Other Times, Other Worlds

by John D. MacDonald

Contents:

· Introduction · Martin H. Greenberg · in
· The Mechanical Answer · ss Astounding May ’48
· Dance of a New World · ss Astounding Sep ’48
· Ring Around the Redhead · ss Startling Stories Nov ’48
· A Child Is Crying · ss Thrilling Wonder Stories Dec ’48
· Flaw · ss Startling Stories Jan ’49
· But Not to Dream · ss Weird Tales May ’49
· The Miniature [as by Peter Reed] · ss Super Science Stories Sep ’49
· Spectator Sport · ss Thrilling Wonder Stories Feb ’50
· Half-Past Eternity · na Super Science Stories Jul ’50
· The Big Contest · ss Worlds Beyond Dec ’50
· Susceptibility · ss Galaxy Jan ’51
· Common Denominator · ss Galaxy Jul ’51
· Game for Blondes · ss Galaxy Oct ’52
· Labor Supply · ss F&SF May ’53
· The Legend of Joe Lee · ss Cosmopolitan Oct ’64
· The Annex · ss Playboy May ’68
· Afterword · aw
· Bibliography · Len J. & June Moffatt · bi

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction

287 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published September 1, 1978

About the author

John D. MacDonald was born in Sharon, Pennsylvania, and educated at the Universities of Pennsylvania, Syracuse and Harvard, where he took an MBA in 1939. During WW2, he rose to the rank of Colonel, and while serving in the Army and in the Far East, sent a short story to his wife for sale, successfully. He served in the Office of Strategic Services (O.S.S.) in the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations. After the war, he decided to try writing for a year, to see if he could make a living. Over 500 short stories and 70 novels resulted, including 21 Travis McGee novels.

Following complications of an earlier heart bypass operation, MacDonald slipped into a coma on December 10 and died at age 70, on December 28, 1986, in St. Mary's Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was survived by his wife Dorothy (1911-1989) and a son, Maynard.

In the years since his death MacDonald has been praised by authors as diverse as Stephen King, Spider Robinson, Jimmy Buffett, Kingsley Amis and Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.. Thirty-three years after his passing the Travis McGee novels are still in print.

Reviews

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had read several of the stories in this compilation somewhere else so long ago and it was a treat to discover them again. "Flaw" doesn't pass the logic test, "Half-Past Eternity" is one I've been wanting to reread, and I remember "Common Denominator" having a different ending where the protagonist not only quits his job, but takes his family and moves to the other planet. My favorites are "Ring Around the Redhead", which is a sweet story, "Game for Blondes" which offers a second chance, and "The Mechanical Answer". I will say that women have a very minor role in almost all the stories, with "Susceptibility" being an exception. MacDonald was an exceptional storyteller who left us too soon.

[Allan · Rating 4 out of 5]

"When at last it dies- when at last we kill this planet-we die with it. We do not escape the consequences of our own barbarous acts by sailing off into the future."

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Other Times, Other Worlds is a science fiction short story collection by the very prolific John D. MacDonald. Best known for his crime and suspense novels--particularly the Travis McGee series and The Executioners (adapted into the film Cape Fear)--MacDonald began his writing career in the pulps, selling widely across the genres: adventure stories, mysteries, westerns, sports stories....and science fiction. In fact, selling so widely that he had to use multiple pseudonyms and sometimes had an entire magazine to himself under various names. All of the stories in the collection first appeared in science fiction pulp magazines between 1948 and 1968 (inclusive).

These stories are sharp portrayals of the human condition. They highlight various social and psychological types and show men and women in all their strength and weakness. And they range over near-future and far-future stories of life on Earth as well as investigating what life on other planets may be like. Yet even when he discusses aliens, he is really turning the microscope on homo sapiens. A few of the stories are dated--only by the lack of scientific knowledge to be had at the time they were written. Transplant the characters to any suitable place and time and the commentary on who we are as a species is still as valid today as in the 1940s or the 1950s or the 1960s.

These are all engaging stories, but among my favorites:

"Dance of a New World"--in which Shane Brent is on a mission to convince a retired rocket pilot to sign up for a dangerous long-term journey only to discover that he might like a little danger himself.

"Ring Around the Redhead"--in which a man's innocence or guilt in a murder case hinges on the testimony of a stranger from another dimension.

"A Child Is Crying"--about a seven-year-old boy whose intelligence surpasses experts in all fields and who has the ability to predict the future. But is that a good thing?

"Susceptibility"--Sean Malloy is sent to a colony on one of mankind's far-flung outposts to discover why the colonists aren't using all the high-tech gizmos provided for them. The answer surprises him.

"Game for Blondes"--a lovely psychological twist on the good old scavenger hunt.

Four stars for an excellent collection.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. Please request permission before reposting. Thanks.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of solid sci-fi short stories by who, to me, was an unknown author. Apparently (from what little research I've done), however, John D. MacDonald was quite prolific, though mainly in the field of mystery novels. His sci-fi works appear to be primarily short stories. I suggest giving this book a look if you're a fan of the genre, as it's likely a "best-of" compilation.

[Andy Doyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting collection of 1940's and 1950's SciFi written by the author of the Travis McGee series. There are some very interesting gems in this collection. I recommend it to any sci fi short story reader, or any follower of the Busted Flush.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

MacDonald can even do Science Fiction well.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rare short fiction from a literary giant, covering his early pulp career into the 1960's.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stories from the 40s and 50s. Nostalgic, reminds me of a lot of the
stuff I read when I first started reading SF.