“Powers x 4!”: Here’s the 4th volume of Judith Merril’s SF… series, published in 1959, featuring another example of Richard Powers’ book art. As per the cover of the 3rd volume of the series, the sky (which is actually outer space, what with the earth and moon in an obvious foreground) Powers’ backdrop horizontally transitions from hues of orange, to blue, to very (very) dark blue from bottom to top. And, a highly stylized multi-stage spacecraft flies away from the earth in an otherwise empty sky.
Of the stories in this volume, I particularly recall “The Prize of Peril” (the basis of the film “The Running Man“), “Or All the Seas with Oysters”, and “The Comedian’s Children”, the latter of which I very recently read (in September of 2024) in its original format, in Venture Science Fiction … which cover I hope to display at this blog in the future. Sheckley’s tale is excellent; I like his work in general. “The Comedian’s Children” very well told, has a denouement that unfortunately gradually veers away from the air of science fiction with which the story began, to an anticlimactic realm redolent of sociology and crime fiction. As for Avram Davidson’s story? I actually read that one while a sophomore in college; my original paperback, still in my library, can be viewed at the link below. It’s a very clever, somewhat dark tale, but really not that profound. As in volume 3 of this series, note that the latter content of the book is comprised of non-fiction essays, rather than short stories.
Inside you’ll find…
Introduction (“SF:’59: The Year’s Greatest Science Fiction and Fantasy”), Essay by Judith Merril
“Pelt”, by Carol Emshwiller,
from The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, November, 1958
“Triggerman”, by J.F. Bone [Jesse Franklin Bone],
from Astounding Science Fiction, December, 1958
“The Prize of Peril”, by Robert Sheckley,
from The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, May, 1958
“Hickory, Dickory, Kerouac”, by Richard Gehman,
from Playboy, March, 1958
“The Yellow Pill”, by Rog Phillips,
from Astounding Science Fiction, October, 1958
“River of Riches”, by Gerald Kersh,
from The Saturday Evening Post, March 8, 1958
“Satellite Passage”, by Theodore L. Thomas,
from If, December, 1958
“Casey Agonistes”, by R.C. McKenna,
from The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, September, 1958
“Space-Time for Springers” [Gummitch the Cat series], by Fritz Leiber,
from Star Science Fiction Stories No. 4, November, 1958
“Or All the Seas with Oysters”, by Avram Davidson,
from Galaxy Science Fiction, May, 1958
“Ten-Story Jigsaw”, by Brian W. Aldiss [variant of “Ten-Story Jigsaw”,
from Nebula Science Fiction “Number 26, January, 1958],
specifically for this volume
“Fresh Guy”, by E.C. Tubb [Edwin Charles Tubb],
from Science Fantasy, June, 1958
“The Beautiful Things”, by Arthur Zirul,
from Fantastic Universe, May, 1958
“The Comedian’s Children”, by Theodore Sturgeon,
from Venture Science Fiction, May, 1958
“The Short-Short Story of Mankind” [variant of “We Are Holding Our Own”,
by John Steinbeck, Lilliput, November, 1955], specifically for this volume
“From Science Fiction to Science Fact: The Universe”, Essay by Judith Merril,
specifically for this volume
“Man in Space”, Essay by Daniel Lang,
from The New Yorker, November, 1958
“Rockets to Where?”, Essay by Judith Merril,
specifically for this volume
“The Thunder-Thieves”, Poem by Isaac Asimov,
specifically for this volume
“The Thunder-Thieves (afterword)”, Essay by Isaac Asimov,
specifically for this volume
The Year’s S-F, Summation and Honorable Mentions
(“SF: The Year’s Greatest Science Fiction and Fantasy: 4th Annual Volume”), Essay by Judith Merril
Still life with references
Internet Speculative Fiction Database
Published Variants of This Book (Only two, could this be true?!)