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Cover of Children of Wonder: 21 Remarkable and Fantastic Tales

Children of Wonder: 21 Remarkable and Fantastic Tales

William Tenn

First published 1953
Publisher Simon & Schuster
Format Hardcover
Type Anthology
Cover art Paul Bacon
Pages xiv+337
Price $2.95

  • "First Printing" on copyright page [as noted by Currey.]
  • Publication date per Cole checklist of SF anthologies.
  • $2.95 price on front flap of jacket. "Jacket design by Paul Bacon" on back flap.
  • On the Contents pages (vii-viii), the stories are grouped into seven Parts: "Wild Talents", "The Child Possessed", "The Stuff of Dreams", "Terror in the Nursery", "Alien Brothers", "Little Superman, What Now?" and "In Times To Come". Each Part is prefaced by a short essay which is uncredited, but presumably by the editor, William Tenn.
  • "Nightmare for Future Reference" is sub-titled "A narrative poem" on Contents page, but not on its title page.
  • "In Hiding" is listed on the table of contents and the story's title page as being excerpted from the novel Children of the Atom even though it is a complete story.

Page Title Author(s) Type
1 Part 1: Wild Talents William Tenn Essay
3 The Rocking-Horse Winner D. H. Lawrence Short Story
17 The Words of Guru C. M. Kornbluth Short Story
24 Baby Is Three Theodore Sturgeon Novella
79 Part 2: The Child Possessed William Tenn Essay
81 The Small Assassin Ray Bradbury Short Story
96 The Story of a Panic E. M. Forster Novelette
116 The Piper's Son Lewis Padgett Novelette
143 Part 3: The Stuff of Dreams William Tenn Essay
145 Miriam Truman Capote Short Story
155 Adam and Eve and Pinch Me A. E. Coppard Short Story
165 Child's Play Alice-Mary Schnirring Short Story
173 The Open Window Saki Short Story
177 Part 4: Terror in the Nursery William Tenn Essay
179 The End of the Party Graham Greene Short Story
187 The Idol of the Flies Jane Rice Short Story
207 That Only a Mother Judith Merril Short Story
217 Part 5: Alien Brothers William Tenn Essay
219 Born of Man and Woman Richard Matheson Short Story
222 Keyhole Murray Leinster Short Story
237 Terminal Quest Poul Anderson Short Story
255 Part 6: Little Superman, What Now? William Tenn Essay
257 The Origin of the Species Katherine MacLean Short Story
264 In Hiding Wilmar H. Shiras Novelette
297 Part 7: In Times to Come William Tenn Essay
299 The Hatchery (Excerpt from Brave New World) Aldous Huxley Short Fiction
317 Errand Boy William Tenn Short Story
332 Nightmare for Future Reference Stephen Vincent Benét Poem
337 About the Editor (Children of Wonder) uncredited Essay
ix Introduction (Children of Wonder) William Tenn Essay
vi Through the Looking-Glass (excerpt) Lewis Carroll Short Fiction

Title Year Publisher Format Type Catalog ID Cover Artist Pages
Children of Wonder: 21 Remarkable and Fantastic Tales Cover 1953 Simon & Schuster / SFBC Hardcover Anthology Paul Bacon xiv+336