Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.087608
EAN num: 9780020163909
ISBN number: 0020163908
Label: Collier Books / Macmillan
Manufacturer: Collier Books / Macmillan
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 287
Printing Date: February 01, 1963
Publishing house: Collier Books / Macmillan
Sale Popularity Level: 532707
Studio: Collier Books / Macmillan
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Rated by buyers 
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Marvelous book! These are "short-short" stories, about 3-5 pages each, perfect for a quick reading before bed, or, as a short diversion. All the stories are from a different Sci-Fi author, and, despite being forty-plus years old, they are as fascinating and plausible as if they were written today.
Well packaged and quickly shipped.
Rated by buyers -
Includes 2 poems at ends so 52 titles.
Ballade of an Artificial Satellite - Poul Anderson
The Fun They Had - Isaac Asimov
Men are Different - Alan Bloch
The Ambassadors - Anthony Boucher
The Weapon - Frederic Brown
Random Sample - T.P. Caravan
Oscar - Cleve Cartmill
The Mist - Peter Cartur
Teething Ring - James Causey
The Haunted Space Suit - Arthur C Clarke
Stair Trick - Mildred Clingerman
Unwelcome Tenant - Roger Dee
The Mathematicians - Arthur Feldman
The Third Level - Jack Finney
Beautiful, Beautiful, Beautiful! - Stuart Friedman
The Figure - Edward Grendon
The Rag Thing - David Grinnell
The Good Provider - Marion Gross
Columbus Was a Dope - Robert A Heinlein
Texas Week - Albert Hernhuter
Hilda - HB Hickey
The Choice - W Hilton-Young
Not With a Bang - Damon Knight
The Alter at Midnight - CM Cornbluth
A Bad Day for Sales - Frits Leiber
Who's Cribbing? - Jack Lewis
Spectator Sport - John D MacDonald
The Cricket Ball - Avro Monhattan
Double-Take - Winston K Marks
Prolog - John P McKnight
The Available Data on the Worp Reaction - Lion Miller
Narapoia - Alan Nelson
Tiger by the Tail - Alan E Nourse
Counter Charm - Peter Phillips
The Fly - Arthur Porges
The Business, As Usual - Mack Reynolds
Two Weeks in August - Frank M Robinson
See? - Edward G Robles, Jr.
Appointment at Noon - Eric Frank Russell
We Don't Want Any Trouble - James H Schmitz
Built Down Logically - Howard Schoenfeld
An Egg a Month from All Over - Idris Seabright
The Perfect Woman - Robert Sheckley
The Hunters - Walt Sheldon
The Martian and the Magician - Evelyn E Smith
Barney - Will Stanton
Talent - Theodore Sturgeon
Project Hush - William Tenn
The Great Judge - AE Van Vogt
Emergency Landing - Ralph Williams
Obviously Suicide - S Fowler Wright
Six Haiku - Karen Anderson
Rated by buyers 
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This is a very fun, brisk read. I was somewhat let down by the "climaxes" of some of the short stories because they either fizzled out or I didn't understand the references they were making. In other cases, the plot devices and themes have been recycled numerous times, making them all-too-predictable -- such as the Stepford Wife-isms of "The Perfect Woman". Not to blame this book, but that's what you can expect. Also, the typeface the book is presented in is kind of smeary, making it a little tough to read.
Nonetheless, the content shines through: sci-fi tales from an earlier age, a number of them not even a page long. Keeps my attention-depraved meter from pegging, and makes a suitable bathroom read too.
One of my faves is "Who's Cribbing?" by Jack Lewis, which seems to involve time travel and is told from the perspective of correspondence via snail mail.
Another gem is Idris Seabright's "An Egg a Month from All Over", which starts with a gloss of whimsy but soon descends into what I'd call the most gory moment in the mostly childsafe book.
50 Short Science Fiction Tales' ordering is unusually sensible, with elements at the end of one story (like a Geiger counter) figuring in the next. Overally, warmly recommended and a great insight into the imaginative minds of the early 50's!
Rated by buyers -
A diverse collection of tales. One is able to read 2 or 3 while smoking a cigarette. This book lived on the table in my smoking porch for the duration of my reading of it.
I especially enjoyed how the editors placed the stories together in a semblance of order that is not easily noticed. For example, a story featuring a couple named Williams was followed by a story in which the hero is named Williams, then a story about the 'Perfect Woman' is followed by a story that includes another idea of a perfect woman.
All the pieces pack a punch and are quick and entertaining. I also enjoyed the introductions as the Science Fiction Short-Short was a type of literature I was unfamiliar with prior to reading this book.
Rated by buyers -
This short story collection is more than I bargained for. I was looking for something that I could read every now and then, finish over time--something with girth that I can come back to. Only part of that's true--I come back to it regularly, but I finish it every time. These engrossing stories are delectably various, but an absolute joy to follow. No two are the same or even really cover the same area, but they all feel like they're on the same level of understanding. An absolute must-read for anyone that has ever liked a science fiction story. Get it.
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