The word “mediocre” usually presents a negative connotation. But the word can mean ordinary, average, middle-of-the-road which if you think about it, is true for most things in our lives. Not everything in life can be exceptional. Statistically, most aspects must be run-of-mill common. We don’t like to believe this, but most of us lead mediocre lives. We wish our time on Earth could be as important as a classic novel, but we’re goddamn lucky if we can say we’ve had a good average life.

This essay was originally going to be called “Favorite Science Fiction Stories Volumes 1-10 Table of Contents.” I love Audible.com, but it often annoys me by selling anthologies without listing their individual entries. I recently stumbled upon this series and thought I’d provide a public service by listing the contents of all ten volumes. I was hesitant to even try these audiobooks because the so few stories I saw listed were famous.

I couldn’t find much about the publisher, Jimcin. It’s web page merely states its products are for sale at Audible.com, although these anthologies are also listed at Amazon and iTunes. They appear to be collections of out-of-copyright stories, which means they are older than the 1920’s or the authors or author’s heirs never bothered to renew the original copyright. In other words, they might be the dregs of the genre. The ten volumes do contain a few big-name-authors, and a handful of classic science fiction stories like “The Machine Stops” by E. M. Forster, “The Martian Odyssey” by Stanley G. Weinbaum, and “Scanners Live in Vain” by Cordwainer Smith. Those three stories also appear in the legendary Science Fiction Hall of Fame anthology series which came out in audio this past year. But for the most part, these stories were the common, run-of-the-mill stories that filled the science fiction digests in the 1950’s and 1960’s.

There’s a certain fun quality to science fiction that doesn’t require literary greatness. In the middle of last century, hack writers churned out Sci-Fi tales to survive. Many of them could hammer out a story in a few days that could both excite geeky fans and pay the rent. All they had to do was come up with an idea that 12-year-old know-it-alls had never encountered. Hardcore science fiction lovers thought of themselves as Slans but often blowing their minds only took one hit on the science fiction bong.

I avoided buying these Jimcin anthologies for years because I thought they’d be crappy, but then four volumes went on sale and I took a chance. I’ve been pleasantly surprised. Yes, they are mediocre, but they also have a unique entertainment quality. Just my kind of fun. If you love episodes of the old Twilight Zone TV series, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy these stories too.

I crave science fiction short stories on audio. Somehow, short stories come alive for me when I listen, especially when they’re read by a narrator who adds dramatic voices. Oh, I still love to read, but I admit I’m a poor reader compared to these hired guns. It’s the narrators who add the extra dimension. And these ten volumes are a time capsule of what it’s like to have been a kid back in the 1950’s and 1960’s who loved science fiction.

My goal here is to promote more audio productions of short science fiction. I need to get more people buying audiobook science fiction anthologies so publishers will feel the demand and publish more of them. Most of you will not rush out and buy one of these Favorite Science Fiction Stories anthologies, especially after I called them mediocre, but I wanted to be as honest as possible.

I’m going to list the table of contents to all ten volumes and provide links to some of the stories I’ve found on YouTube, so you can hear what I’m talking about. These are public domain stories you can find online for free, especially at places like Project Gutenberg and YouTube. I don’t think the audio versions below are the same as the ones in the anthologies, but I’ve only tested a handful of stories. I’m not trying to ruin Jimcin’s sales but promote them. It’s far more convenient to listen to them on your smartphone than to listen to them on YouTube. But try a few to see why you should buy a whole anthology.

There are many public domain science fiction stories in audio available on the web. Often, they are from LibriVox, which use volunteer readers. LibriVox readers are good and provide a great public service, but they don’t usually provide the kind of dramatic narration I’m talking about. The stories I link to below have at least a basic level of professionalism, and some of them are excellent. I don’t know if these recordings are from copyrighted productions or if they’re productions by would-be audiobook narrators hoping to prove they can be professional.

My goal is to promote audio productions of short science fiction by expanding the audience. I want to see more anthologies of older science fiction for sale. Try some of these audio short stories to see if you get hooked, and if you do, then try one of the anthologies. 1 credit or $7-$10 is not that much for 15-20 hours of entertainment.

If you want to know more about audio science fiction, check out SFFAudio.com. They track and review both print and audio productions of public domain genre stories, as well as review professional productions of new and old stories.

I’ve bought 5 of the 10 volumes so far – see *. I’m getting a big kick out of listening to these stories. Yes, they are mediocre, but they capture a certain science fictional flavor from mid-20th-century. Be sure and read “The History of Science Fiction, and Why it Matters” by Allen Steele in the Nov-Dec 2018 issue of Asimov’s Science Fiction which just came out. Steele wonderfully explains why it’s important to read old science fiction.

Prices listed are from Amazon. Audible members might get a discount. These Favorite Sci-Fi Stories have been around for a decade, but I don’t know if they get much attention. These anthologies are not listed in ISFDB.org as far as I can tell. I wish they were. I’ve published this list of contents because I had a hard time finding this information.

Volume 1 (2009)* – $10.95

1. “The Gifts of Asti“ by Andre Norton
2. “The Defenders” by Philip K. Dick
3. “Earthmen Bearing Gifts” by Fredric Brown
4. “A Martian Odyssey” by Stanley G. Weinbaum
5. “This is Klon Calling” by Walter Sheldon
6. “Security” by Poul Anderson
7. “The Perfectionists” by Arnold Castle
8. “The Day Time Stopped Moving” by Bradner Buckner
9. “Image of the Gods” by Alan E. Nourse
10. “Time and Time Again” by H. Beam Piper
11. “The World Called Crimson” by Darius John Granger
12. “Postmark Ganymede” by Robert Silverberg
13. “The Stars, My Brothers” by Edmond Hamilton
14. “2 B R 0 2 B” by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
15. “Belly Laugh” by Ivar Jorgensen
16. “Year of the Big Thaw” by Marion Zimmer Bradley
17. “The Machine Stops” by E. M. Forster
18. “Pandemic” by J. F. Bone
19. “Bread Overhead” by Fritz Leiber
20. “The Day of the Boomer Dukes” by Frederik Pohl
21. “Beyond Lies the Wub” by Philip K. Dick

Volume 2 (2010) – $10.95

1. “The Coffin Cure” by Alan Edward Nourse
2. “Cat and Mouse” by Ralph Williams
3. “The Blue Tower” by Evelyn E. Smith
4. ”The Gift Bearer” by Charles Fontenay
5. “History Repeats” by George Oliver Smith
6. “The Altar at Midnight” by C. M. Kornbluth
7. “Hall of Mirrors” by Fredric Brown
8. “The Answer” by H. Beam Piper
9. “The Calm Man” by Frank Belknap Long
10. “The Next Logical Step” by Ben Bova
11. “Operation Haystack” by Frank Herbert
12. “Foundling on Venus” by John and Dorothy DeCourcy
13. “The Repairman” by Harry Harrison
14. “The Beast of Space” by F. E. Hardart
15. “The Big Trip Up Yonder” by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
16. “Where There’s Hope” by Jerome Bixby
17. “The Success Machine” by Henry Slesar
18. “Pythias” by Poul Anderson
19. “Two Plus Two Makes Crazy” by Walt Sheldon
20. “Alien Offer” by Al Sevcik
21. “All Cats Are Gray” by Andre Norton
22. “Zen” by Jerome Bixby
23. “The Unspecialist” by Murray Yaco
24. “The Sargasso of Space” by Edmond Hamilton
25. “Flamedown” by H. B. Fyfe
26. “Grove of the Unborn” by Lyn Vanable
27. “What Is He Doing in There?” by Fritz Leiber
28. “The 4D Doodler” by Grapy Waldyte
29. “Bad Medicine” by Robert Sheckley
30. “Dead Ringer” by Lester del Rey
31. “I’ll Kill You Tomorrow” by Helen Hubert

Volume 3 (2011) – $10.95

1. “The Missing Link” by Frank Herbert
2. “Arm of the Law” by Harry Harrison
3. “No Moving Parts” by Murray F. Yaco
4. “The Hills of Home” by Alfred Coppell
5. “The Measure of a Man” by Gordon Randall Garrett
6. “The Hated” by Frederick Pohl
7. “Salvage in Space” by Jack Williamson
8. “The Burning Bridge” by Poul Anderson
9. “The Crystal Crypt” by Philip K. Dick
10. “The Hour of Battle” by Robert Sheckley
11. “The Mathematicians” by Arthur Feldman
12. “Crossroads of Destiny” by H. Beam Piper
13. “Homesick” by Lynn Venable
14. “The Eyes Have it” by James McKimmey, Jr.
15. “They Twinkled Like Jewels” by Philip Jose Farmer
16. “Old Rambling House” by Frank Herbert
17. “Youth” by Isaac Asimov
18. “Navy Day” by Harry Harrison
19. “Service with a Smile” by Charles Louis Fontenay
20. “The Cosmic Express” by John Stewart Williamson
21. “The Moon is Green” by Fritz Leiber
22. “Stopover Planet” by Robert E. Gilbert
23. “Watchbird” by Robert Sheckley
24. “Probability” by Louis Trimble
25. “The Doorway” by Evelyn E. Smith
26. “The Stroke of the Sun” by Arthur C. Clarke
27. “The Velvet Glove” by Harry Harrison
28. “The House from Nowhere” by Arthur Stangland
29. “The Tunnel Under the World” – Frederik Pohl

Volume 4 (2012) – $10.95

1. “Arena” by Fredric Brown
2. “Mate in Two Moves” by Winston Marks
3. “Love Story” by Irving E. Cox
4. “The Golden Man” by Philip K. Dick
5. “Advanced Chemistry” by Jack G. Huekels
6. “The Dueling Machine” by Ben Bova
7. “Time Enough at Last” by Lyn Venable
8. “Sorry, Wrong Dimension” by Ross Rocklynne
9. “Duel on Syrtis” by Poul Anderson
10. “The Gostak and the Doshes” by Miles J. Breuer
11. “Keep Your Shape” by Robert Sheckley
12. “Home Is Where You Left It” by Stephen Marlowe
13. “Planet of Dreams” by James McKimmer, Jr.
14. “Blessed Are the Meek” by G. C. Edmonson
15. “Incident on Route 12” by James Schmitz
16. “The Invader” by Alfred Coppel
17. “Monkey on His Back” by Charles DeVet
18. “Robots of the World Arise” by Mari Wolf
19. “A Woman’s Place” by Mark Clifton
20. “The K-Factor” by Harry Harrison
21. “The Hanging Stranger” by Philip K. Dick.

Volume 5 (2012)* – $6.95

1. “The Skull” by Phlip K. Dick
2. “Sam, This Is You” by Murray Leinster
3. “Manners of the Age” by Horace Brown Fyfe
4. “Omnilingual” by H. Beam Piper
5. “Heist Job on Theiser” by Gordan Randall Jarrett
6. “The Yillian Way” by Keith Laumer
7. “The Ultimate Vice” by A. Bertram Chandler
8. “Backlash” by Winston Marks
9. “Adolescents Only” by Irving Cox
10. “Project Mastodon” by Clifford Simak
11. “Sargasso of Lost Starships” by Poul Anderson
12. “The Dictator” by Milton Lesser
13. “The Misplaced Battleship” by Harry Harrison
14. “A Pail of Air” by Fritz Leiber
15. “The Vilbar Party” by Evelyn E. Smith
16. “The Servant Problem” by Robert F. Young

Volume 6 (2012)* – $6.95

1. “Perchance to Dream” by Richard Stockham
2. “Father Image” by Robert Silverberg
3. “Tree, Spare That Woodman” by Dave Dryfoos
4. “Disaster Revisited” by Darius John Granger
5. “Subversive” by Mack Reynolds
6. “The Stutterer” by R. R. Merliss
7. “Infinite Intruder” by Alan E. Nourse
8. “A Bottle of Old Wine” by Richard O. Lewis
9. “B12’s Moon Glow” by Charles A. Sterns
10. “A Logic Named Joe” by Murray Leinster
11. “No Strings Attached” by Lester del Rey
12. “The Street That Wasn’t There” by Clifford D. Simak
13. “Regeneration” by Charley Dye
14. “Wheels Within” by Charles V. Devett
15. “The Lonely Ones”, by Edward W. Ludwig
16. “The God in the Box” by Sewell Peaslee Wright
17. “Scanners Live in Vain” by Cordwainer Smith
18. “New Hire” by Dave Dryfoos
19. “The Enormous Room” by H.L.Gold and Robert Kreps
20. “Turnover Point” by Alfred Coppel
21. “Breeder Reaction” by Winston Marks

Volume 7 (2013)* – $5.95

1. “The Ties That Bind” by Walter Miller, Jr.
2. “Toy Shop” by Harry Harrison
3. “Beyond the Walls of Sleep” by H. P. Lovecraft
4. “Victory” by Lester del Rey
5. “Accidental Death” by Peter Bailey
6. “The Color Out of Space” by H. P. Lovecraft
7. “Cully” by Jack Eagan
8. “The Statue” by Mari Wolf
9. “Police Operation” by H. Beam Piper
10. “See” by Edward G. Robles, Jr.
11. “Thing of Beauty” by Damon Knight
12. “A Scientist Rises” by Desmond Hall
13. “The Small World of M-75” by Ed M. Clinton, Jr.
14. “Two-Face” by Frank Belknap Long
15. “Creature from Cleveland Depths” by Fritz Leiber

Volume 8 (2014)* – $6.95

1. “The Last Days of Earth” by George C. Wallis
2. “Contamination Crew” by Alan E. Nourse
3. “The Memory of Mars” by Raymond F. Jones
4. “A Traveler in Time” by August Derleth
5. “The Colonists” by Raymond F. Jones
6. “Doubletake” by Richard Wilson
7. “Stamped Caution” by Raymond Z. Gallon
8. “Success Story” by Robert Turner
9. “Disqualified” by Charles L. Fauntenay
10. “Say Hello for Me” by Frank W. Coggins
11. “Witch of the Demon Seas” by Poul Anderson
12. “The Last Two Alive” by Alfred Coppell
13. “The Old Die Rich” by H. L. Gold
14. “Ministry of Disturbance” by H. Beam Piper

Volume 9 (2016) – $6.95

1. “The Concrete Mixer” by Ray Bradbury
2. “Farewell to the Master” by Harry Bates
3. “Bedside Manner” by William Morrison
4. “The Inferiors” by Mari Wolf
5. “The Aggravation of Elmer” by Robert Arthur
6. “Conquest Over Time” by Michael Shara
7. “The Virgin of Valkarion” by Poul Anderson
8. “No Charge for Alterations” by H. L. Gold
9. “Greylorn” by Keith Laumer
10. “The Other Now” by Murray Leinster
11. “The Ambulance Made Two Trips” by Murray Leinster
12. “The Fun They Had” by Isaac Asimov
13. “Fondly Fahrenheit” by Alfred Bester
14. “A Matter of Importance” by Murray Leinster

Volume 10 (2018) – $6.95

1. “Adjustment Team” by Philip K. Dick
2. “The Keeper” by H. Beam Piper
3. “The Amazing Mrs. Mimms” by David C. Knight
4. “The Girls from Earth” by Frank N. Robinson
5. “The Man the Martians Made” by Frank Long
6. “Pet Farm” by Roger Dee
7. “A World of Talent” by Philip K. Dick
8. “Shock Treatment” by Stanley Mullen
9. “The Variable Man” by Philip K. Dick
10. “The Players” by Everett Cole
11. “Common Denominator” by John D. MacDonald
12. “Survey Team” by Philip K. Dick
13. “Medal of Honor” by Dallas McCord Reynolds
14. “The Highest Treason” by Randall Garrett

– – James Wallace Harris (11/8/18)