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Masterpieces is the Orson Scott Card-edited SF retrospective anthology that pulls together what he considers the best science fiction short fiction of the 20th century. The selections are unsurprising in the best sense (Heinlein's "The Man Who Sold the Moon," Sturgeon, Le Guin, Tiptree, Bradbury, Bear, Card himself) and the introductions are where the book earns its keep.
Card is a serious historian of the form. His introductions explain what each story was doing in the context of when it was published and why it has continued to matter. The volume works as both a reading anthology and a working primer on the development of SF as a literature.
The selections are American-dominated, as the title implies. The introductions partially acknowledge this. The selections themselves are strong.
Five stars. Recommended to anyone interested in serious SF short fiction. The introductions alone are worth the price.
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