A review by markk
The Best Time Travel Stories of the 20th Century by Poul Anderson, Nancy Kress, Connie Willis, Ursula K. Le Guin, Theodore Sturgeon, Harry Turtledove, Richard Matheson, L. Sprague de Camp, R.A. Lafferty, Jack Finney, Henry Kuttner, Robert Silverberg, Jack Dann, Arthur C. Clarke, Joe Haldeman, Martin H. Greenberg, John Kessel, Charles Sheffield, Larry Niven, Ray Bradbury
4.0
For over a century time travel has remained one of the most enduring categories of science fiction. Authors such as Mark Twain and H. G. Wells established many of the ideas that were subsequently encapsulated in numerous stories that have entertained millions of readers. This anthology bring together eighteen stories from many of the giants of the field. Some, such as Theodore Sturgeon’s “Yesterday was Monday” and Ray Bradbury’s “A Sound of Thunder” are true classics, while others like Connie Wills’s “Fire Watch” are destined to join them as among the greatest stories of the genre.
With a collection like this, it is easy to criticize some of the selections. Many longtime readers will complain about the exclusion of a favorite tale or the inclusion of one that they do not like (my personal complaint is with the inclusion of Robert Silverberg’s “Sailing to Byzantium”, which while an all-time favorite of mine and one of the best novellas ever written technically isn't really a time travel story). Yet it is hard to complain about the collection as a whole, which has a good balance of stories from different premises, authors, and stories. Fans of the genre will find much to enjoy in this book, while anyone seeking to learn what the field has to offer will be impressed with the imagination and the writing contained within these pages.
With a collection like this, it is easy to criticize some of the selections. Many longtime readers will complain about the exclusion of a favorite tale or the inclusion of one that they do not like (my personal complaint is with the inclusion of Robert Silverberg’s “Sailing to Byzantium”, which while an all-time favorite of mine and one of the best novellas ever written technically isn't really a time travel story). Yet it is hard to complain about the collection as a whole, which has a good balance of stories from different premises, authors, and stories. Fans of the genre will find much to enjoy in this book, while anyone seeking to learn what the field has to offer will be impressed with the imagination and the writing contained within these pages.