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Arena

Fredric Brown

First published June 1944
Type Short Fiction
Length Novelette

Synopsis

An advanced alien entity intervenes to stop a catastrophic war between humans and Outsiders. The entity chooses a champion from each side to decide the fate of the two races by fighting to the death in an arena designed to test their intelligence and courage.

External Links

Wikipedia escapepod.org

Awards

YearAwardCategoryStatus
2012 Locus Online 20th Century Novelette Nominee/Finalist
2020 Retro Hugo Award Best Novelette Nominee/Finalist

Publications (74)

Date Publication Publisher Type Page
June 1944 Astounding Science Fiction, June 1944 Street & Smith Publications, Inc. MAGAZINE 70
August 1950 Big Book of Science Fiction Crown Publishers Anthology 451
January 1955 Science Fiction Terror Tales Gnome Press Anthology 12
March 1955 Science Fiction Terror Tales Pocket Books Anthology 12
April 1957 Big Book of Science Fiction Berkley Books Anthology 91
June 1957 Big Book of Science Fiction Berkley Books Anthology 91
1964 Introducing SF: A Science Fiction Anthology Faber and Faber Anthology
September 1964 The Big Book of Science Fiction Berkley Medallion Anthology 86
September 1969 Science Fiction Terror Tales Pocket Books Anthology 12
April 1970 The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One Doubleday Anthology 225
April 1970 Science Fiction Terror Tales Pocket Books Anthology 12
May 1970 The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One Doubleday / SFBC Anthology 225
July 1971 The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Avon Anthology 281
July 1971 The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Avon Anthology 281
1972 Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Vol One Sphere Anthology 287
1972 Bug-Eyed Monsters Sidgwick & Jackson Anthology 58
1972 Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Vol One Sphere Anthology 287
November 1972 The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Avon Anthology 281
1973 Science Fiction 1 Houghton Mifflin Anthology
April 1973 The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Avon Anthology 281
1974 Anthropology Through Science Fiction St. Martin's Press Anthology
1974 Man Unwept: Visions from the Inner Eye McGraw-Hill Anthology 210
1974 Anthropology Through Science Fiction St. Martin's Press Anthology 29
1974 Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Vol One Sphere Anthology 287
February 1974 Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow ... Holt, Rinehart and Winston Anthology 270
June 1974 Bug-Eyed Monsters Panther Anthology 55
1975 Science Fiction Hall of Fame: The Greatest Science Fiction Stories of All Time Avon Anthology 281
November 1975 Decade the 1940s Macmillan UK Anthology
1976 Arena: Sports SF Robson Books Anthology 91
1976 Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow ... Holt, Rinehart and Winston Anthology 270
March 1976 Arena: Sports SF Doubleday Anthology 91
July 1976 The Aliens: Seven Stories of Science Fiction Thomas Nelson Anthology 111
March 1977 Starlog, March 1977 O'Quinn Studios MAGAZINE 34
April 1977 Decade the 1940s Pan Books Anthology 65
May 1977 The Best of Fredric Brown Del Rey / Ballantine Collection 1
1978 The Classic Book of Science Fiction Bonanza Books / Crown Publishers Anthology
1978 Decade: The 1940s St. Martin's Press Anthology 61
May 1978 Decade: The 1940s St. Martin's Press Anthology 61
December 1981 The Great Science Fiction Stories Volume 6, 1944 DAW Books Anthology 144
December 1981 The Great Science Fiction Stories Volume 6, 1944 DAW Books / New American Library of Canada Anthology 144
1982 The Classic Book of Science Fiction Bonanza Books Anthology 451
1984 Isaac Asimov Presents The Golden Years of Science Fiction: Third Series Bonanza Books / Crown Publishers Anthology 409
July 1986 The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Avon Anthology 281
October 1987 And the Gods Laughed Phantasia Press Collection 184
October 1987 And the Gods Laughed Phantasia Press Collection 184
February 1988 Space Odyssey Treasure Press Anthology 319
April 1989 Space Gladiators Ace Books Anthology 167
August 1994 The SF Collection Chancellor Press Anthology 176
January 1997 The Outer Limits, Volume Two Prima Publishing Anthology 1
May 1997 The Outer Limits, Volume Two Boxtree Anthology 1
August 1998 The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One Doubleday / SFBC Anthology 225
July 2000 The Prentice Hall Anthology of Science Fiction and Fantasy Prentice-Hall Anthology 626
2001 The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One The Easton Press Anthology 225
February 2001 From These Ashes: The Complete Short SF of Fredric Brown NESFA Press Collection 192
October 2001 From These Ashes: The Complete Short SF of Fredric Brown NESFA Press / SFBC Collection 192
July 2002 From These Ashes: The Complete Short SF of Fredric Brown NESFA Press Collection 192
2003 The Prentice Hall Anthology of Science Fiction and Fantasy Prentice-Hall Anthology 626
February 2003 The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One, 1929-1964 Tor Anthology 227
February 2005 The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One, 1929-1964 Orb Anthology 227
December 2008 Science Fiction: Stories and Contexts Bedford Books of St. Martin's Press Anthology 52
March 2009 Thrilling Wonder Stories: Volume 2 Thrilling Wonder MAGAZINE 232
February 2011 The Science Fiction Megapack: 25 Science Fiction Stories by Masters Wildside Press Anthology
June 2011 Sense of Wonder: A Century of Science Fiction Wildside Press Anthology |73
June 2011 From These Ashes: The Complete Short SF of Fredric Brown NESFA Press Collection 192
December 2011 Sense of Wonder: A Century of Science Fiction Wildside Press Anthology |73
May 2012 The Mammoth Book of SF Wars Robinson Anthology 98
May 2012 The Mammoth Book of SF Wars Robinson Anthology |8
June 2012 The Mammoth Book of SF Wars Running Press Anthology 98
November 2013 Escape Pod, EP423 Escape Artists, Inc. MAGAZINE
November 2013 The Fredric Brown Megapack: 33 Classic Tales of Science Fiction and Fantasy Wildside Press Collection
July 2014 The Fredric Brown Megapack: 33 Classic Tales of Science Fiction and Fantasy Wildside Press Collection
2015 Science Fiction: Stories and Contexts Bedford Books of St. Martin's Press Anthology 38
December 2017 The Science Fiction Hall of Fame: Volume One, 1929-1964 Blackstone Audio Anthology |225
February 2018 The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One, 1929-1964 Tor Anthology