Ten stories from 1949,54,55,56.
Favorites: “Let The Ants Try” (1949) – Two scientists go way back in time and leave an ant colony behind. They return to the present to see how the experiment turns out.. This would have made a good horror movie.
“The Mapmakers” (1955 novelette) – The starship Terra II is hit by a meteor. Some crew members are programmed to shut down and turn into an Atlas or a library in order to save space. The accident killed the Atlas and now they don’t know where they are. They try several jumps in hyperspace but it looks like they’ll never make it back to Earth. The heat inside is heading towards a hundred forty degrees. It all comes to a very interesting conclusion.
“Target One” (1955) – The Earth is devastated by nuclear war. One scientist wants to try and turn back the clock. He and his friend invent a process where they can go back in time without a time machine. They successfully kill a young Einstein to prevent atomic development.. Then they return to see the effects.
“What To Do When The Analyst Comes” (“Everybody’s Happy But Me”) (1955) – An ad agency’s biggest account is a tobacco company. Now the news comes out about the relationship between tobacco and cancer. They have to invent a new thing that doesn’t have the dangers of cigarettes or the effects of booze and isn’t illegal like pot. They’re successful. One man wishes they weren’t.
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