Your Favorite Collection of sci-fi Short Stories

McMurphy

McMurphy

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Brian hit on a really interesting discussion when commenting on Gaiman's short story collections.

What is everyone's favorite short story collection?

For a single author collection, I must admit Stephen King's Skeletion Crew is among my favorities.

For multiple author collections, I must get a little vague and say that I have always enjoyed the "Year's Best in..." collections that come out annually.
 
Somehow, I tend to think the sf short story has gone off the boil in recent times - the 'year's bests' just do not seem to pack in as many truly excellent stories as a collection from anywhere between the 50s and 70s would. I suppose it's a reflection of the trend towards sheer volume in sf/f and partly a purely subjective opinion.

For multiple author collections, I'd say the first SF Hall of Fame anthology (edited by Robert Silverberg) has to be the strongest I've read, including essentials such as Asimov's Nightfall, Clarke's Nine Billion Names of God and more, and serving as a sort of sf primer.

Coming to single author collections, nearly anything by Ray Bradbury is cool, but I suppose a personal favourite would be The October Country for a certain moody atmosphere that pervades.

Strange Doings by RA Lafferty seems to be an incredibly good collection of concise, unusual and rewarding short stories. It's the only one by Lafferty I've read, so I don't know if it's his best.

Cordwainer Smith was another master of the short story - get hold of whichever collection of his short stories you can.

Some of my favourite Lovecraft tales are collected in an anthology called The Dream Cycle of HP Lovecraft (with an intro by Neil Gaiman).

Asimov's Mysteries, a collection of his sf mystery tales, was the first sf book I read so I ought to add that as well.

More as I recall them.
 
I'm a sucker for Asimov's short story collections - Buy Jupiter springs to mind.

Also, Frederick Pohl has edited a few collections of 'Nebula Winners' by various writers which are often worthwhile reading.
 
Hmm, single author, I loved Iain M Banks' "State of the Art" colection.

Multi-author, definately "Cities", published by Pete Crowther, with Mieville's "The Tain", "A year in linear city" by Paul DiPhillipo, and a coupel of others nearly of comparable quality:)
 
I have to confess that I'm not a big fan of short stories. Not because they are of any lesser quality, far from it. It is because by the time I've "gotten into" the stories and the characters, end of story.

It has been many years since I've read any sci fi short stories, I think the last one I did read was by Asimov, and I forget which one.
 
I'm also not a big short story fan, mainly because they are short! lol, i get to attached to characters, and hate it when they are gone.

but i do have three short story collections of ms maccaffrey, to ride the unicorn, skies of pern and another dragon titled one, cannot remember.the skies of pern short stories are really gap fillers to the chronicles of pern, but the others are bit bit darker than her usual fare, and very interesting to read.
 
Two that immediately spring to mind are:

The Cyberiad - Stanislaw Lem,
Mortal Engines - Stanislaw Lem.

They are closely linked, all about machines (sentient ones at that) and their follies. The irreverent approach of Lem (though completely absent in Solaris for some reason) is captured perfectly by the books. Probably the highlight is the first story of 'The Cyberiad' where Trurl the constructor creates a machine that can create anything beginning with 'n'.

The other one I love is Gibson, 'Burning Chrome', which really got me into all his work after having (shameful admission) been put off cyberpunk by playing the Shadowrun roleplaying game.
 
Definitely Clarke's "The Tales from White Hart"! The funny thing is, I have never actually read that specific collection (damn that small library!). I read from a short story and novella collection of Clarke a few pieces from "The Tales from White Hart". Everyone single one of them attracted me. The stories all have incredible plots, imaginative in a twisted way. I also absolutely adore the way the narrator recounts each story in a bar. Very cool stories. They are all so humourous and whimsical. Now, I must be off to the library downtown and try to find that book....
 
I have a copy of The Complete Short Stories of Arthur C Clarke, and the White Hart tales are a real standout.

The Four Quarters of the Wind by Ursula Le Guin is an excellent collection. Other writers who seem especially good in the short format: Harlan Ellison (can't really recall any longer stuff, actually), James Tiptree Jr, Samuel Delany (far less utter bewilderment than in his novels!), CM Kornbluth. Oddly, Larry Niven's short stories in Inconstant Moon may be my favourite among his work, apart from teh Tales of Known SPace collection.
 
Thinking of buying Gaiman's "Smoke and Mirrors" when I have any money again... anyone read it?
 
Iv'e enjoyed reading Asimov's Complete Robot(inlcludes I Robot), Philip K Dick's The Days of Perky Pat, Ursula de Guin's The Birthday of the World and also State of the Art by Iain M Banks.
 
Seth God Of Chaos said:
Needle in a timestack

Cant remember the author but it got me into science fiction
Click to expand...
Needle in a Timestack is an anthology of short fiction by sf great, Robert Silverberg. There is also a story of that name by Silverberg:

Needle in a Timestack (1983)

This story appears to fit in with the version of time travel presented in "The Far Side of the Bell-Shaped Curve", only a different type of dilemma is explored: what if a time traveler, instead of visiting the great moments of history, became obsessed with getting back an ex-lover? The scenario presents a very fluid vision of reality-- with the past changing constantly, everyone accepts new situations with a casual attitude. After a moment of disorientation, you go on with a new version of your life. It's technically illegal to manipulate the past for private game, but how can you prove a crime when the very success of the crime eliminates it from the past?

Mr. Silverberg informs me that Miramax studio has purchased the rights to make a movie of this story, though at the moment there is no timetable for production or word about who might write, produce, direct, or star in such a film (if it's ever made).

Info from: http://www.owmyhead.com/silverberg/oldsite/Shorts/silvshort_n.htm#Timestack
 
My favorite collection of short stories would have to be Ray Bradbury's The Illustrated Man. I think it's interesting the way he ties the short stories into a complete novel.
 
I love Harlan Ellison's "Dangerous Visions."

When it comes to fantasy/spec fic I prefer novels, although I like horror short stores better. Therefore "The Dark Descent" is well worth the investment. It's a huge history of the horror story's evolution, and it includes everyone from Charles Dickens to Stephen King.

"The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror" is usually great, and this year's edition had some wonderful fantasy as well as a great piece revolving around a sentient mechanical dragon-ship that terrorizes a village.

Finally, George R. R. Martin's "Portraits of His Children," which contains sci-fi, fantasy, and a lot of neutral ground. I love the title story, "The Glass Flower" and "The Lonely Songs of Loren Dorr."

Lucifer.
 
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