The Rediscovery of Man: The Complete Short Science Fiction of Cordwainer Smith (ISBN 0-915368-56-0) is a 1993 book containing the complete collected short fiction 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...

 author Cordwainer Smith

Cordwainer Smith

Cordwainer Smith – pronounced CORDwainer – was the pseudonym used by American author Paul Myron Anthony Linebarger for his science fiction works. Linebarger was a noted East Asia scholar and expert in psychological warfare...

. It was edited by James A. Mann and published by NESFA Press

NESFA Press

NESFA Press is the publishing arm of the New England Science Fiction Association, Inc. The NESFA Press primarily produces three types of books:...

.

Most of the stories take place in Smith's future history

Future history

A future history is a postulated history of the future and is used by authors in the subgenre of speculative fiction to construct a common background for fiction...

 set in the universe of the Instrumentality of Mankind

Instrumentality of Mankind

In the science fiction of Cordwainer Smith, the Instrumentality of Mankind refers both to Smith's personal future history and universe and to the central government of humanity...

; the collection is arranged in the chronological order in which the stories take place in the fictional timeline. The collection also contains short stories which do not take place in this universe.

Within the context of the future history, the Rediscovery of Mankind refers to the Instrumentality's re-introduction of chance and unhappiness into the sterile utopia

Utopia

Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...

 that they had created for humanity. Other than Smith's novel, Norstrilia

Norstrilia

Norstrilia is the only novel published by Paul Linebarger under the pseudonym Cordwainer Smith, which he used for his science-fiction works...

, which takes place in the same future history, the book collects all of Smith's known science fiction writing.

List of Instrumentality of Man stories

• "No, No, Not Rogov!"
• "War No. 81-Q" (version 2) (not previously collected)
• "Mark Elf"
• "The Queen of the Afternoon"
• "Scanners Live in Vain
  Scanners Live in Vain
  "Scanners Live in Vain" is a science fiction short story by Cordwainer Smith , set in his Instrumentality of Mankind future history. It was originally published in the magazine Fantasy Book in 1950...
  
  "
• "The Lady Who Sailed The Soul"
• "When the People Fell
  When the People Fell
  "When the People Fell" is a science fiction short story by Cordwainer Smith, set in his "Instrumentality" universe. It was originally published in Galaxy Science Fiction magazine in April, 1959, and is most recently collected in The Rediscovery of Man...
  
  "
• "Think Blue, Count Two"
• "The Colonel Came Back from the Nothing-at-All"
• "The Game of Rat and Dragon
  The Game of Rat and Dragon
  "The Game of Rat and Dragon" is a short story written by Cordwainer Smith in 1955.-Plot summary:The story takes place in the far future. Human travel in outer space is threatened by strange creatures known as the Dragons. Imperceptible to ordinary people, Dragons are experienced as nothing but a...
  
  "
• "The Burning of the Brain"
• "From Gustible's Planet"
• "Himself in Anachron" (first publication)
• "The Crime and the Glory of Commander Suzdal
  The Crime and the Glory of Commander Suzdal
  "The Crime and the Glory of Commander Suzdal" is a science fiction short story by Cordwainer Smith, set in Smith's "Instrumentality" universe. It was first published in Amazing Stories in May 1964, and is collected in The Rediscovery of Man compendium....
  
  "
• "Golden the Ship Was-Oh! Oh! Oh!"
• "The Dead Lady of Clown Town
  The Dead Lady of Clown Town
  "The Dead Lady of Clown Town" is a science fiction short story by Cordwainer Smith, set in his Instrumentality of Mankind future history. It was originally published in Galaxy Science Fiction in 1964. It was included in the collection The Best of Cordwainer Smith and most recently in The...
  
  "
• "Under Old Earth"
• "Drunkboat" (much rewritten version of "The Colonel Came Back from the Nothing-at-All")
• "Mother Hitton's Littul Kittons
  Mother Hitton's Littul Kittons
  "Mother Hitton's Littul Kittons" is a classic science fiction short story written by Cordwainer Smith, first published in Galaxy Magazine in 1961. It is collected most recently in The Rediscovery of Man...
  
  "
• "Alpha Ralpha Boulevard
  Alpha Ralpha Boulevard
  "Alpha Ralpha Boulevard" is a science fiction story by Cordwainer Smith, set in his Instrumentality of Mankind universe, concerning the opening days of a sudden radical shift from a controlling, benevolent, but sterile society, to one with individuality, danger and excitement...
  
  "
• "The Ballad of Lost C'Mell
  The Ballad of Lost C'Mell
  "The Ballad of Lost C'Mell" is a science fiction short story by American writer Cordwainer Smith. It was first published in October 1962 in Galaxy Magazine, and since reprinted in several compilations and omnibus editions....
  
  "
• "A Planet Named Shayol
  A Planet Named Shayol
  "A Planet Named Shayol" is a story by Cordwainer Smith set in his Instrumentality universe. It was first published in Galaxy Science Fiction magazine in October 1961....
  
  "
• The stories which comprise the novel Quest of the Three Worlds:
  • "On the Gem Planet"
  • "On the Storm Planet"
  • "On the Sand Planet"
  • "Three to a Given Star"
• "Down to a Sunless Sea"

Other stories

• "War No. 81-Q"
• "Western Science Is So Wonderful"
• "Nancy" (originally published as "The Nancy Routine")
• "The Fife of Bodidharma"
• "Angerhelm"
• "The Good Friends"

External links

E-texts available as part of Baen books' "Webscription" service:

• "We the Underpeople" contents
• "When the People Fell" contents
• The Rediscovery of Man by Cordwainer Smith, reviewed by Ted Gioia (Conceptual Fiction)