ANALOG'S GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY ANTHOLOGY

Arranged chronologically, this frankly personal, 23-piece celebration of 50 years of Astounding/Analog works equally well as a nostalgia trip for long-time sf buffs, a suitable introduction for new readers, and a tribute to the 37-year editorship of the late, remarkable John W. Campbell, Jr. Here, of course, are some golden oldies: Heinlein's ""--And He Built a Crooked House,"" van Vogt's ""Far Centaurus,"" Poul Anderson's ""The Longest Voyage,"" Frederic Brown's hilarious ""Placer is a Crazy Place,"" Gordon R. Dickson's cautionary ""Computers Don't Argue,"" and Asimov's ""The Dead Past."" But there are also less well-known works by Sturgeon, Weinbaum, James H. Schmitz, Ted Thomas, George O. Smith, Chad Oliver, Don A. Stuart (a.k.a. Campbell), Ben Bova, and Schmidt himself. Plus--juicy nonfiction items: two characteristic editorials by Campbell; L. Sprague de Camp's ""Language for Time Travellers"" (a marvelously witty discussion of future English); Mark Clifton's ""The Dread Tomato Addiction""; and Poul Anderson's provocative salute to Campbell and his extraordinary ability to generate ideas by asking the right questions. And, finally, stories by Vonda N. Mclntyre and Ted Reynolds mark the beginning of a different, perhaps more thoughtful, certainly more self-conscious Analog. All in all: a satisfying, reasonably accurate picture of Analog's strengths and occasional failings over the years.