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Full title Fifty Short Science Fiction Tales [permalink]
Language English
Authors Groff Conklin (editor), Isaac Asimov (editor), A. E. van Vogt, Alan Bloch, Alan E. Nourse, Alan Nelson, Albert Hernhuter, Anthony Boucher, Arthur C. Clarke, Arthur Feldman, Arthur Porges, Avro Manhattan, C. M. Kornbluth, Cleve Cartmill, Damon Knight, David Grinnell, Edward G. Robles, Edward Grendon, Eric Frank Russell, Evelyn E. Smith, Frank M. Robinson, Fredric Brown, Fritz Leiber, H. B. Hickey, Howard Schoenfeld, Idris Seabright, Jack Finney, James Causey, James H. Schmitz, John D. MacDonald, John Lewis, John P. McKnight, Karen Anderson, Lion Miller, Mack Reynolds, Marion Gross, Mildred Clingerman, Peter Cartur, Poul Anderson, Ralph Williams, Robert A. Heinlein, Robert Sheckley, Roger Dee, S. Fowler Wright, Stuart Friedman, T. P. Caravan, Theodore Sturgeon, W. Hilton-Young, Walt Sheldon, Will Stanton, William Tenn and Winston K. Marks
Publisher Simon & Schuster
Categories Anthology, science fiction and short stories
Publication year 1963
ISBN 0-684-84296-3 [Amazon, B&N, Abe, Powell's]
Pages 287
Synopsis

Fifty short-short stories from fifty different authors are collected here.
Review

Almost all of the stories are truly excellent, and I have transcribed some of the best ones and put them on my Short Stories page (Men Are Different, Texas Week, The Haunted Space Suit, and Counter Charm). Go there for a sample before you buy the book. (You will buy it, remember.)
Images Back of Fifty Short Science Fiction Tales.Spine of Fifty Short Science Fiction Tales.Front of Fifty Short Science Fiction Tales.
Structure [Toggle visibility]
  • Prelude: Ballade of an Artificial Satellite — Poul Anderson
  • The Fun They Had — Isaac Asimov
  • Men Are Different — Alan Block
  • The Ambassadors — Anthony Boucher
  • The Weapon — Fredric Brown
  • Random Sample — T. P. Caravan
  • Oscar — Cleve Cartmill
  • The Mist — Peter Cartur
  • Teething Ring — James Causey
  • The Haunted Space Suit — Arthur C. Clarke
  • Stair Trick — Mildred Clingerman
  • Unwelcome Tenant — Roger Dee
  • The Mathematicians — Arthur Feldman
  • The Third Level — Jack Finney
  • Beautiful, Beautiful, Beautiful! — Stuart Friedman
  • The Figure — Edward Grendon
  • The Rag Thing — David Grinnell
  • The Good Provider — Marion Gross
  • Columbus Was a Dope — Robert A. Heinlein
  • Texas Week — Albert Hernhuter
  • Hilda — H. B. Hickey
  • The Choice — W. Hilton-Young
  • Not with a Bang — Damon Knight
  • The Altar at Midnight — C. M. Kornbluth
  • A Bad Day for Sales — Fritz Leiber
  • Who's Cribbing? — Jack Lewis
  • Spectator Sport — John D. MacDonald
  • The Cricket Ball — Avro Manhattan
  • Double-Take — Winston K. Marks
  • Prolog — John P. McKnight
  • The Available Data on the Worp Reaction — Lion Miller
  • Narapoia — Alan Nelson
  • Tiger by the Tail — Alan E. Nourse
  • Counter Charm — Peter Phillips
  • The Fly — Arthur Porges
  • The Business, As Usual — Mack Reynolds
  • Two Weeks in August — Frank M. Robinson
  • See? — Edward G. Robles, Jr.
  • Appointment at Noon — Eric Frank Russell
  • We Don't Want Any Trouble — James H. Schmitz
  • Built Down Logically — Howard Schoenfeld
  • An Egg a Month from All Over — Idris Seabright
  • The Perfect Woman — Robert Sheckley
  • The Hunters — Walt Sheldon
  • The Martian and the Magician — Evelyn E. Smith
  • Barney — Will Stanton
  • Talent — Theodore Sturgeon
  • Project Hush — William Tenn
  • The Great Judge — A. E. Van Vogt
  • Emergency Landing — Ralph Williams
  • Obviously Suicide — S. Fowler Wright
  • Postlude: Six Haiku — Karen Anderson
Full title Time Gate [permalink]
Language English
Authors Gregory Benford (author), Pat Murphy (author), Poul Anderson (author), Robert Sheckley (author) and Robert Silverberg (author)
Publisher Baen Publishing Enterprises
Categories Novel and science fiction
Publication year 1989
ISBN 0-671-69850-8 [Amazon, B&N, Abe, Powell's]
Pages 277
Synopsis

It's the future, and simulating near-perfect replicas of people in software is routine. At first it's used for entertainment, simulating historical figures from the past, but it isn't long before things get interesting...

Each chapter is written by a different author, and deals with two famous persons from the past: Enter a Soldier. Later: Enter Another is about Francisco Pizarro and Socrates, The Resurrection Machine about Cicero and Bakunin, Statesmen about Friedrich Hohenzollern and Machiavelli, The Rose and the Scalpel about Joan of Arc and Voltaire (who, without spoiling too much, have a Great Debate), and finally How I Spent My Summer Vacation is about Queen Victoria and some unknown girl (to say more would spoil).

Almost all of the book is about the interactions between the historical figured themselves, and the interplay between them and their creators.
Review

A pretty interesting read. It's not every day you get to see Socrates trick one of the Spanish Conquistadors into one of his famous dialogues! The idea of the book is interesting, but I think the book would be even better if it were written by a single author. In fact, its multiple authorship detracts from the quality, I feel, but it's nevertheless worth a read.
Images Back of Time Gate.Spine of Time Gate.Front of Time Gate.
Structure [Toggle visibility]
  • Enter a Soldier. Later: Enter Another, Robert Silverberg
  • The Resurrection Machine, Robert Sheckley
  • Statesmen, Poul Anderson
  • The Rose and the Scalpel, Gregory Benford
  • How I Spent My Summer Vacation, Pat Murphy

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