James Davis Nicoll

James Davis Nicoll is a book reviewer and five-time Hugo finalist, four-time Aurora finalist, and CSFFA Hall of Fame nominee. His work can be found at James Nicoll Reviews.

Fantastic Fiction: Judith Merril’s Approach

by
The text Fantastic Fiction against a retrofuturistic design of a rounded triangle shape with a gold swirl pattern.

Good ideas can persist in science fiction for generations. Take, for example, Judith Merril’s approach to anthologies of the best science fiction, which has inspired at least one modern descendant, anthologies by Rich Horton, and may have inspired two other anthology series as well, those by Lester del Rey and Gardner Dozois.

Fantastic Fiction: Star Stellar Starlight

by
The text Fantastic Fiction against a retrofuturistic design of a rounded triangle shape with a gold swirl pattern.

Frederik Pohl’s 1953 Star Science Fiction anthology was not just the first of a string of noteworthy anthologies. His series inspired other editors to assemble similar series. The latest such work was released close to half a century after Pohl’s first anthology was published.