Dell 1956 paperback ("Dell First Edition" B103.) Cover by Richard Powers, 352 pages. Condition is VG~: tight and almost square; spine shows light wear along front and back edges, and has several minor lines (they look raised - the book was probably just printed that way); age tanning is mild to moderate and uniform. No stamps, marks or writing - a clean copy.

After making a name for herself as an anthologist in the early Fifties, Judith Merril began a Best-of-the-Year series in 1956 that went on for 12 volumes, and was generally noted for its high literary standards, and willingness to use stories from outside the usual SF venues. Each volume collects stories from the previous year. (They were jointly published with Gnome Press for a simultaneous hardcover edition- the titles for those began with SF: 57, SF: 58, SF: 59.) If you want an idea of what the best SF from the mid to late Fifties was like- what looked the best at that time, sample this series. Many stories will be familiar, but there are quite a few that have been forgotten undeservedly. Many of these stories you would probably never think of reading - but in this context, with Merril's recommendation, you'll find some that are quite good. Most stories are from the usual magzine sources like Astounding, Galaxy, Infinity, The Magazine of F&SF - but many are from sources like Playboy, Bluebook, Saturday Evening Post, or British magazines like Science Fantasy and Nebula.

S - F The Year's Greatest Science-Fiction and Fantasy: Contents:
(Introduction by Orson Welles and Preface by Judith Merril)
"The Stutterer" by R. R. Merliss
"The Golem" by Avram Davidson
"Junior" by Robert Abernathy
"The Cave of Night" by James E. Gunn
"The Hoofer" by Walter M. Miller, Jr.
"Bulkhead" by Theodore Sturgeon
"Sense from Thought Divide" by Mark Clifton
"Pottage" by Zenna Henderson
"Nobody Bothers Gus" by Algis Budrys
"The Last Day of Summer" by E. C. Tubb
"One Ordinary Day, with Peanuts" by Shirley Jackson
"The Ethicators" by Willard Marsh
"Birds Can't Count" by Mildred Clingerman
"Of Missing Persons" by Jack Finney
"Dreaming Is a Private Thing" by Isaac Asimov
"The Country of the Kind" by Damon Knight
"The Public Hating" by Steve Allen
"Home There's No Returning" by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore
(The Year's S-F, by Judith Merril - the year in review)