The Golden Age of Science Fiction (anthology)
Encyclopedia
The Golden Age of Science Fiction is an anthology of science fiction
short stories
all originally published between 1949 and 1962. The stories were selected and introduced by Kingsley Amis
, who also wrote an Editor's Note and a 21-page Introduction. The collection was first published by Hutchinson
in 1981 and was released in paperback by Penguin
in 1983.
The book includes the following stories:
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
short stories
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
all originally published between 1949 and 1962. The stories were selected and introduced by Kingsley Amis
Kingsley Amis
Sir Kingsley William Amis, CBE was an English novelist, poet, critic, and teacher. He wrote more than 20 novels, six volumes of poetry, a memoir, various short stories, radio and television scripts, along with works of social and literary criticism...
, who also wrote an Editor's Note and a 21-page Introduction. The collection was first published by Hutchinson
Hutchinson (publisher)
Hutchinson & Co. was an English book publisher, founded in 1887. The company merged with Century Publishing in 1985 to form Century Hutchinson, and was folded into the British Random House Group in 1989, where it remains as an imprint in the Cornerstone Publishing division...
in 1981 and was released in paperback by Penguin
Penguin
Penguins are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere, especially in Antarctica. Highly adapted for life in the water, penguins have countershaded dark and white plumage, and their wings have become flippers...
in 1983.
The book includes the following stories:
- "The Quest for Saint AquinThe Quest for Saint AquinThe Quest for Saint Aquin is a science fiction short story by Anthony Boucher originally published in 1951 in New Tales of Space and Time. The Quest for Saint Aquin was among the stories selected in 1970 by the Science Fiction Writers of America as one the best science fiction short stories of all...
", by Anthony BoucherAnthony BoucherAnthony Boucher was an American science fiction editor and author of mystery novels and short stories. He was particularly influential as an editor. Between 1942 and 1947 he acted as reviewer of mostly mystery fiction for the San Francisco Chronicle... - "The Xi EffectThe Xi EffectThe Xi Effect is a science fiction short story by astronomer and author Robert S. Richardson The Xi Effect is a science fiction short story by astronomer and author Robert S. Richardson The Xi Effect is a science fiction short story by astronomer and author Robert S. Richardson (as (Philip...
", by Philip LathamPhilip LathamPhilip Latham is a British actor. He was educated at Felsted School.In the late 1960s/early 1970s he was well known to British TV viewers for his portrayal of chief accountant Willy Izard, the "conscience" to hard-nosed oil company industrialist Brian Stead in the BBC series The Troubleshooters... - "The Tunnel under the World", by Frederik PohlFrederik PohlFrederik George Pohl, Jr. is an American science fiction writer, editor and fan, with a career spanning over seventy years — from his first published work, "Elegy to a Dead Planet: Luna" , to his most recent novel, All the Lives He Led .He won the National Book Award in 1980 for his novel Jem...
- "Old Hundredth", by Brian AldissBrian AldissBrian Wilson Aldiss, OBE is an English author of both general fiction and science fiction. His byline reads either Brian W. Aldiss or simply Brian Aldiss. Greatly influenced by science fiction pioneer H. G. Wells, Aldiss is a vice-president of the international H. G. Wells Society...
- "A Work of Art", by James BlishJames BlishJames Benjamin Blish was an American author of fantasy and science fiction. Blish also wrote literary criticism of science fiction using the pen-name William Atheling, Jr.-Biography:...
- "Harrison BergeronHarrison Bergeron"Harrison Bergeron" is a satirical, dystopian science fiction short story written by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. and first published in October 1961. Originally published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, the story was re-published in the author's collection Welcome to the Monkey House in...
", by Kurt VonnegutKurt VonnegutKurt Vonnegut, Jr. was a 20th century American writer. His works such as Cat's Cradle , Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions blend satire, gallows humor and science fiction. He was known for his humanist beliefs and was honorary president of the American Humanist Association.-Early... - "The Voices of TimeThe Voices of Time (short story)The Voices of Time is a dystopian science fiction short story by British author J. G. Ballard. It was first published in the October 1960 edition of New Worlds , and later in the 1962 collection The Voices of Time and Other Stories. It is an early example of the Inner Space type of story which...
", by J. G. BallardJ. G. BallardJames Graham Ballard was an English novelist, short story writer, and prominent member of the New Wave movement in science fiction... - "SpecialistSpecialist (short story)"Specialist" is a science fiction short story by Robert Sheckley. It was first published in 1953 and has appeared in various collections, including Untouched by Human Hands and The Golden Age of Science Fiction , edited by Kingsley Amis in 1981.-Plot:A galactic deep-space cargo ship is blown off...
", by Robert SheckleyRobert SheckleyRobert Sheckley was a Hugo- and Nebula-nominated American author. First published in the science fiction magazines of the 1950s, his numerous quick-witted stories and novels were famously unpredictable, absurdist and broadly comical.Sheckley was named Author Emeritus by the Science Fiction and... - "He Walked Around the HorsesHe Walked Around the Horses"He Walked Around the Horses" is a science fiction short story by H. Beam Piper. It is initially based on the true story of diplomat Benjamin Bathurst, who mysteriously disappeared in 1809...
", by H. Beam PiperH. Beam PiperHenry Beam Piper was an American science fiction author. He wrote many short stories and several novels. He is best known for his extensive Terro-Human Future History series of stories and a shorter series of "Paratime" alternate history tales.He wrote under the name H. Beam Piper... - "The Game of Rat and DragonThe Game of Rat and Dragon"The Game of Rat and Dragon" is a short story written by Cordwainer Smith in 1955.-Plot summary:The story takes place in the far future. Human travel in outer space is threatened by strange creatures known as the Dragons. Imperceptible to ordinary people, Dragons are experienced as nothing but a...
", by Cordwainer SmithCordwainer SmithCordwainer Smith – pronounced CORDwainer – was the pseudonym used by American author Paul Myron Anthony Linebarger for his science fiction works. Linebarger was a noted East Asia scholar and expert in psychological warfare... - "The Nine Billion Names of GodThe Nine Billion Names of God"The Nine Billion Names of God" is a 1953 science fiction short story by Arthur C. Clarke. The story was the winner of the retrospective Hugo Award for Best Short Story for the year 1954.-Plot summary:...
", by Arthur C. ClarkeArthur C. ClarkeSir Arthur Charles Clarke, CBE, FRAS was a British science fiction author, inventor, and futurist, famous for his short stories and novels, among them 2001: A Space Odyssey, and as a host and commentator in the British television series Mysterious World. For many years, Robert A. Heinlein,... - "The Streets of AshkelonThe Streets of Ashkelon"The Streets of Ashkelon" is a science fiction short story by American writer Harry Harrison. It was first published in 1962, in Brian Aldiss's anthology New Worlds. The story has since been reprinted over 30 times in fourteen languages, in anthologies and also academic textbooks...
", by Harry HarrisonHarry HarrisonHarry Harrison is an American science fiction author best known for his character the Stainless Steel Rat and the novel Make Room! Make Room! , the basis for the film Soylent Green... - "The Country of the KindThe Country of the KindThe Country of the Kind is a science fiction short story by Damon Knight. It was first published in the February 1956 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction and has been reprinted many times, including in In Deep , The Science Fiction Hall of Fame The Country of the Kind is a science...
", by Damon KnightDamon KnightDamon Francis Knight was an American science fiction author, editor, critic and fan. His forte was short stories and he is widely acknowledged as having been a master of the genre.-Biography:... - "The Machine That Won the WarThe Machine That Won the WarThe Machine That Won the War is the sixth release by Sheavy. It was released in 2007 on Candlelight Records. The album was with a limited edition live DVD produced by Studio 709, featuring footage that was shot on March 3 at the Holy Heart Auditorium in St. John's...
", by Isaac AsimovIsaac AsimovIsaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000... - "Student Body", by F. L. WallaceF. L. WallaceF. L. Wallace, sometimes credited as Floyd Wallace, was a noted science fiction and mystery writer. He was born in Rock Island, Illinois, in 1915, and died in Tustin, California, in 2004...
- "It's a Good LifeIt's a Good Life"It's a Good Life" is a short story by Jerome Bixby, written in 1953. In 1970 it was voted by the Science Fiction Writers of America as one of the 20 finest science fiction stories ever written...
", by Jerome BixbyJerome BixbyDrexel Jerome Lewis Bixby was an American short story writer, editor and scriptwriter, best known for his work in science fiction. He also wrote many westerns and used the pseudonyms D. B. Lewis, Harry Neal, Albert Russell, J. Russell, M. St... - "Sister Planet", by Poul AndersonPoul AndersonPoul William Anderson was an American science fiction author who began his career during one of the Golden Ages of the genre and continued to write and remain popular into the 21st century. Anderson also authored several works of fantasy, historical novels, and a prodigious number of short stories...