Classic Anthologies and Collections of Bests.

[pogopossum]

One can figure out which year is which by using a combination of volume number and copyright dates.
I did not come up with this source. My old font of wisdom, the Contento Index, does not seem to be available online any more.
Thank you Extollager. I thought that this would be a challenge for adepts.
Now if we can figure out what was not published in the Last Dangerous Visions - -

 

[johnnyjet]

I like to use the Internet Speculative Fiction Database, ISFDB: The Internet Speculative Fiction Database

This is the link to Judith Merril's entry: Summary Bibliography: Judith Merril

 

[pogopossum]

Thanks JJ. Extolleger's, in this case, seems a mite more user friendly with it's one fewer steps to access the actual book contents. Chacun a son - - -
VERY nice to see that you share my enthusiasm for Merril. Sadly she gave up most of her participation in American publishing, moving to Canada in protest of the Vietnam War. She seems to have only returned for demonstrations. I dropped out of school to work against the war for similar reasons.

Next up?

There are many collections mentioned in Extolloger's various threads. Instead of going there (feel free to do so everyone.) I thought that I would mention one of the many "Bests" series. This one started shortly before the last volume of Merril's and since the initiator was a friend or long term acquaintance, I suspect that was not a coincidence. I noticed this when I was pulling my Merrils off the shelf.
Donald Wollheim was a seminal presence in Science Fiction. He was the moving presence in the founding of the Futurians and one of the first to establish a presence in mainstream book publishing, first at ACE and then by founding DAW books.
Quoting from Wikipedia, "
"Robert Silverberg said that Wollheim was "one of the most significant figures in 20th century American science fiction publishing," adding, "A plausible case could be made that he was the most significant figure—responsible in large measure for the development of the science fiction paperback, the science fiction anthology, and the whole post-Tolkien boom in fantasy fiction." - "Wollheim also helped develop Marion Zimmer Bradley, Robert Silverberg, Avram Davidson, Fritz Leiber, Andre Norton, Thomas Burnett Swann, Jack Vance, and Roger Zelazny,"
He convinced the owner of ACE to go into SF. For 20 years he oversaw their SF publication including the invention of the Ace doubles. I could go on about his hugely influential career, but the Wikipedia HERE does an excellent job. Relevant to this discussion, he started a 7 year best of series for ACE, co-edited by Terry Carr, with World's Best Science Fiction 1965. HERE is a link to the volumes and the stories.
He continued that series after leaving ACE to start his own publishing house, with 19 years of the Annual worlds Best SF (1972-1990)
Here is a link to those volumes and their contents.
It is not easy to get chatty about the contents. I still pull one or another of the volumes off the shelf when the mood strikes, Unfortunately I usually read a familiar author, missing the many who are less familiar. But the wealth of stories is staggering.
Hardly any commentary about the state of SF in the volumes. I had to look at several to find any, Did not notice much that diverged from the standard magazines, with the addition of a few from men's skin mags that published a bit of SF.
But the stories!

 

[Extollager]

I'll always have a warm regard for Wollheim as the author of one of the Winston juveniles, Secret of the Ninth Planet. That was what I wanted in sf as a boy. It begins with father and son in the Andes, noticing a curious dimming of the sun's brilliance. They discover a sun-tap installation left by unknown aliens who are beaming solar radiation to the most distant reaches of the system. At about age 12, I just loved this. I don't know what the first sf novel I ever read was, but this, and Wells's War of the Worlds, and a couple of juveniles by Roert Silverberg ... were important indeed.

Schomburg's endpaper design for the Winstons was it, was what I craved.

My copy of Ninth Planet, which is a first edition so far as I can tell, has plain white endpapers.

 

[Extollager]

Does anyone want to recommend anthologies of material from, say, the 1940-early 1960s, that do not favor humorous/satirical stories, weren't edited by Conklin (I have a lot of those already), that are not "Galactic Empire"-type collections (no offense meant to anyone who likes those -- I just don't tend to love the grandiose tales with multi-species alliances)? I like stories with a degree of eeriness (not horror so much) though that's not essential. I've enjoyed stories by Simak, Dick, Bradbury, MacLean, Budrys, Knight, van Vogt, Miller, &c. I'm not going to worry about listing anthologies I already have because even if I do, someone else who might be interested in my description might not... also because I'm lazy...

 

[hitmouse]

Does anyone want to recommend anthologies of material from, say, the 1940-early 1960s, that do not favor humorous/satirical stories, weren't edited by Conklin (I have a lot of those already), that are not "Galactic Empire"-type collections (no offense meant to anyone who likes those -- I just don't tend to love the grandiose tales with multi-species alliances)? I like stories with a degree of eeriness (not horror so much) though that's not essential. I've enjoyed stories by Simak, Dick, Bradbury, MacLean, Budrys, Knight, van Vogt, Miller, &c. I'm not going to worry about listing anthologies I already have because even if I do, someone else who might be interested in my description might not... also because I'm lazy...

It might pay to look at the 1960s anthologies edited by Brian Aldiss ( apart from Galactic Empires), Harry Harrison, and possibly Michael Moorcock, for something a bit different. I have several by each, but have not looked at them for years, and certainly not systematically. Likewise Robert Silverberg-edited anthologies. He started doing these in the 1960s, though he seemed to hit his stride in the 1970s.

 

[Extollager]

Thanks!

 

[hitmouse]

An article on the history of SF anthologies taken from The Visual Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (1977)

 

[pogopossum]

Does anyone want to recommend anthologies of material from, say, the 1940-early 1960s, that do not favor humorous/satirical stories, weren't edited by Conklin (I have a lot of those already), that are not "Galactic Empire"-type collections (no offense meant to anyone who likes those -- I just don't tend to love the grandiose tales with multi-species alliances)? I like stories with a degree of eeriness (not horror so much) though that's not essential. I've enjoyed stories by Simak, Dick, Bradbury, MacLean, Budrys, Knight, van Vogt, Miller, &c. I'm not going to worry about listing anthologies I already have because even if I do, someone else who might be interested in my description might not... also because I'm lazy...

Boy. Where to start.
The most obvious anthology would be The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Vols 1, Two A, and Two B. Voted by the Science Fiction Writers of America, ed by Silverberg (Vol. 1) (short stories) and Ben Bova (vols 2A & B) (novellas) Although they are all time greats, a quick browse of the copyrights pages had all but six of the stories within your 40s-60s parameters.The selection vote was for stories from before 1966, the start of the Nebula annual series.
The problem with the collections is that the stories are TOO well known (and you probably have the books anyway)
HERE is the wikipedia for vol 1 with the stories. And HERE is the link for IIA & IIB.

Personally I have enjoyed collections specific to various magazines. When a grabbed a few from the shelf I realized that I hadn't looked at them in decades. So I have to admit that my recommendations are based on somewhat distant memories.
Unknown Worlds: Tales from Beyond. ed by Stanley Schmidt and Martin Greenburg The stories are from the 1939- 1943s.
Not surprisingly the list of authors looks like the same old same old. A lot of the stories will be familiar. Here's the LINK.
Galaxy: Thirty Years of Innovative Science Fiction. eds. Pohl, Greenberg & Olander. 7 of the stories are post 60s. Here's the LINK.
Prologue to Analog. ed. by Campbell. Stories from 1953-61. Glancing at the contents page I do remember it as being not quite as much fun as the others. But it has an intro by Campbell and is illustrative of that editors very influential style. LINK
The Best From Fantasy and Science Fiction. A Special 25th Anniversary Anthology. ed. by Ed Ferman. I am pushing it with this one, as two of the six stories are from the 70s. But it is a marvelous book. Each of the six stories is followed by an appreciation of the author's work and then by a bibliography.Judith Merril writes about Theodore Sturgeon and Fritz Leiber. William Nolan about Ray Bradbury.L. Sprague De Camp about Isaac Asimov. Gordon Dickson about Poul Anderson. Robert Lowndes about James Blish.
The bibs seem complete, through the 60s, each taking about five pages (except Asimov which includes non-fic. His takes eight)
Here's the LINK.
The Unknown Worlds is the only one that really gets into the 40s. For more you have to go to the Asimov Greats series mentioned at the start of the thread or Blieler/Dikty. or other collections. I own few, any more.
Suggestions?

 

[hitmouse]

Has anyone read Adventures in Time and Space (1946) eds Healy & McComas?
Just bagged a cheap copy from eBay.
The contents look good and it sounds like an important early anthology.

 

[pogopossum]

hitmouse.
Look at the first post on this thread. It's also referred to a couple of times in posts. I expected to go on more about it, but the thread has gone elsewhere. Adventures - - - is THE classic SF collection. Enjoy.

 

[Extollager]

An article on the history of SF anthologies taken from The Visual Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (1977)
View attachment 99582View attachment 99583View attachment 99584View attachment 99585

I formerly had a worn used copy of Star Science Fiction No. 1. I wonder what happened to that.

 

[Extollager]

hitmouse.
Look at the first post on this thread. It's also referred to a couple of times in posts. I expected to go on more about it, but the thread has gone elsewhere. Adventures - - - is THE classic SF collection. Enjoy.

No, do feel free to "go on" about it.

That's one I do have.

 

[hitmouse]

hitmouse.
Look at the first post on this thread. It's also referred to a couple of times in posts. I expected to go on more about it, but the thread has gone elsewhere. Adventures - - - is THE classic SF collection. Enjoy.

Apologies. I looked back through the thread before I posted and still managed to miss your reference.

 

[pogopossum]

Above I provided an incorrect link to Wollheim's 25 year best series for DAW. Hopefully THIS one will work.
Similarly the link to Unknown Worlds seems to be faulty. Hopefully THIS will work.

 

[BAYLOR]

Above I provided an incorrect link to Wollheim's 25 year best series for DAW. Hopefully THIS one will work.

I have in my had a Ballantine paperback book edition of The Theodore Sturgeon's Anthology Not Without Sorcery .

 

[pogopossum]

Lovely. I owned a couple of Sturgeon anthologies in the past. I see that yours is a reprint of his first. Without Sorcery, from 1948.

I remember some of the stories. Anything particularly strike you?

 

[BAYLOR]

Lovely. I owned a couple of Sturgeon anthologies in the past. I see that yours is a reprint of his first. Without Sorcery, from 1948.

I remember some of the stories. Anything particularly strike you?

It contains som of history best series. A wonderful writer, one of the best ever.

 

[pogopossum]

For those interested, here's the list of stories :

• Introduction, by Ray Bradbury
• "The Ultimate Egoist"
• "It!"
• "Poker Face"
• "Shottle Bop"
• "Artnan Process"
• "Memorial"
• "Ether Breather"
• "Butyl and the Breather"
• "Brat"
• "Two Percent Inspiration"
• "Cargo"
• "Maturity"
• "Microcosmic God
• 
  
• They seem to have dropped four of the stories (?) in Baylor's ed.

 

[Extollager]

So Sturgeon gets enrolled with Simak and Asimov in that he wrote a lot of short stories that were published with very unenticing titles. Of course I'm older now, but I still remember being about 55 years younger and looking into anthologies at the library that had the rocketship SF sticker on them, but titles in the table of contents that did nothing to attract me. I've written about this elsewhere here at Chrons. I understand that editors wanted to suggest that SF was not all about Metal Scorpions of Jupiter and so on. But I feel sorry for that kid and probably thousands of others who had almost nothing to go by, as they looked into SF for grownups for the first time, and saw books with extremely abstract covers and story titles that gave nothing away. Only two or three of the titles listed above might intrigue a youngster looking for SFnal excitement.