Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the 20th Century

Great collection of stories. When reading, I’m wrapped up in tales of mind bending delight. When not reading, it doubles as a great coaster for an evening coffee. After coffee, well… back to some immersive reading.

This collection of 27 stories, edited by Orson Scott Card, a science fiction writer of acclaim in his own right, is divided into three sections: "The Golden Age", "The New Wave", and "The Media Generation". Many of the giants of the genre are represented here. Mr Card provides a useful general inroduction to the volume and separate introductions for each story. Story selection is good, for the most part. I personally enjoy "concept driven" or "character driven", as opposed to "technology driven", Sci Fi and these stories fit that description. Some of the selections, especially in the first section, have been frequently anthologized and may be familiar to a well-read Sci Fi fan. However, many stories are not so well-known, especially in the two later sections. There is a fairly high proportion of "gems", worthy of multiple reads, in this volume. (To be fair, there are also a few duds, in my opinion.) Overall, for the money, a great buy.

These twenty-seven science fiction stories are those Orson Scott Card found memorable, enjoyable and influential. Card stratifies his collection by three eras of twentieth century science fiction: The Golden Age (beginning of the century to the mid-1960s); The New Wave (mid-1960s to mid-1970s); and The Media Generation (mid-1970s and onward). Readers interested in the genre's history might consult Adam Roberts' History of Science Fiction for a definition of these eras--and pre-twentieth-century periods that Card omits from consideration. The Golden Age "includes the writers and stories that created science fiction as we know it." Of Card's nine stories, two stand out. Poul Anderson's "Call Me Joe" explores the psychological connection between a biologically-engineered "remote" on Jupiter's surface and its human operator in orbit above. The still-current topic contrasts with a retro feel from "tubes and circuits" technology. Robert Heinlein's "All You Zombies--" guides us through the now-familiar scenario of a time-traveling police force that guards the timelines and recruits from various eras. The story's recruitment is undertaken with a close-knit cast of characters. New Wave stories are drawn from a period when science fiction was moving beyond the common story structures of the Golden Age. I have two favorites of Card's seven. Ursula Le Guin's "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas" reminds us that we pay an almost-hidden price for our happy lives. After reading her story, we cannot claim to have no choice. Larry Niven's "Inconstant Moon" paces through the long, sleepless night after its protagonist figures out the puzzle of the evening sky's too-bright moon. Media Generation stories come from a less well-defined era, produced by writers who grew up watching science fiction movies and television shows. Here are the best two of Card's eleven. George Martin's "Sandkings" features a wealthy man who is self-centered, vain and cruel. And yet his alien pets worship him. Terry Bisson's "Bear's Discover Fire" explores the implications of a slight intelligence increase in a familiar mammal. It is understated, clever, and emotionally rich. The collection is highly recommended, both to experienced fans and to those needing an introduction to this century's science fiction. As Card admits, there are many good stories left out, many important authors not represented. Read for what is here. And enjoy.

Book arrived in excellent conditions. Exactly what I expected.

This is a nice Science Fiction anthology because all the writers are very different. I bought the book to read Heinlein's short - "All you Zombies-" and ended up reading the whole collection. Thumbs up to anyone who enjoys Science Fiction of the last century. It covers the golden age and the new wave of writers.

Title is not misleading, most stories are masterpieces. The last two were meh, "Rat" being bizarre and unsatisfying. Still have to give 5 stars, this will stay in my collection.

This is a small collection of what Card finds to be some of the most influential sci fi across the ages (Golden, New Wave, Media Generation). The book, if you factor out the essays, is probably about 350 pages long, so a fairly quick read for a decent price. Most of the stories were amazing in some way, although there are a few that are so bad that it scratches my head that I can't imagine why Card would include them, such as Ellison's "Repent, Harlequin!" I suppose not all experimental stories are good ones. But then, how do you explain the inclusion of Niven's "Inconstant Moon"? As with all such anthologies, it comes down to your personal opinion. If you happen to like Card's work, you'll probably like a good number of the stories here, since the things a writer reads influences what they write. If you're going in blind and don't happen to like experimental fiction much, a lot of the New Wave stories will fall flat. The "quality" of experimental stories (that survive long enough to make it into anthologies) are often dependent on the temperament of the reader. The rest of the stories are amazing, though, and worth it. You'll just have to read for yourself.

This is a great collection of stories, both classics I've read before and some more recent authors I hadn't encountered. I'd have to say all of the stories are good, but some of them stand out as exceptional, including "Sandkings" by George R.R. Martin, "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" by Ursula K. LeGuin, and the goofy but strangely affecting "Bears Discover Fire" byTerry Bisson. This is a collection by true masters of the genre and covers all types of SF, from soft and hard science to almost-horror, ethical explorations to straight-up space opera, so whatever your preferences you'll find something to enjoy. I've encountered quite a few of these in other collections, like the Science Fiction Hall of Fame, but that's not a failing on the part of Orson Scott Card -- the stories deserve to be included in a collection called "Masterpieces." I do wish Card would have talked about why he chose each piece, rather than simply introducing each story with the author's publishing history, but that's a small quibble for such a great anthology.

excellent

All my old favourites a great read

Excelentes autores, calidad de impresión y precio. Si eres fan de la ciencia ficción debes tenerlo.

Books like this always great holiday reading. This is a choice selection from some of the biggest names in sci-fi writing. Good stuff!!😎

This hefty tome is indeed a wonderful representative of science fiction as practised by authors of the last century. It contained stories from almost every major writer. In its own way it also acted as a mirror of issues that used to concern writers of that bygone era. There are several memorable and evergreen stories here. Unfortunately, the stories also suffered from issues typical of that era, namely~ 1. Very few women writers have been selected, with Ursula Guin getting a very drab piece of her included, while neither Moore nor Brackett finding a place. 2. In the stories, women, LGBTQ, people other than WASP are hardly present. 3. The alien is anthropomorphic caricature of the 'others' rather than being truly alien as we see now. Also, there were few issues pertaining to the selection itself, where~ 1) While Heinlein has been represented by his best story, for the others stories have been chosen that don't do justice to their name and fame. 2) Stories with humour and action have been avoided, due to reasons best known to the editor. Nevertheless, it is a solid collection that's bound to entertain you for several days. However, to call it 'masterpieces' would be a real stretch.