SOLVED. Science Fiction Short Story - Interstellar Travel from 70s or late 60s. [s]

[Tom]

Spoilers ahead because that's the only way I know to ID the story!
This was a story about an early effort to travel to another star. When the crew of the ship arrives they find that with technology advances since their departure humans found faster travel and already arrived at the destination star. Arriving unannounced (and unexpected?) they collide with another ship causing legal problems (maybe they get arrested?). I read this in the mid 70s and it was probably in an anthology book of short stories.

[Scott]

"Far Centaurus" by A.E. van Vogt has this premise apart from the legal aspect (as far as I remember.) It's from 1944 but has appeared in many anthologies over the years.

[Tom]

I THINK that's it! I just read the plot summary and it feels familiar. 1944... Much older than I thought. I do remember reading it in an anthology book so it's quite possible (likely). I'm going to go find the entire story and give it a read.

Thank you very much for pointing me in this direction!

[Scott]

You're welcome. I read it in Great Stories of Space Travel which was from 1963.

[Tom]

Thanks for the help. Exactly what I was looking for. I gave it a reread. Brought back all the memories. Not sure it held up over time as well as I remembered (but that's OK 'cause my mystery is solved!). I'm pretty sure I read this in the mid 70s in Deep Space: Eight Stories of Science Fiction https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...