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foxmoon's review against another edition
5.0
A Martian Odyssey by Stanley G. Weinbaum - ★★★★★
Twilight by John W. Campbell - ★★★★★
Helen O’Loy by Lester Del Rey – ★★
The Roads Must Roll by Robert A. Heinlein – ★★
Microcosmic God by Theodore Sturgeon – ★★★
Nightfall by Isaac Asimov – ★★★★
The Weapon Shop by A. E. van Vogt – ★★
Mimsy Were the Borogroves by Lewis Padgett – ★★★★
Huddling Place by Cliffor D. Simak – ★★★★
Arena by Fredric Brown – ★★★★
First Contact by Murray Leinster – ★★
That Only a Mother by Judith Merril – ★
Scanners Live in Vain by Cordwainer Smith – ★★★★
Mars is Heaven! By Ray Bradbury – ★★★
The Little Black Bag by C.M. Kornbluth – ★★
Born of Man and Woman by Richard Matheson – ★
Coming Attraction by Fritz Leiber – ★
The Quest for Saint Aquin by Anthony Boucher – ★★★★
Surface Tension by James Blish – ★★
The Nine Billion Names of God by Arthur C. Clarke – ★★★★
It’s a Good Life by Jerome Bixby – ★★
The Cold Equations by Tom Godwin – ★★
Fondly Fahrenheit by Alfred Bester – ★
The Country of the Kind by Damon Knight – ★
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes – ★★★★★
A Rose for Ecclesiastes by Roger Zelazny – ★
Twilight by John W. Campbell - ★★★★★
Helen O’Loy by Lester Del Rey – ★★
The Roads Must Roll by Robert A. Heinlein – ★★
Microcosmic God by Theodore Sturgeon – ★★★
Nightfall by Isaac Asimov – ★★★★
The Weapon Shop by A. E. van Vogt – ★★
Mimsy Were the Borogroves by Lewis Padgett – ★★★★
Huddling Place by Cliffor D. Simak – ★★★★
Arena by Fredric Brown – ★★★★
First Contact by Murray Leinster – ★★
That Only a Mother by Judith Merril – ★
Scanners Live in Vain by Cordwainer Smith – ★★★★
Mars is Heaven! By Ray Bradbury – ★★★
The Little Black Bag by C.M. Kornbluth – ★★
Born of Man and Woman by Richard Matheson – ★
Coming Attraction by Fritz Leiber – ★
The Quest for Saint Aquin by Anthony Boucher – ★★★★
Surface Tension by James Blish – ★★
The Nine Billion Names of God by Arthur C. Clarke – ★★★★
It’s a Good Life by Jerome Bixby – ★★
The Cold Equations by Tom Godwin – ★★
Fondly Fahrenheit by Alfred Bester – ★
The Country of the Kind by Damon Knight – ★
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes – ★★★★★
A Rose for Ecclesiastes by Roger Zelazny – ★
elodieanna's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75
pine_wulf's review against another edition
5.0
Favorites include Microcosmic God, Mimsy Were the Borogoves and The Cold Equations.
There were a lot of really good stories in this collection, although like all anthologies there were a few I didn't care for.
There were a lot of really good stories in this collection, although like all anthologies there were a few I didn't care for.
jandi's review against another edition
4.0
This is a fantastic science fiction collection, including a variety of stories written between 1929-1964. All of the stories are quite solid; my personal favorites were
* Nightfall
* The Roads Must Roll
* Surface Tension
* Flowers for Algernon
* The Cold Equations
* Nightfall
* The Roads Must Roll
* Surface Tension
* Flowers for Algernon
* The Cold Equations
marissavu's review against another edition
5.0
This is a really special collection of science fiction short stories... so many amazing ones in here, and almost every one has something to offer. I'm still thinking about many of them a week later and will def revisit most stories in here.
I listened to this on audio for the SFFAudio Podcast and we talked about the whole collection for an upcoming episode, so I'll link to that when it's releases.
I listened to this on audio for the SFFAudio Podcast and we talked about the whole collection for an upcoming episode, so I'll link to that when it's releases.
livingdeadenby's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
olosta's review against another edition
5.0
To my own surprise, I liked this a lot more than I thought I would, sci-fi noob as I am. There was only one story I didn't finish because I found it boring, the rest was interesting and even intriguing (and sometimes downright creepy - yes Anthony, I'm looking at you).
Recommended to anyone who can't stomach long sci-fi novels but would still like to read in the genre.
Recommended to anyone who can't stomach long sci-fi novels but would still like to read in the genre.
wyrmbergmalcolm's review against another edition
4.0
This was an excellent collection of 26 stories covering almost all aspects of the science fiction genre. I had previously read several before from other anthologies and collections but there was also a good number of stories I've not come across.
I feel that most of the stories have weathered the test of time well, which is impressive considering they were all written before the moon landing of 1969 and they convey the social attitudes of the times they were written.
As these were voted as the best by the best, I did enjoy most of them, though there were a couple of stories I did thing that much of. I don't know if it's because I didn't get them or they just didn't appeal.
Of the lot, Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keys stood out the most to me. It was one I hadn't read before and I found it really impacted me as the low IQ main character was given an intelligence boost. They way he 'woke up' to how he had been treated as a simpleton and how people's attitude towards him changed as his intelligence matched and then surpassed others. What was particularly harrowing was the realisation that the effects would wear off, followed by the actual degradation back to his original self. Written as a series of journal entries by this individual, it was fascinating to see the evolution of his writings, thoughts and observations. Algernon was the name of the laboratory mouse he was tested against. It is stories like this that makes science fiction the essential genre it is.
This collection promised the best science fiction stories of that era and it didn't disappoint.
I feel that most of the stories have weathered the test of time well, which is impressive considering they were all written before the moon landing of 1969 and they convey the social attitudes of the times they were written.
As these were voted as the best by the best, I did enjoy most of them, though there were a couple of stories I did thing that much of. I don't know if it's because I didn't get them or they just didn't appeal.
Of the lot, Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keys stood out the most to me. It was one I hadn't read before and I found it really impacted me as the low IQ main character was given an intelligence boost. They way he 'woke up' to how he had been treated as a simpleton and how people's attitude towards him changed as his intelligence matched and then surpassed others. What was particularly harrowing was the realisation that the effects would wear off, followed by the actual degradation back to his original self. Written as a series of journal entries by this individual, it was fascinating to see the evolution of his writings, thoughts and observations. Algernon was the name of the laboratory mouse he was tested against. It is stories like this that makes science fiction the essential genre it is.
This collection promised the best science fiction stories of that era and it didn't disappoint.
losthitsu's review against another edition
5.0
I'm still surprised I liked this as much as I did! Would definitely recommend to anyone who - like me - is just dipping their toes into this whole sci-fi thing, I found almost every single one of them in some way intriguing and enjoyable.