Mon 3 May 2021
Diary Review: RAYMOND J. HEALY & J. FRANCIS McCOMAS, Editors – Famous Science-Fiction Stories: Adventures in Time And Space, Part 7.
Posted by Steve under Diary Reviews , Science Fiction & Fantasy[4] Comments
RAYMOND J. HEALY & J. FRANCIS McCOMAS, Editors – Famous Science-Fiction Stories: Adventures in Time And Space. The Modern Library G-31; hardcover, 1957, xvi + 997 pages. First published as Adventures in Time in Space, Random House, hardcover, 1946. Bantam F3102, paperback, 1966, as Adventures in Time and Space (contains only 8 stories). Ballantine, paperback, 1975, also as Adventures in Time and Space.
Part 6 can be found here.
ROBERT A. HEINLEIN “The Roads Must Roll.†Novelette. A “Future History†story. Heinlein foresaw the present automobile traffic problem and proposed moving cross-country strips as a solution. The actual plot suffers in comparison to the details of the economic and sociological consequences. (3)
Update: First published in Astounding Science-Fiction, June 1940. First collected in The Man Who Sold the Moon (Shasta, hardcover, 1950). Also collected in The Past Through Tomorrow (Putnam, hardcover, 1967). Reprinted many times. Awarded a Retro Hugo as best novelette in 2016 for works published in 1940.
A. E. van VOGT “Asylum.†Short novel. Earth is pictured as a sanctuary maintained for mankind by beings with much bigger IQ’s. Two aliens with a need for fresh blood land and involve reporter William Leigh in their conflict with Earth’s guardians. This preliminary involvement is interesting, but although van Vogt does have a great knack for telling a story, the ending degenerates rapidly into confusion on a galactic scale. (3½)
Update: First published in Astounding Science-Fiction, May 1942. First collected in Away and Beyond (Pellegrini & Cudahy, hardcover, 1952). Reprinted in The Great Science Fiction Stories Volume 4, 1942, edited by Isaac Asimov & Martin H. Greenberg (Daw #405, paperback original, October 1980), among others.
LEWIS PADGETT “The Twonky.†Short story. A strange invention disguised as a radio console destroys initiative then life if uncooperative. Better than Padgett’s more humorous stories in this volume. (4)
Update: First published in Astounding Science Fiction, September 1942. Lewis Padgett was a pen name used by the prolific husband-and-wife team Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore. First collected in A Gnome There Was (Simon & Shuster, hardcover, 1950). Reprinted in The Great Science Fiction Stories Volume 4, 1942, edited by Isaac Asimov & Martin H. Greenberg (Daw #405, paperback original, October 1980), among others. When adapted to the film of the same name (United Artists, 1953, written and directed by Arch Oboler), the radio in the original story was updated to a television set.
TO BE CONTINUED.…
May 3rd, 2021 at 8:22 pm
Not surprisingly the Kuttner/Moore entry seems more relevant to modern readers than the others.
May 3rd, 2021 at 8:29 pm
I’d agree 100% based on my story ratings, but in all honesty I haven’t read any of these since 1967. I would like to, though, very much.
May 4th, 2021 at 9:04 pm
I always thought of “The Roads Must Roll” as THE archetypal work of Social Science Fiction. Stories in which technological innovation leads to changed societies. And as such, it is one of the supreme masterpieces of science fiction.
The review certainly points out the enormous detail Heinlein uses to depict his future society.
This tale is in the anthology THE SCIENCE FICTION HALL OF FAME. Works voted c1965 as the best sf short stories of all time.
May 4th, 2021 at 9:12 pm
All very true, Mike. Obviously back in 1967 I wasn’t looking for Social Science Fiction. As for my opinion now, as I said above, I need to read it again. Maybe I’ve grown wiser as well as older!