Get high on sci-fi: 10 short story collections that will blow your mind

bestscifishortstorycollections

We’re huge short story fans around this way, but while we definitely foster great big loves for the likes of Alice Munro and V.S. Pritchett, we also very much dig the science-fiction greats. We reckon newcomers to the sci-fi field might get the impression it’s dominated by novels or series of novels, but that’s not really the case: excellent science-fiction short stories abound. And as a field it’s pretty easy to plunge into without much prior knowledge – the story anthology has been a staple of the sci-fi domain for quite a while now (though, sadly, that phenomenon does seem to be on the wane). If you haven’t got an anthology to hand as a taster, though, here are ten collections to get you going:

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I, Robot, Isaac Asimov (1950)

Okay, it’s an obvious choice, but Asimov’s nine stories are must-reads: they’ve got the Three laws of Robotics, for a start! If you’ve seen the Will Smith film you’ll have an idea what the stories are like in that they’re all about robotics and morality, but trust us: the stories are way better than the movie, and you’ll want to be a robopsychologist before you’re hallway through!

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Chronopolis, J.G. Ballard (1971)

Ballard’s a master at conjuring a dystopia: the worlds he sketches for us are sinister and vivid and unforgettable. These sixteen stories date from the late 1950s through to the late 1960s, and they’re free of the hyperbolic style that crept, arguably, into Ballard’s work in later years. If you didn’t like Crash, fear not: his style here is simpler and cooler, though it looses nothing in impact.

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The Sentinel, Arthur C. Clarke (1983)

A selection of Clarke’s short fiction spanning forty years, this is definitely a keeper: Clarke’s vision is hard to match. The title story, in particular, is one worth seeking out – it’s the famous piece that originally sparked the idea for 2001: A Space Odyssey. These are very smart, very funny, and very, very tense reads: not recommended if you’re about to embark on a space mission!

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The Days of Perky Pat, Philip K. Dick (1990)

In a career spanning 30 years, Philip K. Dick wrote approximately 121 short stories, most of which appeared in science fiction magazines during his lifetime. Although, he spent most of his career as a writer in near-poverty, ten of his stories have been adapted into popular films since his death, including Blade Runner, Total Recall, A Scanner Darkly, Minority Report, Paycheck, Next, Screamers, and The Adjustment Bureau. The Days of Perky Pat includes one of these and 17 other stories, prompting the  Washington Post top call the collection “awe inspiring”. Sentiments which we endorse 110%.

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Axiomatic, Greg Egan (1995)

Time reversal, poetry-spouting dolphins, eugenics and brain implants (the titular ‘axiomatics’): this is imaginative hard sci-fi, probably stronger on the ideas than the prose, but that’s okay –we love a crazy idea or two, and what’s the point of sci-fi that doesn’t dabble in philosophy and stretch the bounds of possibility? Check it out, we promise you won’t be disappointed.

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The Man Who Lost The Sea, Theodore Sturgeon (2005)

Sturgeon’s won just about all the sci-fi awards available – Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy Life Achievement Awards – so you know you’ll be in safe hands here. As matter of fact, this is volume ten of his collected stories, so you could really go for any one of them. The stories here are beautifully told with great psychological depth, but they’re also clearly rooted in a science-fiction aesthetic, so don’t think we’re veering off track! Honestly, he’s one of the greats and this book will steer you right. Then you can get down to all the other volumes…

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Looking for Jake, China Mielville (2005)

China Mieville is a genius: we’ll shout that from the rooftops. He’s more well-known for his novels (Kraken, The City and the City, and others) but his short fiction is as brilliant as you’d expect if you’ve already encountered his breadth of imagination and shockingly vivid way of rendering the uncanny. There are thirteen stories here, including one set in New Crobuzon (fans of Perdido Street Station and it’s semi-sequels, pay attention!) and one in graphic form, so there should be plenty of goodies to sate the fans and excite the newcomers.

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Overclocked: Stories of the Future Present, Cory Doctorow (2007)

Zipping forward to contemporary(ish) times, Doctorow’s second collection is well worth a gander; one of the stories was nominated for that year’s Hugo Award and another hit the mainstream via the 2005 Best American Short Stories anthology. Unsurprisingly, given the focus on information technology in this collection, Doctorow himself does plenty of work campaigning for Creative Commons licenses and the liberalization of copyright law. More importantly, though, for our purposes, these are excellent stories and they’ll give you an idea of where the field is at the moment.

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The Stories of Ray Bradbury (2007)

A titan in the world of science fiction and fantasy writing, Ray Bradbury is credited with d over 600 short stories, his motivation was the sheer joy of creation. Consequently, if you pick any one of the Ray Bradbury collections; you’ll probably find yourself exploring some trippy far off planet, experiencing the strange effects of some new technology or hearing the eerie call of some dead civilization. The one criteria for any of his  collections is that it includes There Will Come Soft Rains,  which happily this Everyman Library classic does.

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Pretty Monsters, Kelly Link (2010)

We love Kelly Link, and we’ll promote her whenever possible: virtually unclassifiable, her sci-fi/fantasy/horror/literary stylings are best described as slipstream, but we guarantee that even the most hardcore of sci-fi fans will be smitten. She’s weird and imaginative and humane, she loves zombies, and she’s probably one of the best story writers working today in any genre. This is one of her two full-length collections, and if we were to have a list of eleven books, we’d include the other. In the meanwhile, buy and read!

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If these don’t get you hooked on sci fi short fiction nothing will. That said, we know there are plenty more sci-fi short collections out there, which hit the wow spot. If any get you buzzing, we’d love to hear your recommendations in the comments below.

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39 replies
  1. McFritz
    McFritz says:

    Ted Chiang’s “Stories of Your Life and Others” is way up there as well. Props on listing China Mieville, by the way, he’s one of my favorites

    Reply
  2. Grant Woodward
    Grant Woodward says:

    A new anthology I’ve been reading, and which I have to recommend quite highly, is Sojourn: An Anthology of Speculative Fiction. It’s notable for two reasons: It’s quite good; and there’s an interesting combination of first-time and experienced authors in the work. Well worth everyone’s time.

    Reply
  3. Ulysses
    Ulysses says:

    Great list! Below are a few suggestions than any lover of mind blowing science fiction would love!
    1. “The Robot’s Twilight Companion” by Tony Daniel. The story, ” A Dry, Quiet War is so chilling, the world so fleshed out, it is like waking from a dream into a life that you found was the actual world.
    2. “Think Like a Dinosaur” by James Patrick Kelly. Every story could have been a novel, the fact that they are trimmed down to perfection makes them all the more special.
    3. “Sailing To Byzantium” by Robert Silverberg. The novella that shares the collection’s title is one of the greatest short stories written by the Master. Prepare to delve into one of the best world’s he has ever created.

    Reply
  4. mdan
    mdan says:

    Great list. I also recommend At the Mouth of the River of Bees (2012) by Kij Johnson. Some very trippy stuff.

    Reply
  5. Mackenzie Wood
    Mackenzie Wood says:

    Great list! Looks like I’m going to be doing some catching up, also I really recommend The Last Question by Isaac Assimov

    Reply
  6. Freshly Baked Reader
    Freshly Baked Reader says:

    Harlan Ellison is throwing a pouty fit in the corner for not getting any mentions.

    ‘Shatterday’ probably deserves a spot on the list. So does ‘I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream’, and ‘The Beast Who Shouted Love At the Heart of The World’.

    Ellison really is one of the best short fiction writers that tends to get overlooked. But if I were trying to get somebody hooked on sci-fi? Ellison’s ‘Dangerous Visions’ collection. Has a little something for everyone.

    Reply
    • John-Henri Holmberg
      John-Henri Holmberg says:

      Harlan has recently published The Top of the Volcano, which collects only those of his short stories that have won awards. It’s an amazing collection, not least because it contains 23 stories, some quite recent, others from his first burst of creative originality in the 1960s.

      Otherwise, just let me put in a word for the definitive collection of “James Tiptree, Jr” [pen name for Alice Sheldon] stories, Her Smoke Rose Up Forever, one of the most impressive collections in sf literature.

      Reply
  7. Russ Sweetser
    Russ Sweetser says:

    Pixel Juice by Jeff Noon is an amazing, unique set of short stories that I would highly recommend.

    Reply
  8. dianne terrace
    dianne terrace says:

    You missed a REAL biggie….better go back and get “Bloodchild” by Octavia Butler. I’ll wait for the official addition and apology.

    Reply
  9. Grant
    Grant says:

    I would put The Garden of Rama above The Sentinel for Arthur C Clarke personally i think it’s a better story line and idea’s.

    Reply
  10. Don Neusmeyer
    Don Neusmeyer says:

    Here’s the list for copy & paste:

    I, Robot, Isaac Asimov (1950)
    Chronopolis, J.G. Ballard (1971)
    The Sentinel, Arthur C. Clarke (1983)
    The Days of Perky Pat, Philip K. Dick (1990)
    Axiomatic, Greg Egan (1995)
    The Man Who Lost The Sea, Theodore Sturgeon (2005)
    Looking for Jake, China Mielville (2005)
    Overclocked: Stories of the Future Present, Cory Doctorow (2007)
    The Stories of Ray Bradbury (2007)
    Pretty Monsters, Kelly Link (2010)

    Reply
  11. Mark
    Mark says:

    No Roger Zelazny? Although he treads the border between Science Fiction and Fantasy. Well worth checking out.

    Reply
  12. NL
    NL says:

    Very short story but….

    All You Zombies – Robert A. Heilein

    Read it then watch Looper (again if need be)

    Reply
  13. Emma
    Emma says:

    There is a yearly SCI-FI/Fantasy anthology that publishes every short story given the Nebula Award. It’s always amazing, I do recommend.

    Reply
  14. Henning
    Henning says:

    This is terribly limited and ignorant view on the SCI-FI short story space. You miss out on great stuff. At the very least you should include some Strugatzki and Stanislav Lem stuff.

    Reply
  15. Himanshu Gaur
    Himanshu Gaur says:

    Starburst (1958) by Alfred Bester was a great collection, well worth consideration. My favourite short story writers in the field include Alfred Bester, Robert Sheckley, Fredric Brown and Theodore Sturgeon. I’m glad you’ve included at least one of the four!

    Reply
  16. J. Paul Cooper
    J. Paul Cooper says:

    I hope that one day my eBook, What If? A Collection of Short Fiction By J. Paul Cooper, makes the list.

    Reply

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