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Earth Is the Strangest Planet: Ten Stories of Science Fiction
Includes:
And lo! the bird by Nelson Bond
Narrow valley by R.A. Lafferty
The empire of the ants by H.G. Wells
The night that all time broke out by Brian W. Aldiss
Davy Jones' ambassador by Raymond Z. Gallun
Rock diver by Harry Harrison
Or all the seas with oysters by Avram Davidson
The chrysalis by P.S. Miller
The rotifers by Robert Abernathy
When we went to see the end of the world by Robert Silverberg
And lo! the bird by Nelson Bond
Narrow valley by R.A. Lafferty
The empire of the ants by H.G. Wells
The night that all time broke out by Brian W. Aldiss
Davy Jones' ambassador by Raymond Z. Gallun
Rock diver by Harry Harrison
Or all the seas with oysters by Avram Davidson
The chrysalis by P.S. Miller
The rotifers by Robert Abernathy
When we went to see the end of the world by Robert Silverberg
- GenresShort Stories
189 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1977
19 people want to read
About the author
Robert Silverberg
2,365 books1,608 followersThere are many authors in the database with this name.
Robert Silverberg is a highly celebrated American science fiction author and editor known for his prolific output and literary range. Over a career spanning decades, he has won multiple Hugo and Nebula Awards and was named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 2004. Inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 1999, Silverberg is recognized for both his immense productivity and his contributions to the genre's evolution.
Born in Brooklyn, he began writing in his teens and won his first Hugo Award in 1956 as the best new writer. Throughout the 1950s, he produced vast amounts of fiction, often under pseudonyms, and was known for writing up to a million words a year. When the market declined, he diversified into other genres, including historical nonfiction and erotica.
Silverberg’s return to science fiction in the 1960s marked a shift toward deeper psychological and literary themes, contributing significantly to the New Wave movement. Acclaimed works from this period include Downward to the Earth, Dying Inside, Nightwings, and The World Inside. In the 1980s, he launched the Majipoor series with Lord Valentine’s Castle, creating one of the most imaginative planetary settings in science fiction.
Though he announced his retirement from writing in the mid-1970s, Silverberg returned with renewed vigor and continued to publish acclaimed fiction into the 1990s. He received further recognition with the Nebula-winning Sailing to Byzantium and the Hugo-winning Gilgamesh in the Outback.
Silverberg has also played a significant role as an editor and anthologist, shaping science fiction literature through both his own work and his influence on others. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, author Karen Haber.
Robert Silverberg is a highly celebrated American science fiction author and editor known for his prolific output and literary range. Over a career spanning decades, he has won multiple Hugo and Nebula Awards and was named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 2004. Inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 1999, Silverberg is recognized for both his immense productivity and his contributions to the genre's evolution.
Born in Brooklyn, he began writing in his teens and won his first Hugo Award in 1956 as the best new writer. Throughout the 1950s, he produced vast amounts of fiction, often under pseudonyms, and was known for writing up to a million words a year. When the market declined, he diversified into other genres, including historical nonfiction and erotica.
Silverberg’s return to science fiction in the 1960s marked a shift toward deeper psychological and literary themes, contributing significantly to the New Wave movement. Acclaimed works from this period include Downward to the Earth, Dying Inside, Nightwings, and The World Inside. In the 1980s, he launched the Majipoor series with Lord Valentine’s Castle, creating one of the most imaginative planetary settings in science fiction.
Though he announced his retirement from writing in the mid-1970s, Silverberg returned with renewed vigor and continued to publish acclaimed fiction into the 1990s. He received further recognition with the Nebula-winning Sailing to Byzantium and the Hugo-winning Gilgamesh in the Outback.
Silverberg has also played a significant role as an editor and anthologist, shaping science fiction literature through both his own work and his influence on others. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, author Karen Haber.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 1, 2026
This is one of the zillion anthologies that Silverberg edited. Stories have original publication dates from 1905 - 1972. The science described in these stories haven't held up so well, but almost all of the stories hold up just because they're so well written. It's like Sherlock Holmes stories -- there are absolutely ludicrous details, blatantly false information ... and yet, somehow, you really don't care.
The book reads much more quickly than it's 200 pages suggests. The type is quite large, and the margins wide. You can find this book at the Internet Archive and BookReadFree.com. So, if the Internet Archive conks out on you (like it did with me), you have an alternative free way to finish the book.
Selections:
* "Introduction" by Our Editor. This is a tightly written one page intro praising the Earth and sci-fi in general. Odd to see such a short intro from Silverberg. He does preface each selection with a short intro, though.
* "And Lo! The Bird" by Nelson Bond. Our Editor acknowledged in the intro to this story that science has proved that some parts of this 1950 story could never happen, but it's so well written that you get lost in it. The story is told by the reporter who broke the story that a humongous bird is flying through the solar system to Earth.
* "Narrow Valley" by R. A. Lafferty. I'm really surprised at how often this supposed-to-be-funny-but-isn't story shows up in sci-fi anthologies. Once was more than enough!
* "The Empire of the Ants" by H. G. Wells. B-movie plots abounded in giant insects. Even the occasional sci-fi story is about giant this or that. You can blame H. G. Wells for starting it all with this story, although the ants, big for ants, are not giants.
* "The Night that All Time Broke Out" by Brian W. Aldiss. In the future, time will be a utility like gas or electricity. What could possibly go wrong?
* "Davy Jones' Ambassador" by Raymond Z. Gallun. Classic story from 1935 that actually deserves the label of "classic". A deep sea diver meets a strange new life form in the sea.
* "Rock Diver" by Harry Harrison. Harrison's first published sci-fi story. You wouldn't know it, since this is an impressive hard sci-fi story of a new kind of prospecting in Alaska.
* "Or All the Seas with Oysters" by Avram Davidson. This highly imaginative, award-winning story was one of the best Davidson ever wrote. In it, he ponders why you never have any safety pins when you need them, but you always have too many coat hangers.
* "The Chrysalis" by P. Schuyler Miller. The worst story in this collection, with tons! Of! Exclamation! Points!, crackpot pseudo-science (even from the 1930s), a fascination for women's breasts, and a sour aftertaste of H. P. Lovecraft.
* "The Rotifers" by Robert Abernathy. Satisfying blend of sci-fi and horror. WARNING: A water beetle gets squished for crimes he apparently didn't commit.
* "When We Went to See the End of the World" by Robert Silverberg. I'm not surprised at how often this story appears in many sci-fi anthologies since it was originally published in 1972. The new thing in town is a trip to see the end of the world, then boast about it at your next cocktail party. But everyone sees a different end of the world.
The book reads much more quickly than it's 200 pages suggests. The type is quite large, and the margins wide. You can find this book at the Internet Archive and BookReadFree.com. So, if the Internet Archive conks out on you (like it did with me), you have an alternative free way to finish the book.
Selections:
* "Introduction" by Our Editor. This is a tightly written one page intro praising the Earth and sci-fi in general. Odd to see such a short intro from Silverberg. He does preface each selection with a short intro, though.
* "And Lo! The Bird" by Nelson Bond. Our Editor acknowledged in the intro to this story that science has proved that some parts of this 1950 story could never happen, but it's so well written that you get lost in it. The story is told by the reporter who broke the story that a humongous bird is flying through the solar system to Earth.
* "Narrow Valley" by R. A. Lafferty. I'm really surprised at how often this supposed-to-be-funny-but-isn't story shows up in sci-fi anthologies. Once was more than enough!
* "The Empire of the Ants" by H. G. Wells. B-movie plots abounded in giant insects. Even the occasional sci-fi story is about giant this or that. You can blame H. G. Wells for starting it all with this story, although the ants, big for ants, are not giants.
* "The Night that All Time Broke Out" by Brian W. Aldiss. In the future, time will be a utility like gas or electricity. What could possibly go wrong?
* "Davy Jones' Ambassador" by Raymond Z. Gallun. Classic story from 1935 that actually deserves the label of "classic". A deep sea diver meets a strange new life form in the sea.
* "Rock Diver" by Harry Harrison. Harrison's first published sci-fi story. You wouldn't know it, since this is an impressive hard sci-fi story of a new kind of prospecting in Alaska.
* "Or All the Seas with Oysters" by Avram Davidson. This highly imaginative, award-winning story was one of the best Davidson ever wrote. In it, he ponders why you never have any safety pins when you need them, but you always have too many coat hangers.
* "The Chrysalis" by P. Schuyler Miller. The worst story in this collection, with tons! Of! Exclamation! Points!, crackpot pseudo-science (even from the 1930s), a fascination for women's breasts, and a sour aftertaste of H. P. Lovecraft.
* "The Rotifers" by Robert Abernathy. Satisfying blend of sci-fi and horror. WARNING: A water beetle gets squished for crimes he apparently didn't commit.
* "When We Went to See the End of the World" by Robert Silverberg. I'm not surprised at how often this story appears in many sci-fi anthologies since it was originally published in 1972. The new thing in town is a trip to see the end of the world, then boast about it at your next cocktail party. But everyone sees a different end of the world.
Displaying 1 of 1 review