Introduction

Each of the stories in this collection has been published in a book or magazine labeled “Science Fiction.” Each of-them was nominated for a Nebula Award by members of Science Fiction Writers of America and appeared on one or both of the ballots in the

awards voting. All of them are, therefore, illustrious examples of contemporary science fiction,’ and as a special favor I am asking those who read them to complete the following sentence in 25,000

words or less: “Science fiction is…” Send your responses to me.

There are no prizes, but I’ll be grateful to have a stack of answers ready for those who persist in asking me to define science fiction.

The fact is that science fiction, in this summation of 1971’s best writing, defies definition. Each of these stories reveals a dazzlingly different facet of a literary genre whose facets are infinite. The settings span the universe, the times range from remote beginnings to ultimate endings, and the themes probe man’s environment within and. without and test his ethics and values with

problems as old as human consciousness and as new as the millennium beyond tomorrow. The literary styles and narrative techniques of these eleven authors are as varied as their subject

‘Inasmuch as works of fantasy are also eligible for the Nebula Awards, this is a

controversial statement. Next year’s readers will be invited to distinguish between

science fiction and fantasy-in 25,000 words or more.

xi

matters. For the reader who is asking of this book, as Theodore Sturgeon suggests, “Tell me a story,” here is science fiction in.all of its infinite variety.

In the months during which this book was planned and finally

assembled, I managed to become deeply indebted to a startling number of people. Damon Knight, Poul Anderson and Theodore Sturgeon, busy men with their own presses of responsibilities and deadlines, took on an additional one of each in order to provide this book with special features.

The authors, each and every one of them, bore up under my onslaught of forms and questionnaires with splendid patience, as did their various editors, publishers and agents. Howard DeVore furnished his usual invaluable assistance in supplying copies of books and magazines; Dean McLaughlin did the same, and also permitted me to bombard him, guinea pig fashion, with alpha and beta particles of ideas, scraps of copy and potential contents pages, without snarling-much.

Edward Wood and George Price, of Advent: Publishers; Diane Cleaver, of Doubleday; Judy-Lynn del Rey, of Galaxy/If; Edward Ferman, of F&SF; Betty Ballantine, of Ballantine Books; editors Terry Carr, Robert Silverberg, David Gerrold and Damon Knight; Fred Marcotte, the staffs of the Ypsilanti Area Public Library and the Lincoln Library of Springfield, Illinois-all took the time to provide the obvious answer or help track down the elusive fact. I offer a special word of thanks to the Los Angeles Convention Committee and its Publicity and

Publications Director, Fred Patten, for assistance in a project that at this date (April 17) is without predictable consequence: making available for this book, in time for publication, the results of this year’s Hugo Awards balloting (which won’t be known. until mid-August). At least we have, collectively, tried.

Nebula Award Stories Seven represents, to M. S. Wyeth and Victoria Schochet of Harper & Row, an introduction to the strange people of SFWA, and they have managed to conceal their astonishment with commendable grace and humor. The phrase “This will hurt me more than it hurts you” has acquired an unfortunate

flavor of hypocrisy, but it does have application to one of the most `

difficult tasks imposed on any editor-deciding what, or whom, to leave out. Inevitably he must leave out much that he would like to include, and sometimes that does, indeed, hurt.

Finally, as is appropriate with any volume of a series, I wish to acknowledge my indebtedness to my distinguished predecessors who edited volumes one through six: Damon Knight, Brian Aldiss ; and Harry Harrison, Roger Zelazny, Poul Anderson, James Blish and

Clifford D. Simak-each of whom may be surprised to note what I have learned from his experience.

LLOYD BIGGLE, JR.

Ypsilanti, April 17, 1972