Isaac Asimov presents the great science fiction stories, volume 5, 1943 Book

The Cave by P. Schuyler Miller (Astounding, January - short story)
4 Stars
A human and an alien seek shelter from a storm in a cave. The alien turns out to have a truly alien way of thinking.

The Halfling by Leigh Brackett (Astounding, February - novelette)
4 Stars
With a bit of mystery, a bit of romance, and a bit of humor, this tale of a traveling space carnival keeps one's attention and ends with a bit of a surprise.

Mimsy Were the Borogoves by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore [as Lewis Padgett] (Astounding, February - novelette)
5 Stars
Probably the best story in the collection. It's a whimsical tale about what happens when present day humans find a trove of far-future children's toys that have been accidentally sent back in time. What could go wrong? Everything.

Q. U. R. by Anthony Boucher (Astounding, March - short story)
3 Stars
This was undoubtedly a fresh idea when it was published, but the idea that robots should be built for practical purposes, doing one or two specialized tasks, rather than aesthetics is now quaint. Nevertheless, this is a nice, somewhat amusing story.

Clash by Night by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore [as Lawrence O'Donnell] (Astounding, March - novella)
4 Stars
This story is more than just a military adventure. The character development of the protagonist is well done; he is a manly man going on one last mission before retiring to domestication with a submissive woman. But through his adventures on the seas of Venus, he learns some valuable lessons about himself. Ostensibly an anti-war story, it nicely hovers on the fence and lets the reader decide if he makes the right decisions.

Exile by Edmond Hamilton (Super Science Stories, May - short story)
5 Stars
This very short story's only purpose is to subvert the reader's expectations with a neat twist at the end, and it carries this out admirably.

Daymare by Fredric Brown (Thrilling Wonder Stories, Fall - novelette)
3 Stars
This is a nice combination of mystery and science fiction, but the solution, while inventive, was a bit preposterous.

Doorway into Time by C. L. Moore (Famous Fantastic Mysteries, September - short story)
5 Stars
This story is the most literate in this collection, belying its 1943 origin. It takes a little while to figure out what's going on, since the protagonist is quite alien, indeed. But this enigmatic character makes the reader think, and that's what a powerful story should do.

The Storm by A. E. van Vogt (Astounding, October - novelette)
3 Stars
This is by and large a forgettable military space opera. The writing is full of technobabble to try to fool us into thinking there's more to this story than there really is.

The Proud Robot by Henry Kuttner [as Lewis Padgett] (Astounding, October - novelette)
4 Stars
If you like to laugh at the antics of a drunk inventor, this is the story for you. Not the most politically correct story, but charming nonetheless.

Symbiotica by Eric Frank Russell (Astounding, October - novelette)
2 Stars
A first-contact story filled with alien beasts fighting against a crew of humans. Frankly, I thought it was pretty boring and had a hard time concentrating on it.

The Iron Standard by Henry Kuttner and C. L. Moore [as Lewis Padgett] (Astounding, December - short story)
4 Stars
This is a classic problem story; the protagonists have to figure out a way to earn money in a society with strict, yet Byzantine rules of commerce. The solution is clever, if complicated in its own way.