First published in 1980 by editors Isaac Asimov and Martin H. Greenberg. This Genre Anthology contains seventeen Science Fiction stories that were first published in 1941, ranging in length from Short Story to Novelette. The introduction describes "the world outside reality" first, marking significant historical events, sports trivia, and literary publications. The "real world" is the science fiction and fantasy pop culture, the birth of what many in the 1970s were calling the Golden Age of Science Fiction.
Five stories by Robert A. Heinlein were selected for inclusion; "—And He Built a Crooked House—", "They", "Universe", "Solution Unsatisfactory", and "By His Bootstraps". However, obtaining legal use within the deadline for publication was not possible, so the editors direct the reader to The Past Through Tomorrow, which does contain all five stories (actually the next book apologizes because none of these were actually in the suggested volume).
Works in this anthology:
- "Mechanical Mice", by Maurice A Hugi
- "Shottle Bop", by Theodore Sturgeon
- "The Rocket Of 1955", by Cyril M. Kornbluth
- "Evolutions End", by Robert Arthur
- "Microcosmic God", by Theodore Sturgeon
- "Jay Score", by Eric Frank Russell
- "Liar! (1941)", by Isaac Asimov
- "Time Wants A Skeleton", by Ross Rocklynne
- "The Words Of Guru", by Cyril M. Kornbluth
- "The Seesaw", by A.E. van Vogt
- "Armageddon", by Fredric Brown
- "Adam And No Eve", by Alfred Bester
- "Solar Plexus", by James Blish
- "Nightfall (1941)", by Isaac Asimov
- "A Gnome There Was", by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore
- "Snulbug", by Anthony Boucher
- "Hereafter Inc", by Lester del Rey
Isaac Asimov Presents: The Great Science Fiction Stories, Volume 3 (1941) provides examples of:
- Biography: Each story is prefaced by a short description of why this story (from this author) was chosen to represent one of the seventeen best stories of the year along with a paragraph from Isaac Asimov's perspective.
- Haunted House: Theodore Sturgeon's "Shottle Bop": The unnamed protagonist, trying to show off to Sam and Fred, takes them to Wolfmeyer's house. Wolfmeyer is an evil ghost who has killed eight people since he hanged himself.
- The Little Shop That Wasn't There Yesterday: Theodore Sturgeon's "Shottle Bop": The titular shop sells magic in bottles, and is somehow able to appear selectively to different people.
- One-Word Title:
- "Armageddon", by Fredric Brown
- "Snulbug", by Anthony Boucher
- Pen Name:
- "Mechanical Mice" was published /credited to Maurice A Hugi, a pseudonym for Erik Frank Russell.
- Robert A. Heinlein's use of Anson Mac Donald as a pen-name is referenced in the introduction of "Jay Score".
- Robert Feder's use of Robert Arthur as a penname. Despite being more well-known for his films, he had also written Science Fiction, such as Murchison Morks and "Evolutions End".
- Posthumous Narration: Cyril M. Kornbluth's "The Rocket Of 1955": The unnamed narrator tells about the scam they had run up until the details got revealed, ending with a thick rope being brought to them.
- Shout-Out: In the introduction, multiple works are mentioned as being first published or becoming hits in 1941:
- Cleve C Artmill publishes his first story, "Oscar".
- Isaac Asimov is inspired to begin his Foundation Series.
- Astounding published "Methuselah's Children" (by Robert A. Heinlein) and "Second Stage Lensman" (by E. E. "Doc" Smith).
- Blithe Spirit, by Noël Coward, became a hit
- The Big Score is called out as the Marx Brothers' last film.
- Ray Bradbury co-authored his first published story, "Pendulum".
- Mel Brooks is singled out as still using the name Melvin Kaminsky.
- Fredric Brown publishes his first story, "Not Yet The End".
- Citizen Kane
- Cosmic Stories both started and died this year.
- "Divers Agaisnt A Yellow Background" was painted by Fernard Leger
- The Fall Of Paris was published by Ilya Ehrenburg
- The First of the Few
- How Green Was My Valley
- Damon Knight publishes his first story, "Resilience".
- The Last Tycoon, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, was published posthumously
- William Morrison publishes his first story, "Bad Medicine".
- Mother Courage and Her Children, by Bertolt Brecht was on stage for the first time.
- The Song Of Bernadette was published by Franz Werfel
- Stirring Science Stories started this year.
- The Theology Of Politics was published by Nathaniel Micklem
- To The Finland Station was published by Edmund Wilson
- Wilson Tucker (as Bob) publishes his first story, "Interstellar Way Station".
- "Violin Concerto" was written by Benjamin Britten
- Gregory Benford and Jane Gaskell are singled out for being born this year.
- Spell My Name With An S: Fredric Brown's name is misspelled on the table of contents as Frederic Brown.
- Spoonerism: Theodore Sturgeon's "Shottle Bop": The owner of the titular shop frequently mangles words together; "text Nuesday" instead of "next Tuesday", "Bood-gy" instead of "Good-by", and "Shottle Bop" instead of "Bottle Shop".
- Stable Time Loop: Maurice A Hugi's "Mechanical Mice": Burman has figured out that the future is just as immutable and unchanging as the past by building a Time Machine that allows him to observe the future for several minutes at a time.
- Time Machine: Maurice A Hugi's "Mechanical Mice": Burman's psychophone allows the user to travel forward in time, but they're limited to only observing the future, not interacting with it. He ends up destroying it since the Stable Time Loop means he'd only invent things that he'd be able to invent without the machine.
