Store of the Worlds: The Stories of Robert Sheckley (New York Review Books Classics) - Softcover

Oblique and satirical

At his best when his sardonic nature intersected with an intriguing sci-fi premise, [Sheckley] paved the way for even more adventurous authors with perfectly crafted short stories like these.

I can't believe I've gone this long without reading any Robert Sheckley.  Store of the Worlds is a collection of classic sci-fi stories from the '50s and '60s, which melds the wit of Ray Bradbury with the philosophical undertones of Philip K Dick.  From a race of aliens who think nothing of murder but regard lying as deeply immoral, to a boy wizard whose only desire is to be an accountant, comic and throught-provoking gems.

With his inventive characters, boundary-shoving plots and wry humour, [Sheckley] remains one of the true masters of the genre

Robert Sheckley was an eccentric master of the American  short story, and his tales, whether set in dystopic city­scapes, ultramodern advertising agencies, or aboard spaceships lighting out for hostile planets, are among the most startlingly original of the twentieth century. Today, as the new worlds, alternate universes, and synthetic pleasures Sheckley foretold become our reality, his vision begins to look less absurdist and more prophetic. This retrospective selection, chosen by Jonathan Lethem and Alex Abramovich, brings together the best of Sheckley’s deadpan farces, proving once again that he belongs beside such mordant critics of contemporary mores as Bruce Jay Friedman, Terry Southern, and Thomas Pynchon.