WHO REALLY CONTROLS TELEVISION? WHAT DOES IT ACTUALLY CONTAIN? HOW DOES IT AFFECT US?

In this book, science fiction masters give us a fascinating picture of the awesome powers of television—and what it will be like in the future. It includes such stories as:

“NOW INHALE” by Eric Frank Russell. The government televises executions the way England conducted public hangings…

“I SEE YOU” by Damon Knight. Viewers are suddenly able to tune in on their neighbors…

“THE PRIZE OF PERIL” by Robert Sheckley. A game show of live combat…

“HOME TEAM ADVANTAGE” by Jack C. Haldeman II. Inter World Series; the winner gets to eat the lose…

“MERCENARY” by Mack Reynolds. Live war action with soldiers getting fan mail…

Eighteen top stories of a TV future that will chill your mind and set your spine tingling. By America’s most celebrated science fiction writers…

This strong anthology about science fiction’s view of television in the fu—well, I guess it’s the past now, isn’t it?—includes Asimov’s “Dreaming is a Private Thing” and Damon Knight’s “I See You” which is an interesting alternate view of the scenario in “The Dead Past.” In addition, we get favorites of mine like Larry Niven’s “Cloak of Anarchy” and Theodore Sturgeon’s “And Now the News,” to name just two.

An anthology about television is so obvious that it would be painfully easy to do badly. It’s nice to see that Asimov, Waugh, and Greenberg actually did a good job here.

Contents

“Dreaming Is a Private Thing”