''The 1972 Annual World's Best SF'' is an anthology of

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

short stories edited by

Donald A. Wollheim Donald Allen Wollheim (October 1, 1914 – November 2, 1990) was an American science fiction editor, publisher, writer, and fan. As an author, he published under his own name as well as under pseudonyms, including David Grinnell, Martin Pearso ...

and Arthur W. Saha, the initial volume in a

series Series may refer to: People with the name * Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series * George Series (1920–1995), English physicist Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Series, the ordered sets used in ...

of nineteen. It was one of two follow-up volumes to the previous year's '' World's Best Science Fiction: 1971'' edited by Wollheim and

Terry Carr Terry Gene Carr (February 19, 1937 – April 7, 1987) was an American science fiction fan, author, editor, and writing instructor. Background and discovery of fandom Carr was born in Grants Pass, Oregon. He attended the City College of San ...

for Ace Books, the other being Carr's ''

The Best Science Fiction of the Year The Best Science Fiction of the Year was a series of annual paperback anthologies edited by Terry Carr. It was published by Ballantine Books from 1972 to 1980, Pocket Books from 1981 to 1983, Baen Books in 1984, and Tor Books from 1985 to 1987. ...

''. The Wollheim/Saha title was first published in paperback by DAW Books in May 1972, followed by a hardcover edition issued in July of the same year by the same publisher as a selection of the

Science Fiction Book Club Bookspan LLC is a New York–based online bookseller, founded in 2000. Bookspan began as a joint endeavor by Bertelsmann and Time Warner. Bertelsmann took over control in 2007, and a year later, sold its interest to Najafi Companies, an Arizo ...

. For the hardcover edition the original cover art of

John Schoenherr John Carl Schoenherr (July 5, 1935 – April 8, 2010) was an American illustrator. He won the 1988 Caldecott Medal for U.S. children's book illustration, recognizing ''Owl Moon'' by Jane Yolen, which recounts the story of the first time a father ...

was replaced by a new cover painting by

Frank Frazetta Frank Frazetta (born Frank Frazzetta ; February 9, 1928 – May 10, 2010) was an American fantasy and science fiction artist, noted for comic books, paperback book covers, paintings, posters, LP record album covers, and other media. He i ...

. The paperback edition was reissued by DAW in December 1977 under the variant title ''Wollheim's World's Best SF: Series One'', this time with cover art by

John Berkey John Berkey (August 13, 1932 – April 29, 2008) was an American artist known for his space and science fiction themed works. Some of Berkey's best-known work includes much of the original poster art for the '' Star Wars'' trilogy, the poster for ...

. The book collects fourteen novelettes and short stories by various science fiction authors, with an introduction by Wollheim. Most of the stories were previously published in 1970 or 1971 in the magazines ''

The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'' (usually referred to as ''F&SF'') is a U.S. fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House, a subsidiary of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Press. Editors Anthony Boucher ...

'', ''

Galaxy Magazine ''Galaxy Science Fiction'' was an American digest-size science fiction magazine, published in Boston from 1950 to 1980. It was founded by a French-Italian company, World Editions, which was looking to break into the American market. World Editi ...

'', ''

Analog Analog or analogue may refer to: Computing and electronics * Analog signal, in which information is encoded in a continuous variable ** Analog device, an apparatus that operates on analog signals *** Analog electronics, circuits which use analog ...

'', ''

Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's Lifestyle magazine, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from H ...

'', and '' If'', the anthologies '' Quark/4'', '' Orbit 8'', '' Orbit 9'', and ''

New Writings in SF 19 ''New Writings in SF 19'' is an anthology of science fiction short stories edited by John Carnell, the nineteenth volume in a series of thirty, of which he edited the first twenty-one. It was first published in hardcover by Dennis Dobson in 1971, ...

'', and the collection '' In the Pocket: And Other SF Stories / Gather in the Hall of the Planets''. One story was first published in this anthology.

*"Introduction" (

) *"The Fourth Profession" (

Larry Niven Laurence van Cott Niven (; born April 30, 1938) is an American science fiction writer. His best-known works are '' Ringworld'' (1970), which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards, and, with Jerry Pournelle, '' The Mote in God's E ...

) *"Gleepsite" (

Joanna Russ Joanna Russ (February 22, 1937 – April 29, 2011) was an American writer, academic and feminist. She is the author of a number of works of science fiction, fantasy and feminist literary criticism such as ''How to Suppress Women's Writing'', as w ...

) *"The Bear with the Knot on His Tail" ( Stephen Tall) *"The Sharks of Pentreath" (

Michael G. Coney Michael Greatrex Coney (28 September 1932 - 4 November 2005) was a British science fiction writer, best known for his novel ''Hello Summer, Goodbye.'' Life Coney was born in Birmingham, England, on 28 September 1932. As an adult, he worked as ...

) *"A Little Knowledge" (

Poul Anderson Poul William Anderson (November 25, 1926 – July 31, 2001) was an American fantasy and science fiction author who was active from the 1940s until the 21st century. Anderson wrote also historical novels. His awards include seven Hugo Awards and ...

) *"Real-Time World" ( Christopher Priest) *"All Pieces of a River Shore" ( R. A. Lafferty) (Originally published in 1970) *"With Friends Like These . . ." (

Alan Dean Foster Alan Dean Foster (born November 18, 1946) is an American writer of fantasy and science fiction. He has written several book series, more than 20 standalone novels, and many novelizations of film scripts. Career ''Star Wars'' Foster was the ghost ...

) *"Aunt Jennie's Tonic" ( Leonard Tushnet) *"Timestorm" ( Eddy C. Bertin) *"Transit of Earth" ( Arthur C. Clarke) *"Gehenna" ( K. M. O'Donnell) *"One Life, Furnished in Early Poverty" ( Harlan Ellison) (Originally published in 1970) *"Occam's Scalpel" (

Theodore Sturgeon Theodore Sturgeon (; born Edward Hamilton Waldo, February 26, 1918 – May 8, 1985) was an American fiction author of primarily fantasy, science fiction and horror, as well as a critic. He wrote approximately 400 reviews and more than 120 sh ...

)

Awards

"The Fourth Profession" was nominated for the 1972

Hugo Award for Best Novella The Hugo Award for Best Novella is one of the Hugo Awards given each year for science fiction or fantasy stories published or translated into English during the previous calendar year. The novella award is available for works of fiction of between ...

. "The Bear with the Knot on His Tail" was nominated for the 1972

Hugo Award for Best Short Story The Hugo Award for Best Short Story is one of the Hugo Awards given each year for science fiction or fantasy stories published or translated into English during the previous calendar year. The short story award is available for works of fiction o ...

, and placed seventh in the Locus Poll Award for Best Short Fiction.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:1972 Annual World's Best SF, The 1972 anthologies

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using mean solar tim ...

DAW Books books

Contents

Awards

External links