by Isaac Asimov
First published 1980
This anthology brings together seventeen science fiction stories, each bearing a question as its title. The collection spans from Edmond Hamilton's exploration of alien worlds to Arthur C. Clarke's mysterious encounters. Robert Sheckley examines human sensation while Robert Silverberg probes fundamental motivations. James Tiptree Jr. sends distress calls from Houston while Kate Wilhelm tracks a missing Billy Boy. Theodore Sturgeon poses uncomfortable social questions about brotherhood and marriage. Alfred Bester asks readers to wait, while John W. Campbell Jr. challenges identity itself. Frederik Pohl introduces the alien Plinglot, and William Tenn demands faster movement. James Blish questions authority structures. The collection closes with Asimov's own contribution about humanity's ultimate inquiry. Each story uses its questioning framework to examine different aspects of human nature, technology, and our place in the universe. The interrogative structure creates a sense of mystery and philosophical exploration that runs through every tale, making readers active participants in each story's central dilemma.
Genres: short-stories, science-fiction, philosophy
Vibes: philosophical, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: mystery, philosophical-exploration
381 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Fawcett Crest