 star. Another funny story, and plays with the conventions of Sci Fi. Right when you think it's getting to some profound implications about an ancient alien civilization, it pulls the rug right out for under you.

Neighbor - 5 star. Simak's strongest stories seem are when the humanity is upfront and he doesn't play cute with a twist at the end. Along with Founding Father, this is one of those. Everything builds just right and the pay off is well earned.

[Özgür Tacer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I tended to think that science fiction is a literary genre that is best served "fresh", meaning it gets outdated when time passes because scientific and technological advancements can easily make a science-fiction work obsolete. That statement holds true for many works of science fiction but definitely not for this collection of short stories from Clifford Simak.

Yes, they smell of a bit old and dusty, but still they are surprisingly contemporary. They have wits, they have humor and they are considerably "human". This is the first time I read from Clifford Simak and what I have here is a rare combination of intellect and soul, the sort that we are familiar from Ray Bradbury and Robert Sheckley. This is a selection that any reader might enjoy and a must-read for science-fiction fans.

[Jerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

These stories range from about 1954 to 1965. Heartbreaking robots, inscrutable aliens, rural first contact, and metal hippos in love. There is no one like Simak for writing about miscommunication—sometimes with yourself—and the sadness of parting.

The highlights in this collection are “All the Traps of Earth”, about a six-hundred-year-old robot in a world where robots are required to have their minds wiped every century; and “Neighbor”, in which we never really find out who the characters are, but we do learn that there are good reasons for holding journalists hostage.

But they’re all pretty amazing, in Simak’s friendly way of treating the normal as idyllic and the abnormal as fodder for pathos.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked that each story had a completely different flavor with some comedic justice sprinkled throughout. Very enjoyable.

[Marsha Valance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seven of Simak's classic short stories. A Science Fiction Book Club selection.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[K. Fox (Cahill) · Rating 5 out of 5]

One banger after another. Early sci-fi is just so, so good and this is a great example. What a great writer, a million stars out of five 💣 🚀

[Ellis Wasend · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 If I could

[Kevin S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the stories wasn't as good, but overall, it was great. Like reading episodes from The Twilight Zone TV show.

[Saski · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those half dozen or so books that have trekked around the world with me since high school. I don't usually read collections of short stories, even back then, but scifi was a rare commodity back then and back there, so I gathered everything I could afford on my tiny allowance.

As I flip through the well-worn book, I am surprised to realize that I recognize only the story that has clung to the edges of my mind as the book itself managed to cling to my packing boxes move after move. The rest must also be good but I sense nothing familiar about them. Only The Immigrant looks back at me and says Hello again.

I scan the pages of this, the second of the stories, wanting to read it thoroughly again, but stopped by the pile of books by the computer, waiting for their moment of immortalization in my book list. Suddenly, I see something new. I had seen this book was validation of my family's adoration of all things dealing with education, a point which set me apart from my peers from the day I began my schooling. That's what I loved about it. An story which said I was right, I had been taught right, my parents were not sadists for pushing me to defend education to the derision of my classmates. But I was not the same person as that arrogant, bullied child. I had been travelling for over 20 years, been an immigrant myself more than once, met many others. Why do we do it, leave home, return rarely or not at all? The letters we send, proving we were right to go, to stay away, why do we lie?

I begin to wonder what other themes are hidden in this story, themes perhaps the older (and maybe wiser) me can notice. I set the book aside. I will make time for it again.

[Timothy]

7 stories:

(2/7 read)

Founding Father (1957)
Immigrant (1954)
New Folks' Home (1963)
**** Crying Jag (1960)
***** All the Traps of Earth (1960)
Lulu (1957)
Neighbor (1954)

[Al McCarty · Rating 4 out of 5]

1965 hardcover, minus the dust jacket, alas.
Thoroughly enjoyable, often surprising, sometimes humorous, utterly delightful, worth reading and re-reading, which I may do, after finishing all the other Simak books I'm sitting on.
He's just the best.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the stories are old and a bit dated (written before I was born, and I am "old"), I really enjoyed them. There were nice twists and perspectives that I had not previously considered. Cliff had a good mind when he was writing these!
the stories flow and keep me engaged wanting to know where they will go next, and what is really good on in the situation. Excellent stories.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

robot heavy