This anthology collects many classic stories from Astounding and the retitled Analog SF magazines. It was published in 1980. All the major SF writers are here: John W. Campbell, Jr., L. Spraque de Camp, Robert A. Heinlein, A. E. Van Vogt, Fredric Brown, Theodore Sturgeon, and Isaac Asimov.
All of these writers wrote dozens of stories for Astounding/Analog so some of the choices of stories are debatable. But, if you’re a SF fan, you’ll recognize plenty of these titles from 1934 to 1979.
I read Astounding as a kid and loved the wonderful Kelly Freas covers. I occasionally read Analog but preferred Galaxy, If, and Worlds of Tomorrow while Fredrick Pohl was editor. Are you a fan of Astounding/Analog? How many of these stories do you recognize? GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
- 11 • Introduction (The Analog Anthology #1) • (1980) • essay by Stanley Schmidt
- 15 • Twilight • [Twilight • 1] • (1934) • novelette by John W. Campbell, Jr. [as by Don A. Stuart]
- 31 • The Lotus Eaters • [Ham Hammond] • (1935) • novelette by Stanley G. Weinbaum
- 54 • Fantastic Fiction • [Editorial (Astounding)] • (1938) • essay by John W. Campbell, Jr.
- 56 • Language for Time Travelers • (1938) • essay by L. Sprague de Camp
- 67 • QRM – Interplanetary • [Venus Equilateral] • (1942) • novelette by George O. Smith
- 95 • —And He Built a Crooked House? • (1967) • novelette by Robert A. Heinlein (variant of “—And He Built a Crooked House”? 1941)
- 111 • Far Centaurus • (1944) • short story by A. E. van Vogt
- 127 • Placet Is a Crazy Place • (1946) • short story by Fredric Brown
- 139 • The Chromium Helmet • (1946) • novelette by Theodore Sturgeon
- 178 • The Endochronic Properties of Resublimated Thiotimoline • [Thiotimoline • 1] • (1948) • short story by Isaac Asimov
- 184 • No Copying Allowed • [Editorial (Astounding)] • (1948) • essay by John W. Campbell, Jr.
- 187 • The Dead Past • (1956) • novelette by Isaac Asimov
- 223 • Ceramic Incident • (1956) • short story by Theodore L. Thomas
- 227 • The Dread Tomato Addiction • non-genre • (1958) • short story by Mark Clifton
- 229 • Transfusion • (1959) • novelette by Chad Oliver
- 261 • The Longest Voyage • (1960) • novelette by Poul Anderson
- 285 • Sleep No More • [Telzey Amberdon] • (1965) • short story by James H. Schmitz
- 299 • Computers Don’t Argue • (1965) • short story by Gordon R. Dickson
- 312 • Test in Orbit • [Kinsman] • (1965) • short story by Ben Bova
- 324 • The Prophet • (1972) • novelette by Stanley Schmidt
- 343 • The Asking of Questions • [Editorial (Analog)] • (1972) • essay by Poul Anderson
- 350 • Of Mist, and Grass, and Sand • [Snake] • (1973) • novelette by Vonda N. McIntyre
- 366 • Can These Bones Live? • (1979) • short story by Ted Reynolds
I read Amazing in the early seventies and picked up an occasional skiffy book! I was even a member of the SFBC for a while! Never enough, though, to call myself a TrueFan! I recognize just about all the writers but I have no memory for short story titles so I can’t say which ones I may have read, if any!
Bob, I’d bet you’ve read “Twilight” and “The Dead Past.” Plus, those stories have been anthologized many times.
I’ve read a few of these. No Ron Hubbard? (Smirk.) The ’70s seem as far away now as the ’40s. I liked those Kelly Freas covers too.
Fred, no Hubbard. And, no Jack Vance, who was my favorite Astounding writer.
Campbell managed to get a lot of great stories, even in the waning days of his editorship when ASTOUNDING/ANALOG was wobbling. The following editors (Bova, Schmidt) also did an above-decent job, but by them my interest was waning. I’ve read nothing from the current regime.
I do have a fondness for Clifton, Oliver, and Schmitz, as well as for the earlier “big name” authors.
Jerry, Clifton, Oliver, and Schmitz are all underrated SF writers. I share your fondness for their work.
Not that familiar, though certainly “Twilight” is one.
Jeff, I think editor Stanley Schmidt tried to choose popular writers and perhaps a few of their more obscure stories for this anthology.
When I discovered Astounding on my walk from the trainstation to university in 1962 I became a fan immediately. Up to that time I had only read translations into Gernan.
And then from the late 60s my regular shopping trips to London …
Visiting the markets and famous Forbidden Planet and “Fantasy Centre” Bookstores I managed to get almost complete collections of all magazines in the 60s and 70s.
There were so many authors I liked, would be difficult for me to rank them.
Wolf, for me the Golden Age of Science Fiction magazines was the 1950s and 1960s. Like you, I managed to collect a complete run of GALAXY (which now resides at the State University of New York at Buffalo in their Special Collections) and runs of If, Worlds of Tomorrow, Amazing, and Fantastic.
Good selection overall. I have read and enjoyed many of these!
Not read any.
i’m familiar with all the writers and most of the stories…Vance never wrote too much for ASTOUNDING nor ANALOG, George…all the other magazines were ready to take his work, though. Frederik Pohl, which the WP spell-checker hates (both his names).
I generally liked the Bova ANALOG, though the indulgence of Orson Scott Card’s “Hot Sleep” stories was a Big minus. Schmidt’s issues averaged worse, for me.