Although I’ve never been a fan of Algis Budrys’ Science Fiction, I do admire his critical acumen. Back in 2013 I bought and read Budrys’ Benchmarks and Benchmarks Continued (you can read my review here). Wonderful book reviews from Galaxy and The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. But Budrys wrote a lot more than just two books worth of SF criticism.

Beyond the Outposts collects longer essays that Budrys wrote in a variety of magazines and journals. This is clearly a labor of love to gather these wonder works between two covers. Just glance at the Table of Contents to assess the range of these essays. If you’re a Science Fiction fan, you’ll love what you’ll find here. I highly recommend Beyond the Outposts! GRADE: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Introduction: David Langford — 7

Introduction to Outposts: Algis Budrys — 9
Or Thwim –11
Two Novels of Science –17
About Something Truly Wonderful — 20
On Rogue Moon — 23
On Budrys’ Inferno — 27
“Most Scrutinized SF Writer” — 29
Comment on “Contact Between Equals” — 31
Foreword to “Twilight” (John W. Campbell) — 34
Foundation and Asimov — 36
On Writing: The Locus Columns — 41
On Being a Bit of a Legend –82
Science Fiction in the Marketplace — 87
Short Takes 1979-1981 — 94
Memoir – Galaxy Book Shelf — 105
Memoir – Spilled Milk — 109
Asimov’s Autobiography — 114
Two Sketches: Damon Knight and Robert Silverberg — 117
Paradise Charted — 121
Stephen King in the 1980s — 173
The Empire Talks Back — 179
Tom Reamy: A Rare & Masterful Fantasist — 188
Scanners Writhe in Pain — 195
Obstacles and Ironies in Science-Fiction Criticism — 199
The Ideas of Mary McCarthy — 209
What Did 1980 Mean? –212
Pulp! –223
1981 and Counting — 231
Gene Wolfe — 237
Introducing Lloyd Arthur Eshbach — 239
Non-Literary Influences on Science Fiction — 245
Bridges to Verity — 264
The Revenge of the Empire — 268
Clarifying Clarion — 284
Literatures of Milieux — 290
Reviewing Heinlein — 304
1984, Nineteen Eighty-Four, and Other SF Novels, Signs, and Portents — 308
Pop Lit: Reviews — 317
Memoir – “The Man Who Tasted Ashes” — 325
What Was 1985 That We Were Mindful of It? — 331
1986, Reduced from 2000 — 339
New World in the Morning — 344
Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy — 350
Introducing Theodore R. Cogswell and PITFCS — 359
Beyond Rayguns and Godzilla — 362

Some Notes –371
Acknowledgements — 373
Original Appearances — 374
Index — 377

Original Appearances

• “1981 and Counting” – Nebula Award Stories Seventeen (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, August 1983) edited by Joe Haldeman.
• “1984, Nineteen Eighty-Four, and Other SF Novels, Signs, and Portents” – The Science Fiction Yearbook (New York: Baen Books, September 1985) edited by Jim Baen, John F. Carr and Jerry Pournelle.
• “1986, Reduced from 2000” – Nebula Awards 22 (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, April 1988) edited by George Zebrowski.
• “About Something Truly Wonderful” – The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, November 1961, edited by Joseph W. Ferman.
• “Asimov’s Autobiography” – In Memory Yet Green from Des Moines IA Register, 25 March 1979*; In Joy Still Felt from Manhattan KS Mercury, 27 April 1980*.
• “Beyond Rayguns and Godzilla” – Outposts: Literatures of Milieux (San Bernardino, California: The Borgo Press; dated 1996, published 1997) by Algis Budrys.
• “Bridges to Verity” – Fantasy Review #64, January 1984, edited by Robert A. Collins.
• “Clarifying Clarion” – Asimov’s SF, June 1984, edited by Shawna McCarthy.
• “Comment on ‘Contact Between Equals’” – SF: Authors’ Choice 2 (New York: Berkley Medallion, 1970) edited by Harry Harrison.
• “The Empire Talks Back” – Asimov’s SF, November 1980, edited by George Scithers.
• “Foreword to ‘Twilight’ (John W. Campbell)” – The Mirror of Infinity: A Critic’s Anthology of Science Fiction (New York: Harper and Row, May 1970) edited by Robert Silverberg.
• “Foundation and Asimov” – as “The Reference Library: Foundation and Asimov” in Analog, July 1975, edited by Ben Bova.
• “Gene Wolfe” – World Fantasy 1983: Sixty Years of Weird Tales, October 1983, edited by Robert Weinberg (1983 World Fantasy Convention souvenir book).
• “The Ideas of Mary McCarthy” – as “Books” in Omni, October 1981, edited by Dick Teresi.
• “Introducing Lloyd Arthur Eshbach” – as “Introduction” in Over My Shoulder: Reflections on a Science Fiction Era by Lloyd Arthur Eshbach (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Oswald Train, October 1983).
• “Introducing Theodore R. Cogswell and PITFCS” – as “Introduction” in PITFCS: Proceedings of the Institute for Twenty-First Century Studies edited by Theodore R. Cogswell (Chicago, Illinois: Advent:Publishers, December 1992).
• “Introduction to Outposts” – as “Introduction” in Outposts: Literatures of Milieux (San Bernardino, California: The Borgo Press: dated 1996, published 1997) by Algis Budrys.
• “Literatures of Milieux” – Foundation: The Review of Science Fiction #31, July 1984, edited by David Pringle. A shorter version also appeared in The Missouri Review, Winter 1984, edited by Speer Morgan.
• “Memoir – Galaxy Book Shelf” – Galaxy: Thirty Years of Innovative Science Fiction (New York: Playboy Press, March 1980) edited by Frederik Pohl, Martin H. Greenberg and Joseph D. Olander; includes edited Galaxy Book Shelf from Galaxy, September 1969, edited by Ejler Jakobsson.
• “Memoir – Spilled Milk” – Galaxy: Thirty Years of Innovative Science Fiction (New York: Playboy Press, March 1980) edited by Frederik Pohl, Martin H. Greenberg and Joseph D. Olander.
• “Memoir – ‘The Man Who Tasted Ashes’” – Worlds of If: A Retrospective Anthology (New York: Bluejay Books, September 1986) edited by Frederik Pohl, Martin Harry Greenberg and Joseph D. Olander.
• “Most Scrutinized SF Writer” – contribution to “Heinlein: After 30 Years” symposium in Speculation #24, September/October 1969, edited by Peter Weston.
• “New World in the Morning” – Pulphouse: The Hardback Magazine, Winter (December) 1988, edited by Kristine Kathryn Rusch.
• “Non-Literary Influences on Science Fiction” – Polk City, Iowa: Chris Drumm chapbook, 1983. Original copyright notice: “This essay, appearing here for the first time in its complete form, is copyright © 1983 by Algis Budrys. All rights reserved. An earlier version, in edited form, appeared in Science Fiction Dialogues (Gary K. Wolfe, editor; Academy Chicago), copyright © 1982 by The Science Fiction Research Association.”
• “Obstacles and Ironies in Science-Fiction Criticism” – The Patchin Review #2, September 1981, edited by Charles Platt.
• “On Being a Bit of a Legend” – Science Fiction Review #24, February 1978, edited by Richard E. Geis.
• “On Budrys’ Inferno” – as “Introduction” to Budrys’ Inferno (New York: Berkley Medallion, July 1963) by Algis Budrys, reissued as The Furious Future (London: Panther Books, 1966). Bonus “Comment on ‘Walk to the World’” from First Flight: Maiden Voyages in Space and Time (New York: Lancer Books, August 1963) edited by Damon Knight.
• “On Rogue Moon” – as “Algis Budrys Replies” [to Gordon Dickson] in Proceedings of the Institute for Twenty-First Century Studies Special Series #141, November 1961, edited by Theodore R. Cogswell.
• “On Writing” columns – Locus #201, May 1977 [1]; #202, July 1977 [2]; #203, August 1977 [3]; #205, October 1977 [4]; #206, November 1977 [5]; #207, December 1977 [6]; #208, January/February 1978 [7]; #209, March 1978 [8]; #210, April 1978 [9]; #212, July 1978 [10]; #213, August 1978 [11]; #214, September 1978 [12]; #215, October 1978 [13]; #216, November 1978 [14]; #218, January 1979 [15]; #222, June 1979 [16]; and #223, July/August 1979 [17]. All edited by Charles N. Brown.
• “Or Thwim” – Inside #10, July 1955, edited by Ron Smith.
• “Paradise Charted” – TriQuarterly #49, Fall 1980, guest-edited by David G. Hartwell.
• “Pop Lit” – Chicago Sun-Times reviews, usually for the Pop Lit department: Angels of September, 15 January 1986; The Bourne Supremacy, 2 March 1986; Koko and The Silence of the Lambs, 21 August 1988; Wyvern, 9 October 1988; Red Army and The Negotiator, 30 April 1989; The Bourne Ultimatum, 4 March 1990.
• “Pulp!” – Science Fiction Review #45, Winter (November) 1982, edited by Richard E. Geis.
• “The Revenge of the Empire” – Amazing Stories, March 1984, edited by George Scithers.
• “Reviewing Heinlein” – from “Interview: Algis Budrys” by Mark Berry in Science Fiction Review #53, Winter (November) 1984, edited by Richard E. Geis.
• “Scanners Writhe in Pain” – Asimov’s SF, August 1981, edited by George Scithers.
• “Science Fiction in the Marketplace” – Nebula Winners Twelve (New York: Harper and Row, February 1978) edited by Gordon Dickson.
• “Short Takes 1979-1981” – “Stardance” as “Sci fi writers get out of closet” in Madison WI Capital Times, 3 May 1979*; “The Pleasure Tube” from “Science Fiction: A Way To Say Something New” in Cincinnati Enquirer, 27 May 1979*; “Soviet SF” as “SCIENCE FICTION: American ‘screenplays’ and Soviet ‘stage plays’” in San Francisco Examiner(California), 16 July 1979*; “James Blish” as “Late science-fiction writer now seen as top author” in Binghamton NY Press and Sun-Bulletin, 16 September 1979*; “Genre and Mainstream” from “Lessing bombs in sci-fi genre” in The Medicine Hat News (Alberta, Canada), 22 October 1979*; “Working with Students” from Focus on Writing, undated ?1979, edited by David A. Sohn for District 65 Evanston, IL, Elementary Schools; “SF in the 1970s” as “SF was changed by ’70s” in Colorado Springs Gazette, 19 January 1980*; “SF Detective Stories” from “Science Fiction Detective Stories” in Lincoln NE Journal and Star, 3 August 1980*; “The Number of the Beast” from “Science Fiction Offerings” in Huntsville AL Times, 7 September 1980*; “Dream Makers” from “It’s Great Time of Year To Buy Mystery Thrillers” in Huntsville AL Times, 14 December 1980*; “Expanded Universe” from “Some sci-fi to make you angry” in Butte MT Montana Standard, 5 May 1981*; “The Mind Reels” from the differently edited versions “Sci-fi novels make mind reel” in Colorado Springs Gazette, 26 September 1981*, and “New science fiction offerings filled with intrigue, adventure” in Madison WI Capital Times, 15 October 1981*; “The Human Zero” as “Sci fi by E.S. Gardner” in Lincoln NE Journal and Star, 10 October 1981*.
• “Stephen King in the 1980s” – reviews of Firestarter from Mobile AL Press-Register, 28 September 1980*; Different Seasons from Odessa TX American, 12 August 1982*; Christine from Vancouver BC (Canada) Sun, 15 April 1983; It from Chicago Sun-Times, 24 August 1986; Misery from Chicago Sun-Times, 21 June 1987.
• “Tom Reamy: A Rare & Masterful Fantasist” – Trumpet #12, Summer 1981, edited by Ken Keller.
• “Two Novels of Science” – Science-Fiction Five-Yearly #3, November/December 1961, edited by Lee Hoffman.
• “Two Sketches: Damon Knight and Robert Silverberg” – from “Damon Knight: Two Sketches” (the other being by Robert A.W. Lowndes) and “Robert Silverberg: Two Sketches” (the other being by Terry Carr) in the Noreascon Two Souvenir Book (Cambridge, Massachusetts, August 1980).
• “What Did 1980 Mean?” – Nebula Award Stories Sixteen (New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, August 1982) edited by Jerry Pournelle and John F. Carr.
• “What Was 1985 That We Were Mindful of It?” – Nebula Awards 21 (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, December 1986) edited by George Zebrowski.
• “Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy” – New Destinies #7, Spring 1989, edited by Jim Baen (with a 1988 copyright date given for this essay only); Eugene, Oregon: Pulphouse Publishing chapbook reissue, 1990.

* The starred items from various US and Canadian newspapers are all syndicated articles with original publication credits to the Chicago Sun-Times.