Literature / Science Fiction Verhalen

Verhalen means Stories, making a very generic name for a series of Anthologies published by Het Spectrum. Beginning in 1961, six volumes were produced, translating Science Fiction stories from English into Dutch. Each volume is a small paperback, with about 200 pages.

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Works published in this Anthology:

Volume 1 (1962)

Various authors:

• "De Koude Vergelijkingen" ("The Cold Equations" 1954) by Tom Godwin
• "Het Wiel" ("The Wheel" 1952) by John Wyndham
• "De Lange Wacht" ("The Long Watch" 1949) by Robert A. Heinlein
• "De Verkeersweg" ("The Highway" 1950) by Ray Bradbury
• "Het Chronoclasme" ("Chronoclasm" 1953) by John Wyndham
• "De Glans van de Dageraad" ("So Proudly We Hail" 1953) by Judith Merril
• "Caleidoscoop" ("Kaleidoscope" 1949) by Ray Bradbury
• "Geef Me de Ruimte" ("Dont Fence Me In" 1956) by Richard Wilson
• "Dokter in de Wildernis" ("Jungle Doctor" 1955) by Robert F Young
• "Of Anders" ("Or Else 1953) by Henry Kuttner
• "De Verre Blik" ("The Far Look" 1956) by Theodore L Thomas
• "De Onsterfelijke Poëet" ("The Immortal Bard" 1954) by Isaac Asimov
• "Het Altaar te Middernacht" ("The Altar At Midnight" 1952) by Cyril M. Kornbluth
• "Het Wapen" ("The Weapon" 1951) by Fredric Brown
• "Foster, Je Bent Dood" ("Foster, You're Dead" 1955) by Philip K. Dick
• "Geschiedenisles" ("History Lesson" 1949) by Arthur C. Clarke

Volume 2 (1964)

Robert A. Heinlein:

• "Heerlijk Weer Terug te Zijn!" ("It's Great to Be Back!" 1947)
• "'t Kán Exploderen" ("Blowups Happen" 1940)
• "Ruimtejockey" ("Space Jockey" 1947)
• "De Tijdpoort" ("By His Bootstraps" 1941)
• "De Donkere Holen van Luna" ("The Black Pits Of Luna" 1948)
• "Slavernij op Venus" ("Logic Of Empire" 1941)

Volume 3 (1964)

Isaac Asimov:

• "Voor een Goede Zaak" ("In a Good Cause—" 1951)
• "Wanneer de Nacht Valt" ("Nightfall" 1941)
• "Robot Vermist" ("Little Lost Robot" 1947)
• "Een Plaats met Veel Water" ("The Watery Place" 1956)
• "Wonen in de Ruimte" ("Living Space" 1956)
• "Het Dode Verleden" ("The Dead Past" 1956)
• "De Grappenmaker" ("Jokester" 1956)
• "Er Is Niemand Hier, Behalve..." ("Nobody Here But—" 1953)

Volume 4 (1964)

John Wyndham:

• "De Domme Martiaanse" ("Dumb Martian" 1952)
• "Juist op Dat Ogenblik..." ("A Stitch In Time" 1961)
• "Onderzoek in het Ongewisse" ("Random Quest" 1961)
• "Tijd om te Rusten" ("Time To Rest" 1949)
• "Meteoor" ("Meteor" 1941)
• "Vreemd" ("Odd" 1961)
• "Het Kindvrouwtje" ("Survival" 1952)
• "Pawley's Panorama's" ("Pawleys Peepholes" 1951)
• "Van Hot naar Haar" ("Pillar To Post" 1951)
• "Gevoelscircuit" ("Compassion Circuit" 1954)

Volume 5 (1966)

Various authors:

• "Stilte A.U.B." ("Silence, Please!" 1950) by Arthur C. Clarke
• "Het Monument" ("Monument" 1961) by Lloyd Biggle Jr
• "Kunstgreep" ("Sleight Of Wit" 1961) by Gordon R. Dickson
• "De Vinger aan de Trekker" ("Triggerman" 1958) by JF Bone
• "De Krankzinnige die een Kei Was" ("A Filbert Is A Nut" 1959) by Rick Raphael
• "De Juiste Beslissing" ("Sound Decision" 1956) by Randall Garrett and Robert Silverberg

Volume 6 (1971)

Various authors:

• "Kyrie" ("Kyrie" 1968) by Poul Anderson
• "Alle Zeeën Vol Oesters" ("Or All The Seas With Oysters" 1958) by Avram Davidson
• "De Man van Wanneer" ("The Man From When" 1966) by Dannie Plachta
• "Licht van Vroeger Dagen" ("Light Of Other Days" 1966) by Bob Shaw
• "Een Troef Achter de Hand" ("Artnan Process" 1941) by Theodore Sturgeon
• "Zie Jij, Zie Jij, Wat Ik Niet Zie?" ("See Me Not" 1967) by Richard Wilson
• "Houdt U van Haploïden?" ("Your Haploid Heart" 1969) by James Tiptree Jr.
• "Therapie 2000" ("Therapy 2000" 1969) by Keith Roberts"
• "De Grote Klap" ("The Big Flash" 1969) by Norman Spinrad

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This Anthology and its subworks provide examples of:

• Advertising by Association: One of covers for volume 4 has a tagline that references John Wyndham's other stories, such as The Chrysalids, The Day of the Triffids, The Midwich Cuckoos, Chocky, and The Kraken Wakes.
• all lowercase letters: On the cover for the 1975 edition of volume 4, science-fiction verhalen appears in all lowercase, while John Wyndham and the tagline are cased appropriately.
• Billed Above the Title:
  • The cover of the second volume says "Robert Heinlein Science Fiction Verhalen".
  • The cover of the third volume says "Isaac Asimov Science Fiction Verhalen".
• Genre Anthology: Each volume contains 6 to 10 Science Fiction stories, all of short lengths, such as Short Story, Novella, and Novelette.
• Multi-Volume Work: This Anthology ran for six volumes.
• Numbered Sequels: An Averted Trope except for the sixth volume, which titles itself SF Verhalen 6.
• One-Word Title:
  • "Caleidoscoop" ("Kaleidoscope") by Ray Bradbury.
  • "Geschiedenisles" ("History Lesson") by Arthur C. Clarke.
  • "Gevoelscircuit" ("Compassion Circuit") by John Wyndham.
  • "Kunstgreep" ("Sleight Of Wit") by Gordon R. Dickson.
  • "Kyrie" ("Kyrie") by Poul Anderson.
  • "Meteoor" ("Meteor") by John Wyndham.
  • "Ruimtejockey" ("Space Jockey") by Robert A. Heinlein.
  • "Vreemd" ("Odd") by John Wyndham.
• Tagline:
  • "16 short SF stories from, among others, Wyndham, Heinlein, Bradbury, Asimov, Dick and Clarke" from Volume 1.
  • "Science fiction stories in all variations; parody, space, satire, humor. Engaged stories; discriminate, noise, violence." from Volume 6.
• Title 1: (Inverted Trope) Except for volume 6 (SF Verhalen 6), every book uses Science Fiction Verhalen (sometimes hyphenating to science-fiction) as the title, and sometimes includes the name of the author(s) as well.

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