Judith Merril : Anthologies


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Greenberg: Anthologies <— Anthologies —> Healy: Originals

Judith Merril began editing anthologies in 1950, only a couple years after her first published story ("That Only a Mother") and in the same year as her first published novel (Shadow on the Hearth); she became the only significant female editor of science fiction anthologies for a quarter century, until Pamela Sargent in the 1970s.

Of her first five, two were large hardcovers for Random House, three smaller paperbacks for Bantam and Lion.

A final anthology, coming just as her annual Year's Best SF series concluded, was England Swings SF, subtitled "Stories of Speculative Fiction," containing "New British" writing, what was more commonly called the "New Wave." The brief introduction is interspersed with Beatles lyrics.

Most reprinted authors: Anthony Boucher and Theodore Sturgeon, 4 each; then Asimov, Ballard, Bradbury, Leiber, Miller, and Tenn, 3 each. There's also a story by Agatha Christie, who appears in no other anthology compiled here.

Images are adapted from isfdb.

  • Shot in the Dark, (Bantam, 1950) [isfdb]
  • Beyond Human Ken, (Random House, 1952) [isfdb]
  • Beyond the Barriers of Space and Time, (Random House, 1954) [isfdb]
  • Human?, (Lion, 1954) [isfdb]
  • Galaxy of Ghouls, (Lion, 1955) [isfdb]
  • England Swings SF, (Doubleday, 1968) [isfdb]



Combined Contents by Author and Title


Brian W. Aldiss
  • Still Trajectories (New Worlds Sep 1967) -- England Swings SF
  • Margery Allingham
  • He Was Asking After You (London Evening News Jul 29 1936) -- Shot in the Dark
  • Alex Apostolides
  • Crazy Joey (by AA & Mark Clifton) (Astounding Aug 1953) -- Beyond the Barriers of Space and Time
  • Isaac Asimov
  • Belief (The Alternate Asimovs, 1986) -- Beyond the Barriers of Space and Time
  • Liar! (Astounding May 1941) -- Human?
  • Strange Playfellow (Super Science Stories Sep 1940) -- Shot in the Dark
  • Hilary Bailey
  • Dr. Gelabius (New Worlds Apr 1968) -- England Swings SF
  • J. G. Ballard
  • The Assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy Considered as a Downhill Motor Race (Ambit #29 1966) -- England Swings SF
  • Plan for the Assassination of Jacqueline Kennedy (Ambit #31 1966) -- England Swings SF
  • You and Me and the Continuum (Impulse Mar 1966) -- England Swings SF
  • Barrington J. Bayley
  • All the King's Men (New Worlds Mar 1965) -- England Swings SF
  • Stephen Vincent Benét
  • The Angel Was a Yankee (McCall's Oct 1940) -- Beyond Human Ken
  • Nightmare Number Three (Selected Works of Stephen Vincent Benét, 1935) -- Shot in the Dark
  • Jerome Bixby
  • Share Alike (by Joe E. Dean & JB) (Beyond Fantasy Fiction Jul 1953) -- Galaxy of Ghouls
          -- Galaxy of Ghouls
  • James Blish
  • Solar Plexus (Astonishing Stories Sep 1941) -- Beyond Human Ken
  • Kyril Bonfiglioli
  • Blastoff -- England Swings SF
  • Anthony Boucher
  • The Ambassadors (Startling Stories Jun 1952) -- Galaxy of Ghouls
  • The Compleat Werewolf (Unknown Apr 1942) -- Beyond Human Ken
  • The Ghost of Me (Unknown Jun 1942) -- Beyond the Barriers of Space and Time
  • Mr. Lupescu (Weird Tales Sep 1945) -- Shot in the Dark
  • Leigh Brackett
  • The Halfling (Astonishing Stories Feb 1943) -- Shot in the Dark
  • Ray Bradbury
  • The Homecoming (Mademoiselle Oct 1946) -- Galaxy of Ghouls
  • Mars Is Heaven! (Planet Stories Fll 1948) -- Shot in the Dark
  • The Veldt (The Saturday Evening Post Sep 23 1950) -- Beyond the Barriers of Space and Time
  • Rhoda Broughton
  • Behold It Was a Dream (Temple Bar Nov 1872) -- Beyond the Barriers of Space and Time
  • Bill Brown
  • Medicine Dancer (Fantasy Fiction Nov 1953) -- Beyond the Barriers of Space and Time
  • Fredric Brown
  • Blood (F&SF Feb 1955) -- Galaxy of Ghouls
  • Knock (Thrilling Wonder Stories Dec 1948) -- Shot in the Dark
  • Algis Budrys
  • Riya's Foundling (Science Fiction Stories #1 1953) -- Human?
  • Michael Butterworth
  • The Baked Bean Factory (New Worlds Oct 1967) -- England Swings SF
  • John Calder
  • Signals (New Worlds #166 1966) -- England Swings SF
  • Leslie Charteris
  • Fish Story (Bluebook Nov 1953) -- Galaxy of Ghouls
  • Agatha Christie
  • The Last Séance (Ghost Stories Nov 1926) -- Beyond the Barriers of Space and Time
  • John Christopher
  • Socrates (Galaxy Mar 1951) -- Beyond Human Ken
  • John Clark
  • Saint 505 (New Worlds Jan 1967) -- England Swings SF
  • Mark Clifton
  • Crazy Joey (by Alex Apostolides & MC) (Astounding Aug 1953) -- Beyond the Barriers of Space and Time
  • What Have I Done? (Astounding May 1952) -- Beyond Human Ken
  • Theodore R. Cogswell
  • The Wall Around the World (Beyond Fantasy Fiction Sep 1953) -- Beyond the Barriers of Space and Time
  • John Collier
  • Interpretation of a Dream (New Yorker May 5 1951) -- Beyond the Barriers of Space and Time
  • Rope Enough (New Yorker Nov 18 1939) -- Human?
  • George Collyn
  • The Singular Quest of Martin Borg (New Worlds Feb 1965) -- England Swings SF
  • J. J. Coupling
  • Mr. Kinkaid's Pasts (F&SF Aug 1953) -- Beyond the Barriers of Space and Time
  • L. Sprague de Camp
  • The Gnarly Man (Unknown Jun 1939) -- Human?
  • Joe E. Dean
  • Share Alike (by JED & Jerome Bixby) (Beyond Fantasy Fiction Jul 1953) -- Galaxy of Ghouls
          -- Galaxy of Ghouls
  • Roger Dee
  • Unwelcome Tenant (Planet Stories Sum 1950) -- Beyond Human Ken
  • Lester del Rey
  • Helen O'Loy (Astounding Dec 1938) -- Beyond Human Ken
  • August Derleth
  • "Who Shall I Say Is Calling?" (F&SF Aug 1952) -- Human?
  • Philip K. Dick
  • The Golden Man (If Apr 1954) -- Beyond the Barriers of Space and Time
  • Thomas M. Disch
  • The Squirrel Cage (New Worlds Oct 1966) -- England Swings SF
  • Graham Doar
  • Who Knows His Brother (Startling Stories Feb 1952) -- Human?
  • Bruce Elliott
  • Wolves Don't Cry (F&SF Apr 1954) -- Galaxy of Ghouls
  • R. Austin Freeman
  • The Bronze Parrot -- Shot in the Dark
  • J. C. Furnas
  • The Laocoön Complex (Esquire Apr 1937) -- Beyond the Barriers of Space and Time
  • H. B. Fyfe
  • Afterthought (Future Jan 1951) -- Beyond Human Ken
  • David Grinnell
  • Malice Aforethought (F&SF Nov 1952) -- Beyond the Barriers of Space and Time
  • Graham M. Hall
  • Sun Push (New Worlds Jan 1967) -- England Swings SF
  • Michael Hamburger
  • Report on a Supermarket -- England Swings SF
  • Robert A. Heinlein
  • Gentlemen, Be Seated! (Argosy May 1948) -- Shot in the Dark
  • Our Fair City (Weird Tales Jan 1949) -- Beyond Human Ken
  • Malcolm Jameson
  • Pride (Astounding Sep 1942) -- Beyond Human Ken
  • Langdon Jones
  • The Hall of Machines (New Worlds Mar 1968) -- England Swings SF
  • Roger Jones
  • The Island (Science-Fantasy #69 1965) -- England Swings SF
  • Gerald Kersh
  • Voices in the Dust (The Saturday Evening Post Sep 13 1947) -- Shot in the Dark
  • Henry Kuttner
  • A Gnome There Was (by HK & C. L. Moore) (Unknown Oct 1941) -- Beyond Human Ken as by Lewis Padgett
  • Fritz Leiber
  • The Foxholes of Mars (Thrilling Wonder Stories Jun 1952) -- Beyond Human Ken
  • The Night He Cried (Star Science Fiction Stories, 1953) -- Galaxy of Ghouls
  • Smoke Ghost (Unknown Oct 1941) -- Human?
  • Murray Leinster
  • The Day of the Deepies (Famous Fantastic Mysteries Oct 1947) -- Shot in the Dark
  • The Wabbler (Astounding Oct 1942) -- Beyond Human Ken
  • Jack London
  • The Shadow and the Flash (The Bookman Jun 1903) -- Shot in the Dark
  • George MacBeth
  • The Silver Needle (New Worlds Jan 1967) -- England Swings SF
  • John D. MacDonald
  • The Big Contest (Worlds Beyond Dec 1950) -- Human?
  • Katherine MacLean
  • Defense Mechanism (Astounding Oct 1949) -- Beyond the Barriers of Space and Time
  • The Fittest (Worlds Beyond Jan 1951) -- Beyond Human Ken
  • Edison Marshall
  • Who Is Charles Avison? (Argosy Apr 1916) -- Shot in the Dark
  • David I. Masson
  • Psychosmosis (New Worlds Mar 1966) -- England Swings SF
  • Walter M. Miller, Jr.
  • Crucifixus Etiam (Astounding Feb 1953) -- Human?
  • The Triflin' Man (Fantastic Universe Jan 1955) -- Galaxy of Ghouls
  • Wolf Pack (Fantastic Sep/Oct 1953) -- Beyond the Barriers of Space and Time
  • Michael Moorcock
  • The Mountain (Boys World #21) -- England Swings SF
  • C. L. Moore
  • A Gnome There Was (by Henry Kuttner & CLM) (Unknown Oct 1941) -- Beyond Human Ken as by Lewis Padgett
  • Kris Neville
  • Underground Movement (F&SF Jun 1952) -- Beyond Human Ken
  • Chad Oliver
  • The Boy Next Door (F&SF Jun 1951) -- Human?
  • Lewis Padgett
  • The Dark Angel (Startling Stories Mar 1946) -- Shot in the Dark
  • Richard Parker
  • The Wheelbarrow Boy (Lilliput Oct 1950) -- Galaxy of Ghouls
  • Peter Phillips
  • The Warning (F&SF Sep 1953) -- Beyond the Barriers of Space and Time
  • Charles Platt
  • The Total Experience Kick (New Worlds Dec 1966) -- England Swings SF
  • Edgar Allan Poe
  • The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar (American Whig Review Dec 1845) -- Shot in the Dark
  • Frederik Pohl
  • A Hitch in Time (Thrilling Wonder Stories Jun 1947) -- Shot in the Dark
  • Arthur Porges
  • The Fly (F&SF Sep 1952) -- Beyond Human Ken
  • Mop-Up (F&SF Jul 1953) -- Galaxy of Ghouls
  • Christopher Priest
  • The Run (Impulse May 1966) -- England Swings SF
  • J. B. Priestley
  • The Demon King (The Strand Jan 1931) -- Galaxy of Ghouls
  • Hugh Raymond
  • Spokesman for Terra (Stirring Science Stories Jun 1941) -- Shot in the Dark
  • Peter Redgrove
  • The Idea of Entropy at Maenporth Beach -- England Swings SF
  • Keith Roberts
  • Manscarer (New Writings in SF. 7, 1966) -- England Swings SF
  • Eric Frank Russell
  • The Glass Eye (Astounding Mar 1949) -- Beyond Human Ken
  • Take a Seat (Startling Stories May 1952) -- Human?
  • Alexander Samalman
  • Life on the Moon (Thrilling Wonder Stories Dec 1946) -- Shot in the Dark
  • Josephine Saxton
  • Ne Deja Vu Pas -- England Swings SF
  • Idris Seabright
  • An Egg a Month from All Over (F&SF Oct 1952) -- Human?
  • Robert Sheckley
  • Operating Instructions (Astounding May 1953) -- Beyond the Barriers of Space and Time
  • Proof of the Pudding (Galaxy Aug 1952) -- Galaxy of Ghouls
  • Clifford D. Simak
  • Desertion (Astounding Nov 1944) -- Galaxy of Ghouls
  • Margaret St. Clair
  • The Man Who Sold Rope to the Gnoles (F&SF Oct 1951) -- Beyond Human Ken
  • Theodore Sturgeon
  • The Perfect Host (Weird Tales Nov 1948) -- Beyond Human Ken
  • The Sky Was Full of Ships (Thrilling Wonder Stories Jun 1947) -- Shot in the Dark
  • The Ultimate Egoist (Unknown Feb 1941) -- Human?
  • A Way of Thinking (Amazing Oct/Nov 1953) -- Galaxy of Ghouls
  • Peter Tate
  • Same Autumn in a Different Park (Fantastic Sep 1967) -- England Swings SF
  • William Tenn
  • Brooklyn Project (Planet Stories Fll 1948) -- Shot in the Dark
  • Child's Play (Astounding Mar 1947) -- Galaxy of Ghouls
  • The House Dutiful (Astounding Apr 1948) -- Beyond Human Ken
  • Will Thompson
  • No One Believed Me (The Saturday Evening Post Apr 24 1948) -- Beyond the Barriers of Space and Time
  • James Thurber
  • Interview with a Lemming (PM Mar 3 1941) -- Shot in the Dark
  • Manly Wade Wellman
  • O Ugly Bird! (F&SF Dec 1951) -- Galaxy of Ghouls
  • H. G. Wells
  • The Star (The Graphic Christmas 1897) -- Shot in the Dark
  • The Temptation of Harringay (The St. James's Gazette Feb 9 1895) -- Human?
  • Philip Wylie
  • Blunder (Colliers Jan 26 1946) -- Shot in the Dark
  • John Wyndham
  • Perforce to Dream (Beyond Fantasy Fiction Jan 1954) -- Beyond the Barriers of Space and Time
  • Pamela Zoline
  • The Heat Death of the Universe (New Worlds Jul 1967) -- England Swings SF

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