50 in 50: A Collection of Short Stories, One for Each of Fifty Years

Absolutely spellbinding. To keep it short, Harry is the most creative writer I've ever "known"(!). This book is filled with so much variety, action, humor, and surprise endings that a television producer could easily create a miniseries based on it. Just plain fun reading - highly recommended!I can only hope and pray for the Stainless Steel Rat to show his face in at least one more book!

A collection of stories but also a great insight into the scince and fiction trends.

This collection contains 50 stories written by Harry Harrison in 50 years of professional writing of science fiction. Most of the stories are well-written, but a few are outdated by subsequence events. Some are deliberately shocking -- Rescue Operation, Roommates -- and others are humorous -- The Man From P.I.G. -- and some supposed to be -- Space Rats of the CCC -- but some of the best stories aren't in this collection since they were expanded into novels and even into movie scripts. Although already writing in other fields, Harrison originally came into science fiction as an artist and some samples of his works are included. Harrison also worked as an editor, first in comics and then moving on to science fiction magazines. He also edited the Best SF series with Brian Aldiss, the Nova series, and the SF Authors' Choice anthologies. He is probably best known for the Stainless Steel Rat series, which started off with a bang, but have become rather predictable. His Deathworld trilogy continues to be admired by his long time fans, showing the advantage of quitting while you are ahead. Harrison and I are almost diametrically opposed on many political and social issues, so I wish I knew the man personally and could sit down with him for extented discussions of anything and everything. Reading his works is the next best thing and I have done so for over 40 years. I still think he is one of the best at his craft. Having read Harrison for so long, most of these stories are old friends that I read when first published, but some were new to me. I bought it for old times sake, but I suggest you try this collection if you have never read any of Harrison's short works. It should be an interesting experience. -Arthur W. Jordin

In 50 In 50 Harrison not only gives the fans of SF a semi-auto-biographical overview of his 50 plus year career, but gives us 50 of his best stories. From his first 'Rock Diver', to his most recent, 'The Road To The Year 3000'. From the fantastic to hard SF, humorous to the serious, to stories that defy category. It is a compendium that is a must for every fan of SF. The extensive story notes that not only look into the stories, but what makes this writer one of SF's very best, and his long and illustrious, prolific and continuing career... Gary S. Potter Author/Poet.

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