A Century of Science Fiction


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Aldiss SF Omnibus <— Anthologies & Collections —> Knight Century of SF Short Novels
Damon Knight, ed.

Simon & Schuster, 1962

Damon Knight published two dozen reprint anthologies from the early 1960s through 1975 (as well as the influential Orbit series of original anthologies, from 1966 to 1980). His first anthology was one of several of substantial scope, coming at a time when SF was gaining a bit of literary respect, and genre historians were claiming SF antecedents as far back as Plato and Homer. With excerpts from 19th century works by Wells and Verne, this is Knight's first take on the history of science fiction.

(Page numbers below are taken from the 1963 paperback edition.)

  1. “The Ideal” (extract), Stanley G. Weinbaum (Wonder Stories Sep 1935)
  2. “Moxon's Master”, Ambrose Bierce (San Francisco Examiner Apr 16 1899)
  3. “Reason”, Isaac Asimov (Astounding Apr 1941)
  4. “Who Can Replace a Man?”, Brian W. Aldiss (Infinity Science Fiction Jun 1958)
  5. “The Time Machine” (extract), H. G. Wells
  6. “Of Time and Third Avenue”, Alfred Bester (F&SF Oct 1951)
  7. “Sail On! Sail On!”, Philip Jose Farmer (Startling Stories Dec 1952)
  8. “Worlds of the Imperium” (extract), Keith Laumer (Fantastic Feb 1961 (+2))
  9. “The Business, as Usual”, Mack Reynolds (F&SF Jun 1952)
  10. “What's It Like Out There?”, Edmond Hamilton (Thrilling Wonder Stories Dec 1952)
  11. “Sky Lift”, Robert A. Heinlein (Imagination Nov 1953)
  12. “The Star”, Arthur C. Clarke (Infinity Science Fiction Nov 1955)
  13. “The Crystal Egg”, H. G. Wells (The New Review May 1897)
  14. “The Wind People”, Marion Zimmer Bradley (If Feb 1959)
  15. “Unhuman Sacrifice”, Katherine MacLean (Astounding Nov 1958)
  16. “What Was It?”, Fitz-James O'Brien (Harper's Mar 1859)
  17. “The First Days of May”, Claude Veillot (F&SF Dec 1961)
  18. “Day of Succession”, Theodore Thomas (Astounding Aug 1959)
  19. “Angel's Egg”, Edgar Pangborn (Galaxy Jun 1951)
  20. “Another World”, J.-H. Rosny aine (Revue Parisenne 1895)
  21. Odd John (extract), Olaf Stapledon (Methuen 1935)
  22. “Call Me Joe”, Poul Anderson (Astounding Apr 1957)
  23. “From the "London Times" of 1904”, Mark Twain (The Century Nov 1898)
  24. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (extract), Jules Verne (J. Hetzel 1869)
  25. “You Are with It!”, Will Stanton (F&SF Dec 1961)
  26. “Cease Fire”, Frank Herbert (Astounding Jan 1958)
  27.  

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