''The 1972 Annual World's Best SF'' 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 related fiction/non-fiction excerpts by different authors. There are also thematic and g ...
of
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 ...
short stories edited by
Donald A. Wollheim 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 i ...
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 S ...
for
Ace Books
Ace Books is a publisher of science fiction (SF) and fantasy books founded in New York City in 1952 by A. A. Wyn, Aaron A. Wyn. It began as a genre publisher of mystery fiction, mysteries and western (genre), westerns, and soon branched out int ...
, 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. T ...
''. The Wollheim/Saha title was first published in paperback by
DAW Books
DAW Books is an American science fiction and fantasy publisher, founded by Donald A. Wollheim, with his wife, Elsie B. Wollheim, following his departure from Ace Books in 1971. The company claims to be "the first publishing company ever devoted ...
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 Arizon ...
. For the hardcover edition the original cover art of
John Schoenherr was replaced by a new cover painting by
Frank Frazetta
Frank Frazetta (born Frank Frazzetta ; February 9, 1928 – May 10, 2010) was an American artist known for themes of Fantasy art, fantasy and science fiction, noted for comic books, mass market paperback, paperback book covers, paintings, p ...
. 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 fiction magazine, fantasy and science-fiction magazine, first published in 1949 by Mystery House, a subsidiary of Lawrence E. Spivak, Lawrence Spiv ...
'', ''
Galaxy Magazine'', ''
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'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...
'', and ''
If'', the anthologies ''
Quark/4'', ''
Orbit 8'', ''
Orbit 9'', and ''
New Writings in SF 19'', 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.
Contents
*"Introduction" (
Donald A. Wollheim)
*"The Fourth Profession" (
Larry Niven
Laurence van Cott Niven (; born April 30, 1938) is an American science fiction writer. His 1970 novel ''Ringworld'' won the Hugo Award for Best Novel, Hugo, Locus Award, Locus, Ditmar Award, Ditmar, and Nebula Award for Best Novel, Nebula award ...
)
*"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 ...
)
*"The Bear with the Knot on His Tail" (
Stephen Tall)
*"The Sharks of Pentreath" (
Michael G. Coney)
*"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 his death in 2001. Anderson also wrote historical novels. He won the Hugo Award seven times an ...
)
*"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
Harlan Jay Ellison (May 27, 1934 – June 28, 2018) was an American writer, known for his prolific and influential work in New Wave science fiction, New Wave speculative fiction and for his outspoken, combative personality. His published wo ...
) (Originally published in 1970)
*"Occam's Scalpel" (
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 ...
)
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 of ...
, 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 Solar time, ...
DAW Books books