Hall of Tame
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It goes without saying that a collection of twenty-odd science fiction short stories by different authors is going to be variable. There are some gems in this collection, stories that still hold up after all these years, such as Mimsy Were the Borogroves, It's a Good Life, Flowers for Algernon, Scanners Live in Vain and A Rose for Ecclesiastes. Most of the other stories hold the reader's interest, with only a small number seeming undeserving of inclusion.
I would advise anyone approaching this book to do so with the understanding that they're going to be reading from the early canon of SF. These stories were chosen in the mid-60s to honour short stories that predated the prestigious Nebula Awards, and were published between 1934 and 1963. Many of the stories now read rather tamely, but I accept that the reason is that they reflect the tastes of half a century ago.
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No Better Way to Start
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When I was in my early teens, I read 2 books that influenced my reading ever since. I had only ever seen science fiction on television or at the movies. I never thought it would be good to read until I got this book from my local library. With hindsight, most of the stories in this book have been published in so many other anrthologies that any avid sci fi collector will probably have them all already but as an introduction to the genre, you could not buy a better book. The stories are fantastic. The worlds in them are amazing. I love this book and am ever grateful for the way it shaped my reading choices ever since.
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Bought for ýMimsy Were the Borogovesý
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This book is truly a collection of great stories from between the years of 1929 and 1964. I am glad they reprinted this book because my older version is yellowing. I hope one day they will reprint a new hard back copy and I will buy it also.
Even though this book is packed from cover to cover with intriguing stories, I bought it for one story in particular "Mimsy Were the Borogoves" by Lewis Padgett. First published in 1943 ("Lewis Padgett" was a pseudonym employed by Henry Kuttner and his wife, C. L. Moore)
My first encounter with this story was a vinyl record recording with William Shatner later it is replaces with a cassette tape. I believe this book is the only surviving form of the story.
Unthahorsten is experimenting with time travel and sends two black boxes back into the past. He had to put something in them so as a last minute thought places his old toys in them. They do not return so he forgets them. It is too late the mischief is done. One is found by children in 1942. The other well look at the title for a clue.
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