''3000 Years of Fantasy and Science Fiction'' 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 cate ...

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

and

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 American writers L. Sprague de Camp and Catherine Crook de Camp. It was first published in both hardcover and paperback by Lothrop Lee & Shepard in 1972. It was the first such anthology assembled by the de Camps, preceding their later '' Tales Beyond Time'' (1973). The book collects eleven tales by various authors, with a foreword by

Isaac Asimov yi, יצחק אזימאװ , birth_date = , birth_place = Petrovichi, Russian SFSR , spouse = , relatives = , children = 2 , death_date = , death_place = Manhattan, New York City, U.S. , nationality = Russian (1920–1922)Soviet (192 ...

and an overall introduction by the de Camps.

*"Why Read Science Fiction? (Foreword)" (

) *"Introduction–Beyond the World We Know" ( L. Sprague de Camp and Catherine Crook de Camp) *"

The Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; grc, Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia, ) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Iliad'', th ...

" (excerpt) (

Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...

) *" Timaios" (excerpt) (

Plato Plato ( ; grc-gre, Πλάτων ; 428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 BC) was a Greek philosopher born in Athens during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. He founded the Platonist school of thought and the Academy, the first institution ...

) *" A Journey to the Moon" (abridged) (

Cyrano de Bergerac Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac ( , ; 6 March 1619 – 28 July 1655) was a French novelist, playwright, epistolarian, and duelist. A bold and innovative author, his work was part of the libertine literature of the first half of the 17th cen ...

, abridged and translated by L. Sprague de Camp) *" The New Accelerator" ( H. G. Wells) *"

The Cats of Ulthar "The Cats of Ulthar" is a short story written by American fantasy author H. P. Lovecraft in June 1920. In the tale, an unnamed narrator relates the story of how a law forbidding the killing of cats came to be in a town called Ulthar. As the na ...

" ( H. P. Lovecraft) *"

A Martian Odyssey "A Martian Odyssey" is a science fiction short story by American writer Stanley G. Weinbaum originally published in the July 1934 issue of '' Wonder Stories''. It was Weinbaum's second published story (in 1933 he had sold a romantic novel, ''The ...

" (

Stanley G. Weinbaum Stanley Grauman Weinbaum (April 4, 1902 – December 14, 1935) was an American science fiction writer. His first story, "A Martian Odyssey", was published to great acclaim in July 1934; the alien Tweel was arguably the first character to satisf ...

) *"

Helen O'Loy "Helen O'Loy" is a science fiction short story by American writer Lester del Rey, originally published in 1938 in ''Astounding Science Fiction''. It was subsequently published many times in various collections or anthologies. The latest publica ...

" (

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 editor at Del Rey Books, the fantasy and scienc ...

) *"

The Cold Equations "The Cold Equations" is a science fiction short story by American writer Tom Godwin, first published in ''Astounding Magazine'' in August 1954. In 1970, the Science Fiction Writers of America selected it as one of the best science-fiction short ...

" (

Tom Godwin Tom Godwin (June 6, 1915 – August 31, 1980) was an American science fiction author active throughout the 1950s into the 1970s. In his career, Godwin published three novels and around thirty short stories. He is best known for his short sto ...

) *"

A Gun for Dinosaur "A Gun for Dinosaur" is a classic time travel science fiction storyMiller, P. Schuyler. "The Reference Library", in ''Analog Science Fact - Science Fiction'', v. 71, no. 5, July 1963, p. 90.D'Ammassa, Don. "de CAMP, L. Sprague", in ''Twentieth-Ce ...

" ( L. Sprague de Camp) *"

Before Eden "Before Eden" is a science fiction short story by the British author Arthur C. Clarke, first published in June 1961 in ''Amazing Stories''. It was included in '' Tales of Ten Worlds'', a 1962 collection of stories by Clarke, and has been translat ...

" (

Arthur C. Clarke Sir Arthur Charles Clarke (16 December 191719 March 2008) was an English science-fiction writer, science writer, futurist, inventor, undersea explorer, and television series host. He co-wrote the screenplay for the 1968 film '' 2001: A Spac ...

) *"

The Last Question "The Last Question" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. It first appeared in the November 1956 issue of Science Fiction Quarterly and was anthologized in the collections Nine Tomorrows (1959), The Best of Isaac A ...

" (

)

Reception

Marguerite B. Burgess, writing in ''

Library Journal ''Library Journal'' is an American trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey. It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional pract ...

'', called the book "a solid collection of classic science fiction stories," but "contains nothing new for seasoned SF fans." She felt the Lovecraft piece "rather weak" and questioned the inclusion of the ''Odyssey'' except as "a far-fetched choice," but thought " e headnotes by the de Camps ... good and informative, providing historical perspective." She recommended it as a book "librarians should order ... for their junior high school readers." In a second ''Library Journal'' review, Frances Postell found the book " average collection of sci fi stories" with the ancient Greek excerpts "too brief" and the de Bergerac piece "overly long." She deemed the modern selections "pithy and not often anthologized" and noted the introduction "provides a capsule history of the genre." She felt it "will interest upper junior high and high school readers of fantasy and science fiction." '' The Christian Century'' called it "an anthology worth noting and owning.""Criticism: Books and the Arts." In ''The Christian Century'', v. 89, no. 43, Nov. 29, 1972, p. 1218.

References

{{L. Sprague de Camp 1972 books Fantasy anthologies Science fiction anthologies L. Sprague de Camp anthologies Lothrop, Lee & Shepard books

Contents

Reception

References