SOLVED. Sci-Fi Short Story Anthology about First Contact [s]

[Charles]

I'm trying to find the title of a collection/anthology of short stories by multiple sci-fi authors such as Isaac Asimov and Murray Leinster revolving around the theme of First Contact. I used to own this book, having acquired it second-hand from my uncle, and then gave it to someone else about a year ago once I had finished reading it.

Now I find myself in the awkward predicament of needing that book again for a presentation, but I've been unable to find the title. I do, however remember two of the stories: 'The Gentle Vultures' by Isaac Asimov, and 'First Contact' by Murray Leinster. These were not the only stories in the book, but they each appear in their own publications at different times. I assume that this anthology was published later than either of these stories, so we're looking at something post 1957 at least (The year 'The Gentle Vultures' was published) but it still looked and felt like an old publication, so I think it might be pre-2000, give or take a few years.

Whilst I do not remember the other authors whose stories appeared in this book, I do remember a little of the plots in the other shorts:

- A small group of people become trapped in a diner by an ever-shrinking alien forcefield, and figure out that ring-shaped objects open holes in it, allowing them to escape.

- A man wakes to find a giant alien ant in his room, and promptly kills it. He then wonders if it meant him any harm at all, or if it was trying to communicate, and shows remorse for man's violent nature.

- A group of astronauts find an entirely metallic planet with miles and miles of machinery beneath the surface.

- A group of astronauts struggle to rescue a stranded spacecraft from a planet seemingly covered in nothing but plantlife, discovering eventually that the plantlife is conscious, and perhaps IS the planet.

I am aware that these may be very vague summaries of the plots, but that's all I can remember. It would be extremely helpful to find this book soon, and I thank anyone who takes the time to aid me :3

[Slinkyboy]

"First Contact" and "The Gentle Vultures" appear together in a first contact themed anthology called Contact.

I suspect this is the one you're looking for.

[Andy]

Slinkyboy wrote: ""First Contact" and "The Gentle Vultures" appear together in a first contact themed anthology called Contact.

I suspect this is the one you're looking for."

Especially since one of the other stories in that book is called "The Large Ant"

[Charles]

Slinkyboy wrote: ""First Contact" and "The Gentle Vultures" appear together in a first contact themed anthology called Contact.

I suspect this is the one you're looking for."

Yes, that's the one~ ^U^ My thanks, I'd been searching for hours earlier looking for this book :3