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Title: The Best Time Travel Stories of the 20th Century: Stories by Arthur C. Clarke ( Jack Finney) |
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Review of The Best Time Travel Stories of the 20th Century: Stories by Arthur C. Clarke, Jack Finney, Joe Haldeman, Ursula K. Le Guin,
- LEAP INTO THE FUTURE, AND SHOOT BACK TO THE PAST
H. G. Wellsâs seminal short story âThe Time Machine,â published in 1895, provided the springboard for modern science fictionâs time travel explosion. Responding to their own fascination with the subject, the greatest visionary writers of the twentieth century penned some of their finest stories. Here are eighteen of the most exciting tales ever told, including
âTimeâs Arrowâ In Arthur C. Clarkeâs classic, two brilliant physicists finally crack the mystery of time travelâwith appalling consequences.
âDeath Shipâ Richard Matheson, author of Somewhere in Time, unveils a chilling scenario concerning three astronauts who stumble upon the conundrum of past and future.
âA Sound of Thunderâ Ray Bradburyâs haunting vision of modern man gone dinosaur hunting poses daunting questions about destiny and consequences.
âYesterday was Mondayâ If all the worldâs a stage, Theodore Sturgeonâs compelling tale follows the odyssey of an ordinary joe who winds up backstage.
âRainbirdâ R.A. Lafferty reflects on what might have been in this brainteaser about an inventor so brilliant that he invents himself right out of existence.
âTimetippingâ What if everyone time-traveled except you? Jack Dann provides some surprising answers in this literary gem.
. . . as well as stories by Poul Anderson ⢠L. Sprague de Camp ⢠Jack Finney ⢠Joe Haldeman ⢠John Kessel ⢠Nancy Kress ⢠Henry Kuttner ⢠Ursula K. Le Guin ⢠Larry Niven ⢠Charles Sheffield ⢠Robert Silverberg ⢠Connie Willis
By turns frightening, puzzling, and fantastic, these stories engage us in situations that may one day break free of the bonds of fantasy . . . to enter the realm of the future: our future.
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Comments for The Best Time Travel Stories of the 20th Century: Stories by Arthur C. Clarke ( Jack Finney)
- Posted on 2008-03-08
Quite entertaining
I like time travel stories and this book is yet another another collection of them. It's quite entertaining and I do recommend it for those who share my interest in the genre.
Score: 4
- Posted on 2007-11-17
A good collection of stories from across the genre
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 one of the best novellas ever written is not really a time travel story per se). 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.
Score: 4 - Posted on 2007-10-11
Great Book
I loved this book, it's filled with some of the premier writers of the 20th century. The short fiction by Silverberg and Haldeman is worth the price of the book alone. If you have never read "SAILING TO BYZANTIUM" you are in for a religious experience. Read this book and discover some new authors that may get you hooked on a new style of writing. HIGHLY recommended.
Score: 5
- Posted on 2007-09-08
Not Free SF Reader
A contrast to Barry Malzberg's Best Time Travel Stories of All Time, which I read recently. That averaged 3.80, and this book, 3.62.
They basically come to the same thing, given very little of the 21st century was done by the production of this volume, and the 19th century is ignored in both case.
This is still a good book though, as you can see by the above number.
Best Time Travel Stories 20th Century : Yesterday Was Monday - Theodore Sturgeon
Best Time Travel Stories 20th Century : Time Locker - Lewis Padgett
Best Time Travel Stories 20th Century : Time's Arrow - Arthur C. Clarke
Best Time Travel Stories 20th Century : I'm Scared - Jack Finney
Best Time Travel Stories 20th Century : A Sound of Thunder - Ray Bradbury
Best Time Travel Stories 20th Century : Death Ship - Richard Matheson
Best Time Travel Stories 20th Century : A Gun for Dinosaur - L. Sprague de Camp
Best Time Travel Stories 20th Century : The Man Who Came Early - Poul Anderson
Best Time Travel Stories 20th Century : Rainbird - R. A. Lafferty
Best Time Travel Stories 20th Century : Leviathan! - Larry Niven
Best Time Travel Stories 20th Century : Anniversary Project - Joe Haldeman
Best Time Travel Stories 20th Century : Timetipping - Jack Dann
Best Time Travel Stories 20th Century : Fire Watch - Connie Willis
Best Time Travel Stories 20th Century : Sailing to Byzantium - Robert Silverberg
Best Time Travel Stories 20th Century : The Pure Product - John Kessel
Best Time Travel Stories 20th Century : Trapalanda - Charles Sheffield
Best Time Travel Stories 20th Century : The Price of Oranges - Nancy Kress
Best Time Travel Stories 20th Century : Another Story or A Fisherman of the Inland Sea - Ursula K. Le Guin
Lost day.
2 out of 5
Storage expansion.
3.5 out of 5
Footprint foreshadowing.
3.5 out of 5
Out of order.
4 out of 5
Stay in the lines, you dino hunting dumbarse.
4 out of 5
Smashed doppelganger expiry discovery.
3.5 out of 5
Big barrels need big men. Presuming you don't want a Tyrannosaur to eat you.
4 out of 5
Yank is a Viking misfit.
4 out of 5
You can only take in so much advice, especially personally.
4 out of 5
Appearances in the record should not be taken as gospel for massive mythical monsters.
3 out of 5
Literary analysis requires very old fashioned help.
3.5 out of 5
Chronal spousal variation.
2.5 out of 5
Time travel retrieval.
3 out of 5
Tedious travelogue and artificial lifetime constraints.
3 out of 5
Nasty tricks.
3 out of 5
Secret installation hunting can get really old.
4 out of 5
Everything used to be cheap, but relatives are still weird.
3.5 out of 5
Instant travel has timing problems.
3.5 out of 5
Score: 4 - Posted on 2007-06-08
Good collection
This is a nice little collection of time travel stories, although it should have included other gems of the genre to merit the title 'best'.
Score: 3