The Best Science Fiction Stories and Novels : 1955 (ed T.E. Dikty, Frederick Fell Inc. 1955)
My copy of this volume is without it’s dust-jacket and is in a relatively sorry
Reviewing short SF since 2000
My copy of this volume is without it’s dust-jacket and is in a relatively sorry
At the time of writing (April 2022) I haven’t seen a print version for Horton’s
I do get a steady drip-drip of email requests to review items on Best SF.
A handsome book, my copy printed over here in the UK by Amazon. I’d like
The sixth volume in what is now the longest-running current Year’s Best SF anthology. Due
The second volume in Strahan’s new all-SF anthology, the dead-tree version of which has just
This book landed with me after an air mail flight from the USA on 22nd
Published in the UK as ‘The Best Science Fiction Stories: Fifth Series’, with fewer stories
Published in the UK in smaller format with fewer stories as ‘The Best Science Fiction
Just (Oct 2021) replaced my UK (reduced number of stories) edition The Best Science Fiction
I did have the UK edition (restricted number of stories and size), but I have
The dust jacket of my volume is somewhat faded and tattered, but I remember the excitement of buying it about 25 years ago.
A book so old, that it is 11 years older than I am, that is how old it is…
The annual Nebula anthology had four different publishers in the last five years, and this
Strahan racked up #13 volumes of his Best SF&F of the Year anthology, initially published
Last year, following the sad loss of Gardner Dozois, Neil Clarke became the *only* anthologist
Rich has published the TOC of this volume on his Blogspot site here, which I’ve
I’m restricting myself to buying the purely SF anthologies, and so this book won’t be
Shelved with the now-usual nostalgic sigh for when these volumes where choc full of great SF..
With 2019 being the first year for four decades without a Gardner Dozois take on
Heller is an author new to me, but a name I would be looking out for now if I was still in the habit of reading a lot of short SF in it’s original appearance.
Another masterful piece of writing from Tidhar.
In the sad absence of a Dozois’ annual anthology, I’ve been and gone and bought
Sitting down at the computer in a brief interlude from a day gardening in the sunshine I did have the option to re-read the story. but..
Written some 18 or more years after John W. Campbell’s ‘The Thing’, but with a similar underpinning idea.
I started this story with high hopes – one from no less an author than Tom ‘The Cold Equations’ Godwin, but found that this story doesn’t quite live up to his most famous work.
I may be late to the party, but a Best SF Huzzah! for the late Robinson.
A story that doesn’t go much beyond the principal conceit : a man has the uncanny knack of knowing just where and when someone is going to have a brainwave or invent something – and therefore be on hand to licence and exploit it.
The story has many excellent turns of phrase, and leads the reader through the story introducing background concepts and technology, with the odd clever ‘reveal’.
A minimal SFnal element to a story that peers into the dark recesses of one human mind.
A strong start to Dikty’s anthology, with a story that stands the test of time well.
A story that would sit nicely in today’s F&SF with only a few changes – blackly comic and satirical, it features two men setting out into zombie-infested territory.
Mr. Kemper has been on Earth for millenia and finds little to differentiate the creatures in cages at the zoo from those staring in at them.
A fairly weak story for a Hugo Winner.
‘Mr. & Mrs. Henry Kuttner’ ponder whether flesh & blood, despite their inherent weaknesses, are superior to computers.
Imagine, a sports stadium full of hateful people, encouraged to be hateful, by the government. Sheer fantasy of course.
A rather dark, disturbing story from Knight, somewhat at odds with the rest of the volume (and possibly the majority of SF in the mid-50s).
Asimov posits a new technology, ‘dreamies’, a form of immersive VR, but instead of being digitally coded, the dreamies are created by capturing and editing the dreams of the small percentage of the population who dream vivid dreams.
A travel agent can get you a one-way ticket to somewhere very different and very special. It’s one-way and a one-off chance.
A touch of sauciness for the 1950s!
Humorous story in which missionaries from the Antarean region arrive on Earth and are horrified by what they see – flesh-eating monsters and barbaric humans.
Nice little story featuring the awfully nice Mr. Johnson, who spends his day in New York being rather helpful to people who cross his path.
After three rejuves, old age comes apace, and John Melhuey wishes to avoid decrepitude.
One of a trio of stories about Gussie Kusevic, one of a breed of humans that have developed beyond homo sapien.
One of a series of stories in Henderson’s ‘The People’ series, featuring an alien race, indistinguishable from humans and living amongst us, typically in small remote communities, hiding their special abilities and remaining incognito.
A mildly amusing tale of psi, swamis, scientific framework and anti-gravity. Rather longer than it really needed to be….
A solo ‘Long Haul’ trip to pass muster for the role of starship captain. Except, there is someone else to keep you company.
A great read with some wonderful writing.
Gunn’s tale foreshadows the drama of Apollo 13 and the ‘fake Moon landing’ conspiracy theorists.
A troublesome teen decides that he wants more from life than putting roots down with a nice girl. (Oh, and he’s an alien).
A sweet little story in which an elderly, retired Jewish couple sitting on their porch are paid a visit by a Golem hell-bent on world domination.
A thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining story.
Sensitive story from McHugh.
Two people on the spectrum, and a British AI, and treachery…
A short, fun story from Larson.
Very much in the ‘Analog’ vein, of scientists coming across a scientific challenge/conundrum and having to resolve it
I went into this story with low expectations. Sadly the story didn’t even reach those low expectations.
A touching story, with a very strong sense of place, and of the people populating it.
A shorter story from Tidhar, and classy as usual.
Read in The Year’s Best Science Fiction Thirty Fifth Annual Collection (Dozois, 2018). Published by
An intriguing vignette from Corey.
Whilst not SF, altogether a good story about grownups and grownup issues.
clever stuff, although admittedly the characters are rather one-dimensional, with one of them handily having prior knowledge that helps explain the background.
Three dimensional and believable.
A short, thoughtful story, which oozes class
As with the opening story in the volume, the fourth one is also a reflective one, which will similarly disappoint seekers of action-driven adventure.
A thoughtful and powerful reflection.
The last of Dozois’ amazing annual anthologies…
Not that much in terms of a coverage of the best SF in short form. Onto the shelves with the volume.
A clever story to end Clarke’s volume.
There’s a great balance of characterisation, tech, socio-political background and story here.
An excellent collection of stories.
A near-future cyberpunky cyber-thriller, with a couple of twists, double crosses, and neat touches.
Short, tight, claustrophobic and up close and personal.
Reed’s ‘Great Ship’ is the setting for a sprawling series of stories, an he has been writing them for about 20 years now, and there’s no reason as far as the setting goes, for stopping any time now.
Very well told, and altogether a pleasure to read.
An interesting conceit, but the story whizzes through quickly.
There was stuff I *really* did like – gender fluidity, non-CIS sexuality and flirting, but the undercover spy thing and the generally light tone of the story didn’t work for me.