I’ve reviewed over a dozen Hank Davis anthologies and collections. You know you’re in good hands with Hank Davis whose ability to choose excellent stories and to provide insight into the author and the story is stellar!
At 463 pages, Time Troopers is one of Hank Davis’s longer anthologies. This happens because Davis includes two novellas: A. E. Van Vogt’s “Recruiting Station” (aka, Master of Time and Earth’s Last Fortress) and H. Beam Piper’s “Time Crime.” Both are about 100 pages long.
In addition to the long Van Vogt and Piper stories, Davis brings some classics like Robert A. Heinlein’s classic “All You Zombies…” I should have known this before, but Davis tells the story about Playboy reaching out to Heinlein to write a story for that magazine. Heinlein submitted “All You Zombies…” but the folks at Playboy didn’t know how to deal with it. So they returned it to Heinlein who sent it to The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. The rest is History!
Davis likes to surprise the readers with uncommon stories like Keith Laumer’s “The Long Remembered Thunder” and Paul Anderson’s “Delenda Est.” Edmond Hamilton wrote many time travel stories and novels, but “Comrades in Time” is one of his best. Fritz Leiber, like Leinster, wrote some excellent time travel stories. One of his best, “The Oldest Soldier,” shows how versatile a writer he was.
If you’re a fan of time travel stories, you need to check out Hank Davis’s Time Troopers. GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction: From Here to Eternity… and Back Again by Hank Davis — 3
“All You Zombies—” by Robert A. Heinlein (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, March 1959) — 17
“The Archaenaut” by Christopher Ruocchio (original to this volume) — 31
“The Long Remembered Thunder” by Keith Laumer (Worlds of Tomorrow, April 1963) — 55
“Delenda Est” by Poul Anderson (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, December 1955) — 91
“Evading History” by Hank Davis (original) — 133
“Recruiting Station” by A.E. Van Vogt (Astounding Science-Fiction, March 1942) — 139
“The Oldest Soldier” by Fritz Leiber (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, May 1960) — 221
“House of Bones” by Robert Silverberg (Terry’s Universe, 1988) — 239
“Free Time” by Sarah A. Hoyt & Robert A. Hoyt (original) — 261
“Choosers of the Slain” by John C. Wright (Clockwork Phoenix, 2008) — 281
“Against the Lafayette Escadrille” by Gene Wolfe (Again, Dangerous Visions, 1972) — 289
“Doctor Quiet” by Jacob Holo (original) — 293
“Remember the Alamo” by T.R. Fehrenbach (Analog Science Fact – Science Fiction, December 1961) — 313
“Comrades of Time” by Edmond Hamilton (Weird Tales, March 1939) — 325
“Time Crime” by H. Beam Piper (Astounding Science-Fiction, February and March 1955) — 359
About the Authors — 455
Have Hoyt (with husband or solo) or Wright written any first-rate fiction? Davis is at least getting anthologies out on the surviving racks…
One suspects that Hefner had the problem with the Heinlein. Not the former’s only problem, clearly.
Todd, Hank Davis has a great series of SF anthologies. In general, the major publishers don’t issue many anthologies unless they are of the YEAR’S BEST variety.
And a correction–Dan Hoyt (I gather he prefers not to be called Daniel) is Sarah Hoyt’s husband…Robert might well be one of their sons.
Todd, I suspect you’re right.
Time travel does interest me. Although not if there are too many other sf tropes.
Patti, in many of these Time Travel stories, the characters have to deal with a strange time and place. I enjoy stories like that.
A couple of less than stellar works from Baen Books regulars and a few creaky oldies like the Hamilton and Van Vogt mar an otherwise good collection. Hamilton not Leinster as you wrote is the author of Comrades of Time. All You Zombies is probably the best thing he ever wrote.
Steve, oops! Thanks for the correction! I’ll make the change.
Of course, Robert Silverberg has also done a lot of time travel stories, including a collection you reviewed. I have the new Hank Davis anthology coming to the library, but I should read this one too, as I always like time travel stories.
I thought this WAS the new Hank Davis anthology, it just came out.
No, you’re right. The one I am waiting for is a previous collection. This is the new one.
I got this about a week ago but have not had an opportunity to read it. As usual, George, you beat me to it. Now I can just reference your review. Good job.
Rick, thanks for the kind words. Despite its length, TIME TROOPERS was a fast read.
I do like time travel stories, long or short, but I already have a huge anthology that I have barely dipped into: The Time Traveler’s Almanac edited by Ann and Jeff Vandemere. Possibly some overlap? I should check.
Tracy, I think you’ll find very little overlap between TIME TROOPERS and THE TIME TRAVELER’S ALMANAC.
Rather differing tastes between the editors there…
Todd, I think the “differing tastes between the editors” led to the length of this anthology.
Looks like a keeper! I don’t think I’ve read any of those stories and I’m always glad to see a Hank Davis book! Another Dapa-Em alumni makes good! Of course, the reality is I’ll never get this volume, but it’s nice to dream!
Bob, perhaps you should add TIME TROOPERS to your Christmas List. Santa might just drop a copy on you!