Isaac Asimov

Martin Harry Greenberg

Joseph D. Olander

100 Great Science Fiction Short Short Stories

Jean Little

The Future I

Eric S. Rabkin

Writers have created fictions of social per­fection at least since Plato’s Republic. Sir Thomas More gave this thread of intel­lectual history a name when he called his contribution to it Utopia, Greek for no place. With each subsequent author cog­nizant of his predecessors and subject to altered real-world conditions which sug­gest ever-new causes for hope and alarm, “no place” changed. The fourteen essays presented in this book critically assess man’s fascination with and seeking for “no place.” “In discussing these central fictions, the contributors see ‘no place’ from di­verse perspectives: the sociological, the psychological, the political, the aesthetic. In revealing the roots of these works, the contributors cast back along the whole length of utopian thought. Each essay stands alone; together, the essays make clear what ‘no place’ means today. While it may be true that ‘no place’ has always seemed elsewhere or elsewhen, in fact all utopian fiction whirls contemporary ac­tors through a costume dance no place else but here.”—from the Preface The contributors are Eric S. Rabkin, B. G. Knepper, Thomas J. Remington, Gorman Beauchamp, William Matter, Ken Davis, Kenneth M. Roemer, Wil­liam Steinhoff, Howard Segal, Jack Zipes, Kathleen Woodward, Merritt Abrash, and James W. Bittner.

Explorations in Utopian and Dystopian Fiction

No Place Else

Charmingly insidious and satisfyingly devious, these 100 baffling little mysteries—selected by such prominent authors as Isaac Asimov—are just the thing to suit your most malevolent mood. These tales come from the pen of many well-known writers in the field, including Michael Gilbert, Edward Wellen, Edward D. Hack, Bill Bronzini, Lawrence Treat, and Francis Nevins, Jr. Whether it’s “The Unfriendly Neighbor,” or a “Class Reunion,” “A Recipe for Revenge,” or “An Exercise in Insurance,” these stories are sure to keep you up all night, puzzling over their possible solutions. Each one has its own particular and irresistible appeal: an unexpected twist, a delectable puzzle, a devastating revelation, or perhaps even a refreshing display of pernicious spit

100 Malicious Little Mysteries

Philip K. Dick

Frederik Pohl

Twenty-five stories from Galaxy magazine, originally published 1950-1976.

Galaxy, Thirty Years of Innovative Science Fiction

The essays selected by the editors to ex­plore these apocalyptic visions are: “The Re­making of Zero: Beginning at the End,” by Gary K. Wolfe; “The Lone Survivor,” by Robert Plank; “Ambiguous Apocalypse: Transcendental Versions of the End,” by Robert Galbreath; “World’s End: The Imag­ination of Catastrophe,” by W. Warren Wagar; “Man-Made Catastrophes,” by Brian Stableford; and “The Rebellion of Nature,” by W. Warren Wagar. Wolfe sees in these postholocaust narra­tives a central attraction—“the mythic power inherent in the very conception of a remade world.” This power derives from three sources: the emergence of a new order from the ashes of the old system, and thus a kind of denial of death; the reinforcement of one set of values as opposed to another; and as something always replaces whatever was destroyed, a promise that nothing can anni­hilate humanity.

The End of the World

Arthur C. Clarke

Analyzes the imagery and the political and philosophical themes of the science fiction novels and short stories of Philip K. Dick

Robert A. Heinlein

Patricia S. Warrick

Martin Greenberg

John W. Milstead

Social crises ranging from the population explosion and racial prejudice to religious secularization and drug abuse are portrayed in an anthology containing stories by contemporary writers

Social Problems Through Science Fiction

Ray Bradbury

Examines the moral, psychological, and sociological content in Le Guin's science fiction and fantasy as well as exploring her inventive themes and richness of imagery and language

Ursula K. Le Guin

Critical and interpretive essays on the science-fiction master's works examine the important novels, including Stranger in a Strange Land, and his shorter fiction

A critical assessment of the novels and short stories of Arthur C. Clarke, presented with a brief biographical sketch, highlights his contributions to science fiction and his impact on literature in general

An evaluation of the literary achievements of the renowned biochemist, popularizer of science, and science-fiction writer illuminates the scope of his creativity and his concerns

Selections by authors including Silverberg, Aldiss, Clarke, Blish, Pohl, and Sturgeon examine the technology, lifestyles, and men of the future

Joseph D. Olander

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