Dell ("first printing") June 1957 paperback (# B110, "Dell First Edition".) Cover by Richard Powers, 320 pages. Condition is VG+: very tight and square, spine has some raised lines (printed thus); age tanning is mild to moderate and uniform; 2-1/2" crease at lower left of back cover; very light overall rubbing wear. No stamps, marks or writing - a clean copy. This is tight and square enough that I think it may have been browsed through, but not read. If not for that crease on the back cover, I would grade this near-Fine.

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, Second Annual Volume: Contents:
"The Man Who Liked Lions" by John Bernard Daley
"The Cosmic Expense Account" by C. M. Kornbluth
"The Far Look" by Theodore L. Thomas
"When Grandfather Flew to the Moon" by E. L. Malpass
"The Doorstop" by R. Bretnor
"Silent Brother" by Algis Budrys
"Stranger Station" by Damon Knight
"Each an Explorer" by Isaac Asimov
"All About 'THE THING'" by Randall Garrett
"Put Them All Together, They Spell Monster" by Ray Russell
"Digging the Weans" by Robert Nathan
"Take a Deep Breath" by Roger Thorne
"Grandma's Lie Soap" by Robert Abernathy
"Compounded Interest" by Mack Reynolds
"Prima Belladonna" by J. G. Ballard
"The Other Man" by Theodore Sturgeon
"The Damndest Thing" by Garson Kanin
"Anything Box" by Zenna Henderson
(The Year's S-F, by Judith Merril - the year in review.)