Harrison/Aldiss : Best SF


science fiction awards database
Ellison: Anthologies <— Anthologies —> Australian SF

Harry Harrison and Brian W. Aldiss launched their annual Best SF series with a "Credo" by James Blish that snipes at the two extant year's best anthology series and suggests minimum standards for a better one. The result is far closer to Merril than to Wollheim/Carr, with numerous works from non-genre sources and the occasional poem or film review (of 2001).

For once the titles reflect the contents: Best SF: 1967, published in 1968, contains stories first published in 1967. The first volume was a paperback original from Berkley Medallion, the next six hardcovers from Putnam's with paperback reprints from Berkley Medallion, and then came two final hardcovers from Bobbs Merril that never had US paperback editions. Each volume opens with an informal introduction by Harrison on changes in the field, and closes with a longer, incisive essay by Aldiss on the state of the literature.

Most reprinted authors: Brian W. Aldiss (7), Lawrence Sail (5 poems), then Thomas M. Disch, Barry N. Malzberg, and Robert Silverberg (4 each).

Most frequent sources: Galaxy (16), Analog (11), F&SF (10), Playboy (8). About 1/3 of all the stories came from various anthologies.

  • Best SF: 1967, (Berkley Medallion, 1968) [isfdb]
  • Best SF: 1968, (G.P. Putnam's, 1969) [isfdb]
  • Best SF: 1969, (G.P. Putnam's, 1970) [isfdb]
  • Best SF: 1970, (G.P. Putnam's, 1971) [isfdb]
  • Best SF: 1971, (G.P. Putnam's, 1972) [isfdb]
  • Best SF: 1972, (G.P. Putnam's, 1973) [isfdb]
  • Best SF: 1973, (G.P. Putnam's, 1974) [isfdb]
  • Best SF: 1974, (Bobbs Merrill, 1975) [isfdb]
  • Best SF: 75, The Ninth Annual, (Bobbs Merrill, 1976) [isfdb]


Combined Contents by Author and Title


Duane Ackerson
  • DNA (Rocket Candy, 1974) -- Best SF: 1974
  • Science Fiction Story (Edge Fll 1973) -- Best SF: 1974
    • Brian W. Aldiss
  • As for Our Fatal Continuity... (New Worlds Quarterly 3, 1972) -- Best SF: 1972
  • The Hunter at His Ease (Science Against Man, 1970) -- Best SF: 1971
  • Listen with Big Brother (Punch Jan 1974) -- Best SF: 1974
  • Progression of the Species (Priapus #8 1967) -- Best SF: 1969
  • Serpent Burning on an Altar (Orbit 12, 1973) -- Best SF: 1973
  • The Serpent of Kundalini (New Worlds Feb 1968) -- Best SF: 1968
  • Working in the Spaceship Yards (Punch Apr 9 1969) -- Best SF: 1969
    • Dick Allen
  • Backward, Into Beasts Evolving... (Counter/Measures 1974) -- Best SF: 1974
    • Kingsley Amis
  • Mason's Life (The Sunday Times (London) 1972) -- Best SF: 1973
  • Report (The New Statesman 1971) -- Best SF: 1971
    • Gleb Anfilov
  • Erem -- Best SF: 1970
    • Isaac Asimov
  • Segregationist (Abbottempo Apr 1967) -- Best SF: 1968
    • W. H. Auden
  • A Curse ( [use TlSnM] 1972) -- Best SF: 1973
    • J. G. Ballard
  • The Assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy Considered as a Downhill Motor Race (Ambit #29 1966) -- Best SF: 1967
  • The Killing Ground (New Worlds Mar 1969) -- Best SF: 1969
    • Donald Barthelme
  • The Genius (New Yorker Feb 20 1971) -- Best SF: 1971
    • Thomas Baum
  • Lost and Found (Playboy Mar 1974) -- Best SF: 1974
    • Charles Baxter
  • The Ideal Police State (The Little Magazine 1971) -- Best SF: 1971
    • Patricia Beer
  • After Death (The New Statesman 1972) -- Best SF: 1972
    • Max Beerbohm
  • Ten Years Ago... -- Best SF: 1973
    • Kenneth Bernard
  • Sister Francetta and Pig Baby (American Review #16 1973) -- Best SF: 1973
    • Alfred Bester
  • The Four-Hour Fugue (Analog Jun 1974) -- Best SF: 1974
    • Michael Bishop
  • The Windows in Dante's Hell (Orbit 12, 1973) -- Best SF: 1973
    • James Blish
  • Statistician's Day (Science Against Man, 1970) -- Best SF: 1971
    • Ben Bova
  • Fifteen Miles (F&SF May 1967) -- Best SF: 1967
    • Tor Åge Bringsvaerd
  • The Man Who Collected the First of September, 1973 -- Best SF: 1973
    • Algis Budrys
  • Now Hear the Word of the Lord (Galaxy Feb 1969) -- Best SF: 1969
  • A Scraping at the Bones (Analog May 1975) -- Best SF: 75, The Ninth Annual
    • Anthony Burgess
  • The Muse (The Hudson Review Spr 1968) -- Best SF: 1969
    • B. Alan Burhoe
  • Ornithanthropus (If Dec 1971) -- Best SF: 1971
    • André Carneiro
  • Darkness (Nova 2, 1972) -- Best SF: 1972
    • Angela Carter
  • The Executioner's Beautiful Daughter (Fireworks, 1974) -- Best SF: 1974
    • A. Bertram Chandler
  • The Left-Hand Way (Australian Science Fiction Review Jul 1967) -- Best SF: 1967
    • Arthur C. Clarke
  • A Meeting with Medusa (Playboy Dec 1971) -- Best SF: 1971
    • Theodore R. Cogswell
  • Early Bird (by TRC & Theodore Thomas) (Astounding, 1973) -- Best SF: 1973
  • Faex Delenda Est (Cornudo 1972) -- Best SF: 1972
    • Lisa Conesa
  • Eyes of a Woman—from a Portrait by Picasso -- Best SF: 1974
    • Robert Coover
  • A Pedestrian Accident (Playboy Jan 1969) -- Best SF: 1970
    • Alan Coren
  • Owing to Circumstances Beyond Our Control 1984 Has Been Unavoidably Detained... (Punch 1974) -- Best SF: 1974
    • John Cotton
  • Columbus on St. Domenica -- Best SF: 1972
  • Report Back (Holding Your Eight Hands, 1969) -- Best SF: 1969
    • Richard Cowper
  • The Custodians (F&SF Oct 1975) -- Best SF: 75, The Ninth Annual
    • Philip K. Dick
  • The Electric Ant (F&SF Oct 1969) -- Best SF: 1969
    • Thomas M. Disch
  • Angouleme (New Worlds Quarterly, 1971) -- Best SF: 1971
  • The Asian Shore (Orbit 6, 1970) -- Best SF: 1970
  • The Birds (The Ruins of Earth, 1973) -- Best SF: 1973
  • The Santa Claus Compromise (Crawdaddy Dec 1974) -- Best SF: 75, The Ninth Annual
    • William J. Earls
  • Traffic Problem (Galaxy Oct 1970) -- Best SF: 1970
    • Paul R. Ehrlich
  • Eco-Catastrophe! (Ramparts Sep 1969) -- Best SF: 1969
    • Harlan Ellison
  • Pretty Maggie Moneyeyes (Knight May 1967) -- Best SF: 1967
    • Jerry Farber
  • Gorman -- Best SF: 1970
    • Philip José Farmer
  • After King Kong Fell (Omega, 1973) -- Best SF: 1974
    • Stephen Goldin
  • Sweet Dreams, Melissa (Galaxy Dec 1968) -- Best SF: 1968
    • Alvin Greenberg
  • "Franz Kafka" by Jorge Luís Borges (New American Review Aug 1970) -- Best SF: 1970
    • James Gunn
  • The Old Folks (Nova 2, 1972) -- Best SF: 1972
    • Anthony Haden-Guest
  • Auto-Apotheosis ( [use TlSnM] 1972) -- Best SF: 1973
    • Joe Haldeman
  • End Game (Analog Jan 1975) -- Best SF: 75, The Ninth Annual
  • Hero (Analog Jun 1972) -- Best SF: 1972
  • We Are Very Happy Here (Analog Nov 1973) -- Best SF: 1973
    • Alex Hamilton
  • Words of Warning -- Best SF: 1972
    • M. John Harrison
  • Settling the World (The New Improved Sun, 1975) -- Best SF: 75, The Ninth Annual
    • William Harrison
  • Roller Ball Murder (Esquire Sep 1973) -- Best SF: 1973
    • Jon Hartridge
  • Like Father (New Worlds Aug 1969) -- Best SF: 1969
    • Steve Herbst
  • An Uneven Evening (Clarion, 1971) -- Best SF: 1971
    • Hayden Howard
  • Oil-Mad Bug-Eyed Monsters (Galaxy Jun 1970) -- Best SF: 1970
    • Fred Hoyle
  • Blackmail (F&SF Feb 1967) -- Best SF: 1967
    • Clive James
  • The Rise of Airstrip One (Punch 1974) -- Best SF: 1974
    • R. A. Lafferty
  • Parthen (Galaxy May 1973) -- Best SF: 1973
    • Keith Laumer
  • The Last Command (Analog Jan 1967) -- Best SF: 1967
    • Ursula K. Le Guin
  • Nine Lives (Playboy Nov 1969) -- Best SF: 1969
    • Fritz Leiber
  • Answering Service (If Dec 1967) -- Best SF: 1967
  • One Station of the Way (Galaxy Dec 1968) -- Best SF: 1968
    • John D. MacDonald
  • The Annex (Playboy May 1968) -- Best SF: 1968
    • Barry N. Malzberg
  • Conquest (New Dimensions I, 1971) -- Best SF: 1971
  • Final War (F&SF Apr 1968) -- Best SF: 1968
  • A Galaxy Called Rome (F&SF Jul 1975) -- Best SF: 75, The Ninth Annual
  • Gehenna (Galaxy Mar 1971) -- Best SF: 1971
  • Pacem Est (by Kris Neville & BNM) (Infinity, 1970) -- Best SF: 1970
    • David I. Masson
  • Lost Ground (New Worlds Dec 1966) -- Best SF: 1968
    • Bruce McAllister
  • The Man Inside (Galaxy May 1969) -- Best SF: 1969
    • Naomi Mitchison
  • Mary and Joe -- Best SF: 1970
    • Michael Moorcock
  • A Dead Singer (Factions, 1974) -- Best SF: 75, The Ninth Annual
    • Slawomir Mrozek
  • The Ugupu Bird -- Best SF: 1970
    • Howard L. Myers
  • Out, Wit! (Analog Jun 1972) -- Best SF: 1972
    • Josef Nesvadba
  • Captain Nemo's Last Adventure (View from Another Shore, 1973) -- Best SF: 1973
  • The Lost Face (Vampires Ltd., 1964) -- Best SF: 1970
    • Kris Neville
  • The Forest of Zil (Amazing Dec 1967) -- Best SF: 1967
  • Pacem Est (by KN & Barry N. Malzberg) (Infinity, 1970) -- Best SF: 1970
    • Robert R. Olsen
  • Paleontology: An Experimental Science (Analog Aug 1974) -- Best SF: 1974
    • Cynthia Ozick
  • The Pagan Rabbi (The Hudson Review 1966) -- Best SF: 1971
    • Richard Peck
  • Gantlet (Orbit 10, 1972) -- Best SF: 1971
    • Louis Phillips
  • The Lop-Eared Cat that Devoured Philadelphia (Cornudo 1975) -- Best SF: 75, The Ninth Annual
    • John R. Pierce
  • The Rime of the Ancient SF Author, or Conventions and Recollections (Fantastic Dec 1968) -- Best SF: 1968
    • Doris Piserchia
  • A Typical Day (Galaxy Mar 1974) -- Best SF: 1974
    • Frederik Pohl
  • The Schematic Man (Playboy Jan 1969) -- Best SF: 1969
    • Christopher Priest
  • The Head and the Hand (New Worlds Quarterly 3, 1972) -- Best SF: 1972
    • Ken W. Purdy
  • The Dannold Cheque (Playboy Sep 1969) -- Best SF: 1969
  • In the Matter of the Assassin Merefirs (Analog Nov 1972) -- Best SF: 1972
    • Peter Redgrove
  • A Twelvemonth (The New York Times 1975) -- Best SF: 75, The Ninth Annual
    • Kit Reed
  • Golden Acres (Mister Da V. and Other Stories, 1967) -- Best SF: 1968
  • Songs of War (Nova 4, 1974) -- Best SF: 1974
  • The Vine (F&SF Nov 1967) -- Best SF: 1967
    • Mack Reynolds
  • Criminal in Utopia (Galaxy Oct 1968) -- Best SF: 1968
    • Keith Roberts
  • Weihnachtabend (New Worlds Quarterly 4, 1972) -- Best SF: 1972
    • Stephen Robinett
  • The Linguist (Galaxy Feb 1975) -- Best SF: 75, The Ninth Annual
    • Frank M. Robinson
  • The Wreck of the Ship John B. (Playboy Jun 1967) -- Best SF: 1967
    • Lawrence Sail
  • After Weightlessness (Opposite Views, 1974) -- Best SF: 1974
  • Cymbal Player (Cornudo 1972) -- Best SF: 1972
  • Fisherman (The New Statesman 1971) -- Best SF: 1971
  • A Picture by Klee (Opposite Views, 1974) -- Best SF: 1974
  • Report from the Planet Proteus (Cornudo 1972) -- Best SF: 1972
    • Steven Schrader
  • The Cohen Dog Exclusion Act (Eco-Fiction, 1971) -- Best SF: 1971
    • C. C. Shackleton
  • Ultimate Construction (Tit-Bits May 6 1967) -- Best SF: 1967
    • Bob Shaw
  • Appointment on Prila (Analog Aug 1968) -- Best SF: 1968
    • Robert Sheckley
  • Doctor Zombie and His Furry Little Friends (Can You Feel Anything When I Do This?, 1971) -- Best SF: 1971
  • Welcome to the Standard Nightmare (Nova 3, 1973) -- Best SF: 1973
    • Robert Silverberg
  • Black Is Beautiful (The Year 2000, 1970) -- Best SF: 1970
  • Hawksbill Station (Galaxy Aug 1967) -- Best SF: 1967
  • To the Dark Star (The Farthest Reaches, 1968) -- Best SF: 1968
  • The Wind and the Rain (Saving Worlds, 1973) -- Best SF: 1973
    • John Sladek
  • 1937 A.D.! (New Worlds Jul 1967) -- Best SF: 1967
    • Norman Spinrad
  • No Direction Home (New Worlds Quarterly 2, 1971) -- Best SF: 1971
    • Craig Strete
  • Time Deer (Red Planet Earth #4 1974) -- Best SF: 1974
    • D. M. Thomas
  • Hospital of Transplanted Hearts (New Worlds Jan 1969) -- Best SF: 1969
    • Theodore Thomas
  • Early Bird (by Theodore R. Cogswell & TT) (Astounding, 1973) -- Best SF: 1973
    • James Thurber
  • Interview with a Lemming (PM Mar 3 1941) -- Best SF: 1967
    • James Tiptree, Jr.
  • The Snows Are Melted, The Snows Are Gone (Venture Nov 1969) -- Best SF: 1969
  • The Women Men Don't See (F&SF Dec 1973) -- Best SF: 1974
    • Lisa Tuttle
  • Changelings (Galaxy Mar 1975) -- Best SF: 75, The Ninth Annual
    • John Updike
  • The Chaste Planet (New Yorker Nov 10 1975) -- Best SF: 75, The Ninth Annual
    • Steven Utley
  • Sport (Cornudo 1973) -- Best SF: 1973
    • Sydney J. Van Scyoc
  • When Petals Fall (Two Views of Wonder, 1973) -- Best SF: 1974
    • Ilya Varshavsky
  • Escape -- Best SF: 1973
    • William John Watkins
  • Two Poems (Cornudo 1973) -- Best SF: 1973
    • Ian Watson
  • Programmed Love Story (Transatlantic Review #48 1974) -- Best SF: 1974
    • Joseph Wesley
  • Womb to Tomb (Analog Aug 1969) -- Best SF: 1969
    • Kate Wilhelm
  • The Scream (Orbit 13, 1974) -- Best SF: 1974
    • Robin Scott Wilson
  • Gone Fishin' (F&SF Oct 1970) -- Best SF: 1970
    • Gene Wolfe
  • La Befana (Galaxy Jan 1973) -- Best SF: 1973
  • Car Sinister (F&SF Jan 1970) -- Best SF: 1970
    • Gary Wright
  • Mirror of Ice (Galaxy Jun 1967) -- Best SF: 1967
    • Pg Wyal
  • The Castle on the Crag (Fantastic Feb 1969) -- Best SF: 1969
    • Robert F. Young
  • The Years (Galaxy Sep 1972) -- Best SF: 1972

    • Copyright 2012 - 2025 by Mark R. Kelly and the Locus Science Fiction Foundation. All rights reserved.
    This page last updated Thursday 3 Sep 2020 at 10:23 PT