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GREMMIE'S REEF: Classic Sci-Fi Short Stories from the 1950s and 1960s contains the first seven stories in a collection by master storyteller John Hayden Howard (1925-2014.) Writing as Hayden Howard, he was a well-regarded contemporary of science fiction icons including Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and Robert Heinlein.
His stories, written more than a half century ago immerse readers in the slang and mindsets of the '50s and '60s. Dystopian and science fiction stories with thought-provoking themes create a unique blend of escapism and intellectual stimulation with twists of humor. His surprise story endings are reminiscent of The Twilight Zone television episodes from the same era.
In Part One, in the first three stories, meet a dull 1950s professor engaging in a macabre experiment, a 1940s prize-fighter with a time-traveling opponent, and finally a 1960s woman in a desensitized dystopian future.
In Part Two, in our title story, "Gremmie's Reef," 1960s California junior high surfer Ted pleads for attention from his popular older brother. He excitedly shows him a fabulous surfing wave near a new strange reef that mysteriously appeared. The boys' foolish interactions with the reef trigger ripples of unwelcome events.
Also in Part Two, meet 1950s archaeology students working an unusual Southwestern dig. Then in the following novelette, a 1960s doctor frantically escapes from other-worldly villagers in the Canadian Arctic. (Nominated for Best Novelette, for both the 1967 Nebula Award and 1966 Hugo Award.)
In Part Three, a man nearly loses his beloved dog on Mars to local fauna, then to a gentle, wise Martian. In our final story, a brave female navigator and a company spy fight against a rival spaceship crew, in a massive antigravity battle.
