The book, The Mammoth Book of 20th Century Science Fiction is edited by David G. Hartwell. It boasts on the front cover: that it is: "The biggest and best science Fiction Anthology Ever Published". And there, as they say, is the rub. Is it?
Although I acknowledge that there are a great many ... Read review
Advantages: Some real gems Disadvantages: Some dross
The book, The Mammoth Book of 20th Century Science Fiction is edited by David G. Hartwell. It boasts on the front cover: that it is: "The biggest and best science Fiction Anthology Ever Published". And there, as they say, is the rub. Is it?
Although I acknowledge that there are a great many good science fiction stories in this anthology, I would have to argue against it being the best. And as for the biggest? Well, Asimov's ... ...this book should be: "The Mammoth Book of 20th Century Science Fiction, The biggest and best science Fiction Anthology Ever Published (excluding John W. Campbell, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke, etc.")
The problem here is that (for reasons he goes on to explain, which, in my opinion, are weak) Hartwell has gone for a selection which includes a lot of second and third drawer science fiction writers, ... more
The book, The Mammoth Book of 20th Century Science Fiction is edited by David G. Hartwell. It boasts on the front cover: that it is: "The biggest and best science Fiction Anthology Ever Published". And there, as they say, is the rub. Is it?
Although I acknowledge that there are a great many good science fiction stories in this anthology, I would have to argue against it being the best. And as for the biggest? Well, Asimov's Before the Golden Age (volumes 1 to 4) is a worthy contender for this title, I would have thought.
And the best? It cannot be. Why? Because as Hartwell states in the introduction: "I would like to acknowledge the significant presence of John W. Campbell, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke and all the other science fiction writers who are not reprinted in this book."
Therefore the correct title of this book should be: "The Mammoth Book of 20th Century Science Fiction, The biggest and best science Fiction Anthology Ever Published (excluding John W. Campbell, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke, etc.")
The problem here is that (for reasons he goes on to explain, which, in my opinion, are weak) Hartwell has gone for a selection which includes a lot of second and third drawer science fiction writers, amongst some real gems.
A Work of Art (which tells the tragic tale of a re-animated Richard Strauss) by James Blish is a good story which fairly much holds up against the best short stories of Heinlein, etc.
The other stories are a curiously unsatisfying mixture of well-crafted art and derivative pap. We do not have to read the stories of John W. Campbell, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke, because it is clear that some of the authors of the stories in this book have read them for us and have presented them as the pre-digested pigeon milk that a pigeon feeds its young.
One of the gems, however, is a quirky story by Cordwainer Smith, called Drunkboat. At £7.99, I'd say the book was worth buying for this one story, alone. Quirky? True. Weird? Yes. But this is a fantastic story of overwhelming love that is very moving.
Do I recommend this book? Yes, but cautiously, because as the editor admitted, he has deliberately excluded some of the finest voices of 20th century science fiction and this some of the best examples of the genre.
Martinscholes 12.11.2005
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Review of Mammoth book of 20th Century Science Fiction Volume Two
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