Product Description
26 science fiction stories, originally published before 1939 (when the Golden Age of SF began), with autobiographical remarks by Asimov before each story. Includes a previously unpublished story by Asimov, Big Game. Complete text in one volume; some editions split into several volumes. Winner, 1975 Locus Poll Award, Best Reprint Anthology. Stories include: The Man Who Evolved, by Edmond Hamilton; The Jameson Satellite, by Neil R. Jones; Submicroscopic, by Capt S. P. Meek and its sequel, Awlo of Ulm; Tetrahedra of Space, by P. Schuyler Miller; The World of the Red Sun, by Clifford D. Simak; Tumithak of the Corridors, by Charles R. Tanner and its sequel, Tumithak in Shawm; The Moon Era, by Jack Williamson; The Man Who Awoke, by Laurence Manning; Colossus, by Donald Wandrei; Born of the Sun, by Jack Williamson; Sidewise in Time, by Murray Leinster (one of the earliest Alternate History stories, for which the Sidewise Award is named); Old Faithful, by Raymond Z. Gallun; The Parasite Planet, by Stanley Weinbaum; Proxima Centauri, by Murray Leinster; The Accursed Galaxy, by Edmond Hamilton; He Who Shrank, by Henry Hasse; The Human Pets of Mars, by Leslie Frances Stone; The Brain Stealers of Mars, by John W. Campbell, Jr.; Devolution, by Edmond Hamilton; Big Game, by Isaac Asimov; Other Eyes Watching, by John W. Campbell, Jr. (Essay); Minus Planet, by John D. Clark; Past, Present and Future, by Nat Schachner; and The Men and the Mirror, by Ross Rocklynne. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

IF YOUR A LOVER OF SCI FI
This is for you. An excellent anthology. Quality writing unsurpassed even today. I rate He who Shrank AAAA1111!

Kindle please!
Excellent, classic anthology. Irreplaceable, I already own two paper copies, one in HB, one in PB.

Needs to be on Kindle.

A truly wonderful anthology - and memoir - of an era long gone
I can't say for certain anymore, but I believe that this massive 1974 anthology was one of my very first purchases from the Science Fiction Book Club, around 1977 or 1978; of all those early buys it is certainly the one I have returned to most often and it's left an indelible mark on my taste, contributing especially to a love of the pulp and earlier eras in genre fiction that has never left me.

Editor Isaac Asimov interweaves his own biographical details with warmth, much humor and even occasional pathos into a survey and history of American science fiction magazines from their beginnings in the late 1920s through his own first appearance as a science fiction writer a decade later, which marked the beginning of the "official" Golden Age of science fiction, but the end of his own personal one.The stories presented date from 1931-38; the editor only includes examples that he has personal memories of reading at the time, so certain better-known stories from the period are excluded (and generally available in other anthologies, anyway).He is often critical of the stories themselves - the racism and prejudice in particular, but also the often ludicrous science - but he's also willing to give his younger self, and his peers of the time, a little leeway, and not hold too closely to the more enlightened values of a half-century later.It's a book, then, with much worthwhile critical and historical analysis mixed in with the nearly always entertaining and often wonderful relics of a more innocent and adventurous era in the genre.

Here's a rundown of the stories - I'll * my own personal few favorites, though truthfully I like almost all of them and have re-read most more than once over the past 30+ years.The Meek and Tanner stories are I think the most creative, most "typical" of their era, and are probably my picks for the very best.

1931
"The Man Who Evolved" (Edmond Hamilton) ***
"The Jameson Satellite" (Neil R. Jones)
"Submicroscopic" (S.P. Meek) ***
"Awlo of Ulm" (S.P. Meek) ***
"Tetrahedra of Space" (P. Schuyler Miller) ***
"The World of the Red Sun" (Clifford D. Simak)

1932
"Tumithak of the Corridors" (Charles R. Tanner) ***
"The Moon Era" (Jack Williamson)

1933
"The Man Who Awoke" (Lawrence Manning) ***
"Tumithak in Shawm (Charles R. Tanner) ***

1934
"Colossus" (Donald R. Wandrei)
"Born of the Sun" (Jack Williamson)
"Sidewise in Time" (Murray Leinster) ***
"Old Faithful" (Raymond Z. Gallun)

1935
"The Parasite Planet" (Stanley G. Weinbaum) ***
"Proxima Centauri" (Murray Leinster)
"The Accursed Galaxy" (Edmond Hamilton)

1936
"He Who Shrank" (Henry Hasse) ***
"The Human Pets of Mars" (Leslie Frances Stone)
"The Brain Stealers of Mars" (John W. Campbell Jr)
"Devolution" (Edmond Hamilton)
(1941) "Big Game" (Isaac Asimov)

1937
"Other Eyes Watching (John W. Campbell Jr)
"Minus Planet" (John D. Clark)
"Past, Present and Future" (Nat Schachner)

1938
"The Men in the Mirror" (Ross Rocklynne) ***

He Who Shrank
To me the key piece is the 1930's novella "He Who Shrank" by Henry Hasse. To my knowledge this Fawcett paperback is the only place to obtain it. A scientist's apprentice absorbs a serum and grows smaller, ever smaller - the story really begins where 1956's "The Incredible Shrinking Man" ends as the apprentice falls into the fabric of the world. It's adventure, introspective and ultimately self-reflective in a way that's very rare for its time. It knocked off Asimov's socks when he read it, and mine too, 50 years later.

Isaac Asimov chose and edited this stellar collection. I enjoy his often-autobiographical general introduction and his separate short intros to each of the stories. Many of the pieces here find some way of taking the reader's mind and spinning it - a pretty good accomplishment for pre-war pulp.

These stories were lightning bolts to Asimov. Robert Silverberg, writing in Science Fiction 101 talks of the overwhelming impact of grand, mind expanding science fiction, of "a distinct excitement, a certain metabolic quickness at the mere thought of handling them, let alone reading them... you lurch and stagger, awed and shaken into a bewildering new world of images and ideas, which is exactly the place you've been hoping to find all your life."The stories in this anthology and its two sisters provided that electricity to Asimov. They still stand tall and will give you a kick too.

Pulp Science Fiction At It's Best
There has never been a book more worthwhile to read then this anthology edited by Isaac Asimov. While the writers betray the bigotries of their time, if you can over look these you'll find gems of literature that you'll not see again unless the publishers decide to re-release this wonderful anthology (with original jacket art, please). Until then, keep your eye out for this wonderful anthology. When you find one, pick it up before someone else does. You won't regret it. ... Read more

Product Description
CONTENTS:

NOVELETTE:
The Titan [P. Schuyler Miller]

SHORT STORIES:
And a Tooth [Rosel George Brown]
Behind the Door [Jack Sharkey]
Continuity [Albert Teichner]
A Devil of a Day [Arthur Porges]
The Mynah Matter [Larry Eisenberg]
Victim of the Year [Robert F. Young]
Horseman! [Roger Zelazny]
Sword of Flowers [Laurence M. Janifer (as Larry M. Harris)] ... Read more