Orson Scott Card : The Eighties and Beyond


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Established as a major SF author in the 1970s with Ender's Game and other work, Orson Scott Card followed the SF field closely in the 1980s and wrote reviews of short fiction for Richard E. Geis' popular fanzine Science Fiction Review and in his own magazine Short Form (columns under the heading "You Got No Friends In This World"). The first book here states that it is the first in a series of anthologies collecting representative stories by the major writers of that decade.

By the time the second volume appeared seven years later, Card's involvement with the science fiction community had diminished; he had stopped following new work and had stopped reviewing. The book opens with a long introduction about science fiction, Star Wars, religion, and moral philosophy.

His final anthology, in 2001 for a different publisher, expands his scope to the entire 20th century but states the selection criteria as being simply "stories that I loved when I first read them and that, upon rereading, I still love and admire". The Table of Contents divides stories into three parts: The Golden Age, The New Wave, and The Media Generation. That nine of the total 27 stories are from the 1980s (and only two from the '90s) reflects Card's fondness for writers of that decade. (Still, Card used different authors for this book than he had for the earlier two.)

Most frequent sources: Asimov's (14), Omni (6), F&SF (5).

  • Future On Fire, (Tor, 1991) [isfdb]
  • Future On Ice, (Tor, 1998) [isfdb]
  • Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Century, (Ace, 2001) [isfdb]



Combined Contents by Author and Title


Brian W. Aldiss
  • Who Can Replace a Man? (Infinity Science Fiction Jun 1958) -- Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Century
  • Poul Anderson
  • Call Me Joe (Astounding Apr 1957) -- Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Century
  • Isaac Asimov
  • Robot Dreams (Robot Dreams, 1986) -- Future On Ice
          -- Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Century
  • Greg Bear
  • Blood Music (Analog Jun 1983) -- Future On Ice
  • Gregory Benford
  • Time's Rub -- Future On Ice
  • Lloyd Biggle, Jr.
  • The Tunesmith (If Aug 1957) -- Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Century
  • Michael Bishop
  • A Gift from the GrayLanders (IASFM Sep 1985) -- Future On Fire
  • Terry Bisson
  • Bears Discover Fire (IASFM Aug 1990) -- Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Century
  • James Blish
  • A Work of Art (Science Fiction Stories Jul 1956) -- Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Century
  • Ray Bradbury
  • Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed (Thrilling Wonder Stories Aug 1949) -- Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Century
  • Octavia E. Butler
  • Speech Sounds (IASFM mid-Dec 1983) -- Future On Ice
  • Pat Cadigan
  • Pretty Boy Crossover (IASFM Jan 1986) -- Future On Fire
  • Orson Scott Card
  • The Fringe (F&SF Oct 1985) -- Future On Ice
  • C. J. Cherryh
  • Pots (Afterwar, 1985) -- Future On Ice
          -- Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Century
  • Arthur C. Clarke
  • The Nine Billion Names of God (Star Science Fiction Stories, 1953) -- Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Century
  • John Crowley
  • Snow (Omni Nov 1985) -- Future On Ice
          -- Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Century
  • George Alec Effinger
  • One (New Legends, 1995) -- Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Century
  • Harlan Ellison
  • 'Repent, Harlequin!' said the Ticktockman (Galaxy Dec 1965) -- Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Century
  • Karen Joy Fowler
  • Face Value (F&SF Nov 1986) -- Future On Ice
          -- Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Century
  • William Gibson
  • Dogfight (by Michael Swanwick & WG) (Omni Jul 1985) -- Future On Fire
          -- Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Century
  • Lisa Goldstein
  • Tourists (IASFM Feb 1985) -- Future On Ice
          -- Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Century
  • Felix C. Gotschalk
  • Vestibular Man (F&SF Mar 1985) -- Future On Fire
  • Edmond Hamilton
  • Devolution (Amazing Dec 1936) -- Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Century
  • Robert A. Heinlein
  • 'All You Zombies—' (F&SF Mar 1959) -- Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Century
  • Gregg Keizer
  • I Am the Burning Bush (Omni May 1982) -- Future On Fire
  • James Patrick Kelly
  • Rat (F&SF Jun 1986) -- Future On Fire
          -- Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Century
  • John Kessel
  • A Clean Escape (IASFM May 1985) -- Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Century
  • The Pure Product (IASFM Mar 1986) -- Future On Ice
  • Nancy Kress
  • Out of All Them Bright Stars (F&SF Mar 1985) -- Future On Ice
  • R. A. Lafferty
  • Eurema's Dam (New Dimensions II, 1972) -- Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Century
  • Ursula K. Le Guin
  • Buffalo Gals, Won't You Come Out Tonight (Buffalo Gals and Other Animal Presences, 1987) -- Future On Fire
  • The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas (New Dimensions 3, 1973) -- Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Century
  • George R. R. Martin
  • Portraits of His Children (IASFM Nov 1985) -- Future On Ice
  • Sandkings (Omni Aug 1979) -- Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Century
  • Pat Murphy
  • Rachel in Love (IASFM Apr 1987) -- Future On Fire
  • Larry Niven
  • Inconstant Moon (All the Myriad Ways, 1971) -- Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Century
  • Susan Palwick
  • The Neighbor's Wife (Amazing Jul 1985) -- Future On Fire
  • Frederik Pohl
  • The Tunnel Under the World (Galaxy Jan 1955) -- Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Century
  • Rachel Pollack
  • Angel Baby (Interzone #2 1982) -- Future On Fire
  • Kim Stanley Robinson
  • Down and Out in the Year 2000 (IASFM Apr 1986) -- Future On Fire
  • Lucius Shepard
  • Fire Zone Emerald (Playboy Feb 1986) -- Future On Fire
  • Lewis Shiner
  • Cabracan (IASFM Oct 1986) -- Future On Ice
  • Robert Silverberg
  • Passengers (Orbit 4, 1968) -- Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Century
  • Bruce Sterling
  • Green Days in Brunei (IASFM Oct 1985) -- Future On Fire
  • Theodore Sturgeon
  • Saucer of Loneliness (Galaxy Feb 1953) -- Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Century
  • Michael Swanwick
  • Dogfight (by MS & William Gibson) (Omni Jul 1985) -- Future On Fire
          -- Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Century
  • S. C. Sykes
  • Rockabye Baby (Analog mid-Dec 1985) -- Future On Ice
  • Harry Turtledove
  • The Road Not Taken (Analog Nov 1985) -- Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Century
  • John Varley
  • PRESS ENTER[] (IASFM May 1984) -- Future On Ice
  • Andrew Weiner
  • Klein's Machine (IASFM Apr 1985) -- Future On Ice
  • Wayne Wightman
  • In the Realm of the Heart, In the World of the Knife (IASFM Aug 1985) -- Future On Fire
  • Walter Jon Williams
  • Dinosaurs (IASFM Jun 1987) -- Future On Ice
  • Connie Willis
  • All My Darling Daughters (Fire Watch, 1985) -- Future On Fire
  • David Zindell
  • Shanidar (L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future, 1985) -- Future On Ice

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