itkovian_books's review against another edition
4.0
Classic Sci-Fi doesn't care (for the most part) about creating interesting characters, so this was a struggle for me in some of the stories. However, the concepts proposed in these stories were all very interesting. Rather than summarize my feelings on each story, which would take too long, here is a list of some of my favorite stories from this anthology*:
1. Nightfall by Isaac Asimov
2. Mars is Heaven by Ray Bradbury
3. The Cold Equations by Tom Godwin
4. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Overall rating: 7/10
1. Nightfall by Isaac Asimov
2. Mars is Heaven by Ray Bradbury
3. The Cold Equations by Tom Godwin
4. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Overall rating: 7/10
abrswf's review against another edition
3.0
Narration is superb for this extensive collection of science fiction stories from the 1940s and 1950s, but the stories themselves are very uneven in quality. There are standouts from Asimov, Bradbury and Arthur C Clarke, plus the masterpiece in heartbreak, Flowers for Algernon, but the majority were good, not great, and more than a few were tedious slogs. The racism, sexism, stress on Christianity, complete absence of LGBTQ characters and general assumption that only white American men count are to be expected, I suppose, but grate nonetheless. There’s also a surprising lack of imagination about the future as well — anachronisms like pencils, pads of paper, newspapers, microfiche and giant computers that are limited to numerical calculation abound. In short this is a long, long listen with just a few gems to be found on the way.
pamwinkler's review against another edition
4.0
I borrowed the audio book so I could listen to 'Mimsy were the Borograves", which I did. I didn't listen to the rest; would rather read them. The story was interesting, because parts of it would be legitimate psychology, and then they'd kinda whoof off into total bull, and then say something legitimate again. Weird experience
foxmoon's review against another edition
5.0
A Martian Odyssey by Stanley G. Weinbaum - ★★★★★
Twilight by John W. Campbell - ★★★★★
Helen O’Loy by Lester Del Rey – ★★
The Roads Must Roll by Robert A. Heinlein – ★★
Microcosmic God by Theodore Sturgeon – ★★★
Nightfall by Isaac Asimov – ★★★★
The Weapon Shop by A. E. van Vogt – ★★
Mimsy Were the Borogroves by Lewis Padgett – ★★★★
Huddling Place by Cliffor D. Simak – ★★★★
Arena by Fredric Brown – ★★★★
First Contact by Murray Leinster – ★★
That Only a Mother by Judith Merril – ★
Scanners Live in Vain by Cordwainer Smith – ★★★★
Mars is Heaven! By Ray Bradbury – ★★★
The Little Black Bag by C.M. Kornbluth – ★★
Born of Man and Woman by Richard Matheson – ★
Coming Attraction by Fritz Leiber – ★
The Quest for Saint Aquin by Anthony Boucher – ★★★★
Surface Tension by James Blish – ★★
The Nine Billion Names of God by Arthur C. Clarke – ★★★★
It’s a Good Life by Jerome Bixby – ★★
The Cold Equations by Tom Godwin – ★★
Fondly Fahrenheit by Alfred Bester – ★
The Country of the Kind by Damon Knight – ★
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes – ★★★★★
A Rose for Ecclesiastes by Roger Zelazny – ★
Twilight by John W. Campbell - ★★★★★
Helen O’Loy by Lester Del Rey – ★★
The Roads Must Roll by Robert A. Heinlein – ★★
Microcosmic God by Theodore Sturgeon – ★★★
Nightfall by Isaac Asimov – ★★★★
The Weapon Shop by A. E. van Vogt – ★★
Mimsy Were the Borogroves by Lewis Padgett – ★★★★
Huddling Place by Cliffor D. Simak – ★★★★
Arena by Fredric Brown – ★★★★
First Contact by Murray Leinster – ★★
That Only a Mother by Judith Merril – ★
Scanners Live in Vain by Cordwainer Smith – ★★★★
Mars is Heaven! By Ray Bradbury – ★★★
The Little Black Bag by C.M. Kornbluth – ★★
Born of Man and Woman by Richard Matheson – ★
Coming Attraction by Fritz Leiber – ★
The Quest for Saint Aquin by Anthony Boucher – ★★★★
Surface Tension by James Blish – ★★
The Nine Billion Names of God by Arthur C. Clarke – ★★★★
It’s a Good Life by Jerome Bixby – ★★
The Cold Equations by Tom Godwin – ★★
Fondly Fahrenheit by Alfred Bester – ★
The Country of the Kind by Damon Knight – ★
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes – ★★★★★
A Rose for Ecclesiastes by Roger Zelazny – ★
elodieanna's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75
pine_wulf's review against another edition
5.0
Favorites include Microcosmic God, Mimsy Were the Borogoves and The Cold Equations.
There were a lot of really good stories in this collection, although like all anthologies there were a few I didn't care for.
There were a lot of really good stories in this collection, although like all anthologies there were a few I didn't care for.
jandi's review against another edition
4.0
This is a fantastic science fiction collection, including a variety of stories written between 1929-1964. All of the stories are quite solid; my personal favorites were
* Nightfall
* The Roads Must Roll
* Surface Tension
* Flowers for Algernon
* The Cold Equations
* Nightfall
* The Roads Must Roll
* Surface Tension
* Flowers for Algernon
* The Cold Equations
marissavu's review against another edition
5.0
This is a really special collection of science fiction short stories... so many amazing ones in here, and almost every one has something to offer. I'm still thinking about many of them a week later and will def revisit most stories in here.
I listened to this on audio for the SFFAudio Podcast and we talked about the whole collection for an upcoming episode, so I'll link to that when it's releases.
I listened to this on audio for the SFFAudio Podcast and we talked about the whole collection for an upcoming episode, so I'll link to that when it's releases.
livingdeadenby's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0