First published in 1992 by editors Isaac Asimov and Martin H. Greenberg. This Genre Anthology contains thirteen Science Fiction stories that were first published in 1962, 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, as the New Wave of Science Fiction begins.
Works in this anthology:
- "The Insane Ones", by JG Ballard
- "Christmas Treason", by James White
- "Seven Day Terror", by R. A. Lafferty
- "Kings Who Die", by Poul Anderson
- "The Man Who Made Friends With Electricity", by Fritz Leiber
- "Hang Head Vandal!", by Mark Clifton
- "The Weather Man", by Theodore L Thomas
- "Earthlings Go Home!", by Mack Reynolds
- "The Streets Of Ashkelon", by Harry Harrison
- "When You Care When You Love", by Theodore Sturgeon
- "The Ballad of Lost C'mell", by Cordwainer Smith
- "Gadget Vs Trend", by Christopher Anvil
- "Roofs Of Silver", by Gordon R. Dickson
Isaac Asimov Presents: The Great Science Fiction Stories, Volume 24 (1962) provides examples of:
- Ballad of X: "The Ballad of Lost C'mell" is a novelette written by Cordwainer Smith.
- Biography: Each story is prefaced by a short description of why this story (from this author) was chosen to represent one of the thirteen best stories of the year. Unfortunately, Isaac Asimov's perspective is missing from this volume, and the explanation appears in the next one; Isaac Asimov Presents: The Great Science Fiction Stories, Volume 25 (1963).
- Book Ends: Christopher Anvil's "Gadget Vs Trend": This story begins and ends with a lecture by Dr. R. Milton Schummer, showcasing the differences between the before/after effects of a new stasis technology developed in America. Both lectures end with "One shrinks at the thought of what the next hundred years may bring", but his opinion on what's wrong with America shifts dramatically between the two lectures.
- Comfort Food: Cordwainer Smith's "The Ballad of Lost C'mell": Lord Jestocost is extremely fond of eggs, he considers them a special treat.
- Dirty Communists: Fritz Leiber's "The Man Who Made Friends With Electricity": The titular man, Mr Leverett, is anti-communist, not unusual for 1962. Unfortunately, his friend electricity doesn't mind the difference, and they basically get into a fight over it. He thinks electricity will try to kill him so he won't tell others about its un-American beliefs.
- Dramatic Shattering: In R. A. Lafferty's "Seven Day Terror", Clarissa knows the value of dramatic presentation, so when they ask her how they get the stuff back that Clarence disappeared, she tells them to get her a hammer and a gold watch. At the right moment, she smashes the watch and points out things are returning. (However, the watch wasn't needed to get the stuff back, she just wanted it for dramatic effect.)
- Gone to the Future: In R. A. Lafferty's "Seven Day Terror", Clarence Willoughby builds a disappearer, which makes things disappear when you use it. His older sister, however, reveals at the end of the story that it only works for seven days, sending them that far into the future. She knows how to make devices that send things further into the future, up to thirteen years, but Cyril cries when she tries to cut him.
- Harmless Electrocution: Fritz Leiber's "The Man Who Made Friends With Electricity": The titular man, Mr Leverett, does several off-screen tricks with electricity, including having it dance around his body, seen by the way his clothes and hair stand on end when filled with the negative charge.
- How Can Santa Deliver All Those Toys?: James White's "Christmas Treason": The children protagonists have realized that delivering presents to everyone in a single night is a logistical nightmare, so they’ve set up an Investigation to figure out how their presents will arrive. They discover, however, that someone has stolen the toys and emptied Santa's rockets, so they launch the rockets themselves, hoping to make Christmas start early.
- Humans Through Alien Eyes: Harry Harrison's "The Streets Of Ashkelon": A human missionary converts an alien culture to Christianity. The aliens then try to initiate the millennium of the missionary's message by crucifying him and waiting for him to rise on the third day.
- Interspecies Romance: Cordwainer Smith's "The Ballad Of Lost Cmell": C'mell is a genetically-engineered Underperson specifically bred to look attractive to humans. Her job involves seducing VIP visitors in order to learn their secrets, but any actual consummation is forbidden. However, she actually falls in love with the human Lord Jestocost, but he's too focused on justice to show affection to anyone.
- One World Order: JG Ballard's "The Insane Ones": The world has formed a single unified government, called the United World. They passed a law called Mental Freedom that allows anyone to be insane, and holds mental health professionals responsible if they offer help.
- Shout-Out: In the introduction, multiple works are mentioned as being first published or becoming hits in 1962:
- Advise & Consent was a hit movie film
- After Doomsday, by Poul Anderson
- A for Andromeda, a Mini Series, aired for the first time.
- John Frankenheimer's Birdman of Alcatraz
- Terry Carr is singled out for publishing their first story, "Who Sups With The Devil".
- Walter Cronkite is mentioned for taking over as a CBS evening news anchor, earning the trust of the American citizens.
- Thomas M. Disch is singled out for publishing their first story, "The Double Timer".
- The Eleventh Commandment, by Lester del Rey
- The Expert Dreamers, by Frederik Pohl
- William Faulkner's The Reivers had won a Pulitzer Prize, and continued to sell well.
- Cele Goldsmith won a Special Hugo Award for their editing of Amazing Stories and Fantastic.
- Great Science Fiction By Scientists, by Groff Conklin
- Joseph L Green is singled out for publishing their first story, "The Engineer".
- "The Hothouse Series", by Brian W. Aldiss, was awarded the Hugo Award for Best Short Fiction.
- The Hugo Winners, by Isaac Asimov
- I Can Get It For You Wholesale, by Harold Rome, began performances this year.
- Ursula K. Le Guin is singled out for publishing their first story, "April in Paris".
- Little Fuzzy, by H. Beam Piper
- Lolita, directed by Stanley Kubrick, was a hit film
- The Magazine Of Fantasy And Science Fiction replaced their Managing Editor with Ed Ferman
- The Miracle Worker, starring Anne Bancroft, earned an Oscar for her acting.
- Or All The Seas With Oysters, by Avram Davidson
- Out of this World (1962) aired for the first time.
- John Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.
- Stranger in a Strange Land, by Robert A. Heinlein, was awarded the Hugo Award for Best Novel.
- To Kill a Mockingbird, starring Gregory Peck, was a hit film of this year.
- The Tonight Show is mentioned for becoming known as The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson this year, with Johnny Carson as host.
- The Trial, directed by Creator/Orsonwelles, was a hit film this year.
- Barbara Tuchman's The Guns Of August earned a Pulitzer Prize
- The Twilight Zone (1959) is mentioned to have been awarded the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation.
- The Wall Around The World (collection), by Theodore R Cogswell
- Andy Warhol created two new paintings, "Four Campbell Soup Cans" and "Gold Marilyn Monroe".
- Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, by Edward Albee, began performances this year.
- A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L'Engle
- Roger Zelazny is singled out for publishing their first stories, "Horseman" and "Passion Play".
- Space Coldwar: Poul Anderson's "Kings Who Die": A proxy war is being fought across the inner solar system between Western and Soviet space forces in order to prevent a "larger-scale" war on Earth itself.
- Title In: Christopher Anvil's "Gadget Vs Trend": Because this story switches scenes rapidly, each section is preceded by City (sometimes state), and calendar date, such as "Detroit, December 23, 1977".
- Un-Paused: Harry Harrison's "The Streets Of Ashkelon": One trait of the aliens is that they resume interrupted conversations in mid-stream even if days have passed since the interruption. Obviously, they have better (or at least differently-wired) memories than humans.
