I read James Blish’s “Surface Tension” sometime in the early 1960s and was blown away. This story of a crashed generational starship captured the essence of the Future. The crew, knowing humans in their present form could not survive on a planet of mostly puddles of water, create a version of humans–tiny and aquatic–who could live in a puddle of water. What an amazing concept decades before genetic engineering was invented! Murray Leinster’s “The Gadget Had a Ghost” is both a mystery and a mediation on Time Travel. Walter M. Miller, Jr.’s “Conditionally Human” explores the ramifications of a controlled birthrate policy where “enhanced” pets are genetically designed to take the place of children. “Firewater” is another of William Tenn’s unique takes on Aliens and business. And “Boyd Ellanby” shows what can happen in a totalitarian society when a scientist invents life-extension technology. I enjoyed all the novellas in this collection! GRADE: A-
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction, by Everett F. Bleiler & T. E. Dikty 9
“Firewater”, by William Tenn (Astounding Science Fiction, February 1952) 17
“Category Phoenix”, by Boyd Ellanby (Lyle C. Boyd & William C. Boyd) (Galaxy Science Fiction, May 1952) 81
“Surface Tension”, by James Blish (Galaxy Science Fiction, August 1952) 131
“The Gadget Had a Ghost”, by Murray Leinster (Thrilling Wonder Stories, June 1952) 181
“Conditionally Human”, by Walter M. Miller, Jr. (Galaxy Science Fiction, February 1952) 251
I know Surface Tension and Conditionally Human. Must have read Firewater but don’t remember it. Not familiar with the Leinster and never heard of Boyd Ellanby. Lot you are enjoying these. They look to be rather short books as compared to Dozois’s best of.
Steve, I’m with you on the Dozois’s doorstoppers. He seemed to take the “kitchen-sink” approach and included way too many marginal stories.
Lyle and Bill Boyd (as in Boyd, L&B) were a married couple who wrote sf together…and did pioneering work in biochemistry together in the ’30s. Bill Boyd was also at Boston U School of Medicine with Asimov; they collaborated on a pop-biology book together: RACES AND PEOPLE (probably not a favorite of William Shockley or Donald Trump).
I also read these novellas – Surface Tension was one of the first to appearin a German translation in “Goldmann’s blue SF paperbacks”.
Since I didn’t have the money to buy them I went every afternoon to the small bookstore that a relative of my mother managed and read between 50 and 100 pages – standing in the corner!
If I remember correctly Surface Tension was part of a series on “modified” or adapted humans written by Blish whom I really liked.
Wolf, I was blown away by “Surface Tension” when I first read it as a kid. What an incredible concept!
The Future just ain’t what it used to be.
Dan, I’m glad the SF writers of the 1950s were wrong about World War III and living in the rubble of a post-nuclear holocaust.
Well, they were hoping to ensure they would be wrong…the sane ones, anyway…
Though, not to take anything away from Blish or what he was able to do with “Surface Tension”, but microcosmic worlds featuring synthetic humans were pretty common coin…and some, such as Sturgeon’s “Microcosmic God”, were highly influential…the Blish fairly reasonably and the Sturgeon less so are their entries in the SFWA anthology THE SCIENCE FICTION HALL OF FAME V. 1, after all…
Todd, you’re right again! Sturgeon and his “Microcosmic God” got there first. But, I found Blish’s “Surface Tension” more compelling.
They should make “Surface Tension” into a CGI/animated movie. Wouldn’t that be far out? Have you read Hothouse by Brian Aldiss? It’s another story of little humans adapted to a very strange world.
Jim, making “Surface Tension” and HOTHOUSE into movies would be incredible! I read Brian Aldiss’s book back in the Sixties and found the world he created so bizarre! Loved it!