''The Science Fictional Olympics'' 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
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov ( ; – April 6, 1992) was an Russian-born American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. During his lifetime, Asimov was considered one of the "Big Three" science fiction writers, along with Robert A. H ...
,
Martin H. Greenberg
Martin Harry Greenberg (March 1, 1941 – June 25, 2011) was an American academic and anthologist in many genres, including mysteries and horror, but especially in speculative fiction. In all, he compiled 1,298 anthologies and commissioned ...
, and
Charles G. Waugh as the second volume in their
Isaac Asimov's Wonderful Worlds of Science Fiction series. It was first published in paperback by
Signet/New American Library in June 1984. It has been translated into Italian in the series
''Urania''.
The book collects sixteen novelettes and short stories by various science fiction authors, with an introduction by Asimov.
Contents
*"Introduction: Competition!" (
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov ( ; – April 6, 1992) was an Russian-born American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. During his lifetime, Asimov was considered one of the "Big Three" science fiction writers, along with Robert A. H ...
)
*"Run to Starlight" (
George R. R. Martin
George Raymond Richard Martin (born George Raymond Martin; September 20, 1948) also known by the initials G.R.R.M. is an American author, television writer, and television producer. He is best known as the author of the unfinished series of Hi ...
)
*"The Mickey Mouse Olympics" (
Tom Sullivan)
*"Dream Fighter" (
Bob Shaw
Robert Shaw (31 December 1931 – 11 February 1996) was a science fiction writer and fan from Northern Ireland, noted for his originality and wit. He won the Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer in 1979 and 1980. His short story " Light of Other Da ...
)
*"The Kokod Warriors" (
Jack Vance
John Holbrook Vance (August 28, 1916 – May 26, 2013) was an American mystery, fantasy, and science fiction writer. He also wrote several mystery novels under pen names, including Ellery Queen.
Vance won the World Fantasy Award for Life Ach ...
)
*"Getting Through University" (
Piers Anthony
Piers Anthony Dillingham Jacob (born August 6, 1934) is an American author in the science fiction and fantasy genres, publishing under the name Piers Anthony. He is best known for his long-running novel series set in the fictional realm of Xan ...
)
*"For the Sake of Grace" (
Suzette Haden Elgin
Suzette Haden Elgin (born Patricia Anne Suzette Wilkins; November 18, 1936 – January 27, 2015) was an American researcher in experimental linguistics, construction and evolution of languages and poetry and science fiction writer. She founded t ...
)
*"The National Pastime" (
Norman Spinrad
Norman Richard Spinrad (born September 15, 1940) is an American science fiction author, essayist, and critic. His fiction has won the Prix Apollo Award, Prix Apollo and been nominated for numerous awards, including the Hugo Award and multiple N ...
)
*"A Day for Dying" (
Charles Nuetzel)
*"The People Trap" (
Robert Sheckley
Robert Sheckley (July 16, 1928 – December 9, 2005) was an American writer. First published in the science-fiction magazines of the 1950s, his many quick-witted stories and novels were famously unpredictable, Absurdist fiction, absurdist, and ...
)
*"Why Johnny Can't Speed" (
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 ...
)
*"
Nothing in the Rules
"Nothing in the Rules" is a contemporary fantasy story by American writer L. Sprague de Camp.
Publication history
It was first published in the magazine ''Unknown'' for July, 1939.Laughlin, Charlotte, and Levack, Daniel J. H. ''De Camp: An L. Spr ...
" (
L. Sprague de Camp
Lyon Sprague de Camp (; November 27, 1907 – November 6, 2000) was an American author of science fiction, Fantasy literature, fantasy and non-fiction literature. In a career spanning 60 years, he wrote over 100 books, both novels and works of ...
)
*"The Olympians" (
Mike Resnick
Michael Diamond Resnick (; March 5, 1942 – January 9, 2020) was an American science fiction writer and editor. He won five Hugo awards and a Nebula award, and was the guest of honor at Chicon 7. He was the executive editor of the defunct mag ...
)
*"
The Wind from the Sun
''The Wind from the Sun'' () is a 1972 collection of science fiction short stories by British writer Arthur C. Clarke. Some of the stories originally appeared in a number of different publications. A part of the book was included in CD on b ...
" (
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.
Clarke co-wrote the screenplay for the 1968 film '' 2001: A ...
)
*"Prose Bowl" (
Bill Pronzini
Bill Pronzini (born April 13, 1943) is an American writer of detective fiction. He is also an active anthologist, having compiled more than 100 collections, most of which focus on mystery, western, and science fiction short stories. Pronzini is ...
and
Barry N. Malzberg
Barry Nathaniel Malzberg (July 24, 1939 – December 19, 2024) was an American writer and editor, most often of science fiction and fantasy.
Life and career Early life and family
Malzberg originated from a Jewish family and graduated from Syra ...
)
*"From Downtown at the Buzzer" (
George Alec Effinger
George Alec Effinger (January 10, 1947 – April 27, 2002) was an American science fiction author, born in Cleveland, Ohio.
Writing career
Effinger was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on January 10, 1947. His father was a United States Navy vetera ...
)
*"A Glint of Gold" (
Nicholas V. Yermakov)
*"The Survivor" (
Walter F. Moudy)
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Science Fictional Olympics, The
1984 anthologies
Science fiction anthologies
Martin H. Greenberg anthologies
Isaac Asimov anthologies
Olympic Games in fiction
Signet Books books