The Playboy Book of Science Fiction

“I read Playboy for the articles” is as tired as a joke can get, but don’t be lulled by the cliche. Playboy published some pretty serious science-fiction, by grandmasters like Bradbury, Le Guin, Vonnegutt, Niven, Ballard, and Philip K. Dick. This is as serious as a 20th century scifi anthology gets, with strong stories from classic authors. The themes are bent towards the New Wave, psychological science fiction about minds and bodies and alienation, and yes, just a little sex, but not an overwhelming amount. I’d say my favorite of the collection was “Gianni” by Robert Silverberg, about a classical composer brought forward into the 21st century, but it’s not an easy choice.