This 12th volume of The Great SF Stories series features many classics of Science Fiction: “Scanners Live In Vain,” by Cordwainer Smith, “The Little Black Bag”–one of C. M. Kornbluth’s greatest stories, “Enchanted Village”–a great story by Van Vogt, and maybe the story behind the favorite Twilight Zone episode of all time, “To Serve Man” by Damon Knight.
There are plenty of other excellent stories in Volume #12. I love Eric Frank Russell’s “Dear Devil.” I don’t know much about William Morrison, but his tale of an alien with all the answers, “The Sack,” is memorable. And Kornbluth’s dark “The Silly Season” will haunt anyone who reads it. Another top-notch anthology! GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
9 • 1950 Introduction (The Great SF Stories 12) • essay by Martin H. Greenberg
13 • Not with a Bang • (THE MAGAZINE OF FANTASY & SCIENCE FICTION, Winter 1950) • by Damon Knight
19 • Spectator Sport • (THRILLING WONDER STORIES, February 1950) • by John D. MacDonald
26 • There Will Come Soft Rains • [The Martian Chronicles] • (COLLIER’S, May 1950) • by Ray Bradbury
34 • Dear Devil • (OTHER WORLDS, May 1950) • by Eric Frank Russell
70 • Scanners Live in Vain • [The Instrumentality of Mankind] • (FANTASY BOOK, June 1950) • by Cordwainer Smith
105 • Born of Man and Woman • (THE MAGAZINE OF FANTASY & SCIENCE FICTION, Summer 1950) • by Richard Matheson
109 • The Little Black Bag • (ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION, July 1950) • by C. M. Kornbluth
138 • Enchanted Village • (OTHER WORLDS, July 1950) • by A. E. van Vogt
154 • Oddy and Id • (ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION, August 1950) • by Alfred Bester
170 • The Sack • (ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION, September 1950) • by William Morrison
190 • The Silly Season • (THE MAGAZINE OF FANTASY & SCIENCE FICTION, Fall 1950) • by C. M. Kornbluth
205 • Misbegotten Missionary • (GALAXY SCIENCE FICTION, November 1950) • by Isaac Asimov (variant of “Green Patches”)
221 • To Serve Man • (GALAXY SCIENCE FICTION, November 1950) • by Damon Knight
230 • Coming Attraction • (GALAXY SCIENCE FICTION, November 1950) • by Fritz Leiber
244 • A Subway Named Mobius • (ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION, December 1950) • by A. J. Deutsch
260 • Process • (THE MAGAZINE OF FANTASY & SCIENCE FICTION, December 1950) • by A. E. van Vogt
267 • The Mindworm • (WORLDS BEYOND, December 1950) • by C. M. Kornbluth
281 • The New Reality • (THRILLING WONDER STORIES, December 1950) • by Charles L. Harness
A lot of good stories here. I have read most of them in other collections over the years. The only author I don’t recognize is A.J. Deutsch. To Serve Man and The Little Black Bag would eventually become Twilight Zone and Night Gallery episodes.
Steve, you’re right about those classic stories becoming classic TV episodes.
What a great collection of great authors’ material!
Interesting that the stories are from all the big name magazines, equally distributed – no more monopoly for Astounding.
This makes me want to reread all this wonderful stuff (contained in my collection of course) – but not enough time …
Wolf, the 1950’s featured the most SF magazines in history. And ASTOUNDING was changing…for the worse.
I think this was the first one I read in this series. Good choice.
Jeff, there’s no choice involved. I’m just rereading THE GREAT SF STORIES series in order. Next up, #13.
I didn’t mean “choice” that way, just that it was a good collection.
Jeff, #12 might have the most “classic” stories in the series.
Solid selection of stories here. Re: “To Serve Man”, certainly not my favorite episode of Twilight Zone, but a good one.
Rick, “To Serve Man” continues to be one of favorite episodes of TZ fans.
Not my favorite episode or favorite Knight story (that would be Country of the Kind). To Serve Man is too much a gimmick story that doesn’t hold up to repeated viewings or readings.
Steve, I agree that “To Serve Man” is a gimmick story, but it faked me out when I first read it at age 11.
Looks like fun. Maybe my library has it.
Patti, I’ll bring you a good SF anthology at BOUCHERCON.
After a stretch of forgettable books, finally here’s one I can endorse! As an aside, I just learned, about a week ago, that Asimov died of AIDS from an infected blood transfusion!
Bob, you might remember that tennis player Arthur Ashe died the same way Isaac Asimov did: tainted blood.
Things take a turn for the better once we get to the 1950s. We’re now caught up together. It’s going to take me a while to finish #13 though. I’m reading the Bleiler/Dikty volume first.
Jim, I’m reading THE GREAT SF STORIES #13 now. My review will be posted to this blog in September. The quality of the stories get better and better in the 1950s.