Distant planets, galaxies, alien races--the universe is vast and filled with an almost unimaginable range of possibilities. But imagine it we can. Here are more than twenty stories from the most inventive writers in the field, including:
Poul Anderson * Stephen Baxter * Greg Bear * Gregory Benford * Arthur C. Clarke * Hal Clement * Greg Egan * H. B. Fyfe * R. A. Lafferty * Geoffrey A. Landis * Ursula K. Le Guin * Jack McDevitt * Larry Niven * G. David Nordley * Edgar Pangborn * Kim Stanley Robinson * James H. Schmitz * Cordwainer Smith * Michael Swanwick * James Tiptree, Jr. * John Varley * Vernor Vinge
These are the stories of discovering those possibilities-the stories of the explorers and pioneers who push the envelope further out--exciting tales of alien landscapes and adventures on far distant shores that are the heart and soul of science fiction.
Contents ix • Preface (Explorers: SF Adventures to Far Horizons) • essay by Gardner Dozois 1 • The Sentinel • [2001] • (1951) • shortstory by Arthur C. Clarke 9 • Moonwalk • (1952) • novelette by H. B. Fyfe 41 • Grandpa • (1955) • novelette by James H. Schmitz 60 • The Red Hills of Summer • (1959) • novelette by Edgar Pangborn 90 • The Longest Voyage • (1960) • novelette by Poul Anderson 115 • Hot Planet • (1963) • shortstory by Hal Clement 133 • Drunkboat • [The Instrumentality of Mankind] • (1963) • novelette by Cordwainer Smith 158 • Becalmed in Hell • [Known Space] • (1965) • shortstory by Larry Niven 169 • Nine Hundred Grandmothers • (1966) • shortstory by R. A. Lafferty 178 • The Keys to December • (1966) • novelette by Roger Zelazny 198 • Vaster Than Empires and More Slow • (1971) • novelette by Ursula K. Le Guin 222 • A Meeting With Medusa • (1971) • novelette by Arthur C. Clarke 255 • The Man Who Walked Home • (1972) • shortstory by James Tiptree, Jr. 268 • Long Shot • (1972) • shortstory by Vernor Vinge 279 • In the Hall of the Martian Kings • (1976) • novella by John Varley 313 • Ginungagap • (1980) • novelette by Michael Swanwick 339 • Exploring Fossil Canyon • (1982) • novelette by Kim Stanley Robinson 359 • Promises to Keep • (1984) • novelette by Jack McDevitt 374 • Lieserl • (1993) • shortstory by Stephen Baxter 389 • Crossing Chao Meng Fu • (1997) • novelette by G. David Nordley 416 • Wang's Carpets • (1995) • novelette by Greg Egan 443 • A Dance to Strange Musics • (1998) • novelette by Gregory Benford 462 • Approaching Perimelasma • (1998) • novelette by Geoffrey A. Landis
Distant planets, galaxies, alien races--the universe is vast and filled with an almost unimaginable range of possibilities. But imagine it we can. Here are more than twenty stories from the most inventive writers in the field, including:
Poul Anderson * Stephen Baxter * Greg Bear * Gregory Benford * Arthur C. Clarke * Hal Clement * Greg Egan * H. B. Fyfe * R. A. Lafferty * Geoffrey A. Landis * Ursula K. Le Guin * Jack McDevitt * Larry Niven * G. David Nordley * Edgar Pangborn * Kim Stanley Robinson * James H. Schmitz * Cordwainer Smith * Michael Swanwick * James Tiptree, Jr. * John Varley * Vernor Vinge
These are the stories of discovering those possibilities-the stories of the explorers and pioneers who push the envelope further out--exciting tales of alien landscapes and adventures on far distant shores that are the heart and soul of science fiction.
Contents ix • Preface (Explorers: SF Adventures to Far Horizons) • essay by Gardner Dozois 1 • The Sentinel • [2001] • (1951) • shortstory by Arthur C. Clarke 9 • Moonwalk • (1952) • novelette by H. B. Fyfe 41 • Grandpa • (1955) • novelette by James H. Schmitz 60 • The Red Hills of Summer • (1959) • novelette by Edgar Pangborn 90 • The Longest Voyage • (1960) • novelette by Poul Anderson 115 • Hot Planet • (1963) • shortstory by Hal Clement 133 • Drunkboat • [The Instrumentality of Mankind] • (1963) • novelette by Cordwainer Smith 158 • Becalmed in Hell • [Known Space] • (1965) • shortstory by Larry Niven 169 • Nine Hundred Grandmothers • (1966) • shortstory by R. A. Lafferty 178 • The Keys to December • (1966) • novelette by Roger Zelazny 198 • Vaster Than Empires and More Slow • (1971) • novelette by Ursula K. Le Guin 222 • A Meeting With Medusa • (1971) • novelette by Arthur C. Clarke 255 • The Man Who Walked Home • (1972) • shortstory by James Tiptree, Jr. 268 • Long Shot • (1972) • shortstory by Vernor Vinge 279 • In the Hall of the Martian Kings • (1976) • novella by John Varley 313 • Ginungagap • (1980) • novelette by Michael Swanwick 339 • Exploring Fossil Canyon • (1982) • novelette by Kim Stanley Robinson 359 • Promises to Keep • (1984) • novelette by Jack McDevitt 374 • Lieserl • (1993) • shortstory by Stephen Baxter 389 • Crossing Chao Meng Fu • (1997) • novelette by G. David Nordley 416 • Wang's Carpets • (1995) • novelette by Greg Egan 443 • A Dance to Strange Musics • (1998) • novelette by Gregory Benford 462 • Approaching Perimelasma • (1998) • novelette by Geoffrey A. Landis