Physical books!

I ended up taking PHYSICAL books on holiday!  What I hear you ask? Well over the past few years I've obtained some collections of classic Science Fiction short stories (and a few novels) that I can't get electronically..... I've read a few but some are unread.

Now I didn't read that much as I was with friends quite a bit but what I did read were
The Best of Jack Williamson and The best of Clifford D Simak

Williamson & Simak were the 2nd and 3rd writers elected to be Science Fiction Writer Association (SFWA) Grandmasters.

The Williamson was part of a series of Best of's published by Ballantine Books/Del Rey in the US in the 1970's. I've read a few Stanley Weinbaum, Frederik Pohl, CM Kornbluth, Pohl & Kornbluth and I have on order the Eric Frank Russell.

The Simak is part of a series edited for Sphere Books by Angus Wells which contains Asimov, Heinlein, Clarke,  Frank Herbert (I assume cashing in on Dune as he wasn't noted for his short fiction, AE Van Vogt (he is very unfashionable nowadays and dated but this is a decent intro) and John Wyndham. NB the first three were originally published as single volumes but were republished in two smaller volumes.

Williamson and Simak were prominent figures in the genre long before the legendary  editor John W Campbell "started" Science Fiction's "Golden Age" but  they weren't swept away by the tide of new writers.

The Williamson is a decent introduction to the range of his work really rather than a best of,  it does contain the novelette with Searching Minds which is the prequel to his novel the Humanoids. It is a good work, indeed the stories written for Campbell's Astounding included here are all worth reading.

Williamson's careers spanned from 1928 to just before his death in 2006. If you've never read Williamson this is a decent place to start as any or try the Humanoids which you can get new. One of his last novels Terraforming Earth was co-winner of the John W Campbell Award.

He was well liked and admired by his fellow pro's.

The best of Clifford Simak is an odd book. Given Simak started writing in 1931. It contains two stories from 1939-40 and the rest are post 1957. Now all the stories post 57 are good but something from the period 40-57 should have been included. No doubt editor Angus Wells felt the best stories from this period had been used to make the novel City  and therefore maybe he didn't/couldn't use them. But I'd have included Huddling Place to the volume for starters and the later story Big Front Yard. Still this is a decent introduction to Simak's work.

Simak stories often repeat a few basic ideas and themes. The setting is rural Wisconsin. A crusty individualistic backwoodsman character... best place to start? For me the novel Way Station.

Simak died in 1988 his death overshadowed by that of Robert A Heinlein*

When Isaac Asimov wrote an obituary to Simak he commented on that and said
Heinlein may have been the better writer but Cliff was the better man. (I'm quoting from memory).

Simak and Williamson are writers worth seeking out. Just bear in mind their early works are a little clunky.

*Heinlein was the first SFWA Grandmaster. He is/was immensely popular in the US hence why he was chosen as the 1st GM, after that it has been done more chronologically

I'm just about to read the collection the Green Hills of Earth. For all Heinlein's popularity (and some of his stuff is really good) I have a general rule of thumb..... if it was written after 1959 pass! He wrote one really good book after this date (The Moon is a Harsh Mistress) and a few that are decent but you'll miss out on some absolute howlers if you follow that rule.