''Nebula Award Stories 5'' is an
anthology
In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors.
In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically categ ...
of award-winning
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 unive ...
short works edited by
James Blish. It was first published in the United Kingdom in hardcover by
Gollancz Gollancz may refer to:
* Gollancz (surname), a Polish-Jewish surname
* Victor Gollancz Ltd, a former British publishing house, now used as an imprint by the Orion Publishing Group
See also
* Gołańcz
Gołańcz (german: Gollantsch) is a town ...
in November 1970. The first American edition was published by
Doubleday in December of the same year. Paperback editions followed from
Pocket Books
Pocket Books is a division of Simon & Schuster that primarily publishes paperback books.
History
Pocket Books produced the first mass-market, pocket-sized paperback books in the United States in early 1939 and revolutionized the publishing in ...
in the U.S. in January 1972, and
Panther
Panther may refer to:
Large cats
*Pantherinae, the cat subfamily that contains the genera ''Panthera'' and ''Neofelis''
**''Panthera'', the cat genus that contains tigers, lions, jaguars and leopards.
***Jaguar (''Panthera onca''), found in Sout ...
in the U.K. in December 1972. The American editions bore the variant title ''Nebula Award Stories Five''. The book has also been published in
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
.
Summary
The book collects pieces published in 1969 that won or were nominated for the
Nebula Award
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 of America (SFWA), a nonprofit association of profe ...
s for
novella
A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian ''novella'' meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) facts ...
,
novelette
Novelette may also refer to:
* ''Novelette'' (ballet), a solo modern dance work choreographed by Martha Graham
* Novelette (music), a short piece of lyrical music
* Novelette (literature), a work of narrative prose fiction that is longer than a ...
and
short story
A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one 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 oldest ...
for the year 1970 and nonfiction pieces related to the awards, together with an introduction by the editor. Not all non-winning pieces nominated for the awards were included.
Contents
*"Introduction" (
James Blish)
*"
A Boy and His Dog"
est Novella winner, 1970(
Harlan Ellison
Harlan Jay Ellison (May 27, 1934 – June 28, 2018) was an American writer, known for his prolific and influential work in New Wave speculative fiction and for his outspoken, combative personality. Robert Bloch, the author of '' Psycho'' ...
)
*"
Nine Lives"
est Novelette nominee, 1970(
Ursula K. Le Guin
Ursula Kroeber Le Guin (; October 21, 1929 – January 22, 2018) was an American author best known for her works of speculative fiction, including science fiction works set in her Hainish universe, and the '' Earthsea'' fantasy series. She was ...
)
*"
Passengers
A passenger (also abbreviated as pax) is a person who travels in a vehicle, but does not bear any responsibility for the tasks required for that vehicle to arrive at its destination or otherwise operate the vehicle, and is not a steward. The ...
"
est Short Story winner, 1970(
Robert Silverberg
Robert Silverberg (born January 15, 1935) is an American author and editor, best known for writing science fiction. He is a multiple winner of both Hugo and Nebula Awards, a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame, and a Grand ...
)
*"Not Long Before the End"
est Short Story nominee, 1970(
Larry Niven)
*"
Time Considered as a Helix of Semi-Precious Stones
"Time Considered as a Helix of Semi-Precious Stones" is a science fiction short story by American writer Samuel R. Delany, published in the December 1968 issue of ''New Worlds''. It won the Hugo Award for Best Short Story 1970, and the Nebula A ...
"
est Novelette winner, 1970(
Samuel R. Delany
Samuel R. "Chip" Delany (, ) (born April 1, 1942), is an American author and literary critic. His work includes fiction (especially science fiction), memoir, criticism, and essays (on science fiction, literature, sexuality, and society). His ...
)
*"The Man Who Learned Loving"
est Short Story nominee, 1970(
Theodore Sturgeon)
*"The SF Novel in 1969"
ssay(
Darko Suvin
Darko Ronald Suvin (born Darko Šlesinger) is a Yugoslavia, Yugoslav-born academic, writer and critic who became a professor (now emeritusDavid JohnstonConvocation: Honorary degrees and emeritus professorships McGill Reporter, Volume 33, No. 05, ...
)
*"Short SF in 1968"
ssay(
Alexei Panshin
Alexei Panshin (August 14, 1940 – August 21, 2022) was an American writer and science fiction critic. He wrote several critical works and several novels, including the 1968 Nebula Award–winning novel ''Rite of Passage''Nicholls 1979, p. 447 ...
)
Reception
P. Schuyler Miller
Peter Schuyler Miller (February 21, 1912 – October 13, 1974) was an American science fiction writer and critic.
Life
Miller was raised in New York's Mohawk Valley, which led to a lifelong interest in the Iroquois Indians. He pursued this as ...
, writing in ''
Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact
''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' is an American science fiction magazine published under various titles since 1930. Originally titled ''Astounding Stories of Super-Science'', the first issue was dated January 1930, published by William C ...
'', called the anthology "less appealing than in most previous years—not because the stories are poorer, but because you have probably read most of them in other anthologies." For those deciding they have already "read too much of the book," he recommends the previous year's volume, which he notes is now out in paperback. After surveying the already-anthologized pieces and where they have appeared, Miller comments on the "one story which may be strange," the Sturgeon piece, "a point-of-view story, and the point it makes is one that even the New Left must call relevant. They may not like it." He also highlights the essays summing up the year's SF novels and short stories.
[Miller, P. Schuyler Miller. Review ''Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact'', v.87, no. 3, May 1971, pp. 164-165.]
The anthology was also reviewed by Paul Walker in ''Science Fiction Review'' no. 43, 1971, Alfred J. van der Poorten in ''SF Commentary'' no. 20, 1971, and Ted Pauls in ''The WSFA Journal'' no. 77, June-July 1971.
Notes
{{Nebula Awards Showcase
Nebula 5
1970 anthologies
1970s science fiction works
Victor Gollancz Ltd books
Doubleday (publisher) books