The Best From Galaxy, Volume IV

by Jim Baen (Editor), Michael Bishop, Jerry Pournelle

Collection of Science Fiction Short stories from Galaxy. Contributors Roger Zelazny, Spider Robinson, Jerry Pournelle, Michael Bishop and others

Genres: Science Fiction, Anthologies, Short Stories

279 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Jim Baen was Editor-in-Chief and publisher of Baen Books, and renowned in the science fiction field for his taste and ability to select authors with strong storytelling ability and steer them to commercial success. Prior to founding of Baen Books, he was the editor of science fiction magazine Galaxy, science fiction editor of Ace Books, and an editor at Tor Books.

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contains what Baen selected as the best of Galaxy Magazine from 1975; it was the second in the series that he edited. (He was the editor of the magazine from June 1974 until he left to take over the sf line at Ace books in 1977.) The authors include Roger Zelazny, Larry Niven, Spider Robinson, and Joanna Russ. My favorites were Allegiances by Michael Bishop, Tinker by Jerry Pournelle, and Helbent 4 by Stephen Robinett. I thought it was a kind of uneven collection, but I guess that was an accurate reflection of the magazine.

[Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those 3-star ratings representing the median between a couple of real stinkers and two or three excellent short stories. Allegiances by Michael Bishop, Tinker by Jerry Pournelle, and Helbent 4 by Stephen Robinett are especially good. The non-fiction article by Jerry Pournelle, which covers acceleration and speed across solar distances is good as well.

[Travis · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's one story in here by Pournelle called 'Tinker' that includes a scientific paper. I'm fairly certain that the ideas in that one story inspired The Expanse, which is a book series that I absolutely loved.

Everything else in this book is trash. Go find 'Tinker'!

[Jim Standridge · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book of this series I've read. Surprising variety of stories I mean from really good to ridiculously bad. Surprised at the editing here. If there was never a vol. V, I know why.