Collected Short Fiction Read online

  To live like that, Cyril decided, was no life at all. So he went against the doctor’s orders. He stopped the drugs and resumed the cigarettes and the spices. For a while he was the old Cyril again . . . and then, on one snowy morning a few months later, I got a despairing phone call from Mary, his wife. Cyril had shoveled snow to get out of the driveway of their home on Long Island, then run to catch a train to the city, and dropped dead of a heart attack on the station platform.

  By the time I got there, a few hours later, there was nothing left to do but to try to console his widow and his sons. Mary and I went to the crematorium to watch Cyril’s body roll into the chamber; the shutters closed; and that was the last anyone ever saw of Cyril Kornbluth. He was then just thirty-four years old and, I think, only beginning to hit his stride as a writer.

  When Cyril died he left behind a few fragments of notes and uncompleted stories. Some of them I completed and published as our final collaborations—“The Quaker Cannon”, “Critical Mass” and “Mute, Inglorious Tam” among them. There was one other. That was a very short piece called “The Meeting.” For one reason or another it was years before I saw how to deal with that one. But at last I did, and when awards time came around the next year “The Meeting” won a Hugo. It was the only such award ever given to Cyril’s work, and it was not enough. He deserved much, much more.

  Originally appeared in His Share of Glory, February 1997

  PSEUDONYMS

  Gabriel Barclay

  Edward J. Bellin

  Arthur Cooke

  Cecil Corwin

  Walter C. Davies

  Simon Eisner

  Kenneth Falconer

  S.D. Gottesman

  Cyril Judd

  Cyril Kornbluth

  Cyril M. Kornbluth

  M.C. Kornbluth

  Paul Dennis Lavond

  Scott Mariner

  Jordan Park

  Ivar Towers

  BIBLIOGRAPHY

  Novels

  Gunner Cade (1952)

  Outpost Mars (1952)

  Takeoff (1952)

  The Naked Storm (1952)

  Half (1953)

  The Space Merchants (1953)

  The Syndic (1953)

  Valerie (1953)

  Search the Sky (1953)

  A Town Is Drowning (1955)

  Gladiator-at-Law (1955)

  Not This August (1955)

  Presidential Year (1956)

  Sorority House (1956)

  The Man of Cold Rages (1958)

  Wolfbane (1959)

  Magazine-published Novels

  The Extrapolated Dimwit, Future Fantasy and Science Fiction, October 1942

  The Slave, Science Fiction Adventures, September 1957

  Serials

  Mars Child, Galaxy Science Fiction, May-July 1951

  Gunner Cade, Astounding Science Fiction, March-May 1952

  Gravy Planet, Galaxy Science Fiction, June-August 1952

  The Syndic, Science Fiction Adventures, December 1953 & March 1954

  Takeoff, New Worlds Science Fiction, April-June 1954

  Gladiator at Law, Galaxy Science Fiction, June-August 1954

  Wolfbane, Galaxy Science Fiction, October-November 1957

  Chapbooks

  The Altar at Midnight (2009)

  The Adventurer (2009)

  The Little Black Bag (2009)

  MS. Found in a Chinese Fortune Cookie (2012)

  The Marching Morons (2014)

  The Luckiest Man in Denv (2014)

  With These Hands (2014)

  That Share of Glory (2014)

  The Luckiest Man (2016)

  Gomez (2016)

  The Mindworm (2016)

  Thirteen O'Clock (2016)

  The Goodly Creatures (2016)

  Friend to Man (2016)

  The Rocket of 1955 (2016)

  Collections

  The Explorers (1954)

  The Mindworm and Other Stories (1955)

  A Mile Beyond the Moon (1958)

  The Marching Morons (1959)

  The Wonder Effect (1962)

  Best SF Stories of C.M. Kornbluth (1968)

  Thirteen O’Clock and Other Zero Hours (1970)

  The Best of C.M. Kornbluth (1976)

  Critical Mass (1977)

  Before the Universe (1980)

  Our Best (1987)

  His Share of Glory (1997)

  Eight Worlds of C.M. Kornbluth (2010)

  The 34th Golden Age of Science Fiction Megapack (2016)

  Omnibus

  Gunner Cade/Crisis in 2140 (1957) with John J. McGuire, H. Beam Piper and Judith Merril

  Gunner Cade (1983) with Judith Merril

  Spaced Out: Three Novels of Tomorrow (2008) with Judith Merril

  Three Vintage SF Novels of Pohl and Kornbluth (2009) with Frederik Pohl

  The Syndic/Flight to Forever (2011) with Poul Anderson

  The Ship from Infinity/Takeoff (2011) with Edmond Hamilton

  Worlds Within/The Slave (2012) with Rog Phillips

  Wolfbane/Three Against the Roum (2015) with Frederik Pohl and Robert Moore Williams

  Poems

  The Song of the Rocket (1940)

  Segment (1942)

  Chant of the Black Magicians (1944)

  The Unfortunate Topologist (1957)

  Nonfiction

  The Science Fiction Novel (1959)

  SHORT FICTION BIBLIOGRAPHY

  CHRONOLOGICAL

  1939

  The Rocket of 1955, Escape, 1939

  The Purchase of the Crame: Part Two—Conclusion, Scienti-Tales, March 1939

  The Ill-Advised Abracadabrations of Magus Heslich, Cosmic Tales Special, July 1939

  1940

  Lurani, Unknown, February 1940

  The Song of the Rocket, Super Science Stories, March 1940

  Stepsons of Mars, Astonishing Stories, April 1940

  King Cole of Pluto, Super Science Stories, May 1940

  Stone, The Phantagraph, May 1940

  Grave, The Phantagraph, May 1940

  Before the Universe, Super Science Stories, July 1940

  The Return of the Indefatigible Minimum, The Phantagraph, August 1940

  Nova Midplane, Super Science Stories, November 1940

  Trouble in Time, Astonishing Stories, December 1940

  1941

  Vacant World, Super Science Stories, January 1941

  Dead Center, Stirring Science Stories, February 1941

  Thirteen O’Clock, Stirring Science Stories, February 1941

  The Psychological Regulator, Comet, March 1941

  The Martians Are Coming, Cosmic Stories, March 1941

  Return from M-15, Cosmic Stories, March 1941

  The Reversible Revolutions, Cosmic Stories, March 1941

  Callistan Tomb, Science Fiction Quarterly, Spring 1941

  Jump-Out-of-Bed, The Phantagraph, April 1941

  Exiles of New Planet, Astonishing Stories, April 1941

  A Prince of Pluto, Future Fiction, April 1941

  The Castle on Outerplanet, Stirring Science Stories, April 1941

  The Doll Master, Stirring Science Stories, April 1941

  Dimension of Darkness, Cosmic Stories, May 1941

  No Place to Go, Cosmic Stories, May 1941

  What Sorghum Says, Cosmic Stories, May 1941

  Best Friend, Super Science Novels, May 1941

  Forgotten Tongue, Stirring Science Stories, June 1941

  Mr. Packer Goes to Hell, Stirring Science Stories June 1941

  The Words of Guru, Stirring Science Stories, June 1941

  Kazam Collects, Stirring Science Stories, June 1941

  Fire-Power, Cosmic Stories, July 1941

  Interference, Cosmic Stories, July 1941

  The City in the Sofa, Cosmic Stories, July 1941

  Mars-Tube, Astonishing Stories, September 1941

  Sir Mallory’s Magnitude, Science Fiction Quarterly, Winter 1941/1942, December 1941

  1942
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  Error in Guinea Pigs, 10 Story Mystery Magazine, February 1942

  The Perfect Invasion, Stirring Science Stories, March 1942

  The Golden Road, Stirring Science Stories, March 1942

  Masquerade, Stirring Science Stories, March 1942

  Einstein’s Planetoid, Science Fiction Quarterly, Spring, March 1942

  Crisis!, Science Fiction Quarterly, Spring 1942

  The Core, Future Combined with Science Fiction, April 1942

  An Old Neptunian Custom, Super Science Stories, August 1942

  The Extrapolated Dimwit, Future Fantasy and Science Fiction, October 1942

  1943

  R.A.F. Wings East, Sky Raiders, February 1943

  Cure for Killers, 10 Story Mystery Magazine, February 1943

  1946

  Beer-Bottle Polka, Black Mask, September 1946

  A Ghoul and His Money, Dime Detective Magazine, September 1946

  .45 Motives for Murder, Ten Detective Aces, December 1946

  The Mirrors of Hell, Ten Detective Aces, December 1946

  1947

  X Marks the A-Bomb, 10-Story Detective Magazine, January 1947

  The M-Job, The Phantom Detective, March 1947

  Tomb to Let, 10-Story Detective Magazine, May 1947

  The Kill Department, Ten Detective Aces, June 1947

  Crime on His Hands, Ten Detective Aces, September 1947

  1948

  Goldbrick Solitaire, Ten Detective Aces, January 1948

  Blood on the Campus, Street & Smith’s Detective Story Magazine, June 1948

  The Yogi Says Yes, Private Detective Stories, November 1948

  1949

  Homicidal Hypo-Man, All-Story Detective, June 1949

  The Only Thing We Learn, Startling Stories, July 1949

  1950

  The Little Black Bag, Astounding Science Fiction, July 1950

  Iteration, Future Combined with Science Fiction Stories, September/October 1950

  The Silly Season, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Fall, October 1950

  The Mindworm, Worlds Beyond, December 1950

  1951

  The Finger Job, Famous Detective Stories, February 1951

  Friend to Man, 10 Story Fantasy, Spring 1951

  The Marching Morons, Galaxy Science Fiction, April 1951

  Mars Child (Installment 1), Galaxy Science Fiction, May 1951

  Mars Child (Installment 2), Galaxy Science Fiction, June 1951

  Mars Child (Conclusion), Galaxy Science Fiction, July 1951

  With These Hands, Galaxy, December 1951

  1952

  That Share of Glory, Astounding Science Fiction, January 1952

  Gunner Cade (First of Three Parts), Astounding Science Fiction, March 1952

  Gunner Cade (Second of Three Parts), Astounding Science Fiction, April 1952

  Gunner Cade (Conclusion), Astounding Science Fiction, May 1952

  The Luckiest Man in Denv, Galaxy Science Fiction, June 1952

  Gravy Planet (Part 1 of a 3 Part Serial), Galaxy Science Fiction, June 1952

  Gravy Planet (Part 2 of a 3 Part Serial), Galaxy Science Fiction, July 1952

  Gravy Planet (Conclusion of a 3 Part Serial), Galaxy Science Fiction, August 1952

  Make Mine Mars, Science Fiction Adventures, November 1952

  The Altar at Midnight, Galaxy Science Fiction, November 1952

  The Goodly Creatures, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, December 1952

  1953

  The Mask of Demeter, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, January 1953

  Time Bum, Fantastic, January/February, January 1953

  Dominoes, Star Science Fiction Stories, February 1953

  Sea Change, Dynamic Science Fiction, March 1953

  The Adventurer, Space Science Fiction, May 1953

  The Dip Detail, Private Eye, July 1953

  The Meddlers, Science Fiction Adventures, September 1953

  Everybody Knows Joe, Fantastic Universe, October/November 1953

  The Remorseful, Star Science Fiction Stories No. 2, December 1953

  The Syndic, Science Fiction Adventures, December 1953 & March 1954

  1954

  I Never Ast No Favors, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, April 1954

  Takeoff (Part One of Three Parts), New Worlds Science Fiction, April 1954

  Takeoff (Part Two of Three Parts), New Worlds Science Fiction, May 1954

  Takeoff (Conclusion), New Worlds Science Fiction, June 1954

  Gladiator at Law (Part 1 of a 3 Part Serial), Galaxy Science Fiction, June 1954

  Gladiator at Law (Part 2 of a 3 Part Serial), Galaxy Science Fiction, July 1954

  Gladiator at Law (Conclusion of a 3 Part Serial), Galaxy Science Fiction, August 1954

  Gomez, The Explorers, August 1954

  1955

  The Adventurers, Science Fiction Quarterly, February 1955

  1956

  The Cosmic Charge Account, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, January 1956

  The Engineer, Infinity Science Fiction, February 1956

  1957

  The Education of Tigress McCardle, Venture Science Fiction Magazine, July 1957

  The Unfortunate Topologist, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, July 1957

  MS. Found in a Chinese Fortune Cookie, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, July 1957

  The Slave, Science Fiction Adventures, September 1957

  The Last Man Left in the Bar, Infinity Science Fiction, October 1957

  Wolfbane (Beginning a 2-Part Serial), Galaxy Science Fiction, October 1957

  Wolfbane (Conclusion of a 2-Part Serial), Galaxy Science Fiction, November 1957

  1958

  The Events Leading Down to the Tragedy, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, January 1958

  Virginia, Venture Science Fiction Magazine, March 1958

  Reap the Dark Tide, Vanguard Science Fiction, June 1958

  Two Dooms, Venture Science Fiction Magazine, July 1958

  Theory of Rocketry, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, July 1958

  Passion Pills, A Mile Beyond the Moon, August 1958

  The Advent on Channel Twelve, Star Science Fiction Stories #4, November 1958

  Nightmare with Zeppelins, Galaxy Magazine, December 1958

  1961

  A Gentle Dying, Galaxy Magazine, June 1961

  The Quaker Cannon, Analog Science Fact->Fiction, August 1961

  The World of Myrion Flowers, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, October 1961

  A Hint of Henbane, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, November 1961

  1962

  Critical Mass, Galaxy Magazine, February 1962

  1965

  [unknown story], Venture Science Fiction, (Australia) November 1965

  1967

  The Objective Approach, Operation Phantasy: The Best from The Phantagraph, 1967

  Segment, Operation Phantasy: The Best from The Phantagraph, 1967

  Chant of the Black Magicians, Operation Phantasy: The Best from The Phantagraph, 1967

  1970

  Thirteen O’Clock [combined version], Thirteen O’Clock and Other Zero Hours, December 1970

  1972

  The Meeting, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, November 1972

  1974

  The Gift of Garigolli, Galaxy Science Fiction, August 1974

  Mute Inglorious Tam, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, October 1974

  1988

  Interplane Express, Up There and Other Strange Directions, September 1988

  SHORT FICTION BIBLIOGRAPHY

  ALPHABETICAL

  #

  .45 Motives for Murder, Ten Detective Aces, December 1946

  [unknown story], Venture Science Fiction, (Australia) November 1965

  A

  A Gentle Dying, Galaxy Magazine, June 1961

  A Ghoul and His Money, Dime Detective Magazine, Sept
ember 1946

  A Hint of Henbane, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, November 1961

  A Prince of Pluto, Future Fiction, April 1941

  The Advent on Channel Twelve, Star Science Fiction Stories #4, November 1958

  The Adventurer, Space Science Fiction, May 1953

  The Adventurers, Science Fiction Quarterly, February 1955

  The Altar at Midnight, Galaxy Science Fiction, November 1952

  An Old Neptunian Custom, Super Science Stories, August 1942

  B

  Beer-Bottle Polka, Black Mask, September 1946

  Before the Universe, Super Science Stories, July 1940

  Best Friend, Super Science Novels, May 1941

  Blood on the Campus, Street & Smith’s Detective Story Magazine, June 1948

  C

  Callistan Tomb, Science Fiction Quarterly, Spring 1941

  The Castle on Outerplanet, Stirring Science Stories, April 1941

  The City in the Sofa, Cosmic Stories, July 1941

  Chant of the Black Magicians, Operation Phantasy: The Best from The Phantagraph, 1967

  The Core, Future Combined with Science Fiction, April 1942

  The Cosmic Charge Account, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, January 1956

  Crime on His Hands, Ten Detective Aces, September 1947

  Crisis!, Science Fiction Quarterly, Spring 1942

  Critical Mass, Galaxy Magazine, February 1962

  Cure for Killers, 10 Story Mystery Magazine, February 1943

  D

  Dead Center, Stirring Science Stories, February 1941

  Dimension of Darkness, Cosmic Stories, May 1941

  The Dip Detail, Private Eye, July 1953

  The Doll Master, Stirring Science Stories, April 1941

  Dominoes, Star Science Fiction Stories, February 1953

  E

  The Education of Tigress McCardle, Venture Science Fiction Magazine, July 1957

  Einstein’s Planetoid, Science Fiction Quarterly, Spring 1942

  Error in Guinea Pigs, 10 Story Mystery Magazine, February 1942

  The Engineer, Infinity Science Fiction, February 1956

  The Events Leading Down to the Tragedy, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, January 1958

  Everybody Knows Joe, Fantastic Universe, October-November 1953

  Exiles of New Planet, Astonishing Stories, April 1941

  The Extrapolated Dimwit, Future Fantasy and Science Fiction, October 1942

  F

  The Finger Job, Famous Detective Stories, February 1951