The Very Best of Barry N. Malzberg

Malzberg, who won the very first Campbell Award for Best New Writer, offers 36 stories spanning a lengthy career in this diverse collection, introduced by Amazing Stories editor Joe Wrzos. Political machinations, morality, and the difference between wielding power and being wielded by it form the core of stories like “Anderson,” “Kingfish,” and “Blair House.” “Report to Headquarters” explores what it means to be alien, while “Galaxy Called Rome,” “Coursing,” and “Out from Ganymede” deliver existential angst along with the loneliness of outer space. “The Wooden Grenade,” “Final War,” and “Police Actions” deliver insight into the insanity of war and the banality of evil. Black comedies like “Leviticus: In the Ark,” “State of the Art,” and “Icons” poke fun at themes often held sacred, including religion and celebrated writers and poets, while science fiction writers search for their lost sense of wonder in “The Shores of Suitability,” “Playback,” and “Corridors.” These stories showcase the dark humor and bitter incisiveness that have earned Malzberg fans for nearly five decades. (Aug.)