Contents (view Concise Listing)

• 1 • Introduction: The Nebulas: Clouds Among the Stars? • essay by Ben Bova
• 13 • The Mystery of Dune • essay by Brian Herbert
• 19 • Editor's Appreciation of Flowers for Algernon • (1989) • essay by Ben Bova
• 20 • On The Left Hand of Darkness and The Dispossessed • essay by Ursula K. Le Guin
• 22 • Ringworld Retrospective • essay by Larry Niven
• 24 • On Rendezvous with Rama • essay by Arthur C. Clarke
• 25 • On the Forever War • essay by Joe Haldeman
• 27 • On Gateway • essay by Frederik Pohl
• 28 • On Timescape • essay by Gregory Benford
• 30 • Notes on Ender's Game • essay by Orson Scott Card
• 35 • The Doors of His Face, the Lamps of His Mouth: Author's Foreword • [Zelazny's Essays: Own Work] • essay by Roger Zelazny
• 36 • The Doors of His Face, the Lamps of His Mouth • (1965) • novelette by Roger Zelazny
• 62 • "Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman: Author's Foreword • essay by Harlan Ellison
• 63 • "Repent, Harlequin!" Said the Ticktockman • (1965) • short story by Harlan Ellison
• 72 • He Who Shapes: Editor's Foreword • essay by Ben Bova
• 73 • He Who Shapes • (1965) • novella by Roger Zelazny
• 142 • Aye, and Gomorrah ...: Editor's Foreword • essay by Ben Bova
• 143 • Aye, and Gomorrah ... • (1967) • short story by Samuel R. Delany
• 151 • Passengers: Author's Foreword • [Silverberg's Essays: Own Work] • essay by Robert Silverberg
• 152 • Passengers • (1968) • short story by Robert Silverberg
• 162 • Behold the Man: Editor's Foreword • essay by Ben Bova
• 163 • Behold the Man • (1966) • novella by Michael Moorcock
• 203 • When It Changed: Author's Foreword • essay by Joanna Russ
• 204 • When It Changed • [Whileaway] • (1972) • short story by Joanna Russ
• 211 • Gonna Roll the Bones: Author's Foreword • essay by Fritz Leiber
• 212 • Gonna Roll the Bones • (1967) • novelette by Fritz Leiber
• 228 • Dragonrider: Authors' Foreword • essay by Anne McCaffrey
• 229 • Dragonrider • [Dragonriders of Pern short fiction] • (1967) • novella by Anne McCaffrey
• 314 • Love Is the Plan the Plan Is Death: Editor's Foreword • essay by Ben Bova
• 315 • Love Is the Plan the Plan Is Death • (1973) • short story by James Tiptree, Jr.
• 328 • Time Considered as a Helix of Semi-Precious Stones: Editor's Foreword • essay by Ben Bova
• 329 • Time Considered As a Helix of Semi-Precious Stones • (1968) • novelette by Samuel R. Delany
• 358 • A Boy and His Dog: Author's Foreword Continues • essay by Harlan Ellison
• 359 • A Boy and His Dog • [Vic and Blood • 2] • (1969) • novella by Harlan Ellison
• 390 • The Day Before the Revolution: Editor's Foreword • essay by Ben Bova
• 391 • The Day Before the Revolution • [Hainish] • (1974) • short story by Ursula K. Le Guin
• 401 • Slow Sculpture: Editor's Foreword • essay by Ben Bova
• 402 • Slow Sculpture • (1970) • short story by Theodore Sturgeon
• 419 • Houston, Houston, Do You Read?: Editor's Foreword • essay by Ben Bova
• 420 • Houston, Houston, Do You Read? • (1976) • novella by James Tiptree, Jr.
• 461 • Catch That Zeppelin!: Editor's Foreword • essay by Ben Bova
• 462 • Catch That Zeppelin! • (1975) • short story by Fritz Leiber
• 477 • Of Mist, and Grass, and Sand: Editor's Foreword • essay by Ben Bova
• 478 • Of Mist, and Grass, and Sand • [Snake] • (1973) • novelette by Vonda N. McIntyre
• 494 • The Persistence of Vision: Editor's Foreword • essay by Ben Bova
• 495 • The Persistence of Vision • (1978) • novella by John Varley
• 530 • The Grotto of the Dancing Deer: Author's Foreword • essay by Clifford D. Simak
• 531 • The Grotto of the Dancing Deer • (1980) • short story by Clifford D. Simak (variant of Grotto of the Dancing Deer)
• 546 • Sandkings: Editor's Foreword • essay by Ben Bova
• 547 • Sandkings • [Thousand Worlds] • (1979) • novelette by George R. R. Martin
• 577 • Jeffty Is Five: Author's Foreword Concludes • essay by Harlan Ellison
• 578 • Jeffty Is Five • (1977) • short story by Harlan Ellison