Does anyone remember the Orbit series of Science Fiction anthologies? I remember them from the mid 70’s until about the early 80s. I was young then, but enjoyed reading them. What years did the series run? How do you think the stories have held up over the years?
They hold up quite well and had some of the top stories of their time.
The series seemed to run from 1966-1980, with 20 volumes total.
They hold up quite well and had some of the top stories of their time.
The series seemed to run from 1966-1980, with 20 volumes total. They were all edited by Damon Knight.
The Index to Science Fiction Anthologies and Collections lists 21 Orbits. (It’s not a well-set-up database. Clicking on a title brings up a second page that contains links for the contents, but those are spread over three separate pages for no reason that I can see.)
They were absolutely seminal, for a certain kind of writer of a certain kind of story. They were vitally important in the careers of Kate Wilhelm, Gene Wolfe, R. A. Lafferty, and Carol Emshwiller.
It’s hard to argue that the last dozen were anywhere near as important as the first ten or so. None of the story titles leap out at me in the same way. I’m not sure exactly what happened. The names of the regulars change, true, but they include many who would come to prominence later. Perhaps it’s just that Knight started buying too many early works by not-yet-developed writers, rather than major works by established stars or at least writers more advanced at an early stage.