Asimov was impatient with the assessment of "Nightfall" as his best story.

His own choice of his best short works was:

1. "The Last Question"
2. "The Bicentennial Man"
3. "The Ugly Little Boy"

The story that would probably win any comprehensive poll of the best short SF story ever written is Daniel Keyes's "Flowers for Algernon". And of course it actually did occupy first place in the Locus Polls of 1999 and 2012, having finished third to "Nightfall" in the Science Fiction Hall of Fame voting, which was conducted in 1968 for the famous 1970 anthology.

By the way, I'm reading the 60th Anniversary anthology of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, in which editor Gordon Van Gelder identifies "Flowers for Algernon" as the best story ever to appear in that magazine. Ray Bradbury is represented in the book by another fan favorite, "All Summer in a Day". It's a mighty good anthology, whichever story you like best.

"Flowers" was my favorite until I read Ray's The Laurel and Hardy Love Affair.

In some ways, "All Summer in a Day" is a Bradburyan take on "Nightfall". Both take an unlikely (but possible) astronomical alignment and play out the consequences for humanity (or humanity-equivalent if you want to be picky).

Whereas Asimov's story is appealing because of the premise, Bradbury's is appealing for both its premise and its depiction of consequence.

"Flowers for Algernon" is excellent. One of the few SF stories that is haunting as tragedy. Although there's lots of "gloomy" SF and plenty of dystopias, there's very little in the way of stories of personal tragedy deeply tied to the SF concept. Keyes did it.

(Stands back and waits for a torrent of nominations for "SF tragedies". There are probably hundreds which I have overlooked...)

I'm pleased to see that jkt is also a fan of "The Laurel and Hardy Love Affair", because I love that story. I don't think RB wrote any short story after that one that was anywhere near as good.

Phil, I won't give you torrents. I'll give you one story: "Her Smoke Rose Up Forever" by James Tiptree, Jr. That's as far downbeat as SF stories go.

quote:

Originally posted by philnic:
Stands back and waits for a torrent of nominations for "SF tragedies". There are probably hundreds which I have overlooked...)

Bob Shaw's "The Light of Other Days". A killer premise with a long emotional echo. (Was it Robert Silverberg who called 'slowglass' the last original sf idea?) I'd put this, Algernon, and several of Ray's stories in my book "Science Fiction For People Who Don't Like Science Fiction."

One of the saddest and most haunting short stories I have ever read is "The Test", by Richard Matheson. I read that story as a young teenager, and it has remained burned into my memory to this day, many years later.

Good suggestions all! Richard's mention of Richard Matheson reminds me that THE SHRINKING MAN is also a tragedy, and one of my favourite books.

Phil said:

quote:

Richard's mention of Richard Matheson reminds me that THE SHRINKING MAN is also a tragedy, and one of my favourite books.

Which reminds me that, any day now, I have to start reading my Library of America boxed set American Science Fiction, a two volume, nine novel anthology that includes that very Matheson novel...

Speaking of Richard Matheson, one of the first scholarly studies of this brilliant writer's work, READING RICHARD MATHESON: A CRITICAL SURVEY, has just been published by Rowman and Littlefield. Hopefully, there will be more such studies. Here is a link to information about the book:

https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781442234659

Thanks, Richard. That one had passed me by. Shame it's so expensive, though.

Last night's final question on Jeopardy was about who first used the term "robotics" in a short story in 1941. I told my mom, "The answer is Asimov, but just wait, at least one of them will say Bradbury." Strange to say, all three got it right! (Tonight we did not watch due to King of Kings being on TCM.)

Needed ~ Many famous authors in a Pullman? Narrator is puzzled by their all being together and conversing as the train rolls through the night!?

This came up in final class this a.m., and now I am spinning through stories and not coming up with the title!

Best to all at the IU RB Week. Great!
f
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"On the Orient, North!" Perhaps?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: fjp451,

Sounds like either a story or a poem of Ray's, possibly both. I'm thinking a poem which appeared after the "Complete" poems were published, maybe at the end of a story collection probably done since 1990. He talks about the idea in an interview here: http://www.theparisreview.org/...-no-203-ray-bradbury

This message has been edited. Last edited by: dandelion,

quote:

Originally posted by dandelion:
Sounds like either a story or a poem of Ray's, possibly both. I'm thinking a poem which appeared after the "Complete" poems were published, maybe at the end of a story collection probably done since 1990.

At the end of The Cat's Pajamas, a poem, 'Epilogue: the R. B., G. K. C. and G. B. S. Forever Orient Express'.

A story too?

Thanks, Linnl, I knew you would come up with it! You identified the last one on which I was stuck! He has written short stories about trains, and authors, but my impression was this was a poem, not a story, looks as if I was right!