I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, put Isaac Asimov’s name on it and I’ll buy it, don’t care it it’s a sci-fi short story compilation or a cookbook. Now add Arthur C. Clarke, Robert Heinlein, Philip K. Dick, Harry Harrison, and Olson Scott Card to the list of authors, and I just dare to you stop me buying it. ;)

This is an anthology of twenty-five science fiction stories about war. At first, I was a bit worried that it would be too machismo and full of laser swords and such, but that fear was allayed with about one story. This compilation was filled with thoughtful, creative, stories. There were cautionary tales, stories of hope, and stories that surprised. There was a great variety, battles waged on distant planets, in space, and here on earth. As I find with most complications, the best stories were at the front and end of the collection, with some lessor works sandwiched in between the best ones. The stories were written between 1949 and 1980, but they all seem to share a common thread, war may be unavoidable, but it’s always evil.

It starts with a cracker by Arthur C. Clarke, that seemed familiar to me, that supposes that superior technology does not always provide superior results. I was thrilled to find the original Olson Scott Card short story of Ender’s Game, that inspired the full novel and the resulting sequels and prequels. It’s such a wonderful short, I’m sure Card had many urging him to expand it into a full-length novel (my opinion, it’s the best story of the bunch). There were a few stinkers in the middle, but only one, I found unreadable. And, of course, the anthology finishes strong with a few, very short, but excellent stories by Heinlein and the other bookend by Clarke.

All in all, this collection does not disappoint. It’s important to think about war, the implications, the prelude and the aftermath, and the unexpected outcomes. I enjoyed the writing, it made me think, and the pages flew by. I find it hard not to pick up a sci-fi short story anthology now and then, especially with Isaac Asimov’s name on the author list. ( )

I read this anthology as a child, but when I found a copy on ebay that was cheap I couldn't resist. This is a collection of short stories focusing on what war might be like in the future. It's a good read, although a couple of the stories are out of place compared with the others.

http://www.stillhq.com/book/Anthology/Battlefields_Beyond_Tomorrow.html ( )