FRIDAY’S FORGOTTEN BOOKS #483: YEAR’S BEST SCIENCE FICTION NOVELS: 1954 Edited By Everett F. Bleiler & T. E. Dikty


Imagine a planet where crime is encouraged and honesty is discouraged. That’s the premise of Kendell Foster Crossen’s “Assignment in Aldebaran.” I’ve read some of Crossen’s mystery novels under his “Richard Foster”, “M. E. Chaber,” and “Christopher Monig” pseudonyms. I also enjoyed Frank M. Robinson’s “The Oceans Are Wide” with its generational space ship setting. “The Enormous Room” by H. L. Gold and Robert Krepps tells the story of what happens to a group of people on a roller coaster that suddenly disappears. The most famous story of this volume has to be Philip K. Dick’s “Second Variety” which concerns machines in warfare. Murray Leinster’s “The Sentimentalists” concerns tampering by advanced aliens in human affairs. Another delightful collection of early novellas! GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction, by Everett F. Bleiler & T. E. Dikty
“The Enormous Room”, by H. L. Gold & Robert Krepps (Amazing Stories, October-November 1953)
“Assignment in Aldebaran”, by Kendell Foster Crossen (Thrilling Wonder Stories, February 1953)
“The Oceans Are Wide”, by Frank M. Robinson (Science Stories, April 1954)
“The Sentimentalists”, by Murray Leinster (Galaxy Science Fiction, April 1953)
“Second Variety”, by Philip K. Dick (Space Science Fiction, May 1953)

12 thoughts on “FRIDAY’S FORGOTTEN BOOKS #483: YEAR’S BEST SCIENCE FICTION NOVELS: 1954 Edited By Everett F. Bleiler & T. E. Dikty

  1. Steve Oerkfitz

    The only one I’ve read here is Second Variety. I know who all the writers are except for Robert Krepps. I didn’t know Crossen was M.E. Chaber.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Steve, Crossen’s pseudonym “M. E. Chaber” is based on the Hebrew word “mechaber” meaning author. Crossen’s other psuedonyms are Richard Foster, Bennett Barlay, Kent Richards, Clay Richards, and Christopher Monig.

      Reply
  2. Jeff Meyerson

    A planet where crime is encouraged and honesty is discouraged? It’s Trumpworld!

    I’ve read a number of Crossen’s mysteries too. I’ve always meant to try his Green Lama stories. Sounds like another worthwhile collection.

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Jeff, I enjoyed Crossen’s novella and now I want to track down more of his science fiction. Of course, Art Scott has all those great M. E. Chaber paperbacks with Robert McGinnis covers.

      Reply
  3. wolf

    It’ll soon be all over the net’
    Harlan Ellison died Wednesday in his sleep at 84 years.
    https://www.snopes.com/ap/2018/06/29/harlan-ellison-science-fiction-master-dies-age-84/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter
    Here all of his books that I bought:
    1THE DEADLY STREETS (NO SF)
    1GENTLEMAN JUNKIE
    1LOVE AIN’T NOTHING BUT SEX MISSPELLED
    1THE MAN WITH NINE LIVES
    1MEMOS FROM PURGATORY
    1SPIDER KISS = ROCKABILLY (NO SF)
    1THE TIME OF THE EYE
    1WEB OF THE CITY = RUMBLE
    3A TOUCH OF INFINITY
    3APPROACHING OBLIVION
    3THE BEAST THAT SHOUTED LOVE AT THE HEART OF THE WORLD
    3DEATHBIRD STORIES
    3ELLISON WONDERLAND = DER SILBERNE KORRIDOR
    3I HAVE NO MOUTH AND I MUST SCREAM = DIE PUPPE MAGGIE MONEYEYES
    3THE ILLUSTRATED HARLAN ELLISON
    3NO DOORS, NO WINDOWS
    3OVER THE EDGE
    3PAINGOD AND OTHER DELUSIONS
    3PARTNERS IN WONDER
    3SHATTERDAY
    3STALKING THE NIGHTMARE (STORIES)
    3FROM THE LAND OF FEAR
    5AGAIN, DANGEROUS VISIONS 1
    5AGAIN, DANGEROUS VISIONS 2
    5DANGEROUS VISIONS 1
    5DANGEROUS VISIONS 2
    5DANGEROUS VISIONS 3
    5ALL THE SOUNDS OF FEAR
    7THE GLASS TEAT (ESSAYS ON TV)
    The last title was very inzteresting – his views on tv were’t positive!

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Wolf, I saw Harlan Ellison at the 31st World Science Fiction Convention, also known as Torcon II, held August 31 – September 3, 1973, at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto, Ontario. I was in an elevator with Harlan Ellison and Isaac Asimov, but I was too shy to speak to them. Ellison was a polarizing writer. Some readers loved his work, others hated it.

      Reply
      1. wolf

        I never met him – didn’t go to conventions in the USA (couldn’t afford it…) but I heard from people in London that he was very “difficult” sometimes.

        Back to 1954:
        I only read those stories much later but some of them really gripped me!
        Today most of them look dated, actually that was the case in the 80s already – all those scenarios of the cold war turning into a nuclear apocalypse …

  4. Todd Mason

    I think the jacket artist was at a loss. “Oh, well, an actress’s headshot’ll do.”

    An interesting spread across the magazines…not JWC idolators, by any means…

    Reply
    1. george Post author

      Todd, if you check out the cover artwork on these Bleiler/Dikty volumes, you’ll see a lot of headshots of women. Seems to be a style back then.

      Reply
  5. Rick Robinson

    Perhaps not as good as the short story anthologies in the Best of “Year” series, but still some strong works. I think I like the Dick the best.

    I wish the image was a bit larger so I could read the text on the inside cover.

    Reply
      1. Rick Robinson

        Thanks, George, though not much better. Interesting ‘site though.

        Pretty hot there? It’s gorgeous here, 72, light breeze, sunny. Our window cleaner guy is here; when he’s finished I’ll sit out on the deck with a book I just picked up at the library.

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