The Great SF Stories #23 (1961) features one of my favorite Jack Vance stories: “The Moon Moth.” And, this is a particularly apt story to reread during the coronavirus pandemic because the action takes place on a planet where everyone wears masks. An assassin lands on the planet and must be found. The mystery, and its solution, are clever and unique. “The Moon Moth” is a brilliant story!
Another of my favorite SF mystery stories, “Hiding Place” by Poul Anderson, shows up here. Nicholas van Rijn has to identify hidden aliens among a menagerieĀ of strange life-forms.
Other excellent stories in this volume include Brian W. Aldiss’ haunting “Hothouse.” Ann McCaffrey’s “The Ship Who Sang” launched a series of novels. Cordwainer Smith (aka, Paul M. A. Linebarger) never wrote a more disturbing story than “A Planet Named Shayol” which explores the frontiers of punishment.
Analog (once Astounding Science Fiction) and Galaxy dominate the selections in this anthology.
The Great SF Stories #23 (1961) is another top-notch volume! GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
INTRODUCTION by Martin H. Greenberg 9
- “The Highest Treason” by Randall Garrett (ANALOG, January 1961) 13
- “Hothouse” by Brian W. Aldiss (THE MAGAZINE OF FANTASY & SF, February 1961) 75
- “Hiding Place” by Poul Anderson (ANALOG, March 1961) 112
- “What is This Thing Called Love?” by Isaac Asimov (AMAZING, March 196) 154
- “A Prize for Edie” by J. F. Bone (ANALOG, April 1961) 168
- “The Ship Who Sang” by Anne McCaffrey ( THE MAGAZINE OF FANTASY & SF, April 1961) 174
- “Death and the Senator” by Arthur C. Clarke (ANALOG, May 1961) 195
- “The Quaker Cannon” by Frederik Pohl and Cyril M. Kornbluth (ANALOG, August 1961) 217
- “The Moon Moth” by Jack Vance (GALAXY, August 1961) 243
- “A Planet Named Shayol” by Cordwainer Smith (GALAXY, October 1961) 281
- “Rainbird” by R. A. Lafferty (GALAXY, December 1961) 320
- “Wall of Crystal, Eye of Night” by Algis Budrys (GALAXY, December 1961) 333
- “Remember the Alamo!” by T. R. Fehrenbach (ANALOG, December 1961) 356
Just looking at the list of authors …
I really started reading Analog and F&SF when I went to university in 1962 and passed that magazine store every morning – fond memories!
Most of these earlier stories I first got as translations into German, not bad either. Usually the translators were fans and had invested lots of time.
The only problem I have – I can’t take the collection or those magazines out to read them – we’re still locked in Hungary and all my SF stuff is in Germany …
Wolf, I started reading SF magazines in the early 1960s like you did. And, I have fond memories of them, too!
Some of my favorite stories here. I too love The Moon Moth and A Planet Named Shayol. Hothouse is one of the novelettes making up the novel Hothouse( aka The Long Afternoon of Earth). This is my favorite Aldiss book. Also remember liking the Budrys (underrated short vstory writer of the 50’s and 80’s. Also a good Lafferty story. Not much of a fan of Anne McCaffrey. The rest I don’t remember. Over all a pretty good collection.
Steve, even though this was a good anthology, I get the sense that many SF writers were turning their focus to the growing paperback markets for Science Fiction.
Sadly, the paperback market was pretty cratered compared to what it was in the mid-late ’50s…Ballantine was paying a fraction of what they had been, Ace and to some extent Berkley and Pyramid had the only really active lines and none paid very well (Dell dabbled a bit, a few others likewise).
Todd, I have very fond memories of reading books from BALLANTINE, BERKLEY, PYRAMID, ACE, and DELL during those years.
Yes, no little good work still published, and reprinted. But the writers were not doing as well, unless they branched out or had day jobs…which is almost to be redundant, of course.
Hence such items as the WHO KILLED SCIENCE FICTION? survey report from ’60.
https://efanzines.com/EK/eI29/
Steve, you’re not going to be happy with my reading these days, then, as I’m going through the Pern books by McCaffrey. If I can get WordPress straightened out.
I don’t know how many of these collections are still to come, but this might well be the last one containing stories I read in their original magazine appearance. “The Moon Moth” is my favorite here, but I was a big fan of Jack Vance. Also loved Aldiss but probably read “Hothouse” as part of the later novel. In 1962 I was off to college and SF, at least as far as the magazines were concerned, was left behind until the early 70s.
Michael, may I ask why? No time?
For me the university years were when I read more than ever. Especially in the first years – mathematics seemed such an easy subject and some other students also had collections of books to have a look at. š
Wolf, I had time for reading, but much of that reading time was taken up with course requirements. And it’s not that I didn’t read any SF at all, but what SF I read tended to be in paperback instead of magazines. Living in a dorm room with a roommate, it’s difficult having 3-4 magazines coming in every month. Plus, it was around this time that discovered private eyes.
Michael, just two more volumes to go THE GREAT SF STORIES series. I’ll be sad to see this project end.
One of the strongest books in a very strong series. I’m somewhat sad that you are nearing the end of these anthologies, George. I’ve looked forward to your incisive thoughts and memories of these stories.
Jerry, I’ve enjoyed rereading THE GREATE SF STORIES series. And, I’m considering a new project after I post my last entry in this project.
This definitely seems one of the strongest collections in the series. Too bad you are almost done with them.
Jeff, I’ve found steady improvement in the SF stories in this series from volume to volume. The SF genre changed over the decades…for the better! Here’s the proof!
My comment disappeared. Drat. So, I really like almost all of these, especially the Anderson, Clarke, McCaffrey, Vance. I donāt remember that last one at all.
Rick, you and WORDPRESS aren’t getting along lately.
Blogspot is about to force an Improvement on its users, as well. We’ll see how awful. First reports not good.
Todd, the major changes to WORDPRESS caused a lot of headaches to users. Rick Robinson is still pissed off.