An important historical document. Except for the last story, 'Who Goes There?' (which you've seen in other anthologies of classic SF and of Horror), the stories aren't all that wonderful. Yes, for their time, groundbreaking, etc... but I just didn't enjoy them. ( )

The stories in this collection have mostly aged well. Especially so when compared to other stories from the 30s. And, of course, "Who Goes There?" is still fantastic. ( )

This collection was well worth perusing. If nothing else, reading "Who Goes There?" was a thrill, especially considering it was written originally in 1938.

"Elimination" was one of the best time travel theory stories I've ever read. I highly recommend that one as well.

"Twilight" was chosen 1970 by the Science Fiction Writers of America as one of the great classics of the genre - and it definitely is that. It's the story of a time traveler from 3059, plopped down in 1930s America after returning from the Earth of seven millions years in the future. The Earth, and the remnants of mankind and their legacy, of that far distant future left me feeling sad, lonely and full of regret. The time traveler did leave a spark of hope behind before he returned but we are left without knowing if he was successful.

"Forgetfulness" was an interesting tale of man reaching out to colonize what appears to be a planet abandoned by a very advanced civilization. The current inhabitants seem to be peaceful and non-technological (reminded me of the Nox in Stargate SG1). They knew of the ancient civilization but nothing of the technology. It asks the question: Do you remember how to make a fire without matches or a light? Do you remember how to make a stone (flint) tool?

The rest of the collection is good as well. See my updates and comments for further thoughts on the best works of John W. Campbell.

I'll be re-mooching this book, placing it in my inventory, reserved for my BookMooch friends for the next 30 days. So if you want to snag it, join BookMooch and friend me. :)
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Campbell is most famous as an editor, but he also authored short fiction that helped define the genre. This collection pulls together eleven of his most important short stories (many of which were originally published under the pseudonym Don A. Stuart), and one essay. These are generally “concept” stories—Campbell would come up with a clever idea about the future of mankind, technology, and/or an alien invader, and build a story around it. Characterization is generally close to non-existent; neither the plotting nor the prose is particularly worth writing home about. Most of these ideas have been done better by later authors, but Campbell definitely deserves credit for moving science fiction from adolescent male fantasy adventure towards a genre that asks questions about important things.

I liked “Who Goes There?,” Campbell’s famous novella about an Antarctic research team that recovers the ice-encased body of an ancient alien, it was the only story in the book that built suspense and kept you turning pages. “Twilight,” “Forgetfulness” and “Cloak of Aesir” were other memorable tales. “Elimination,” a story about a pair of scientists who learn to read the future with tragic results, was the biggest disappointment. ( )