8

I've been looking for an anthology which my older brother lost back in the 70's.. the only stories which I can clearly remember it it were 'Who Goes There?' and "Nerves." If I'm not mistaken Robert Sheckley's marvelous short story "Specialist," one of my all time favorites, was also featured. Two other stories that come to mind were one in which the protagonist awakens to find himself on a giant raft with an alien species that's being shadowed by a monstrous shark, and a story I believe was titled "The Father-Thing" by Philip k. Dick in which a child discovers his father has been consumed and replaced by an alien creature.

I've searched for literally decades trying to track down this damn book with no luck... online and offline. It was the greatest sci-fi anthology I ever held in my hands, and my idiot brother lent it to someone and never got it back.

Improve this question
4
  • 1
    Take a look at this guide to help jog your memory and edit any more details. Also, take a look at our tour to get a better understanding of our site and earn your first badge!
    – Edlothiad
    Jun 5, 2017 at 22:38
  • "Man Faces Extra-Terrestrial Life in CONTACT" has "Specialist" and "Who Goes There?", but not Nerves. I have not found one with "Who Goes There?" and "Nerves" yet.
    – FuzzyBoots
    Jun 5, 2017 at 22:45
  • Was this anthology in English?
    – Organic Marble
    Jun 5, 2017 at 22:49
  • Was it hardcover or paperback? Did your brother buy it in the U.S. or Canada or the U.K. or Australia or elsewhere?
    – user14111
    Jun 5, 2017 at 23:54

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
9

"Nerves" and "Who Goes There?" both appear in the famous anthologies "Adventures in Time and Space" (1946) (aka "Famous Science-Fiction Stories") and "The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Volume Two" (1973).

Neither of them, however, contains Sheckley's "Specialist" as well.

Improve this answer
5
  • 1
    It was a hardcover Edition, it did have two other stories that I can recall one was the story of a boy who is Father is murdered by some alien creature who takes this place, and the other story that comes to mind concerned an individual who wakes up and finds himself on another planet floating on a raft surrounded by gigantic sharks I know it sounds kind of mind-blowing. I would literally pay $100 to anyone who could find this Anthology for me it has haunted me for nearly thirty years losing this book
    – pdecruzcdE54321
    Jun 6, 2017 at 22:50
  • 1
    I think the title of the story was 'the monster,' the other story I have no idea other than the initial setting of a giant raft occupied by another species, and being shadowed by a monstrous shark...weird but I've never forgotten it.
    – pdecruzcdE54321
    Jun 6, 2017 at 23:11
  • 1
    The first new story sounds like P K Dick's "The Father Thing". It is in a lot of collections but not the 2 I mention. It is in a collection "Between Time and Terror" with Who Goes There. but not Nerves.
    – Organic Marble
    Jun 6, 2017 at 23:13
  • It's probably a good idea to edit your question and add all this new info to it. Comments can get deleted.
    – Organic Marble
    Jun 6, 2017 at 23:15
  • 1
    YES! That was it, "The Father-Thing" by PKD.
    – pdecruzcdE54321
    Jun 7, 2017 at 0:24
5

Here is a long list of places where "Nerves" was published, although the only possibilities are those published in or before the 1970s.

https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?46545[1]

Here is a long list of places where "Who Goes There?" was published, although the only possibilities are those published in or before the 1970s.

https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?860248[1]

Here is a long list of places where "Specialist" was published, although the only possibilities are those published in or before the 1970s.

https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?45711[2]

Here is a long list of places where "The father-Thing" was published, although the only possibilities are those published in or before the 1970s.

https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?41412[3]

Since you remember it has a hard cover anthology with stories by different authors, the search should be restricted to multi author anthologies with hard covers published before 1980.

The only English language anthology that fits those specifications and includes "The Father-Thing" and another story you mentioned - "Specialist" - is Science Fiction: Contemporary Mythology: The SFWA-SFRA Anthology 1978.

https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?29199[4]

The only English language anthology that fits those specifications and includes "Specialist" and another story you mentioned - "The Father-Thing" - is Science Fiction: Contemporary Mythology: The SFWA-SFRA Anthology 1978. https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?29199[4]

"Who Goes There?" is with "Nerves" in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two A: The Greatest Science Fiction Novellas of All Time Chosen by the Science Fiction Writres of America 1973.

https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?29110[5]

"Who Goes There?" and "Nerves" are also in Adventures in Time and Space 1946.

https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?438841[6]

If you are certain that the book you remember was an English language hard cover anthology lost in the 1980s, and that "Who Goes There?" and "Nerves" are in it, it should be either Adventures in Time and Space or The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two A: The Greatest Science Fiction Novellas of All Time Chosen by the Science Fiction Writres of America.

I am pretty certain that the story you remember about someone on a raft full of aliens stalked by a giant shark is not in Adventures in Time and Space. If it is not also in The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two A: The Greatest Science Fiction Novellas of All Time Chosen by the Science Fiction Writres of America then you should try Science Fiction: Contemporary Mythology: The SFWA-SFRA Anthology since it contains "Specialist" and "The Father-thing" which you thought were in the book you remember.

Improve this answer

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.