SF '59: The Year's Greatest Science Fiction and Fantasy
Encyclopedia
SF '59: The Year's Greatest Science Fiction and Fantasy is a 1959
anthology of science fiction
and fantasy short stories and articles edited by Judith Merril
. It was published by Gnome Press
in an edition of 5,000 copies, some of which were never bound. It was the fourth in a series of 12 annual anthologies edited by Merrill. Most of the stories and articles originally appeared in the magazines Fantasy and Science Fiction, Astounding, Playboy
, The Saturday Evening Post
, If
, Galaxy Science Fiction
, Nebula, Science-Fantasy
, Fantastic Universe
, Venture
, Lilliput
, The New Yorker
and Future.
1959 in literature
The year 1959 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*April 30 - Theatrical première of Bertolt Brecht's Saint Joan of the Stockyards, originally performed on radio in 1932....
anthology of science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and fantasy short stories and articles edited by Judith Merril
Judith Merril
Judith Josephine Grossman , who took the pen-name Judith Merril about 1945, was an American and then Canadian science fiction writer, editor and political activist....
. It was published by Gnome Press
Gnome Press
Gnome Press was an American small-press publishing company primarily known for publishing many science fiction classics.The company was founded in 1948 by Martin Greenberg and David A. Kyle. Many of Gnome's titles were reprinted in England by Boardman Books...
in an edition of 5,000 copies, some of which were never bound. It was the fourth in a series of 12 annual anthologies edited by Merrill. Most of the stories and articles originally appeared in the magazines Fantasy and Science Fiction, Astounding, Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
, The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post
The Saturday Evening Post is a bimonthly American magazine. It was published weekly under this title from 1897 until 1969, and quarterly and then bimonthly from 1971.-History:...
, If
If (magazine)
If was an American science fiction magazine launched in March 1952 by Quinn Publications, owned by James L. Quinn. Quinn hired Paul W. Fairman to be the first editor, but early circulation figures were disappointing, and Quinn fired Fairman after only three issues. Quinn then took over the...
, Galaxy Science Fiction
Galaxy Science Fiction
Galaxy Science Fiction was an American digest-size science fiction magazine, published from 1950 to 1980. It was founded by an Italian company, World Editions, which was looking to break in to the American market. World Editions hired as editor H. L...
, Nebula, Science-Fantasy
Science Fantasy (magazine)
Science Fantasy, which also appeared under the titles Impulse and SF Impulse, was a British fantasy and science fiction magazine, launched in 1950 by Nova Publications as a companion to Nova's New Worlds. Walter Gillings was editor for the first two issues, and was then replaced by John Carnell,...
, Fantastic Universe
Fantastic Universe
Fantastic Universe was a U.S. science fiction magazine which began publishing in the 1950s. It ran for 69 issues, from June 1953 to March 1960, under two different publishers. It was part of the explosion of science fiction magazine publishing in the 1950s in the United States, and was moderately...
, Venture
Venture Science Fiction Magazine
Venture Science Fiction was an American digest-size science fiction magazine, first published from 1957 to 1958, and revived for a brief run in 1969 and 1970. Ten issues were published of the 1950s version, with another six in the second run. It was founded in both instances as a companion to The...
, Lilliput
Lilliput (magazine)
Lilliput was a small-format British monthly magazine of humour, short stories, photographs and the arts, founded in 1937 by the photojournalist Stefan Lorant. The first issue came out in July and it was sold shortly after to Edward Hulton, when editorship was taken over by Tom Hopkinson in 1940....
, The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
and Future.
Contents
- Introduction, by Judith MerrilJudith MerrilJudith Josephine Grossman , who took the pen-name Judith Merril about 1945, was an American and then Canadian science fiction writer, editor and political activist....
- "Pelt", by Carol EmshwillerCarol EmshwillerCarol Emshwiller is an American writer of avant garde short stories and science fiction who has won prizes ranging from the Nebula Award to the Philip K. Dick Award. Ursula K...
- "Triggerman", by J. F. Bone
- "The Prize of Peril", by Robert SheckleyRobert SheckleyRobert Sheckley was a Hugo- and Nebula-nominated American author. First published in the science fiction magazines of the 1950s, his numerous quick-witted stories and novels were famously unpredictable, absurdist and broadly comical.Sheckley was named Author Emeritus by the Science Fiction and...
- "Hickory, Dickory, Kerouac", by Richard GehmanRichard GehmanRichard Boyd Gehman born 20 May 1921 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania died 12 May 1972 was a prolific American author of 3,000 magazine articles , five novels and fifteen nonfiction books...
- "The Yellow Pill", by Rog PhillipsRog PhillipsRoger Phillips Graham was an American science fiction writer who most often wrote under the name Rog Phillips, but also used other names. Although of his other pseudonyms only Craig Browning is notable in the genre. He is most associated with Amazing Stories and is best known for short fiction...
- "River of Riches", by Gerald KershGerald KershGerald Kersh was a British writer. Born in 1911, he began to write at the age of 8. After leaving school he worked as, amongst other things, a cinema manager, bodyguard, debt collector, fish & chip cook, travelling salesman, French teacher and all-in-wrestler whilst attempting to 'make it' as a...
- "Satellite Passage", by Theodore L. ThomasTheodore L. ThomasTheodore Lockard Thomas is an American chemical engineer and attorney who wrote more than 50 science fiction short stories, published between the early 1950s to the late 1970s...
- "Casey Agonistes", by Richard M. McKenna
- "Space-Time for Springers", by Fritz LeiberFritz LeiberFritz Reuter Leiber, Jr. was an American writer of fantasy, horror and science fiction. He was also a poet, actor in theatre and films, playwright, expert chess player and a champion fencer. Possibly his greatest chess accomplishment was winning clear first in the 1958 Santa Monica Open.. With...
- "Or All the Seas with OystersOr All the Seas with Oysters"Or All the Seas with Oysters" is a science fiction short story by Avram Davidson. It won the Hugo Award for Best Short Story in 1958.-Plot summary:...
", by Avram DavidsonAvram DavidsonAvram Davidson was an American writer of fantasy fiction, science fiction, and crime fiction, as well as the author of many stories that do not fit into a genre niche... - "Ten-Story Jigsaw", by Brian W. Aldiss
- "Fresh Guy", by E. C. Tubb
- "The Beautiful Things", by Arthur Zirul
- "The Comedian’s Children", by Theodore SturgeonTheodore SturgeonTheodore Sturgeon was an American science fiction author.His most famous novel is More Than Human .-Biography:...
- "The Short-Short Story of Mankind", by John SteinbeckJohn SteinbeckJohn Ernst Steinbeck, Jr. was an American writer. He is widely known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden and the novella Of Mice and Men...
- "From Science Fiction to Science Fact: The Universe"
- "Man in Space", by Daniel Lang
- "Rockets to Where?", by Judith MerrilJudith MerrilJudith Josephine Grossman , who took the pen-name Judith Merril about 1945, was an American and then Canadian science fiction writer, editor and political activist....
- "The Thunder-Thieves", by Isaac AsimovIsaac AsimovIsaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
- "The Year’s S-F, Summation and Honorable Mentions", by Judith MerrilJudith MerrilJudith Josephine Grossman , who took the pen-name Judith Merril about 1945, was an American and then Canadian science fiction writer, editor and political activist....