Book Review: 50 in 50

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

50 in 50     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Harry Harrison
Class/Genre:   Science Fiction   [Short Stories]
Tor, Jun 2001, $29.95, 592 pp.

In sports, fans talk about players' careers stretching four decades without gimmicks like a one-plate appearance ten years after retirement. Usually four decades means playing in the last year of one decade, lasting through two more, and completing your career in the early year or two of a fourth decade. In summary, the career spans twenty to twenty-three years but when it stared is critical. Harry Harrison makes the above accomplishment look feeble. One of the greatest writers of any genre of the twentieth century, Mr. Harrison has put together a fifty-story collection to commemorate his half-century of science fiction writing. Mr. Harrison has chosen one story from each year starting in 1950 and ending in 1999. That is quite an accomplishment, as the book contains more than just the longevity of this awesome author. However, 50 IN 50 is a fabulous anthology that not only shows the versatility of Mr. Harrison, but it also provides insight into the cutting edge of scientific trends. Most of the stories are excellent and none are bad. The tales run the genre gamut: alien invaders and alien worlds, end of the world scenarios, dangerous inventions and not just robots, misuse of psychology, a wee bit of fantasy, and tales that defy classification. Harry Harrison, whose fans think highly of, will expect 75 in 75.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner