The Wesleyan Anthology of Science Fiction

This book comes closer to being The Definitive Science Fiction Anthology than any other book ever published. Over the decades, other editors have attempted to create a definitive anthology of this genre but not achieved that goal. If you could only get one science fiction anthology, this would be the one to get. I would further supplement this book with the following ones:_The Science Fiction Hall of Fame: Volume One, 1929-1964_, edited by Robert Silverberg._The Best of the Nebulas_, edited by Ben Bova (basically a continuation of the _Hall of Fame_ covering the years 1965-1985)._A Science Fiction Argosy_, edited by Damon Knight._The World Treasury of Science Fiction_, edited by David G. Hartwell._The Ascent of Wonder_, edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer._Adventures in Time and Space_, edited by Raymond J. Healy and Francis J. McComas.and the four main Groff Conklin anthologies.Unfortunately, of all these books, only _The Science Fiction Hall of Fame_ is still in print. Fortunately, Volume One of that series is still the second-best science fiction anthology ever published. At the time of its publication, it really was the best and most definitive anthology of the genre. But it was published many decades ago and limited to the period 1929-1964. So now, that distinction falls to this book, _The Wesleyan Anthology of Science Fiction_.

I Only purchased this because it was the required text for class. The stories we read were cool and interesting. However, all the stories we read can be found online for free. So this seemed pretty pointless to buy. The introductions to the stories were somewhat helpful when writing an analysis. All in all, I gave it a 5/5 because its a nice collection of short stories. This would be a great book to add to your collection if you are a SciFi enthusiast. (I am not a SciFi fan)

Great selection of short stories. Good overview of authors and gives you a feel for the time periods. Fiction that explores relevant topics.

Okay, so I'm a little over half way through it now (it's something like 700 pages of the best sci fi short stories ever written in my mind, by science fiction legends) and all I can say is that this book is phenomenal. I've heard about many of the short stories included in this volume, many of them have been the basis for huge blockbuster movies. Take "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale" by Phillip K Dick, that short story more or less inspired the film "Total Recall". You have stories that stick with you like "Burning Chrome" by William Gibson, the man credited with coining the term 'cybersapce'. If you're a fan of Black Mirror or just want to know what real, good, top shelf science fiction is, I whole-heartedly recommend this.

New stories I have not read before.

If you want this as an starting point for a science fiction reading journey, then this is not only essential but extremely enjoyable too. There's stories in here everyone should know. The selection is carefully crafted, the online reading guide that comes with it is outstanding, and you get a full breadth of stories.If, however, you're an advanced science fiction reader, many of these stories will be redundant. You'll know them (or at least, you SHOULD) and/or you'll be so accustomed to the tropes that it may not hold that much interest. Still, there's a couple of stories that I guarantee you HAVEN'T read and will be glad you did later.

I really enjoy these short stories when reading this for my creative writing class so bought the book.

Not all the stories are great but it’s still worth reading.

This chronologically organised overview of SF short stories from 1844 (Nathaniel Hawthorne, not usually hailed as a pioneer of the genre) to 2008 (Ted Chiang, usually and rightly hailed as one of the best SF writers in the world) is, within its remit, about as definitive as such a book could get. The remit - once you get past the first four stories, which predate the pulp era - is SF produced within what started as the pulp magazine tradition. Consequently, the vast majority of contributors are American, and, apart from Verne near the beginning, the only work not originally written in English is an excerpt from Lem's "Star Diaries".Within that remit, it's virtually perfect. To quote Kim Stanley Robinson (on the back cover) "This is an excellent collection of one of world literature's greatest treasure troves: the science fiction short story in English. The stories form a kind of history of the genre, and are a continuous reading pleasure" (there's no Robinson story here, before you get all cynical).Robinson is right. A quick scan of the contents reveals classic after classic, interspersed with some less familiar items which turn out to be just as good, from all obvious stylistic schools - to the extent Heinlein is followed immediately by Ballard. Not all of the field's big names are here, but very many are. All the main thematic sub-genres are covered (with the notable exception of Alternate History). Of the 52 stories, there was only one I didn't like at all, though obviously, of the rest, I liked some rather more than others. What's surprising is how well the older material holds up. SF, by its nature, is prone to built-in obsolescence, so older material can seem very dated, but the editors have done a very fine job in selecting material that's largely resistant to the depredations of time. Strangely, the most dated stories are 1980s cyberpunk offerings from William Gibson and Pat Cadigan, self-consciously hip and trapped in their era so tightly you can almost hear Fairlight samples and that crappy '80s drum sound. Quite how these seem more like period pieces than Edmond Hamilton from 1931 is a question for the ages, or at least something to ponder for a couple of minutes before you drift off to sleep.You also get a surprisingly digestible introduction (considering the editors are academics) and detailed introductions to each story, including biographical notes on the authors.The only real caveats here are the hefty outlay, especially for any well-read SF fan who already knows and owns much of this material. Personally, I think it's worth it to have all of this high quality material in one place, but there's no denying this - presumably because it's from an academic publisher - isn't a cheap item. Otherwise, it's hard to conceive of a better overview of SF in English. Let's wrap up with another back-cover quote, this time from the formidably astute critic John Clute:"[This book] presents the best sample from today's SF megatext - the 'fictive universe that includes all the SF stories that have ever been told', as the authors neatly put it - that I could imagine fitting between two covers. Every story feels necessary to the whole. And the whole is a lure for readers, for teachers who want to inspire their classes, for all of us who care about understanding the turbulent world around us".

Brilliant collection

Great!

This anthology has it all - from classic science fiction of Jules Verne to modern writers such as William Gibson and everyone in between! If you are reading it as part of an academic course or for pleasure - or both you - won't be disappointed and if you are, its only because you might want more! Great stories accompanied by a short but through biography of the writers responsible for them make it a 'must have' for science fiction lovers. Make a space for it on your bookshelves - you will want a copy of it!

Bought on recommendation from Crooked Timber writer (crookedtimber.org) who used it teaching a university sci-fi course. Wonderful stuff - stories and authors I'd read, loved but forgotten, and now rediscovered. And what stories that are! Buy and enjoy.