Product Description
This reprints the Pyramid paperback original; previously printed in Britain by Corgi (1971). Collection of stories, including: Derm Fool (1940); The Haunt (1941); Artnan Process (1941); The World Well Lost (1953); The Pod and the Barrier (1957); How to Kill Aunty (1961). "The World Well Lost" is the first sympathetic portrait of homosexuality in modern SF literature. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Partly juvenile stories with no depth
It's a very dated collection of short stories:
Derm Fool
The Haunt
Artnan Process
The World Well Lost
The Pod and the Barrier
How to Kill Aunty

With the exception Artnan Process, The World Well Lost and The Pod and the Barrier, the stories are juvenile, perhaps the book might be aimed at that audience. They involve plots where the character tries to out think someone else, usually with the simple motive "because I can." There's no depth whatsoever to these juvenile short stories.

The one story out of all of them that stand out among the rest is The Pod and the Barrier. In this story, spacefarers confront a barrier erected by an alien civilization, but warms the humans not to cross into it. They try to outwit the barrier in numerous ways. However, the ending involves a "not so witty" solution-a let down for such a promising short story.

The World Well Lost has an interesting history. The first editor to receive the story (many years ago) thought the story so obscene or obsurd and called other editors to tell them to deny its printing. It's a shocking plot considering the era it was printed it.

Great light reading
I remember Harlan Ellison writing about his dead friends in Angry Candy and being particularly angry with an obituary writer that didn't know Theodore Sturgeon. After reading this book, I can see why. Sturgeon was one of those strange brilliant writers that managed to push the genre past the pure science/theoretical/rocket ship ghetto. His characters are slightly borsht belt (even lower east side) but his grasp of the human experience is excellent.

While many of these stories are the genre tropes - the weak man trying to kill his overbearing aunt, the space con artists against the slightly befuddled aliens, the haunted house - they manage to feel fresh under the expert hand of Sturgeon.

Granted, once the book is over you forget it, but it's wonderful light reading and deserves classic status much more than the current batch of "classics" from that era (no I didn't like Saul Bellow. I found Seize the Day (Penguin Classics) a plodding mess. And don't even get me started on Arthur Miller)

A pretty good book
This is a book with a collection of short stories that deal with issues of love, exploration and discovery, hate, appearances and the unknown plus many other areas and ideas... It is an interesting book that holds the reader as you often reflect on what is said.. I found it interesting and entertaining. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Scream along with me
This had some excellent short stoies in it. Including IT by Theodore Sturgeon, who is one of the all-time great Sci-fi/Horror writers. Algis Budrys MASTER OF THE HOUNDS was a great story, too. So was DEATH IN THE FAMILY by Mariam Allen deFord. If you are an Alfred Hitchock fan, you will definately like this book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Three by Sturgeon: Hurray! Hurray! Hurray!
This book, as the title indicates, is an omnibus of three novels by Theodore Stugeon: _The Dreaming Jewels_ (1950), _The Cosmic Rape_ (1958), and _Venus Plus X_ (1960). The first was originally published as a one-shot novella in _Fantastic Adventures_ in 1950, and the second is based on a novella from _Galaxy_ in 1958 called "To Marry Medusa". The third was a paperback original. None of them are quite in the same league as Sturgeon's masterpiece, _More Than Human_ (1955). But they are all excellent pieces, well worth your time and attention. The book has a small liability. The novels are all lifted from the original books, and the printing does not match from one novel to the next. For some reason best known to God, the inside cover blurb for the Pyramid edition of _Venus Plus X_ is also included.

Sturgeon was great with opening hooks. Here's the beginning of _The Synthetic Man_:

They caught the kid doing something disgusting out under the bleachers at the high-school stadium, and he was sent home from the grammar school across the street. He was eight years old then. He'd been doing it for years. (1)

I would not dream for a minute of spoiling what comes next for the reader. But I will say that it all leads to adventures in a carnival that is not your average carnival. I mentioned in another review that fantasy novels involving the circus and the carnival often don't turn out as well as you might expect. But Sturgeon delivers a near-perfect carnival fantasy.

_The Cosmic Rape_ is another one of Sturgeon's explorations into Gestalt psychology with the theme of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. An alien with a hive mind finds a rather ingenious way to invade the Earth. But its plan goes askew, and the Medusa is ultimately outmanuvered by humanity. The novel features a character who is arguably one of the most obnoxious drunks in all of science fiction.

_Venus Plus X_ is a utopian science fiction novel exploring gender roles that was written before such novels were back in vogue. It has a plotline that alternates between our world and a parallel world populated with some strange creatures called the Ledom (the name of Sturgeon's favorite pipe tobacco spelled backward). It is not a flawless performance, but it is a noble effort.

For each novel, I would give an enthusiastic four star rating. They are all excellent, though each one is very different from one another. This omnibus is highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
Ten stories of extraordinary young people, first printed in Analog (or Astounding, the magazine's original name). These include: Mimsy Were the Borogoves, by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore [as by Lewis Padgett] (Science Fiction Hall of Fame; filmed as The Last Mimzy); Mewhu's Jet, by Theodore Sturgeon; The Witches of Karres, by James H. Schmitz; Mikal's Songbird, by Orson Scott Card (nominated, 1978 Nebula Award, 1979 Hugo Award); In Hiding, by Wilmar H. Shiras; Weyr Search, by Anne McCaffrey (nominated, 1967 Nebula Award; winner, 1968 Hugo Award); Meeting of Minds, by Ted Reynolds; Novice, by James H. Schmitz; Child of All Ages, by P. J. Plauger (nominated, 1975 Nebula Award, 1976 Hugo Award); Emergence, by David R. Palmer (nominated, 1982 Hugo Award; winner, 1981 Analog Award). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A childhood favorite
The stories in this anthology are a brilliant collection that I went back to again and again as a child, and searched out as an adult.

Many of the stories can be found expanded into novel form elsewhere, but this really is the creme de la creme, and they all stand well on their own. Thought provoking and gripping reads, I've enjoyed this collection for decades. ... Read more

Product Description
Contains a selection of stories from the hardcover edition (Vanguard Press, 1954) including: Robbie (1940) by Isaac Asimov;Virtuoso (1953) by Herbert Goldstone; Boomerang (1953) by Eric Frank Russell; The Jester (1951) by William Tenn; Skirmish (1950) by Clifford D. Simak; Men Are Different (1954) by Alan Bloch; Letter to Ellen (1947) by Chan Davis; The Golden Egg (1941) by Theodore Sturgeon; Dead End (1952) by W. Macfarlane; Sam Hall (1953) by Poul Anderson; Dumb Waiter (1952) by Walter M. Miller Jr.; Problem for Emmy (1952) by Robert Sherman Townes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Robots and Androids and Computers, Oh My!
"Science-Fiction Thinking Machine" is one of Groff Conklin's theme based anthologies published originally in 1954.Once again Conklin does an excellent job of digging into the archives and looking in new areas to deliver twenty-two stories about robots, androids, and computers.Fifteen of the stories are from the 40s and 50s, with two of the works being published for the first time in this anthology.

Outside of the regular sources for science fiction, Conklin includes the play, "R. U. R." by Karel Capek (translated by Paul Selver), from which the term robot was originated, and he also has a teleplay from Fritz Leiber called "The Mechanical Bride".Conklin also digs up a classic story from Ambrose Bierce called "Moxon's Master", and a trio of very short stories from S. Fowler Wright, "Automata: I, Automata: II, and Automata: III".

A couple of these stories have been recognized through awards and fan polls."Robbie" by Isaac Asimov was tied for 37th on the 1999 Locus All-Time Poll for short stories, and "Sam Hall" by Poul Anderson was nominated for the 2004 Retro Hugo for novelettes written in 1953.There are also numerous stories here which deserve to be remembered, such as Herbert Goldstone's "Virtuoso", Alan Bloch's clever "Men are Different", Chan Davis' "Letter to Ellen", and Robert Sherman Townes' "Problem for Emmy".

The end result is this is another very strong anthology of science fiction, and one that you should grab if you get a chance.Groff Conklin has shown time and time again that he is a master of putting together anthologies of speculative fiction.
... Read more

Product Description
Abridged from the 1953 edition, containing 12 of the original 23 stories. Includes: Yesterday Was Monday (1941) by Theodore Sturgeon; Endowment Policy (1943) by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore [as by Lewis Padgett]; Other Tracks (1938) by William Sell; And It Comes Out Here (1951) by Lester del Rey; The Mist (1952) by Peter Grainger [as by Peter Cartur]; Ambition (1951) by William L. Bade; Tiger by the Tail (1951) by Alan E. Nourse; Business of Killing (1944) by Fritz Leiber; The Middle of the Week After Next (1952) by Murray Leinster; Night Meeting (1950) by Ray Bradbury; What If... (1952) by Isaac Asimov; The Flight That Failed (1942) by A. E. van Vogt and E. Mayne Hull [as by E. M. Hull]. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A Golden Way to Best Sci-fi from the Fifties!
Theodore Sturgeon (1918-1985) was a short stories master writer. Here we have a very representative collection, re-edited from older versions, still it is a pity that all of them are out of print; yet do not dismay all his stories has been recently published again!
Sturgeon's stories were always captivating, hooking the reader from the first sentence as occurs in "Hurricane Trio". This tale contains all the traits of Theodore's wit: the nucleus of the story is based on human emotions; the exotic component is just a small touch to enhance dramatic possibilities. The author cast a keen regard on human love and the classic trio shearing his thoughts with the reader and at the same time giving light to a gem.

One topic that obsessed sci-fi writers was an imminent atomic holocaust as is shown from different optics in "Unite and Conquer" and "Thunder and Roses".

"The Hurkel is a Happy Beast" is a comic piece portraying the always conflictive teacher-pupil relationship.
"Mewhu's Jet" and "Tiny and the Monster" are also written in comedy clue.

"Bulkhead" aka "Who?" is more in a classic juvenile sci-fi story style solved efficiently by Sturgeon.
Last but not least the story that gives name to the collection "Way Home" tells the story of a kid running away suddenly faced with different mirrors.

I wholeheartedly recommend this collection to sci-fi lovers and general public!
Reviewed by Max Yofre.

Binding Energies
The golden age of science fiction is more often remembered for its stereotypes - namely the predictable space operas with robots and rockets and dorky heroes. Theodore Sturgeon is also often remembered as a golden age sci-fi bard, but this collection of short stories from the mid-1940s to mid-1950s shows that he was considerably ahead of his time, and foreshadowed the social and interpersonal themes that would come to fruition in sci-fi several decades later. In ways that would not become fashionable in science fiction until at least the 1970s, Sturgeon explored human relationships as they were affected by scientific developments, and this was surely quite groundbreaking for its time. Here we see this human focus in two deceptively simple tales of nuclear paranoia, "Unite and Conquer" and "Thunder and Roses." Humans are unexpectedly affected by personal contact with aliens in "Special Aptitude," "Tiny and the Monster," and especially the wonderful "Mewhu's Jet;" while Sturgeon obliterates the trusty sci-fi archetype of the cooperative scientific space voyage in the chilling "Bulkhead." The most truly groundbreaking tale here is the classic "Hurricane Trio" in which a mysterious alien encounter adds just the right amount of kick to a very complex human drama. For historians of the most influential strains of classic science fiction, Sturgeon's work is essential, so track down this out-of-print collection or any other compendium of stories from the same time period. [~doomsdayer520~]

A Way to Best Sci-fi from the Fifties!
Theodore Sturgeon (1918-1985) was a master short story writer. Here we have a very representative collection, re-edited from older versions, still it is a pity that all of them are out of print; yet do not dismay all his stories has been recently published!
Sturgeon's stories were always captivating, hooking the reader from the first sentence as occurs in "Hurricane Trio". This tale contains all the traits of Theodore's wit: the nucleus of the story is based on human emotions; the exotic component is just a small touch to enhance dramatic possibilities. The author cast a keen regard on human love and the classic trio shearing his thoughts with the reader and at the same time giving light to a gem.

One topic that obsessed sci-fi writers was an imminent atomic holocaust as is shown from different optics in "Unite and Conquer" and "Thunder and Roses".

"The Hurkel is a Happy Beast" is a comic piece portraying the always conflictive teacher-pupil relationship.
"Mewhu's Jet" and "Tiny and the Monster" are also written in comedy clue.

"Bulkhead" aka "Who?" is more in a classic juvenile sci-fi story style solved efficiently by Sturgeon.
Last but not least the story that gives name to the collection "Way Home" tells the story of a kid running away suddenly faced with different mirrors.

I wholeheartedly recommend this collection to sci-fi lovers and general public!
Reviewed by Max Yofre. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Essential Reading
Find and buy a copy of this book, if you think of yourself as human: it is one of the few places to find a copy of "The Man Who Traveled in Elephants" AND "Our Lady's Juggler" - both essential reading, even if they're the only fantasy you ever read. The former tale is the story Heinlein was proudest of, and the latter is his choice as the best least-reprinted story - and no other English translation of Anatole France's little gem is worth the paper it's printed on. Find this book and buy a copy. The other stories in it are fine, but the last two are worth the price of admission all by themselves.

a bedtime story book for thinking people
A long time fan of spider's this is the book i turn to for that point in time when somrthing new is too much and callahan's too punny.

Not an anthology but a Unique Collection of favorite stories
BEST OF ALL POSSIBLE WORLDS (Ace Books, Science Fiction, 1980)by SpiderRobinson.

Here is why this book is so exceptional.

Spider Robinsonpicked his favorite short stories from each of his favorite authors - notthe most popular or the ones with the most awards, just the best accordingto him, the ones he really loved.

He then wrote an introduction for eachone of these stories, explaining, in his refreshing style, who the writeris, why he picked this particular story and how did the author reacted tohis choice.Yes - and that's how this book develops a parallel anthology - he also contacted each of the authors and asked each one of them to pickone of their favorite stories by someone else and write an introduction forit.

When asked to handle this project by Jim Baen, Ace's science fictioneditor, Spider Robinson recalls, in the foreword, how he "wasdrooling" at the idea and said "My favorite stories plus myfavorite writers' favorite stories ?Christ, that sounds like the best ofall possible worlds.""Yeah," (said Baen) "that's myworking title."

This book is a gem.It starts with Larry Niven's"Inconstant Moon" and follows with Niven's choice "Spud andCochise" by Oliver La Farge - an unforgettable "western thatblooms into fantasy, compelling awe, laughter and belief."

The nextone is "Need" by Theodore Sturgeon - my own favorite - andSturgeon then picked "Hop-Friend" by Terry Carr.Following that,we have The Duel Scene from William Goldman's "The PrincessBride" and Goldman picked Robert Sheckley's "SeventhVictim".The next one is Dean Ing's "Portions Of ThisProgram..." who then chose "They Bite" by Anthony Boucher.

Spider Robinson's last pick is an exquisitely touching story by RobertA. Heinlein (his introduction is a wonderful read in itself), "The ManWho Traveled in Elephants" which recreates magically a Fellini-likeatmosphere combined with the All American, mid century charm of Capra's"It's A Wonderful Life".Not only is this story surprisinglyunHeinlein but Heinlein's own pick is another surprise, a sweetly naive andreligious story by Anatole France "Our Lady's Juggler" very aptlytranslated by Spider Robinson himself (who was turned off by the twotranslations which were available at the time).

This anthology is notreally an anthology as we know it.Spider Robinson's world - past andpresent - is revealed throughout and we also get a glimpse into the worldsof his favorite writers as they candidly recall their reactions to theirfavorite stories.It is, in the best sense of the word, a Collection, onewhich touches the heart and caresses the mind.In that sense and so manyothers, it is Unique.

This truely is the Best of all Possible Worlds
This book is amazing in that every story in it is exceptional. During the 10 or so years that I have been collecting Spider, I have only seen one copy of this book. People who read this one tend to hold tightly to it and only loan it to close friends. One of the most amazing items about this book, is that all of the stories could have been written by Spider. This book holds gems that may not have seen the light of day for quite some time. Among these stories are the very best Heinlein and Sturgeon stories in print. All in all, I cannot recommend this collection highly enough.

Classic short stories that are hard to find anywhere else
The essence of this collection is that Spider Robinson picked his favorite short story, actually an excerpt from his favorite book (the swordfight on the Cliffs of Insanity from "The Princess Bride") and then contacted the author of that piece - William Goldman - and asked him what his favorite story was. Spider then contacted that author... and so on. The result is a unique collection of stories that provide insight into what affects these authors.

The book was published quite a few years back and I do not have a copy so I cannot list all the stories but I can say that no other collection has ever had the impact on me that this one did. If you ever wondered what Authors read and remember, find a copy and hang onto it - I've been trying to find a replacement copy for 12 years. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

La conquête par l'unification
Ce livre contient deux histoires. La première fut écrite en 1944 et la deuxième en 1958 et on y voit bien une progression dans le style et la qualité d'écriture de Théodore Sturgeon.
J'ai plus ou moins aimé la première histoire (Killdozer). Ça se passe toujours au même endroit avec un nombre de personnages illimités mais c'est dans la tradition même d'une nouvelle. Ondirait une histoire que Stephen King aurait écrite quoiqu'il a commencé à écrire bien après.
La deuxième histoire est bien meilleure et implique plus de personnages. Les chapitres peuvent sembler échevelés mais tout se tient à la fin. Une entité extraterrestre tente de conquérir l'humanité en la réunifiant plutôt que le stratagème habituel de la diviser. Je vous laisse découvrir le punch. ... Read more

Product Description
Sturgeon's classic novel tells the story of Charlie Johns, a man who wakes up in the odd technologically advanced society of Ledom. Social commentary on the sexes becoming more and more ambiguous which he extrapolates to the final conclusion, a place where people have no gender. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Humanity, compassion, optimism, make for good reading
This is a solid collection of short stories from one of the Grand Masters of science fiction and fantasy.While many of these stories are over 50 years old, they hold up well because of the fantasy elements (which tend not to age so quickly), and the human elements (which one likes to think are universal).Sturgeon is at his best when he's at his most economical; some of the longer stories ("Cargo" and "The Traveling Crag" in particular) dragged on longer than necessary.However apart from "Brat" (a light farce about a baby who knows too much), and "Two Percent Inspiration" (a send up of standard science fiction adventures), the rest of these stories succeed in tapping into basic human emotions and situations that make them still relevant today.Moreover, a strong streak of optimism runs through most of these stories, and even the most disastrous conflicts are not without silver linings.The power of self-esteem in "Won't You Walk...", the simple joys of being human in the light-hearted "Poker Face", the importance of community expressed in "The Touch of Your Hand", all point to an unchanging moral order that transcends the centuries.Other standouts include "Microcosmic God", which describes a conflict between an inventive creator and an unscrupulous profiteer, and "It", with its Gothic American setting and feel.But the best story is easily "Bright Segment", the only completely straight fiction in the collection, and the most gripping emotionally.A quiet, insignificant man who has never felt needed in his life finds himself caring for a horribly injured young woman whose very presence must be kept secret.Working in a small, almost claustrophobic setting with just two characters (one of whom has very few lines), Sturgeon drives home the lonesome protagonist's terror, courage, determination, and compassion to create a truly unforgettable effect.Even those readers who aren't fans of science fiction and fantasy may find this story worth looking up, but for those who are, "Bright Segment" is the capstone of a very satisfying collection. ... Read more

Product Description
Book Contents:What Dead Men Tell by Theodore SturgeonReferent by Ray BradburyBlind Man's Bluff by Malcolm JamesonPressure by Ross RocklynneThe XI Effect by Philip LathamOld Faithful by Raymond Z. Gallun ... Read more