''The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two'' is an English language

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

two-volume anthology edited by

Ben Bova Benjamin William Bova (November 8, 1932November 29, 2020) was an American writer and editor. During a writing career of 60 years, he was the author of more than 120 works of science fact and fiction, an editor of ''Analog Science Fiction and Fac ...

and published in the U.S. by Doubleday in 1973, distinguished as volumes "Two A" and "Two B". In the U.K. they were published by Gollancz as ''Volume Two'' (1973) and ''Volume Three'' (1974). The original U.S. subtitle was ''The Greatest Science Fiction Novellas of All Time''. Twenty-two

novella A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most novelettes and short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) ...

s published from 1895 to 1962 were selected by vote of the

Science Fiction Writers of America The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, doing business as Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association and commonly known as SFWA ( or ) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization of professional science fiction and fantasy writers. Whi ...

, as that body had selected the contents of '' The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Volume One, 1929–1964'', a collection of the best-regarded

short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...

. SFWA had been established in

1965 Events January–February * January 14 – The First Minister of Northern Ireland and the Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland meet for the first time in 43 years. * January 20 ** Lyndon B. Johnson is Second inauguration of Lynd ...

and that publication year defined its first annual

Nebula Awards The Nebula Awards annually recognize the best works of science fiction or fantasy published in the United States. The awards are organized and awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA), a nonprofit association of pro ...

. Introducing the collected novellas, Bova wrote, "The purpose of the Science Fiction Hall of Fame anthologies is to bestow a similar recognition on stories that were published prior to 1966 ic and thus never had a chance to earn a Nebula." The selection process generated both a top ten stories and a top ten authors. Although the original publication dates ranged from 1895 to 1962, only two stories were published before 1938, "The Time Machine" by Wells (1895) and "The Machine Stops" by Forster (1909).

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

reviewed the anthology favorably, praising the decision to issue it in two volumes rather than scale back the contents."Galaxy Bookshelf", ''Galaxy'', May 1973, pp. 170–71. Bova's introduction thanks Doubleday science fiction editor Larry Ashmead for that."Introduction", Ben Bova, ''The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two'', New York: Doubleday, 1973, pp. ix–xi. Identical in volumes Two A and Two B.

Bova's introduction (identical in both volumes) honored 24 works by identifying two that made the cut but were not included. "A Canticle for Leibowitz" by Walter M. Miller, Jr. (1955) was not available for re-publication in 1973, for it had been incorporated in the

fix-up A fix-up (or fixup) is a novel created from several short fiction stories that may or may not have been initially related or previously published. The stories may be edited for consistency, and sometimes new connecting material, such as a frame ...

novel '' A Canticle for Leibowitz'' (1959) that was still in print. '' By His Bootstraps'' by Robert A. Heinlein (1941) would have been a second work by that author. Those two ranked second and ninth in the voting. The first half, Volume Two A, includes eight of the ten leading stories by SFWA vote and the other two are not in the anthology, as described just above.

Top ten

In the selection process, SFWA members were asked to vote for ten out of the 76 stories on the ballot, selecting no more than one by any one author. In the introduction to the collection Bova reported the top ten stories and top ten authors by number of votes. (As described above, "A Canticle for Leibowitz" and "By His Bootstraps" were not included in the collection.)

Stories

* "

Who Goes There? ''Who Goes There?'' is a 1938 science fiction horror novella by American author John W. Campbell, written under the pen name Don A. Stuart. Campbell renewed the copyright in 1965. Its story follows a group of people trapped in a scientific out ...

" (1938), John W. Campbell, Jr. * " A Canticle for Leibowitz" (1955), Walter M. Miller, Jr. * " With Folded Hands" (1947),

Jack Williamson John Stewart Williamson (April 29, 1908 – November 10, 2006) was an American list of science fiction authors, science fiction writer, one of several called the "Dean of Science Fiction". He is also credited with one of the first uses of the t ...

* "

The Time Machine ''The Time Machine'' is an 1895 dystopian post-apocalyptic science fiction novella by H. G. Wells about a Victorian scientist known as the Time Traveller who travels to the year 802,701. The work is generally credited with the popularizati ...

" (1895),

H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells (21 September 1866 – 13 August 1946) was an English writer, prolific in many genres. He wrote more than fifty novels and dozens of short stories. His non-fiction output included works of social commentary, politics, hist ...

* " Baby Is Three" (1952),

* " Vintage Season" (1946),

Henry Kuttner Henry Kuttner (April 7, 1915 – February 3, 1958) was an American author of science fiction, fantasy fiction, fantasy and horror fiction, horror. Early life Henry Kuttner was born in Los Angeles, California in 1915. Kuttner (1829–1903) and ...

and C. L. Moore * " The Marching Morons" (1951), C. M. Kornbluth * "

Universe The universe is all of space and time and their contents. It comprises all of existence, any fundamental interaction, physical process and physical constant, and therefore all forms of matter and energy, and the structures they form, from s ...

" (1941),

Robert A. Heinlein Robert Anson Heinlein ( ; July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) was an American science fiction author, aeronautical engineer, and naval officer. Sometimes called the "dean of science fiction writers", he was among the first to emphasize scientific acc ...

* " By His Bootstraps" (1941), Robert A. Heinlein * "

Nerves A nerve is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of nerve fibers (called axons). Nerves have historically been considered the basic units of the peripheral nervous system. A nerve provides a common pathway for the electrochemical nerve impulses called ...

" (1942),

Lester del Rey Lester del Rey (June 2, 1915 – May 10, 1993) was an American science fiction author and editor. He was the author of many books in the juvenile Winston Science Fiction series, and the fantasy editor at Del Rey Books, the fantasy an ...

Authors

* Robert A. Heinlein * Theodore Sturgeon * John W. Campbell, Jr. * Walter M. Miller, Jr. * Lester del Rey * C. M. Kornbluth * Jack Williamson * H. G. Wells * Poul Anderson * Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore

Select publication history

First editions * U.S., Volumes "Two A" and "Two B", Doubleday (, xi+529; , xi+527) * U.K. Volumes "Two" and "Three", Gollancz (1973, xi+422pp; 1974, xi+440pp) Later U.S. editions have been called Volumes IIA and IIB.

Series

In the U.K. Gollancz continued the series in 1981 with ''Volume Four'', edited by Arthur C. Clarke, comprising an introduction by Clarke and 16 short stories, novelettes, and novellas published 1965 to 1969 (, 672pp). In the U.S. Avon published identical contents in 1982 as ''Volume III'', crediting Clarke and George W. Proctor as editors (, 672pp, paperback) and followed with Volume IV in 1986, edited by Terry Carr, comprising 14 works published 1970 to 1974 (, xiv+434pp, paperback).

Explanatory notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Science Fiction Hall of Fame Volume Two 1973 anthologies Doubleday (publisher) books Science Fiction Hall of Fame 2 Works by Ben Bova

Contents