Inasmuch as I am a born-again SF fan, it is only right, I think, to look backward as well as forward to find new material to read. You could hardly do better than looking toward a couple of old masters, Isaac Asimov and Martin Greenburg, for a collection of tales from the Golden Age. It must have been a mammoth project, 25 years of the best stories. I found this in a used book store somewhere, and figured it would be good reading. I tend to enjoy the older stories better than today's fare for some reason.

And what a collection! Even without the five entries of Robert Heinlein (left out for legal issues) it's still a pretty amazing grouping. Some of the more memorable would be Sturgeon's "Shottle Bop" and "Microcosmic God"…he was an incredible visionary and his stories cross genres with disdain. Astounding! Also hugely entertaining is the oh-so-short story "The Rocket of 1955" which packs so much tension in so few words that it left me breathless. I admit I went back and read it several times to savor the impact over and over.

The gem of the lot, though, is Asimov's own original version of "Nightfall". It was later expanded into a full length novel (with Robert Silverberg, if I'm not mistaken) and I reckon I'll have to read that too, but the basic premise is that a planet is, by its proximity to several stars, perpetually in daylight. Legends persist, however, of "stars" that will appear when darkness falls, and of how civilization crumbles. Your characters are based in an observatory, and are well aware that such an event is imminent, and what, if anything, they can do to prepare for it. Simple? Yes, and that's why it's so brilliant.

Stories like these are what made that age truly Golden, and Asimov and Greenburg are justly regarded as legends for having collected them all. Now I suppose it's up to me to locate the other 24 volumes…I have already located the 25th, publishing, sadly, just after Asimov's untimely death. If the present state of SF is built upon the Foundation (caps intended, if you've read Asimov, you understand) of the past, then the bedrock is solid, and it will endure. This stuff is timeless. My highest recommendation!

A cynic once said something like "The Golden Age of science fiction is about sixteen."

But they're wrong. 1941 was the heart of the Golden Age of science fiction. And this book is the proof.

If you've read a fair selection of classic SF, some of these stories will doubtless be familiar to you. Others probably won't be. In any case, these are some of the all-time classics of the genre.

Each story is introduced by Isaac Asimov, and he provides some interesting (and tantalizing) commentary. I can't help but wonder, for example, why he included Fredric Brown (one of my favorite writers) as an author whose personality was different from his stories (as opposed to authors who resembled their stories, some of whom he also lists). I was surprised and pleased to see that Asimov was, like me, a fan of Robert Arthur as well - although I have to admit that Arthur's story may be the weakest one in the book (though still worth reading!).

There are no stories by Robert Heinlein in this collection, apparently because he (or his wife) wouldn't allow it. Since this book was published in 1980 and Heinlein lived until 1988, Heinlein must have been aware of this. Nonetheless Asimov listed the titles of the Heinlein stories that he would have included in the book, and commented on them. I've often wondered about the relationship between Asimov and Heinlein, and this book only adds to the mystery.

There's a tendency to think of old science fiction as being corny and simplistic. In fact, the best authors of the Golden Age had a sophistication and brilliance which is rarely seen in modern genre authors. If you're not familiar with Golden Age SF, I recommend The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, volume I, which is the definitive collection. But if you get a chance to buy any of The Great SF Stories, grab them! I know I will. ( )

Maurice A. Hugi: Ratones mecánicos; C. M. Kornbluth: El cohete de 1955; Theodore Sturgeon: Dios microscópico; Eric Frank Russell: Jay Score; Robert A. Heinlein: Universo; Robert A. Heinlein: Solución insatisfactoria; C. M. Kornbluth: Las palabras de Guru; A. E. van Vogt: Visto y no visto; Alfred Bester: Adán sin Eva; Isaac Asimov: Anochecer; Henry Kuttner: Había una vez un gnomo; Robert A. Heinlein: Por sus propios medios; Anthony Boucher: Snulbug; Lester del Rey: Más allá, S. A.