FOUR SCIENCE FICTION CLASSICS is an exceptional compilation of the absolute best the genre had to offer in the 1940s and 1950s. It is composed of six powerful stories which transcend the decades in which they were written, stirring the heart and mind as powerfully now as when they were first published.

While these stories would shine under any conditions, the narrations of William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy actually serve to further energize the prose. I was especially moved by the performance of William Shatner. Despite having been a fan of Star Trek for decades, I was completely unprepared for the depth and the brilliance of his vocal talents. Shatner's clear insight into the stories and their characters radiates with every word and intonation.

I could not more strongly recommend either an audio book or a science fiction collection.

I only wanted "Mimsy Were the Borogoves" and it did come separate on tape and even on vinyl at one time. It did not hurt to get the rest of the tapes. Foundation: The Psychohistorians is what the Foundation trilogy is all about and the newer foundation books you can read the separate reviews. The Martian Chronicles is ok but I do not want to spend time reviewing this section, as better reviews will be under the book description.

However Mimsy is a different animal. So I will say something about this. It is a small sci-fi story about a formula that allows you into an alternate universe that everyone used to have access to. The problem with getting there is that it requires a different paradigm and a formula. The paradigm requires a mindset that diapers as we get older and the formula is in front of us if we know where to look. An added plus is that it is read to us enthusiastically by William Shatner

Although Amazon.com in the U.S. says this book is OP, check the British branch ("United Kingdom"); the 4th rev. edition (of 1996) is available from Galactic Central Publications. This bibliography, by Virgil Utter, Gordon Benson Jr., and Phil Stephensen-Payne, lists the works of C. L. Moore, the works of Henry Kuttner by himself and in collaboration with Moore, and material about them. In that third section appears a section of "Related Items by Other Authors," including David Drake's works in the world of Kuttner and Moore's "Clash by Night" and Robert Silverberg's "In Another Country," a tie-in with Moore's "Vintage Season." The editors miss the depiction of Moore in H. H. Holmes' (Anthony Boucher's) _Rocket to the Morgue_. But the basic interest is in the original works by the two authors--36 stories, 2 novels, and several collections by Moore; 307 stories by Kuttner (52 of them in collaboration with Moore), 16 novels (most with Moore), and a large number of collections. The book also lists the two series of stories by Moore (Jirel of Joiry and Northwest of Earth) and the twelve series by Kuttner (including Galloway Gallegher, Hogben, and Michael Gray). A truly excellent work for the fans of the Kuttner and Moore fantasies, science fiction, and mysteries.

This book (aka FURY)was William Burroughs' favorite SF novel, and with good reason. Although the premise is heavily cynical, it is an intriguing idea-- that even under Utopian conditions, humankind must stagnate and die unless driven to strive for new goals, not through romantic idealism, but through the relentless anger of society's outcasts. It is dark rage that drives Sam Harker to force his society from the ennui and strangling security of the undersea Keeps back to the deadly surface, and ultimately, on to the first step to the stars. If you can look past the scientific inaccuracies (the story takes place on a Venus covered with oceans and jungles-- but, after all, it was written in 1947), you will be well rewarded with an assortment of fascinating characters, insightful observations on the human psyche, and a ripping good read!

This story gets down to what we think about death, immortality and those who ultimately control our lives... our parents.

this book contains 3 great stories and a cuple of good ones. some are more fantasy than horror. kuttner can be a little bit obvious, a little bit simplistic, but the suspence, and he knows when to focus - when he should move forward and when he should stop and describe more vividly (his writing style focus concerning timing is excellent), his descriptions are good when they should be, and he knows how to hold our interest and how to avoid being boring.

This book contains a number of stories by one of the lesser-known disciples of Lovecraft, one Henry Kuttner. Although the stories are not classics of the genre, showing development in a new direction, they rise above pastiche and provide good reading. Kuttner is certainly able to grab the reader's attention and hold onto it, and tells a good tale while he has it.

"Bells of Horror" is the high point of the volume; it is a fine story set in California, a locale the author clearly enjoys. It is this setting in a number of stories that gives the stories a unique flavor; Kuttner's descriptions create a new millieu for the eldritch horrors that are the center of the Cthulhu Mythos.

It is also "Bells of Horror" that first mentions The Book of Iod, a volume which belongs on the shelf with the usual suspects--De Vermis Mysteriis, Unaussprechlichen Kulten, Cultes des Goules, the Book of Eibon, the Pnakotic Manuscripts, and, of course, (all together now) the horrible Necronomicon of the mad Arab Abdul Alhazred.

Kuttner's ability shows itself most in his ability to create a mythology. Instead of a few separate stories, the contents of this anthology fit together in intriguing ways--but they don't fit together seamlessly, just as other myth cycles don't. All in all, this collection is a very worthwhile read.

I thought this book was excellent! Most books have stories with happy little endings, but never a few unhappy endings. This book provided a mix of both. simply the best book of short stories ive read

The Greatest Horror Stories of the 20th Century is truly a classis collection of horror. While the first few stories start the collection off slowly, by the time you listen to THE VIADUCT you will be hooked! My favorites include STICKS (about strange wooden configurations found in the woods), THE WORDS OF GURU (about a child discovering the demons all around us), and especially Ray Bradbury's THE SMALL ASSASSIN (about a new mother who believes her baby is trying to kill her). Most of the stories are genuinely horrifying, and the audio production throughout is excellent. I would definitely reccomend this for those who like short horror stories like me.

reading this book is an enjoyable way to spend a couple of evenings. It is full of rugged characters and fops,which is the typical way David Drake writes his books.But it is fun watching the main characters get the best of the idiots.A good read but the Sharp End and the Northworld trilogy were better