In all, there are 44 stories written after , 26 new to the 6th edition. A glossary is included and an instructor's handbook is available. Annotation copyrighted by Book News Inc. The Ninth Edition introduces new General Editor Robert Levine and three new-generation editors who have reenergized the volume across the centuries.
Fresh scholarship, new authors—with an emphasis on contemporary writers—new topical clusters, and a new ebook make the Norton Anthology an even better teaching tool and an unmatched value for students.
In the tradition of other groundbreaking Norton anthologies, Ursula K. Le Guin and Brian Atteberry's Norton Book of Science Fiction provided the first truly comphrehensive and cohereent look at the best of contemporary science fiction.
Its 67 stories, all published since , offer compelling evidence that science fiction is the source of the most thoughtful, imaginative In the tradition of other groundbreaking Norton anthologies, Ursula K. Its 67 stories, all published since , offer compelling evidence that science fiction is the source of the most thoughtful, imaginative - indeed literary - fiction being written today.
Get A Copy. Hardcover , pages. Published October 1st by W. More Details Original Title. Other Editions 4. Friend Reviews. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Lists with This Book. Community Reviews. Showing Average rating 3. Rating details. More filters. Sort order. Mar 29, Werner marked it as started-and-not-finished Shelves: science-fiction.
Back in or , when I was interested in developing a college course in science fiction, I borrowed this book by interlibrary loan to examine it as a possible textbook, knowing that Norton had a reputation for producing quality anthologies.
This one was a distinct disappointment, however. Le Guin, who apparently dominated the editing process though she did have assistance from a couple of academics, confined her selection to American and Canadian works written after the period of the Back in or , when I was interested in developing a college course in science fiction, I borrowed this book by interlibrary loan to examine it as a possible textbook, knowing that Norton had a reputation for producing quality anthologies.
Le Guin, who apparently dominated the editing process though she did have assistance from a couple of academics, confined her selection to American and Canadian works written after the period of the genre's "maturity," according to her , which excluded a sizeable body of worthwhile material from consideration.
While the subtitle suggests that this was by the publisher's design, as I recall the copy I read did NOT yet have the subtitle, indicating that it was originally intended to be one of Norton's usual broad-based anthologies, and that the limited actual scope was probably Le Guin's own decision, based on what part of the SF field she deemed worth covering and her introduction also suggested that interpretation.
Her tastes also ran heavily to "New Wave" and "experimental" works that I don't care for and wouldn't have selected. Out of 67 selections, I've determined by going over the contents note in World Catalog that I remember reading 20 of them two of them I'd actually read before in full, and I didn't like even all of those, though I did like --or at least appreciate; some aren't meant to be the kind of thing you "like"-- most of them.
A number of others I started and quit, or skimmed and wasn't impressed with; some I didn't examine at all and some didn't stay in my memory. For some time, I've had the book sitting on my "being-read-intermittently" shelf, intending to go back and read it so I could review it here. But I've recently concluded that going to the trouble of getting it by interlibrary loan, and going through the time and torture of reading the amount of verbiage here that I wouldn't enjoy, simply isn't worth it!
So, it's going to the "started-not-finished" shelf. BUT, there are some absolute masterpieces of the SF genre here, that deserve to be known and read by serious readers anywhere; so I thought it might be appropriate to share this review of what I did read from this collection.
One of the most outstanding was the late Octavia Butler's "Speech Sounds," a unique post-apocalyptic scenario: here, civilization has been destroyed by a virus that causes damage to the part of the brain that processes speech and writing, eliminating all verbal communication.
Some readers might fixate on the more sensationalistic aspects of the story, which has some violence the heroine packs a pistol, and knows how to use it and unmarried sex --though in fairness to the characters, one might ask how people who can't communicate verbally could exchange married vows-- but the more significant aspect of the story is its positive message and thought-provoking content.
In "Lucky Strike," Kim Stanley Robinson delivers a powerful alternate-world vision of the Hiroshima bombing mission in World War II, which ought to be required reading for every American who mouths shibboleths about how the mass slaughter was "necessary" so as to "save American lives.
Also, Poul Anderson's "Kyrie" is a haunting story with deliberate religious overtones --Kyrie is New Testament Greek for "Lord," and the convent setting at the end isn't accidental.
Personally, I'm not convinced that the supposed "hard" science of black holes here is valid --but it doesn't have to be for me to enjoy the story, since I'm more into "soft" SF anyway. Though they're very dark tales, Howard Waldrop's "The World, as We Know 't," Avram Davidson's grim vision of xenophobia and mindless traditionalism, "The House the Blakeneys Built," and Mike Resnick's "Kirinyaga," ultimately the title story of an interrelated story collection exploring the same social experiment are extremely well-written, hard-hitting, evocative stories.
I'm not too sure of the scientific basis underlying Waldrop's story either, however. Other favorites here include "Balanced Ecology" by James H. Schmitz a writer I've got to read more of sometime! Lafferty's wryly humorous "Nine Hundred Grandmothers.
Orson Scott Card is represented by a story from his The Folk of the Fringe collection, "America," and Zenna Henderson by one of her non-People stories, "As Simple as That" which isn't a bad story in itself, but there's a reason why the People stories are more popular. Greg Bear's "Schrodinger's Plague," IMO, mainly serves to demonstrate why Schrodinger's theory is absurd --though that's almost certainly not why Bear wrote it. In summation, if anyone reads this book, these comments might at least provide a sort of preliminary map for exploration.
As a shorter, but much better, general collection of work in the genre, though, I'd recommend The Oxford Book of Science Fiction Stories. Aug 27, Steve rated it liked it Shelves: anthologies , science-fiction-and-fantasy. There are some wonderful stories here, but also a surprising large number of stories that I don't much like.
The majority of the stories are good, I think. However, for a book that is described on the dust jacket as "The very best North American Science Fiction, ," this falls far short.
Goodreads reviewer Jeff , far more ambitious than I, has reviewed pages, 67 stories and a lengthy introduction - I don't feel like I read this so much as I engaged in combat with it and finally won. Goodreads reviewer Jeff , far more ambitious than I, has reviewed and rated each individual story. I found referring to this helpful, and other readers might as well. Some of the stories in the book do not seem to me to be science fiction.
Perhaps reading them again might change my mind. Le Guin's "Introduction" is somewhat overlong. I wish that her comments about individual stories were used as introductions or afterwords to the stories themselves rather than just heaped together. Also, she makes some odd choices about proper names. On page 25 alone, she refers to three science fiction authors by versions of their names that I do not believe the authors themselves customarily used: "S. Delany" for Samuel R. I was amused by the repeated quoting from Karl Kroeber, whom Le Guin did not identify as her brother.
I have had a problem deciding about what to rate this book. The best parts are superb; the worst are quite poor.
I have never previously noted that I would like to assign a book a rating with a number of stars that included half a star. I would assign this three and a half stars, but since that is not possible, I am giving three stars. Nov 01, Paul Bryant rated it liked it Shelves: aliens-ate-my-lunch.
This collection kicks off with a favourite of mine, "The Handler" by Damon Knight. Pete, the big man, steps into a room where a showbiz apres-show party is in mid-swing and everyone lights up like neon, now he's here. The whole place is really jumpin and jivin, Pete is ladling out the praise for everyone involved and they're all loving him right back.
He was the star of the show and it's a hit. The love is flowing like the champagne. Then he says "Now, I'd like you to meet my handler" and he.. There's a kind of interior quiver and his dinner jacket splits right up the back, and a little man climbs out of him - "almost a dwarf, stoop-shouldered and round-backed in a sweaty brown singlet and shorts".
He closes up the big man's back and asks for a beer. He starts to come out with the same kind of smooth-talking glad-handing bonhomie that Pete was, a few minutes previously. But now the words fall flat. There's a hush, everyone's a bit embarrassed.
People begin looking at watches, getting their coats. One guy leans forward and says "Listen Harry, why don't you get back inside? After a moment Pete suddenly snaps back into life - "Well hey there, whatsa matter with this party anyhow? Let's see some action - what I mean is, are we alive or are we just waiting for the wagon to pick us up?
How's that again? Can't hear you! I believe a lot of stories comment on or complement each other, either consciously or otherwise - popular songs do it too, all the time. Apr 28, Gabriel rated it really liked it. This kind of collection is a terrific antithesis to the perception of science fiction as a less-than-literary, nerd-wish-fulfillment genre. Naturally some stories will appeal more to certain people than others, but there should be something for everyone in here.
Jul 06, Jeff rated it really liked it Shelves: science-fiction. Bought during attempt to quantify The Science Fiction Canon in late 90s. If it worked on metaphorical AND realistic levels, i'd rate it higher. Shoulda been longer? Issues similar to prev. Very enjoyable. Is Davidson prejudis agin hillbillies?
Like an elaborate anecdote, but a very nice one to hear. Too bad gramma's decision is so easily reached; a lot more depth to plumb. Disch's prose is my cup o'tea. Neat idea, plot, setting; attempt to depict female character, difficult to go deep in such a short work. Consolation in her Act for reader? We're never to know who "I" is p. Wrote no notes originally! Apropos of this anthology.
Zelazny's pompous prose; recognizable as Hemingway's laconic prose; i like former. Fear Milt will become a complete asshole again? All kinds of intellectual objections; i cannot enjoy it. Like an insult. Boy's perspective shift had a more distanced? Don't qualify as SF. Were 60s really that devoted to such? As if Anderson thought, "What would i need in order to be able to 'narrate' the experience of a supernova-to-black-hole? Little tension re final result because WE know it's not inconceivable that she pass nor is it desirable for the story that she fail.
Title says rest. Nevertheless, it's enjoyable. As usual, more interesting story answers "What happens next? Again, title says it. Is that Silverberg's point? Then is ending reverence for big-G God or for big-M Man's talents? Should Sixtus the 7th mean something? I like neither the straightforward interpretation nor this twisted version. More vignette than story. If not in an SF anthology, would i have guessed, deduced, noticed The Secret so quickly?
Best in the anthology. Love feeling of alien scientists' language having been translated into English for reader. With a book about science fiction in PDF we can enjoy reading at any time. Today we're bringing you a roundup of some of the great Science Fiction, Fantasy and Dystopian classics available on the web. And what better way to get started than with Aldous Huxley reading a dramatized recording of his novel, Brave New World.
Professor Hynes is also a media and literary critic. All Science and Research ebooks free download and read online in pdf file format.
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