An anthology of 13 short stories chosen by the authors as "stories they liked,
that had not been anthologised before, that they had a particular reason for
writing," and in which "each contributor has added a comment about his or her
own story... I hoped for some comment on the craft of science fiction, and
received polemics on politics and the finances of writing." (Introduction).
First in a series of four similar volumes.
Introduction by Harry Harrison
"Judas Danced" by Brian W. Aldiss
"The Last Deliverers" by Poul Anderson
"Founding Father" by Isaac Asimov
"End-Game" by J.G. Ballard
"Tiger Ride" by James Bush and Damon Knight
"Consumer's Report" by Theodore Cogswell
"Proposal" by L. Sprague de Camp
"Sail On! Sail On!" by Philip Jose Farmer
"Missing Link" by Frank Herbert
"Myths My Great Grand-daughter Taught Me" by Fritz Leiber
"Syndrome Johnny" by Katherine MacLean
"Day Million" by Frederik Pohl
"Retaliation" by Mack Reynolds
as: Backdrop of Stars. London: Dobson, March 1968, 222pp., ISBN: 0-234-77057-0, hbk.
New York: Berkley, June 1968. 224pp., pbk. Cover: Paul Lehr.
as: Backdrop of Stars. London: New English Library, May 1975, 204pp., ISBN: 0-450-02269-2, pbk.
as: Sterren Stralen Overal. Amsterdam: Meulenhoff, 1977, 280pp., ISBN: 90-290-0975-6, pbk. Translated by Roderick van Rijn. [Dutch]
New Worlds #187, February 1969. Review by James Cawthorn.