Sci-Fi Collections with Roots in the Past

by S. R. Algernon
|
5 books
As a reader of sci-fi going back to the 80s, I like to look back from time to time at the older stories from those days. I have compiled this list as a reflection on the stories that inspired me to become a science fiction author in the hope that they can inspire others. I have also included a collection of my own work. As an aside, I would also recommend the works of the Japanese short story writer Shin’ichi Hoshi (Hoshi Shin’ichi in Japanese), who wrote a prodigious amount of short stories. Although I could not find an English language version of the collections that I would like to recommend, a translation of his story “He-y, Come on Ou-t?” was a favorite of mine in the 80’s, and part of the reason I studied Japanese and started writing short fiction of my own.
Read more... Read less...

Impossible Things

A Novel
Connie Willis, 1993
Many of the stories in this collection stick in my mind, although it has been a while since I read them. I recall reading “Spice Pogrom” in Asimov’s and being struck with Willis’s ability to weave humor, personal relationships, and sci-fi themes together. Her work so often looks back on historical eras and blends wit and wonder in ways that capture the essence of classic sci-fi.

He Do the Time Police in Different Voices

David Langford, 2003
While I like to draw upon classic sci-fi in my own writing, it is important to have one’s own style and not become mired in the tropes and stylistic excesses of the past. He Do the Time Police in Different Voices is a fun and memorable palate cleanser. It contains short stories that caricature the classic sci-fi authors, giving us a chance to look back on what made them great as it takes their styles to extremes.

Souls and Hallows

S. R. Algernon, 2018
This is my second book of short stories, and I included it on this list because I think it captures my efforts to imbue my work with the themes and spirit of classic sci-fi. I explore a menagerie of minds, from roque robots and aliens to mischievous kids and hopeful monsters. The collection delves into the ancient past, takes a detour to the 1939 World’s Fair, and looks with awe, trepidation, and pangs of nostalgia toward an ever-changing future. Some stories have a Halloween theme, but I think the collection has a lot to offer for any season.

The Small Assassin

Ray Bradbury, 1976
The Small Assassin is one of my favorite Bradbury collections. It contains “Jack-in-the-Box,” a story that uses an unreliable narrator expertly to reveal a deeply disturbing childhood experience. The other tales in this collection are likewise inventive and unsettling.

Casebook of the Black Widowers

Isaac Asimov, 1983
I read a great deal of Sherlock Holmes stories and Agatha Christie mysteries growing up, and it was nice to see Asimov bring his pedantic and whimsical style to the mystery genre, while adding a mix of science and wordplay. His dry, witty style of storytelling might not be for everyone, but for me, it called back an older era. This is one book in a series, and if you like the stories here, I think you will like the other books as well.