[darryl]

I have just replied to the thread about Best Sci-Fi novels and thought it would be interesting to have a similar thread on Short Stories, as there are so many wonderful ideas and authors who don't feature in the best Novels for various reasons. I've also asked for people's favourites rather than the best. Feel free to nominate the best if you like, but for me I think that would be impossible. It would also be nice to include a short reason as to why you like the short story concerned. For me it will often but not always be the thought provoking ideas or original premise behind the story.

Alice Sheldon (aliases James Tiptree Jnr and Raccona Sheldon) is in my view one of the greatest authors in Sci-Fi, who wrote wonderful short stories, but a couple of very mediocre novels. Some of the best are:

The Screwfly Solution - A number of thought provoking aspects of an interesting premise. Great last line.

Love is the Plan, the Plan is Death - Interesting idea and well-written in the first person of a most interesting primitive species.

The Girl who was Plugged In - Brilliant story. Great read for the marketers and those into the cult of celebrity.

The Man who Walked Home - Novel time travel story.

Arthur C. Clarke's "The Star" is written from the point of view of a Jesuit on a long space journey with secular scientists, and has a wonderful ending.

Vernor Vinge's "Longshot" is a third "person" narrative about an automated space probe on a desperate mission which unfolds throughout the story. Very interesting premise.

Fredric Brown's "Answer" is less than a page long but most thought provoking. A great piece of writing.

Isaac Asimov's "Nightfall" is plainly written and the characters somewhat wooden, but the premise alone is startling. I read this as a young teen and loved the premise.

Richard Lupoff's "With the Bentfin Boomer Boys on Lil Ol N'Alabama" is highly original and written in colloquial "s'urn" (southern). Why should we leave all our prejudices behind if we colonise other solar systems?