11th Annual Edition: The Year’s Best S-F – September, 1967 [George Ziel] (Dell # 2241)

Continuing with the series’ later trend of incomprehensively bad cover art, we come to the 11th Annual Edition: The Year’s Best S-F.  This composition’s pretty simple: a “face” (veritably: booo!) is set between some-kind-of-planet-symbols, against a dark violet background.  Nothing to write home about; nothing to remember; I’m just including this post for the sake of comprehensively showing the series.

Otherwise, I found nothing memorable; worthy of comment, for this edition of the series.  However, it’s interesting that seven stories were specifically written for this volume.  By no means is this collection a “galaxy of genius”.  It is, however, a collection.  

Turn the page(s)…

Introduction (11th Annual Edition: The Year’s Best S-F), Essay by Judith Merril

“Something Else”, by Robert J. Tilley,
from The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, October, 1965

“The Volcano Dances”, by J. G. Ballard,
from book The Terminal Beach, June, 1964

“Slow Tuesday Night”, by R. A. Lafferty,
from Galaxy Magazine, April, 1965

“Better Than Ever”, by Alex Kirs,
from The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, March, 1965

“Coming-of-Age Day”, by A. K. Jorgensson,
from Science Fantasy, September, 1965

“The Wall”, by Josephine Saxton,
from Science Fantasy, November, 1965

“The Survivor”, by Walter F. Moudy,
from Amazing Stories, May, 1965

“Moon Duel”, by Fritz Leiber,
from If, September, 1965

“Project Inhumane”, by Alexander Malec,
specifically for this volume

“Those Who Can, Do”, by Robert T. Kurosaka (as by Bob Kurosaka),
from The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, January, 1965

“Susan”, by Keith Roberts (as by Alistair Bevan),
from Science Fantasy, April, 1965

“Yesterdays’ Gardens”, by Johnny Byrne,
from Science Fantasy, November, 1965

“The Roaches”, by Thomas M. Disch,
from Escapade, October, 1965

“Game”, by Donald Barthelme,
from The New Yorker, July 31, 1965

“J Is for Jeanne”, by E. C. Tubb,
from New Worlds SF, December, 1965

“Terminal”, by Ron Goulart,
from Fantastic Stories of Imagination, May, 1965

“The Plot”, by Tom Herzog,
from Rogue, December, 1965

“Investigating the Bidwell Endeavors”, by David R. Bunch,
specifically for this volume

“The Case”, by Peter Redgrove,
specifically for this volume

“There’s a Starman in Ward 7”, by David Rome,
from New Worlds SF, #146, January, 1965

“Eyes Do More Than See”, by Isaac Asimov,
from The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, April, 1965

“Maelstrom II”, by Arthur C. Clarke,
from Playboy, April, 1965

“Two Telepathic Letters to Lord Kelvin”, by Alfred Jarry,
specifically for this volume

“Warrior” (Childe Cycle series), by Gordon R. Dickson,
from Analog Science Fiction -> Science Fact, December 1965

“Mars Is Ours!”, by Art Buchwald,
specifically for this volume

“Scarfe’s World”, by Brian W. Aldiss,
from Worlds of Tomorrow, March, 1965

“A Singular Case of Extreme Electrolyte Balance Associated with Folie a Deux”,
by Robert D. Tschirgi, specifically for this volume

“A Magus” (poem), by John Ciardi,
specifically for this volume

“The Circular Ruins”, by Jorge Luis Borges (translation of “Las ruinas circulares” 1940,
from book El jardín de senderos que se bifurcan, 1941),
in book Labyrinths: Selected Stories & Other Writings, 1962

“The Girl Who Drew the Gods”, by Harvey Jacobs,
from Mademoiselle, May, 1965

“The Drowned Giant”, by J. G. Ballard,
from book The Terminal Beach, June, 1964

“Circe Undersea or a Cry from the Depths”, by George MacBeth,
specifically for this volume

“Somewhere Not Far from Here”, by Gerald Kersh,
from Playboy, March, 1965

“In the Ruins”, by Roald Dahl,
specifically for this volume

“Traveller’s Rest”, by David I. Masson,
from New Worlds SF, September, 1965

“Ado About Nothing”, by Robert K. Ottum (as by Bob Ottum, Jr.),
from The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, March, 1965

Summation (The 11th Annual of the Year’s Best S-F), Essay by Judith Merril

Still life with references

Internet Speculative Fiction Database

This Book’s Contents

Published Variants of This Book (Neither four nor three but two I see!)

10th Annual Edition: The Year’s Best S-F – December, 1966 [George Ziel] (Dell # 8611)

The 10th Annual Edition: The Year’s Best S-F, features cover art having a “spacey” mood to it:  An oblate spheroid with a banded, orange-brown atmosphere (A “brown dwarf” A gas giant?) hovers at lower left, while at upper center, is that a blue-dwarf sun that we see in the distance?  Alas, given muted colors and dark greenish-gray background, it’s neither a vivid nor striking nor memorable image.  But I suppose it nominally fulfills the role of cover art.  Barely. 

As for the content of this volume.  Well.  Ahem.  Continuing the trend of prior, recent editions of the S-F (or if you prefer, SF) series, there’s nothing that memorable here.  The singular exception is Roger Zelazny’s “A Rose for Ecclesiastes”, which is probably the best story in this volume.  

What you’ll find inside…

“Automatic Tiger”, by Kit Reed,
from The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, March, 1964

“The Carson Effect”, by Richard Wilson,
from Worlds of Tomorrow, November, 1964

“The Shining Ones”, by Arthur C. Clarke,
from Playboy, August, 1964

“Pacifist”, by Mack Reynolds,
from The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, January, 1964

“The New Encyclopaedist” (New Encyclopaedist series), by Stephen Becker,
from The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, May, 1964

“The Legend of Joe Lee”, by John D. MacDonald,
from Cosmopolitan, October, 1964

“Gas Mask”, by James D. Houston,
specifically for this volume

“A Sinister Metamorphosis”, by Russell Baker,
specifically for this volume

“Sonny”, by Rick Raphael,
from Analog Science Fact -> Science Fiction, April 1963

“The Last Secret Weapon of the Third Reich” (Variant title of “Poslední tajná zbraň Třetí říše?”, 1962), by Josef Nesvabda,
from book Vampires Ltd., 1964

“Descending”, by Thomas M. Disch,
from Fantastic Stories of Imagination, July, 1964

“Decadence” (translation of Décadence unknown), by Romain Gary (Roman Kaczew),
from book Hissing Tales, March, 1964

“Be of Good Cheer”, by Fritz Leiber,
from Galaxy Magazine, October, 1964

“It Could Be You”, by Frank Roberts, from The Bulletin, March, 1962,
first publication in Hal Porter’s Coast to Coast Sydney : Angus et Robertson, 1962 (which credits “The Bulletin”)

“A Benefactor of Humanity”, by James T. Farrell,
specifically for this volume

“Synchromocracy”, by Hap Cawood,
specifically for this volume

“The Search”, by Bruce Simonds,
from The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, June, 1964

“The Pirokin Effect”, by Larry Eisenberg,
from Amazing Stories, June, 1964

“The Twerlik”, by Jack Sharkey,
from Worlds of Tomorrow, June, 1964

A Rose for Ecclesiastes”, by Roger Zelazny,
from The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, November, 1963

“The Terminal Beach”, by J.G. Ballard,
from New Worlds Science Fiction, March, 1964

“Problem Child”, by Arthur Porges,
from Analog Science Fact -> Science Fiction, April 1964

“The Wonderful Dog Suit”, by Donald Hall
specifically for this volume

“The Mathenauts”, by Norman Kagan,
from If, July, 1964

“Family Portrait”, by Morgan Kent,
from Fantastic Stories of Imagination, August, 1964

“The Red Egg”, by José María Gironella,
from book Phantoms and Fugitives, 1964

“The Power of Positive Thinking”, by M. E. White,
specifically for this volume

“A Living Doll”, by unknown (as by Robert Wallace),
from Harper’s Magazine, January, 1964

“Training Talk”, by David R. Bunch,
from Fantastic Stories of Imagination, March, 1964

“A Miracle Too Many”, by Alan E. Nourse and Philip H. Smith,
from The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, September, 1964

“The Last Lonely Man”, by John Brunner,
from New Worlds SF, May-June 1964

“The Man Who Found Proteus”, by Robert Rohrer,
from Fantastic Stories of Imagination, November, 1964

“Yachid and Yechida”, by Isaac Bashevis Singer (translation of Yahid un Yehidah),
from book Short Friday and Other Stories, 1964

Summation (10th Annual Edition: The Year’s Best S-F), Essay by Judith Merril

And so on…?

Internet Speculative Fiction Database

This Book’s Contents

Published Variants of This Book (Six by golly, potentially jolly!)