First published in 1988 by editors Isaac Asimov and Martin H. Greenberg. This Genre Anthology contains fourteen Science Fiction stories that were first published in 1955, 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.
Works in this anthology:
- "The Tunnel Under The World", by Frederik Pohl
- "The Darfsteller", by Walter M Miller Jr.
- "The Cave Of Night", by James E. Gunn
- "Grandpa", by James H. Schmitz
- "Who?", by Theodore Sturgeon
- "The Short Ones", by Raymond E Banks
- "Captive Market", by Philip K. Dick
- "Allamagoosa", by Eric Frank Russell
- "The Vanishing American", by Charles Beaumont
- "The Game Of Rat And Dragon", by Cordwainer Smith
- "The Star", by Arthur C. Clarke
- "Nobody Bothers Gus", by Algis Budrys
- "Delenda Est", by Poul Anderson
- "Dreaming is a Private Thing", by Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov Presents: The Great Science Fiction Stories, Volume 17 (1955) 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 fourteen best stories of the year along with a paragraph from Isaac Asimov's perspective.
- Brain Uploading: In "The Tunnel Under The World", by Frederik Pohl, Guy Burckhardt is creeped out by the robots at the factory. His business partner tells him that each of the machines there operates with the uploaded memories and minds of actual human beings. When the inhabitants of Tylerton were killed in a chemical explosion, including Guy, their minds were transferred into miniature robots the same way. Now Dorchin uses them as advertising test subjects.
- Cow Tools: Eric Frank Russells's "Allamagoosa": This Short Story (link
) has a spaceship being inspected by Admiral Beancounter, and the crew realize they’re missing an "offog". Many purposes, as well as descriptions, are put forward for this essential item of a starship's inventory... unfortunately, all of them are wrong. The pressing concern for most of the story is not what it actually is, but that they have to have one. - Faking the Dead: In "The Cave Of Night", by James E. Gunn, the astronaut Reverdy McMillen was trapped in a ship that had run out of fuel in orbit around the Earth. He spent thirty days in orbit, dying just an hour before the rescue mission was able to dock with him. Or maybe he hadn't, and the thirty days of emergency were faked, because the Narrator believes he saw Rev in New York City.
- Framing Device: "The Cave Of Night", by James E. Gunn, is presented as if by a newspaper reporter, about a rescue attempt of an American astronaut early in the space race. By the reporter's reckoning, these events are why there are currently manned missions planned for Mars.
- "Groundhog Day" Loop: Frederik Pohl's "The Tunnel Under The World": Guy Burckhardt lives in a town where June 15th is repeated every day, but the inhabitants don't realize. It is later revealed that everyone in the town is a miniature robot who was imprinted with the mind-pattern of a citizen from the real town, which was destroyed on June 14th. An advertising executive now uses them to test various marketing techniques.
- One-Word Title:
- "Allamagoosa", by Eric Frank Russell
- "Grandpa", by James H. Schmitz
- "Who?", by Theodore Sturgeon
- Shout-Out: In the introduction, multiple works are mentioned as being first published or becoming hits in 1955:
- "Allamagoosa" is mentioned for winning the Hugo Award for best Short Story.
- The Balcony, by Jean Genet
- "The Ballad Of Davy Crockett"
- Beyond Fantasy Fiction published its final volume
- The Body Snatchers, by Jack Finney
- The Bright Phoenix, by Harold Mead
- Mel Brooks is referenced.
- Bus Stop, by William Inge
- A Canticle for Leibowitz, by Walter M Miller Jr
- The Chrysalids (Rebirth), by John Wyndham
- Citizen In Space, by Robert Sheckley
- Conquest of Space
- Creature with the Atom Brain
- Damn Yankees, by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross
- "The Darfstellar" is mentioned for winning the Hugo Award for best novelette.
- Devil Girl from Mars is mentioned as one of the worst films of all time.
- The Dragon Under The Sea, by Frank Herbert
- Earthman Come Home, by James Blish
- The End of Eternity, by Isaac Asimov
- The Girls From Planet 5, by Richard Wilson
- Hells Pavement, by Damon Knight
- Infinity Science Fiction began (short-lived) publication
- The Inheritors, by William Golding
- It Came from Beneath the Sea
- Lolita, by Vladimir Nabokov
- The Long Tomorrow, by Leigh Brackett
- "Love Is A Many Splendored Thing"
- The Man In The Gray Flannel Suit, by Sloan Wilson
- Marjorie Morningstar, by Herman Wouk
- Martians Go Home, by Fredric Brown
- Marty
- Moonraker, by Ian Fleming
- Night, by Ingmar Bergman
- Planet Stories published its final volume
- The Quiet American, by Graham Greene
- Revenge of the Creature
- Richard III
- Rififi
- "Rock Around The Clock" for beginning the rock 'n' roll revolution
- The Rose Tattoo
- The Seven Year Itch
- Silk Stockings, by Cole Porter
- "Sixteen Tons", by Tennessee Ernie Ford
- Solar Lottery, by Philip K. Dick
- Startling Stories published its final volume
- Tarantula!
- Ten North Frederick, by John O Hara
- Theyd Rather Be Right is mentioned for winning the Hugo Award for best novel.
- This Fortress World, by James E. Gunn
- This Island Earth
- Thrilling Wonder Stories published its final volume
- A View from the Bridge, by Arthur Miller
- "Whatever Lola Wants"
- Witness For The Prosecution, by Agatha Christe
- "The Yellow Rose Of Texas"
- Small, Secluded World: In "The Tunnel Under The World" by Frederik Pohl, Mr. Burckhardt wakes up from a terrible nightmare on June 15th. The next day, he wakes up from a terrible nightmare on June 15th. He finally realizes the loop when he falls asleep in his basement and isn't "reset". When he confronts the person responsible for this situation, he learns that the entire town was destroyed by a chemical plant explosion and everyone's minds were put in robot bodies to test Advertising strategies. They repeat the same day over and over again to avoid spoiling the experiment. Mr. Burckhardt is incensed about the lack of ethics from this exercise, and demands to be allowed to leave the city. Upon leaving the city, he learns that robots are all miniatures and the entire recreated town is basically on a tabletop.
- Tomato in the Mirror: Frederik Pohl's "The Tunnel Under The World": Guy Burckhart is convinced that some sinister conspiracy is keeping the citizens of his town stuck in a "Groundhog Day" Loop by erasing their memories every night. He eventually learns he and everyone else in the town were killed in an explosion, and their consciousnesses have been installed into tiny androids in a scale model town where they repeat their final day over and over while researchers use them to test the effectiveness of Advertising jingles and political slogans.
- Title Drop: In "The Cave Of Night", by James E. Gunn, the title is used early, to describe the darkness of space, even in Earth's orbit.
