Yes, I can here the grumbling already. This one surely isn't forgotten, you're saying. Well, that's because you're geezers. I have a feeling that SF readers under 40 haven't even heard of this book, which I consider an essential anthology. Out of print since 1979, I think. If there's a more recent version, maybe someone will let us know in the comments.
The thesis here is that while SF's Golden Age might have been the '30s and '40s, the genre came of age in the '50s. The stories in this volume are offered in evidence. Malzberg's introduction claims that "The level of short-story writing during the decade . . . has never been equalled. . . ." You can judge for yourself.
You'll notice that it's an Analog book and that Ben Bova is the series editor, and six of the ten stories here are from Campbell's Astounding. That's only because the editors chose them, though. There was no coercion. They were free to choose whatever they pleased.
Malzberg's intro has been published elsewhere, but if you haven't read it, it's a must. So is Pronzini's afterword, as are the afterwords he and Mazlberg provide for each story. Mainly, though, there are the stories themselves. I was lucky enough to grow up during the '50s and to see some of these in their original magazine appearances. I don't have a clue as to what my life would have been without my discovery of SF in those years, but I'm certain it wouldn't have been nearly as good. I loved this stuff then. I still do.
Amazon.com: Rest in Peace eBook: Jack MacLane: Kindle Store: Danny West knew that something was wrong from the first day his folks moved into the rundown house next to the creepy graveyard. The neighborhood kids would never come over to play. At night, he saw weird shadows prowling around the crumbling tombstones, and heard strange gurgling sounds. But his parents wouldn’t listen to him. They said he had a good imagination…
