The Worlds of Robert F. Young: 16 Classic Science Fiction Stories

by Robert F. Young

Contents:
The Girl Who Made Time Stop (1961)
Added Inducement (1957)
Hopsoil (1961)
Flying Pan (1956)
Emily and the Bards Sublime (1956)
The Dandelion Girl (1961)
The Stars Are Calling, Mr. Keats (1959)
Goddess in Granite (1957)
Promised Planet (1955)
Romance in a Twenty-First Century Used-Car Lot (1960)
The Courts of Jamshyd (1957)
Production Problem (1959)
Little Red Schoolhouse (1956)
Written in the Stars (1957)
A Drink of Darkness (1962)
Your Ghost Will Walk... (1957)

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Short Stories

Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1965

About the author

Robert Franklin Young was a science-fiction author, primarily of short stories over a thirty-year career, plus five novels in the last decade of his life.

Reviews

[Ignacio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aunque la carrera de Robert F. Young se extendió a lo largo de 30 años, esta colección abarca apenas 7, los que van desde 1955 a 1962. Sin haber leído nada fuera de ese intervalo, es difícil hacerse una idea de lo representativos que pueden ser, pero invitan a abrir la cuestión de si fue otro buen artesano de la ciencia ficción caído entre líneas de la historia del género, o si en la escritura de relatos llegó a estar en la categoría de los Matheson, Sheckley, Bradbury...

Hay en The Worlds of Robert F. Young cuentos bastante potentes que se zambullen dentro de la ciencia ficción de la época y ponen sobre la mesa las inquietudes de su tiempo, desde la fiebre por el consumo a la hipocresía detrás de los EE.UU. de los suburbios, pasando por otras cuestiones más personales como el origen del arte y las tensiones sobre su creación o su relación con la sociedad en la que emerge. En este sentido, la crítica de liberalismo económico de una mayoría de cuentos ponen a Young como un narrador próximo a los valores de Sheckley, Pohl o Kornbluth, quizás carente de su contundencia y filo y, en cambio, practicante de un trazo más melancólico.

Entre los relatos aquí reunidos me quedo con algunas historias de viajes en el tiempo como la emocionante "The Dandelion Girl"; la importancia de conservar un bagaje cultural ajeno a las modas de "Emily and the Bards Sublime"; la aterradora instrumentalización de la maternidad de "Little Red Schoolhouse"; las dificultades de reintegrarse en la sociedad de los soldados que regresan después de sacrificar parte de su vida en "The Stars are Calling, Mr. Keats"; o el humor tontorrón de "Written in the Stars" o "Flying Pan". Quizás una mayoría no tienen el vuelo literario ni la pegada de los mejores cuentos de los maestros citados, pero este libro acierta a reivindicar el recuerdo de Young.

[Joel Gn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t help but feel a sense of awe whenever I pick up a good out-of-print book. Besides the fact that I’m one of the few privileged readers who have access to it, there’s also a profound sense of “reverence” in coming to grips with the author’s work. It’s still a mystery that little attention from the American media has been given to Robert Franklin Young; I only knew who he was after viewing the TV anime for Clannad and RahXephon. Details into Young’s life are also shrouded in obscurity — it wasn’t until his death in 1986 that the science fiction community realised he had been working as a janitor in a Buffalo public school.

However, a humble life is not the sole claim to Young’s greatness as an icon in the genre. This anthology, which was first published by The Science Fiction Book Club in 1966, is a testament of Young’s skill in crafting worlds that are both controversial and comforting. Contrary to what mainstream readers may assume, Young’s works are essentially parables of humanity, and it can certainly strike a chord for those who aren't into science fiction. For those who need more information, here’s a synopsis to three short stories which are etched in my memory.

The Dandelion Girl
When his wife goes on jury duty, Mark Randolph takes a short retreat in the woods and meets a girl named Julie Danvers. She claims she’s from the future, 240 years ahead of him. She tells him, “Day before yesterday I saw a rabbit, and yesterday a deer, and today you,” and an interesting relationship ensues. This short story has often been touted as Young’s quintessential piece, and its images and themes have become popular references in Japanese pop culture.

Little Red School House
In an industrial society where parents have no time to be the primary caregivers, children are sent to a red schoolhouse where they are given an “induced elementary education” in the form of intravenous drugs. A boy named Ronnie believes that the kind and gentle “Miss Smith” (an imaginary elementary school teacher) is real and embarks on a dangerous and mind-wrecking journey. For all psychology or Freudian buffs, Little Red School House is a cogent example of how infants acquire the crippling Oedipus Complex.

Your Ghost Will Walk
Two androids escape a harsh taskmaster, who in turn uses a car-fanatic droid to bring them back. The final gem in the book may bear some semblance to the Three Laws of Robotics conceptualised by Isaac Asimov, but the robots in this story are nothing but absolute tools for human control, or so it seems…

[Shawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this late 60's collection through inter-library loan simply to read one story in it. I have 2 stories by Mr. Young on my "to read" short fiction list and figured I'd track them down. Robert F. Young seems to have written mostly science fiction but somehow "A Drink Of Darkness" wound up on my list (in the specific, I don;t remember how, in the general, I have a vague idea but discussing it would give away the end of the story.

So, "A Drink Of Darkness", from 1962, is the tale of a broken down alcoholic who dies and then discovers that he has the chance to go back and change the direction of his life. He is informed of this by a gaunt figure who leads him through the afterlife of memory, a figure who is not Death, and who would also like to change his own terrible choice in his life, the one that lead him to having to serve in this terribly burdensome role. But he cannot because "my moment and its consequences are firmly cemented in the minds of men". The alcoholic tries to change his life. Will he succeed? The figure stopped trying centuries ago because he is, in fact Judas.

So, yeah, not something for me. Well-written - I'll put the opening paragraph into Goodreads quotes because it's nicely done, but I'm not a big fan of stories about the mechanics of the afterlife, or one with blunt religious content. Others may enjoy that. One more off the endless list...

[Joel J. Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Average rating: 3.2/5 stars

Don’t let that average rating scare you! While this was the most uneven short story collection I’ve ever read, it was also filled with some of the most beautiful, the most fun, and most interesting stories I’ve read.

If you are going to skip this collection of Robert F. Young’s stories, please consider reading “The Dandelion Girl”. It’s included in this collection, and it’s an emotional, dramatic, and romantic masterpiece of short storytelling. I can’t recommend it enough.

”The Girl Who Made Time Stop” - 3.5/5

A cute romantic comedy. It doesn’t overstay its welcome. It wasn’t a deep or dramatic story, but I liked its simplicity.

”Added Inducement” - 1/5

The only redeeming quality of this cliche-infested tale about the devil stealing souls with popcorn is that it ends quickly.

”Hopsoil” - 1/5

A parody of a parody of a hypothetical parody. . . Unfortunately it’s not a clever one. This story tries to be quirky and cheeky with its beer-planting Martians, but the concept is just one-joke stretched mercilessly thin. Credit where it’s due though—the “Hops” pun at least made me smirk.

”Flying Pan” - 3/5

I’m starting to get a theme of romance from Young. This one has a fun little twist for an otherwise silly story. In a way, these stories remind me of Ron Goulart, but with more heart. It’s not amazing writing, but it’s fine enough easy, quick reading.

”Emily and the Bards Sublime” - 3.5/5

So far all of these have a very cutesy feel and style to them. It’s nothing groundbreaking, but it’s nice. I really appreciate the concept of this one. It almost feels like a fable, arguing the importance of merging the new and the old and creating harmony.

”The Dandelion Girl” - 5/5 - A Masterpiece

Though I picked up this anthology on a whim, I had no idea this story existed, let alone that it’s likely Young’s most influential and memorable work. Only afterward did I find out that it’s inspired two anime series and a video game. Wikipedia recounts: “‘The Dandelion Girl’ influenced the anime series RahXephon. The repeated line ‘Day before yesterday I saw a rabbit, and yesterday a deer, and today, you.’ from the story was featured in the visual novel Clannad, and its anime adaptation. The line was also referenced by the video game Portal 2.”

Needless to say, this is a masterpiece. It’s romantic, beautiful, dramatic, emotional, moving. I love everything about this story from the simple way it’s written, to the poetry of its prose, to the very last words.

I don’t cry easily, but this story had me tear up.

Beautiful.

”The Stars Are Calling, Mr. Keats” - 2/5

It’s not that it wasn’t bad; it just didn’t work for me. The theme of loneliness, being an outsider after years of being an astronaut, is a really interesting concept. And our main character’s process of overcoming that loneliness is interesting too.

It just didn’t land. And after reading “The Dandelion Girl”, it feels like the difference between reading a master and a novice.

”Goddess in Granite” - 2/5

Guy becomes obsessed with the idealized beauty of a giant statue, and ruins his life trying to chase it. Overly long and not really that interesting besides some pretty unique flowery sections of prose.

”Promised Planet” - 2/5

This one was a little confusing and even after the reveal, it felt a little pointless. I believe the moral Young was trying to make was: “You don’t have to be lonely”, but it felt lackluster.

”Romance in a Twenty-First Century Used-Car Lot” - 4.5/5

I quite liked this one! It’s a satire of the ubiquity of personal cars drive to the extreme. In this future, folks wear cars or else are seen as nudist freaks. The soft romantic vibe of the story flowed well, and it had some fun tongue-in-cheek humor that never crossed into the “cringe” area.

It’s fun, quirky, and saccharine, but it made its point without making me grimace.

”The Courts of Jamshyd” - 4.5/5

Evocative for how short it is. A warning and accusation of our generation. Striking and a standout in the collection for its markedly dark grim tone.

”Production Problem” - 4.5/5

Less than a page long, and he actually predicted Chat GPT generated books!

”Little Red Schoolhouse” - 5/5

A good SF critique on the government’s role of surrogate parenting. The more I think about this one, the more I like it.

”Written in the Stars” - 4/5

Short, humorous, and a bit low-brow. As I’ve mentioned before, usually humorous SF isn’t my thing; but Young is effortless in his humor. In a way, it reminds me of the humor in Philip K Dick’s work. It’s effortless and doesn’t try too hard.

”A Drink of Darkness” - 4/5

A classic “man dies and gets a second chance” kind of story. It’s not especially unique or profound, but it’s an enjoyable, well-told short story. I think the reveal of the grim reaper-like guide adds a nice twist.

”Your Ghost Will Walk…” - 2/5

Whatever moral point Young was aiming for gets lost in the cheesy tone and predictable setup for a trite hubristically programmed robot attack. The story isn’t particularly engaging, and the writing is a bit muddled.

[Manny · Rating 3 out of 5]

"But you can't steal first base!" he says to the girl who amusingly insists that she's just arrived from Altair V. "It's not possible!"

"Why not?" she says. "In fact, that's given me an idea."

He doesn't know she has a time machine.

[Jason Bleckly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Girl Who Made Time Stop (1961) –A hilarious little story with the FTL/time travel paradox at its heart. And a limerick. While also being a subtle parody of pulp space adventures. I loved this story. A definite 6 out of 5.

Added Inducement (1957) – What price your soul? A 24 inch TV that makes popcorn? A light-hearted variation on the sell your soul to the devil story. A quick fun read.

Hopsoil (1961) – A witty parody of pulp mission to Mars stories. It’s been flipped on its head with Martians coming to Earth and goes through all the clichés from the opposite perspective. Great fun.

Flying Pan (1956) – A quirky urban fantasy told as SF set at Halloween to save a wage slave. Not as deliberately humours as the earlier stories, but also a subtle commentary on modern (well 1950s modern) life.

Emily and the Bards Sublime (1956) – A museum’s dead poet androids are saved from the scrapheap by being repurposed. An average story, though an android Lord Alfred Tennyson inside a ’65 Thunderbird is a fun image.

The Dandelion Girl (1961) – A sweet time-travel romance, and without a paradox. An uncomplicated story with nice characterisation.

The Stars Are Calling, Mr. Keats (1959) – An interesting tale of overcoming the psychological pressures of space travel when space travel was lone men in a small tin can. Its also somewhat of an analogy the problems some soldiers had returning to civilian life after WWII. A very thoughtful tale. With a Venerian queegy bird reciting Keats.

Goddess in Granite (1957) – A beautifully written journey of self-discovery on a distant planet climbing a mountainous alien sculpture. Obsession, disillusionment, acceptance. The story could as easily have occurred on Earth with a climb up Everest, but the alien setting gives it a piquancy that wouldn’t otherwise have been achieved. Another 6 out of 5 story.

Promised Planet (1955) – A tale of a colony ship forced onto an uncharted planet and isolated from the wider human civilisation. The protagonist is forced by circumstance into a role he didn’t want. The story certainly isn’t original any more, but in 1955 it would have been less overused. That said the story still stands up well as an enjoyable read, though somewhat predictable.

Romance in a Twenty-First Century Used-Car Lot (1960) – This is brilliantly and bizarrely unique. The story is a simple romance as you could guess from the title. However it’s primarily a cutting commentary on consumerism and societal obsession with the automobile. It opens with Arabella Grille purchasing a new car-dress with large tail-fins on the bustle. I’ll leave the rest to your imagination. Which won’t even come close. 6 out of 5.

The Courts of Jamshyd (1957) – The last days of the last people on an ecologically ravaged Earth. Nearly 70 years later this story still resonates as a possible future for us.

Production Problem (1959) – At just over a page this is more an anecdote/joke than a story. An amusing time travel snippet where people in the future don’t quite understand how the past, ie our present, works

Little Red Schoolhouse (1956) – The Matrix circa 1956. Matrix level VR used to educate children from birth until adolescence so the parents don’t have too. And a problem with the system. I’m surprised this sort of idea is that old when the height of computer tech was the TX-0, the first transistorised computer.

Written in the Stars (1957) –This is, in essence, a dirty joke that scares of prudish aliens at first contact. While it’s amusing it does suffer from the fact astrological constellations are entirely arbitrary and meaningless.

A Drink of Darkness (1962) – A metaphysical tale of an alcoholic who drinks himself to death and then gets the opportunity to change point in his life that led to his death by someone who keeps making the same mistake every time he tries to change his own path. A bit too preachy and very much of it’s time. But despite that still a good read.

Your Ghost Will Walk ... (1957) – A semi-sequel to ‘Emily and the Bards Sublime’. Android poets are repurposed as domestic staff with unfortunate consequences. The 3 laws were not yet gospel to be included in every robot story. Despite having been around for over decade they rate no mention in this story.

I’m not the biggest fan of short stories, I simply prefer novels, but I do read them from time to time. And these are very short, short stories. Most can be read in 10-15 minutes. There are a couple of longer ones that take 30 minutes. They are however a magnificent collection. There isn’t a single story I didn’t think was worth reading. I’ll certainly be keeping an eye out for Robert’s other collections. Trying to track down the individual stories would be a nightmare given all the scattered places they appeared. I’m just happy I have this collection. It was a joy to read and I highly recommend it.

[Michael Samerdyke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I might give this 3-and-a-half stars.

Young is an interesting and enigmatic author. Clearly, he liked poetry and disliked cars. His stories are frequently about relationships if not love, which is unusual for science fiction of this era. The idea "science fiction is folklore for an industrialized era" seems especially apt in his case. He was a definite critic of Fifties affluence.

The best stories in this book were "The Girl Who Made Time Stop," "The Dandelion Girl," "The Stars Are Calling, Mr. Keats," and "Romance in a Twenty-First Century Used Car Lot," "Little Red Schoolhouse," and "Your Ghost Shall Walk."

Yet this collection doesn't really seem to fit together or catch fire as a collection, and a few stories are turkeys. I came away from this convinced that someone needs to put together a real "Best of Robert F. Young" collection, like Del Rey used to do for so many science fiction authors.

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of some of the best short stories by Robert F Young.
Some of it is dated, typical sci-fi of the sixties, but the powerful imagery, the powerful themes that he explored (sometimes through quite a few short stories during his years of writing) have a haunting/fascinating quality that makes it a pleasure to read it (or read it again)

[Joseph Fredericks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not all stories can end up being as fantastic as his "The Dandelion Girl" but there are many great short stories that leave a great impression upon the reader.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short story collection. Some science fiction, some apeculative fiction. Somce themes on marketing and consumerism. Several stories involving poetry. Some interesting perspectives / story lines.

[Milo Simpson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Proper old school sci-fi! Some really touching and thought provoking stories in here. A lot of it feels cliche, but I wonder if that wouldn’t have been the case when it was published 60 years ago.

[Nevadah Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE this book, and it is one of the reasons I fell in love with science fiction short stories.

Young blends science fiction and romance perfectly in these stories. It's very interesting to read the "futuristic" predictions of Young, given the book was written in the 1950s and 60s.

It's perfect for any sci fi, romance, Twilight Zone and Star Trek lover. 🤖💙

I will now rate each individual short story, because, why not.

1. The Girl Who Made Time Stop
⭐⭐⭐ 3.5/5
This story is really cool, and drew me in to the rest of the book.

2. Added Inducement
⭐⭐⭐ 3/5
Very Twilight Zone-esque. It reminds me of a campfire cautionary tale you would hear as a kid. It wasn't one of my absolute favorites, but I did enjoy this one.

3. Hopsoil
⭐⭐ 2.5/5
This one just wasn't my cup of tea, but very well written nonetheless.

4. Flying Pan
⭐⭐ 2.5/5
I read this one a few times to try to understand it. And honestly, I'm still not sure if I fully get it.

5. Emily and the Bards Sublime
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5
I'm in love with the theme of this one! One of my favorites in the book. Memorable and thought provoking.

6. The Dandelion Girl
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.5/5
SO GOOD. So romantic, so beautiful. It was a tiny bit hard to follow, but most time travel stories are (for me, anyway).

7. The Stars Are Calling, Mr Keats
⭐ 1/5
I feel bad, I just couldn't get into this one. Maybe I will try it again sometime.

8. Goodness in Granite
⭐ 1.5/5
This one is well written, but just wasnt my taste, and for some reason I found it kind of forgettable.

9. Promised Planet
⭐⭐ 2/5
This one didn't grip me much, but I do want to try this one again as well.

10. Romance in a Twenty-First-Century Used-Car Lot
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
One of my favorite stories ever written. Absolutely perfect. The characters are AMAZING in this one, so well crafted. It's a genius idea honestly, executed perfectly. Not to be dramatic.

11. The Courts of Jamshyd
⭐ 1.5/5
This one was maybe a little too short for me to be able to fully understand what happened. Oops.

12. Production Problem
⭐⭐ 2.5/5
Clever, but very short, and a little hard to understand.

13. Little Red Schoolhouse
⭐⭐⭐ 3/5
This one, again, gives a Twilight Zone vibe. It was a tad long and a little complicated imo, but I enjoyed this one overall.

14. Written in the Stars
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5
Short, simple, but hilarious, with the slightest bit of romance. Young strikes again.

15. A Drink of Darkness
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5
Yet another one of my favorites to ever be written. I literally gasped out loud at the ending, and ran upstairs to read the whole thing to my husband.

16. Your Ghost Will Walk
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5
It took me a second to get pulled in to this story (I had to read the beginning a few times), but once I did, I was drawn in. The storytelling in this one is great!

[Julian · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite short-story for a long while has been “The Dandelion Girl”. It brings out a very sweet and sentimental part of me that I absolutely love. I initially bought this book in order to have “The Dandelion Girl” in a physical format, but it ended up being a fun ride through the imagination of Mr. Young. Some of the stories I found dreadfully boring, but others captivated me in his own unique way. Life has ups and dows and so did the book.

Even so, if you find any of Young’s work of liking, you should give this book a try. Find which stories you liked he most and enjoy them.

With that said I saw a review on this platform giving their personal preference regarding each individual short story and I intend to do the same.

“The Girl Who Made Time Stop” ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫

“Added Inducement” ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

“Hopsoil” ⭐️

“Flying Pan” ⭐️ ⭐️💫 (2.5)

“Emily and the Bards Sublime” ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️💫

“The Dandelion Girl” ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

“The Stars are Calling Mr. Keets” ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

“Goddess in Granite” ⭐️

“Promised Planet” ⭐️ ⭐️

“Romance in a Twenty-First-Century Used-Car Lot” ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️💫

“The Courts of Jamshyd” ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫

“Production Problem” ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫

“Little Red Schoolhouse”⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

“Written in the Stars” ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️💫

“A Drink of Darkness” ⭐️ ⭐️💫

“Your Ghost will Walk” ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

[Andrew Orange · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good collection of classic science fiction.