Men Against the Stars

Men Against the Stars
Dust-jacket from the first edition
Author(s)	edited by Martin Greenberg
Cover artist	Edd Cartier
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre(s)	Science fiction Short stories
Publisher	Gnome Press
Publication date	1950
Media type	Print (Hardback)
Pages	351 pp
ISBN	NA

Men Against the Stars is a 1950 anthology of science fiction short stories edited by Martin Greenberg. It was the first “theme” anthology in science fiction, where all stories are about a common idea, setting, or concept^[1]. All the stories, save one, had originally appeared in the magazine Astounding. The other story, "When Shadows Fall", first appeared in Startling Stories.

Contents

• Foreword, by Martin Greenberg
• Introduction, by Willy Ley
• "Trends", by Isaac Asimov
• "Men Against the Stars", by Manly Wade Wellman
• "The Red Death of Mars", by Robert Moore Williams
• "Locked Out", by H. B. Fyfe
• "The Iron Standard", by Lewis Padgett
• "Schedule", by Harry Walton
• "Far Centaurus", by A. E. van Vogt
• "Cold Front", by Hal Clement
• "The Plants", by Murray Leinster
• "Competition", by E. Mayne Hull
• "Bridle and Saddle", by Isaac Asimov
• "When Shadows Fall", by L. Ron Hubbard

Reception

Anthony Boucher praised the volume as "a pioneer among 'patterned' anthologies [and] an outstanding collection."^[2] P. Schuyler Miller called it "one of the best science fiction antholgies to date [in 1950], praising the consistent selection of "stories of human problems and human values."^[3]

Notes

1. ^ Chalker, Jack L.; Mark Owings (1998). The Science-Fantasy Publishers: A Bibliographic History, 1923-1998. Westminster, MD and Baltimore: Mirage Press, Ltd.. pp. 298. 
2. ^ "Recommended Reading," F&SF, May 1957, p.77.
3. ^ "Book Reviews", Astounding, November 1950, p.93-94

References

• Chalker, Jack L.; Mark Owings (1998). The Science-Fantasy Publishers: A Bibliographic History, 1923-1998. Westminster, MD and Baltimore: Mirage Press, Ltd.. pp. 298. 
• Contento, William G.. "Index to Science Fiction Anthologies and Collections". http://www.philsp.com/homeville/ISFAC/t48.htm#A1028. Retrieved 2008-02-23. 

External links

• Men Against the Stars publication history at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database