"Our writers pick the 26 best science fiction short stories of all time"

[Lynn McGuire]

"Our writers pick the 26 best science fiction short stories of all time"

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2460679-our-writers-pick-the-26-best-science-fiction-short-stories-of-all-time/

"We asked New Scientist writers to pick their favourite sci-fi short
story. From H.G. Wells’s The Time Machine to Octavia E. Butler’s
Bloodchild, via stories from George R. R. Martin and Ursula K. Le Guin,
here are the results"

Nice list ! Great starting place ! “The Time Machine by H. G. Wells
(1895)”

I have read at least half of these stories. BTW, I call them novellas,
not short stories.

Lynn

[Ted Nolan <tednolan>]

Post by Lynn McGuire
"Our writers pick the 26 best science fiction short stories of all time"
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2460679-our-writers-pick-the-26-best-science-fiction-short-stories-of-all-time/
"We asked New Scientist writers to pick their favourite sci-fi short
story. From H.G. Wells’s The Time Machine to Octavia E. Butler’s
Bloodchild, via stories from George R. R. Martin and Ursula K. Le Guin,
here are the results"
Nice list ! Great starting place ! “The Time Machine by H. G. Wells
(1895)”
I have read at least half of these stories. BTW, I call them novellas,
not short stories.
Lynn

I always thought of TTM as a novel.

[Paul S Person]

Post by Ted Nolan <tednolan>

Post by Lynn McGuire
"Our writers pick the 26 best science fiction short stories of all time"
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2460679-our-writers-pick-the-26-best-science-fiction-short-stories-of-all-time/
"We asked New Scientist writers to pick their favourite sci-fi short
story. From H.G. Wells’s The Time Machine to Octavia E. Butler’s
Bloodchild, via stories from George R. R. Martin and Ursula K. Le Guin,
here are the results"
Nice list ! Great starting place ! “The Time Machine by H. G. Wells
(1895)�
I have read at least half of these stories. BTW, I call them novellas,
not short stories.
Lynn

I always thought of TTM as a novel.

A short novel.

I once owned a PP contain both TTM and The War of the Worlds.

[Mike Spencer]

Post by Lynn McGuire
"Our writers pick the 26 best science fiction short stories of all time"
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2460679-our-writers-pick-the-26-best-science-fiction-short-stories-of-all-time/
"We asked New Scientist writers to pick their favourite sci-fi short
story. From H.G. Wells' The Time Machine to Octavia E. Butler's

I see that Jackson's The Lottery is in the list.

Reminded me that I re-post this every couple of yeas in the hope that
a newcomer to r.a.s.w. will have an answer.

---

This story dates from the 60s or before and probably wasn't considered
science fiction when published.

Scene is election day in a small town. Opens with the current
mayor, supported by police, probably doing something unspeakable
to the young daughter of the family across the street.

At the end, the citizens gather on the common where the mayor is
lashed to a post, surrounded by faggots of firewood. He's to be
burned at the stake. If no one intervenes, his medallion of office
will explode early in the process giving him a quick death. If
another citizen comes forward and removes the chain of office, the
incumbent mayor burns slowly while the citizen dons the chain and
becomes the new mayor.

Someone does come forward and take the chain, becoming the new
mayor.

For many years, pre-internet, I thought this was entitled "Election
Day" and was by Shirley Jackson. Now, on the net, I can't find it and
it seems not to be in Jackson's corpus. The tone is very like
that of "The Lottery". I lost the book it was in 40 years ago in a
move.

Any pointers?
TIA.

[Lynn McGuire]

Post by Mike Spencer

Post by Lynn McGuire
"Our writers pick the 26 best science fiction short stories of all time"
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2460679-our-writers-pick-the-26-best-science-fiction-short-stories-of-all-time/
"We asked New Scientist writers to pick their favourite sci-fi short
story. From H.G. Wells' The Time Machine to Octavia E. Butler's

I see that Jackson's The Lottery is in the list.
Reminded me that I re-post this every couple of yeas in the hope that
a newcomer to r.a.s.w. will have an answer.
---
This story dates from the 60s or before and probably wasn't considered
science fiction when published.
Scene is election day in a small town. Opens with the current
mayor, supported by police, probably doing something unspeakable
to the young daughter of the family across the street.
At the end, the citizens gather on the common where the mayor is
lashed to a post, surrounded by faggots of firewood. He's to be
burned at the stake. If no one intervenes, his medallion of office
will explode early in the process giving him a quick death. If
another citizen comes forward and removes the chain of office, the
incumbent mayor burns slowly while the citizen dons the chain and
becomes the new mayor.
Someone does come forward and take the chain, becoming the new
mayor.
For many years, pre-internet, I thought this was entitled "Election
Day" and was by Shirley Jackson. Now, on the net, I can't find it and
it seems not to be in Jackson's corpus. The tone is very like
that of "The Lottery". I lost the book it was in 40 years ago in a
move.
Any pointers?
TIA.

I would ask in Reddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/printSF/

Way more eyes.

Lynn

[The Horny Goat]

On 22 Dec 2024 02:50:05 -0400, Mike Spencer

Post by Lynn McGuire
"We asked New Scientist writers to pick their favourite sci-fi short
story. From H.G. Wells' The Time Machine to Octavia E. Butler's

I dunno - The Time Machine must be the longest 'short story' I've ever
read. Perhaps a novella or short novel but certainly not a short story
by any standard I've seen.

(I re-read it this past summer as it had been 20+ years since the
previous time)