Literature / Great Science Fiction of the 20th Century

First published in 1980 under the title The Arbor House Treasury of Modern Science Fiction, this Genre Anthology was edited by Robert Silverberg and Martin H. Greenberg. It was republished under the title Great Science Fiction of the 20th Century in 1987 under the Avenel Books imprint of William Morrow & Company (who would complete their purchase of Arbor House in 1988).

Inspired by The Best Of Science Fiction by Groff Conklin and Adventures In Time And Space by editors Raymond J Healy and J Francis Mc Comas (both published in 1946), the Great Science Fiction of the 20th Century anthology attempts to be a Spiritual Successor, collecting stories only between the years of 1947 and 1976. The majority of these stories are Novelette or longer.

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Thirty-nine works have been reprinted in this book:

• "Angels Egg" by Edgar Pangborn (1951)
• "Rescue Party" by Arthur C. Clarke (1946)
• "Shape" by Robert Sheckley (1953)
• "Alpha Ralpha Boulevard" by Cordwainer Smith (1961)
• "Winters King" by Ursula K. Le Guin (1969)
• "Or All The Seas With Oysters" by Avram Davidson (1958)
• "Common Time" by James Blish (1953)
• "When You Care When You Love" by Theodore Sturgeon (1962)
• "The Shadow Of Space" by Philip José Farmer (1962)
• "—All You Zombies—" by Robert A. Heinlein (1959)
• "Im Scared" by Jack Finney (1951)
• "Childs Play" by William Tenn (1947)
• "Grandpa" by James H. Schmitz (1955)
• "Private Eye" by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore (1951)
• "Sundance" by Robert Silverberg (1969)
• "In The Bowl" by John Varley (1975)
• "Kaleidoscope" by Ray Bradbury (1969)
• "Unready To Wear" by Kurt Vonnegut (1969)
• "Wall Of Crystal Eye Of Night" by Algis Budrys (1961)
• "Day Million" by Frederik Pohl (1966)
• "Hobsons Choice" by Alfred Bester (1952)
• "The Gift Of Gab" by Jack Vance (1955)
• "The Man Who Never Grew Young" by Fritz Leiber (1947)
• "Neutron Star" by Larry Niven (1966)
• "Imposter" by Philip K. Dick (1953)
• "The Human Operators" by Harlan Ellison and AE Vogt (1971)
• "Poor Little Warrior" by Brian W. Aldiss (1958)
• "When It Changed" by Joanna Russ (1972)
• "The Bicentennial Man" by Isaac Asimov (1976)
• "Hunting Machine" by Carol Emshwiller (1957)
• "Light Of Other Days" by Bob Shaw (1966)
• "The Keys To December" by Roger Zelazny (1966)
• "Of Mist And Grass And Sand" by Vonda N. McIntyre (1973)
• "A Galaxy Called Rome" by Barry N Malzberg (1975)
• "Stranger Station" by Damon Knight (1956)
• "The Time Of His Life" by Larry Eisenberg (1968)
• "The Marching Morons" by Cyril M. Kornbluth (1951)
• "The Women Men Dont See" by James Tiptree Jr. (1973)
• "The Queen Of Air And Darkness" by Poul Anderson (1971)

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Tropes appearing in this anthology:

• Doorstopper: This Anthology has over 700 pages because most of the thirty-nine stories are actually short novels, classified as Novelettes or Novellas.
• Genre Anthology: Science Fiction stories only, ones with the best potential to shape the way people would view the future and inspire people to greater heights of creativity.
• Orwellian Retcon: William Morrow & Company had The Arbor House Treasury of Modern Science Fiction reprinted under their Avenel Books imprint with the name Great Science Fiction of the 20th Century to avoid the confusion of listing multiple publisher names.
• Shout-Out:
  • Editors Robert Silverberg and Martin H. Greenberg mention The Best Of Science Fiction when describing their goal to publish this Genre Anthology as a Spiritual Successor.
  • Editors Robert Silverberg and Martin H. Greenberg mention Adventures In Time And Space when describing their goal to publish this Genre Anthology as a Spiritual Successor.
• Promoted Fanboy: [invoked] In the introduction, editors Robert Silverberg and Martin H. Greenberg point out that many of the big names in Science Fiction used to be avid readers of the Pulp Fiction magazines. They list Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, Lester del Rey, and Frederik Pohl.
• Sci Fi Ghetto: [invoked] The introduction explains how editors Robert Silverberg and Martin H. Greenberg believe Science Fiction has successfully escaped the ghetto, describing how mainstream and popular it's become since the early days of Pulp Magazine publications.
• Spiritual Successor: Editors Robert Silverberg and Martin H. Greenberg were intentionally trying to imitate two previous Anthology books; The Best Of Science Fiction by Groff Conklin and Adventures In Time And Space by editors Raymond J Healy and J Francis Mc Comas (both published in 1946).

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