Papa Schimmelhorn Series by Peter Haining, Jerry Pournelle, Robert Silverberg, Edward L. Ferman

This first-time collection showcases the Wizards of Odd--the masters of science fiction and fantasy at their quirky, comical best. Included are: a rare short story set in the world of Hitchhiker's Guide by Douglas Adams, a never-before-anthologized work by Terry Pratchett, unexpected offerings from such luminaries as Arthur C. Clarke, Ray Bradbury, Kurt Vonnigut, Jr. and Ursula K. LeGuin, and much, much more.

The critters are unbelievable. They look like something from the maudlin pen of a well-alcoholed cartoonist, or say Dr. Seuss on acid--the obvious generalization to be drawn from this intergalactic zoo being that the most fertile human imaginations seem limited to freaky combinations of already familiar forms... moreThe critters are unbelievable. They look like something from the maudlin pen of a well-alcoholed cartoonist, or say Dr. Seuss on acid--the obvious generalization to be drawn from this intergalactic zoo being that the most fertile human imaginations seem limited to freaky combinations of already familiar forms. Some of the critters, enclosed here in generally superior sf stories, are Sturgeon's six-legged blue Hurkle kitten that thrives on DDT & inherits the earth, Dick's mozart bird, beethoven beetle & ferocious wagner animal invented by a professor who wants to preserve civilization's highest achievement but gets savage cacophony instead, & Dickson's teddy bears who've never been to earth but dress & talk like TV cowboys. Most chilling are the brainless all-purpose critters of Simak's "Drop Dead," who bring human visitors the immortality they seek by ironically transforming them into similarly insensate ecosystems. Funniest is Bretnor's "The Gnurrs Come from the Voodwork Out," in which the tootling by a little old cuckoo clock foreman on his musical secret weapon summons from the 4th dimension millions of voracious little animals who rapidly consume the enemys' trousers. Least successful are stories like Schmitz's "Grandpa" that subordinate the exotica to deadly conventional human-interest plots. The best stick to their business of ingenious speculation, which should enthrall addicts but probably won't hook any dabblers.--Kirkus (edited) less

Contents: · Fondly Fahrenheit · Alfred Bester · nv F&SF Aug ’54 · And Now the News... · Theodore Sturgeon · ss F&SF Dec ’56 · Not with a Bang · Damon Knight · ss F&SF Win/Spr ’50 · Flowers for Algernon · Daniel Keyes · nv F&SF Apr ’59 · A Canticle for Leibowitz [St. Leibowitz, Order of] · Walter M. Miller, Jr... moreContents: · Fondly Fahrenheit · Alfred Bester · nv F&SF Aug ’54 · And Now the News... · Theodore Sturgeon · ss F&SF Dec ’56 · Not with a Bang · Damon Knight · ss F&SF Win/Spr ’50 · Flowers for Algernon · Daniel Keyes · nv F&SF Apr ’59 · A Canticle for Leibowitz [St. Leibowitz, Order of] · Walter M. Miller, Jr. · nv F&SF Apr ’55 · Through Time and Space with Ferdinand Feghoot · Grendel Briarton · vi F&SF May ’56 · One Ordinary Day, with Peanuts · Shirley Jackson · ss F&SF Jan ’55 · Imaginary Numbers in a Real Garden · Gerald Jonas · pm F&SF Apr ’65 · The Women Men Don’t See · James Tiptree, Jr. · nv F&SF Dec ’73 · Dance Music for a Gone Planet · Sonya Dorman · pm F&SF Oct ’68 · Born of Man and Woman · Richard Matheson · vi F&SF Sum ’50 · “All You Zombies—” · Robert A. Heinlein · ss F&SF Mar ’59 · Love Letter from Mars · John Ciardi · pm F&SF Jan ’65 · Jeffty Is Five · Harlan Ellison · ss F&SF Jul ’77 · Ararat [People] · Zenna Henderson · nv F&SF Oct ’52 · Sundance · Robert Silverberg · ss F&SF Jun ’69 · The Gnurrs Come from the Voodvork Out [Papa Schimmelhorn] · Reginald Bretnor · ss F&SF Win/Spr ’50 · Dreaming Is a Private Thing · Isaac Asimov · ss F&SF Dec ’55 · Poor Little Warrior! · Brian W. Aldiss · ss F&SF Apr ’58 · We Can Remember It for You Wholesale · Philip K. Dick · nv F&SF Apr ’66 · Selectra Six-ten · Avram Davidson · ss F&SF Oct ’70 · Problems of Creativeness · Thomas M. Disch · ss F&SF Apr ’67; revised, as “The Death of Socrates”, 334, Thomas N. Disch, Avon, 1974 · Me · Hilbert Schenck · pm F&SF Aug ’59 · The Quest for Saint Aquin · Anthony Boucher · ss New Tales of Space and Time, ed. Raymond J. Healy, Holt, 1951; F&SF Jan ’59 less

• Preface • by Jerry Pournelle• Black Holes and Cosmic Censors • by Jerry Pournelle• He Fell Into a Dark Hole• by Jerry Pournelle• The Hole Man • by Larry Niven• Fuzzy Black Holes Have No Hair • by Jerry Pournelle• Kyrie • by Poul Anderson• Killing Vector • by Charles Sheffield• The Borderland of Sol • by Larry Niven• Pluto Is Black! • by Robert L... more• Preface • by Jerry Pournelle• Black Holes and Cosmic Censors • by Jerry Pournelle• He Fell Into a Dark Hole• by Jerry Pournelle• The Hole Man • by Larry Niven• Fuzzy Black Holes Have No Hair • by Jerry Pournelle• Kyrie • by Poul Anderson• Killing Vector • by Charles Sheffield• The Borderland of Sol • by Larry Niven• Pluto Is Black! • by Robert L. Forward• Fountain of Force • by George Zebrowski and Grant Carrington• Papa Schimmelhorn's Yang • by Reginald Bretnor• Gloria• by Gail Kimberly• Singularity • by Mildred Downey Broxon• Cygnus X-1 • by Peter Dillingham• The Salesman Who Fell From Grace With the Universe • by Peter Dillingham• The Nothing Spot • by Dian Girard• For the Lady of a Physicist • by Michael Bishop• The Venging • by Greg Bear• In the Beginning... • by Jerry Pournelle less