Acerbic, cynical and bitter I suppose you could describe the stories of Kornbluth as, generally, with the odd exception. Definitely not twisted, though.

This book is edited by Frederik Pohl, who says:"Cyril kornbluth was my friend from the time we were both in our middle teens until the day of his death, and for most of that time we were collaborators as well. It isn't easy for me to speak of him objectively. A collaboration is too close a relationship for impersonal appraisal. And yet I have no doubt that Kornbluth's work deserves critical study. From first to last, it was lucid, inventive, economical, and informed. Cyril was a wise as well as a talented man. He was also a sardonic soul."

Pohl also gives an introduction to each story, even mentioning in one case he was the editor who censored one of them originally, before presenting the restored version here.

A 3.39 here, but a very solid and consistent set of stories with a few that climb above.

Best of C. M. Kornbluth : The Rocket of 1955 - C. M. Kornbluth
Best of C. M. Kornbluth : The Words of Guru - C. M. Kornbluth
Best of C. M. Kornbluth : The Only Thing We Learn - C. M. Kornbluth
Best of C. M. Kornbluth : The Adventurer - C. M. Kornbluth
Best of C. M. Kornbluth : The Little Black Bag - C. M. Kornbluth
Best of C. M. Kornbluth : The Luckiest Man in Denv - C. M. Kornbluth
Best of C. M. Kornbluth : The Silly Season - C. M. Kornbluth
Best of C. M. Kornbluth : The Remorseful - C. M. Kornbluth
Best of C. M. Kornbluth : Gomez - C. M. Kornbluth
Best of C. M. Kornbluth : The Advent on Channel Twelve - C. M. Kornbluth
Best of C. M. Kornbluth : The Marching Morons - C. M. Kornbluth
Best of C. M. Kornbluth : The Last Man Left in the Bar - C. M. Kornbluth
Best of C. M. Kornbluth : The Mindworm - C. M. Kornbluth
Best of C. M. Kornbluth : With These Hands - C. M. Kornbluth
Best of C. M. Kornbluth : Shark Ship - C. M. Kornbluth
Best of C. M. Kornbluth : Friend to Man - C. M. Kornbluth
Best of C. M. Kornbluth : The Altar at Midnight - C. M. Kornbluth
Best of C. M. Kornbluth : Dominoes - C. M. Kornbluth
Best of C. M. Kornbluth : Two Dooms - C. M. Kornbluth

Killer launch.

3 out of 5

Planet busting phoneme.

3.5 out of 5

History full of blowing stuff up and big fat fibs.

3.5 out of 5

Looking for a revolution.

3.5 out of 5

Explanatory medicine.

3 out of 5

Anti-LA leadership plan.

3 out of 5

UFO cry wolf Martian trick.

3 out of 5

Visitor wanker destruction.

3.5 out of 5

Unified field theory discovery lost in hormone wash, perhaps.

4 out of 5

"Poopy Panda is like unto the child of my flesh and you have made of him a devouring dragon."

4 out of 5

Unfrozen average bloke's lemming solution lack of life lesson.

4 out of 5

Future sorrows, drowned.

3 out of 5

Vampire forgets he is not unique, meets Mr. Pointy and Mr. Reaper.

3.5 out of 5

Starving artist inefficiencies.

3.5 out of 5

Not Live Without A Net.

3.5 out of 5

Posse alien.

3 out of 5

Spacer explanations.

3.5 out of 5

Bull market time snap.

3.5 out of 5

Different German discovery.

3 out of 5

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