Magazine: Infinity Science Fiction
First Publication: 1956
Cover Artist: Ed Emsh
Challenge:
42 Challenge 2015
First Line: Niccolo Mazetti lay stomach down on the rug, chin buried in the palm of one small hand, and listened to the Bard disconsolately.
Niccolo Mazetti has an old fashioned bard that he is ashamed of. Old models tell variations of fairy tales and only have audio capabilities. The new models incorporate video and use modern storytelling. His friend is considered a higher intelligence and offers to do an upgrade on Niccolo's bard. But the bard might be more than it appears to be.
"Someday" appears to reflect Asimov's thoughts concerning video media such as movies and television. Radio might be more advanced than it is given credit. Storytelling combined with your own imagination can make a story more spectacular than what is shown on a screen. The combination of the twist at the end, the story taking place in basically one room, and a small cast would have made this a good candidate for a "Twilight Zone" episode.
I highly recommend this story. A great short tale by the "Good Doctor".
Side note: Due to one small reference, this story is part of the Multivac universe where Asimov placed a lot of stories. They dealt with a super computer that helped to run the world.
Other notable authors in this issue were Harlan Ellison, Damon Knight, Randall Garrett, and Robert Silverberg. Ellison's story was part of his "Earth-Kyba War" series.
First Publication: 1968
Cover Artist: Paul Lehr
Challenges:
Deal Me In Short Story Challenge
42 Challenge 2015
The 2015 Sci-Fi Experience
Vintage Sci-Fi Challenge
First Line: "So it was there, eight months later, that Rudy found her; in that huge and ugly house off Western Avenue n Los Angeles; living with them, all of them; not just Jonah, but all of them."
"Shattered Like a Glass Goblin", on the surface, is about a man named Rudy who gets out of the army on a medical discharge. He goes in search of the woman he is to marry. Meanwhile, Kris has moved to a house filled with drugged out people. Kris will not leave so Rudy joins the group. The rest of the story graphically describes Rudy's descent. Are the people strung out on drugs...or are they something else?
First Publication: Nebula Science Fiction, February 1954
Cover Artist: Bob Clothier
Second Publication: Super Science Fiction, October 1958
Cover Artist: Emsh
Challenges:
Deal Me In Short Story Challenge
42 Challenge 2015
The 2015 Sci-Fi Experience
Vintage Sci-Fi Challenge
First Line: "Our troubles started the moment the stiffened corpse of Flaherty was found, standing frozen in a field half a kilometer from the ship."
"Gorgon Planet" was a typical story of the early 1950s. An exploratory mission to another world brings about the mysterious death of one of the crewmen. The rest of the crew has to solve the mystery.
Would I recommend this story to other readers? Without a doubt. Why? Because it holds a place in the history of the field. "Gorgon Planet" was the first science fiction story by Robert Silverberg to be published. As such, it holds an honored position in the history of the field.
The history of the story is interesting. It was first accepted in 1953 by Harry Harrison (of the "Stainless Steel Rat" fame) for one of two magazines he was editing. Both magazines ("Rocket Stories" and "Space Science Fiction") went out of business before Silverberg's story could be published. Fortunately, a Scottish science fiction magazine edited by Peter Hamilton accepted it. So Silverberg's first appearance in a science fiction magazine was delayed until the February 1954 edition of "Nebula Science Fiction". In 1958 it was reprinted in the October 1958 issue of "Super Science Fiction". The editor changed the title to "The Fight with the Gorgon". In addition to it was another Silverberg story, a short story by A. Bertram Chandler, and the issue closed out with one by Harlan Ellison.
Little did the editors know at that time that Robert Silverberg would become one of the top writers in the field. Thankfully they recognized his talent and helped to launch a long career.
Like many fans, I am torn over which “best science fiction of the year” collection(s) to read. I find myself enjoying short stories more than the door-stopper novels. That doesn’t mean the long novels are not good it just means that I prefer reading many different stories in the short fiction (novellas, novelettes, short stories) to reading one long novel. There are exceptions. “Dune” is one of my favorites and I have read it many times. But if you look at the novels I mainly read, they are the length I enjoyed reading in the 70s and 80s when I was getting into science fiction. Look at the length of the typical works of Isaac Asimov, Roger Zelazny, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Michael Moorcock, Jack Vance, E. C. Tubb, and others of that generation. Even many of Frank Herbert’s novels are not 600 to 1000 pages long. Take a look at the majority of the novels I am reviewing. Most are older ones. Does this mean I don’t want to read newer authors? No. I plan on reading books by Alastair Reynolds, Iain M. Banks, Peter F. Hamilton, Robert Sawyer, Eric Brown and others this year. In the words of Peter David, “But I Digress…”.
Cover by Jack Gaughan
Getting back to the subject of “best of the year” collections, my favorite in the early days were the ones edited by Donald A. Wollheim and Terry Carr. I plan on starting to re-read them with the first one this year. Last year I took a good look at the current series. I chose to buy two (the Gardner Dozois collection and the David Hartwell & Kathryn Cramer one). From what I have read on other sites, the Dozois is generally considered the top series since it started. Each year he includes a fascinating overview of the field. So why did I pick up the Hartwell & Cramer book? A friend of mine loved this series because it is more focused on traditional science fiction. When I compared the two, there is very little overlap. Part of my plan is to go back, read and review all of the Hartwell & Cramer collections. It will take some time because last year’s edition is the seventeenth. By reading these, it will give me a chance to read many of the newer authors I have not read or have read very little of. Which leads me to the first story in last year’s collection…