The Best of Fredric Brown


The Best of Fredric Brown is a collection of science fiction short stories by American author Fredric Brown, edited by Robert Bloch. It was first published in hardback by Nelson Doubleday in January 1977 and in paperback by Ballantine Books in May of the same year as a volume in its Classic Library of Science Fiction. The book has been translated into German and Spanish.

Summary

The book contains thirty-one short works of fiction by the author, together with an introduction by editor Robert Bloch.

Contents

  • "Introduction"
  • "Arena"
  • "Imagine"
  • "It Didn't Happen"
  • "Recessional"
  • "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik"
  • "Puppet Show"
  • "Nightmare in Yellow"
  • "Earthmen Bearing Gifts"
  • "Jaycee"
  • "Pi in the Sky"
  • "Answer"
  • "The Geezenstacks"
  • "Hall of Mirrors"
  • "Knock"
  • "Rebound"
  • "Star Mouse"
  • "Abominable"
  • "Letter to a Phoenix"
  • "Not Yet the End"
  • "Etaoin Shrdlu"
  • "Armageddon"
  • "Experiment"
  • "The Short Happy Lives of Eustace Weaver I"
  • "The Short Happy Lives of Eustace Weaver II"
  • "The Short Happy Lives of Eustace Weaver III"
  • "Reconciliation"
  • "Nothing Sirius"
  • "Pattern"
  • "The Yehudi Principle"
  • "Come and Go Mad"
  • "The End"

Reception

The book was reviewed by Everett F. Bleiler in The Guide to Supernatural Fiction, 1983, and Juan Manuel Santiago in Las 100 mejores novelas de ciencia ficción del siglo XX, 2001.

Awards

The book placed fourteenth in the 1977 Locus Poll Award for Best Single Author Collection. "Star Mouse" was nominated for the 1943 Retro Hugo Award for Best Novelette in 2018. "Etaoin Shrdlu" was nominated for the 1943 Retro Hugo Award for Best Short Story in 2018. "The Geezenstacks" was nominated for the 1944 Retro Hugo Award for Best Short Story in 2019. "Arena" was nominated for the 1945 Retro Hugo Award for Best Novelette in 2020. "The Yehudi Principle" was nominated for the 1945 Retro Hugo Award for Best Short Story in 2020. "Pi in the Sky" was nominated for the 1946 Retro Hugo Award for Best Novelette in 1996.