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Sam Hall

Poul Anderson

First published August 1953
Type Short Fiction
Length Novelette
Series Sam Hall Universe

Notes

Note that the story has been revised for The Best of Poul Anderson probably by Anderson himself. The salesman in the opening paragraphs no longer has a "punched card" which is checked for "holes," but simply a "card" that's checked for "magnetic encodings." He's no longer bound for "New Pittsburgh," but for "Cincinnati." Superfluous words have been removed from many sentences, etc.

Awards

YearAwardCategoryStatus
2004 Retro Hugo Award Best Novelette Nominee/Finalist
2012 Prometheus Award Prometheus Hall of Fame Award Nominee/Finalist
2013 Prometheus Award Prometheus Hall of Fame Award Nominee/Finalist
2014 Prometheus Award Prometheus Hall of Fame Award Nominee/Finalist
2015 Prometheus Award Prometheus Hall of Fame Award Nominee/Finalist
2019 Prometheus Award Prometheus Hall of Fame Award Nominee/Finalist
2020 Prometheus Award Prometheus Hall of Fame Award Winner

Publications (27)

Date Publication Publisher Type Page
August 1953 Astounding Science Fiction, August 1953 Street & Smith Publications, Inc. MAGAZINE 9
January 1954 Astounding Science Fiction, January 1954 Atlas Publishing and Distribution Co. Ltd MAGAZINE 2
May 1954 Science-Fiction Thinking Machines: Robots, Androids, Computers Vanguard Press Anthology 293
August 1955 Selections from Science-Fiction Thinking Machines Bantam Books Anthology 113
September 1964 Selections from Science-Fiction Thinking Machines Bantam Books Anthology 124
December 1974 The Liberated Future Fawcett Crest Anthology 13
August 1976 The Best of Poul Anderson Pocket Books Collection 81
June 1979 The End of Summer: Science Fiction of the Fifties Ace Books Anthology 67
August 1979 The Best of Poul Anderson Pocket Books Collection 81
August 1979 The Best of Poul Anderson Pocket Books Collection 81
December 1979 The Fifties: The End of Summer Baronet Publishing Co. Anthology 67
December 1983 Computer Crimes and Capers Academy Chicago Anthology 129
December 1983 Computer Crimes and Capers Academy Chicago Anthology
1984 Machines That Think: The Best Science Fiction Stories About Robots and Computers Allen Lane Anthology 297
January 1984 Machines That Think: The Best Science Fiction Stories About Robots and Computers Holt, Rinehart and Winston Anthology 297
1985 Machines That Think: The Best Science Fiction Stories About Robots and Computers Penguin Books Anthology 297
January 1986 Terrorists of Tomorrow Critic's Choice Anthology 256
March 1986 Computer Crimes and Capers Penguin Books Anthology 144
1990 Friends, Robots, Countrymen Dercum Audio Anthology
1992 War with the Robots: 28 of the Best Short Stories by the Greatest Names in 20th Century Science Fiction Wings Books Anthology 279
June 1997 Cyber-Killers Millennium / Orion Anthology 37
June 1997 Cyber-Killers Millennium / Orion Anthology 37
May 1998 Cyber-Killers Orion Anthology 49
June 2002 Going for Infinity Tor Collection 81
August 2002 Going for Infinity Tor / SFBC Collection
May 2003 Going for Infinity Tor Collection 81
July 2010 The Saturn Game NESFA Press Collection 117