I had previously read "The Stolen Bacillus" by H.G. Wells (about an anarchist who pilfers a vial of cholera bacillus from a bacteriologist, initiating a frantic taxi chase through London) and "History Lesson" by Arthur C. Clarke (after an ice age has wiped out humanity, Venusians land on Earth and discover artifacts of our civilization, including a strip of film that they believe accurately depicts human culture).

It was a pleasure to finally read Isaac Asimov's legendary short story, "Nightfall," wherein a civilization that lives in constant daylight provided by three suns nervously anticipates an eclipse that will shroud their planet in complete darkness for the first time in 500 years... and possibly throw society into madness.

When the Martian crown jewels are stolen from a robotic space craft sent from Earth to Phobos, Inspector Gregg questions everyone involved. Before the case explodes into an interstellar scandal, Gregg travels to Mars to request the help of Martian's famous private detective, Syaloch, in Poul Anderson's "The Martian Crown Jewels."

In "The Sands of Time," P. Schuyler Miller channels H.G. Wells and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. When a young man named Donovan presents a paleontologist with photographic and physical evidence of his
encounter with dinosaurs, the scientist rebuffs him—until Donovan asks for his help in launching his one-man time machine back to rescue an alien woman he encountered in a prehistoric age.

Money is no barrier when a wealthy businessman decides to be the first man in space. He hires engineers to construct a vessel, but they still require a propulsion system. The businessman takes out ads in newspapers offering millions to anyone who can design and create a means of propelling the vessel beyond Earth's atmosphere. After being presented with proposals from the ludicrous to the insane, the businessman meets an unassuming young man who might just have the answer... but he wants more than money. We find out what that is in Nelson Bond's "Vital Factor."

In a future where city streets are massive conveyor belts that transport people and vehicles at varying speeds, the mechanics decide to strike under the leadership of Deputy Chief Engineer Van Kleeck. To emphasize their power and ensure their demands are met, they stop the machinery beneath one of the streets—with fatal consequences. It's up to Chief Engineer Larry Gaines to negotiate with Van Kleeck, because as Robert Heinlein tell us, "The Roads Must Roll."

A teacher rethinks her decision to quit the profession, but the only available position is in a one-room schoolhouse in a remote rural town called Bendo where the reclusive inhabitants have no sense of humor and no interest in music or art. It is not long before the teacher uncovers the astounding otherworldly secrets of Bendo and the dark history that forced them into seclusion in this beautifully crafted tale called "Pottage" by Zenna Henderson.

Jules Verne provides a brief glimpse into man's first attempt to reach the moon as three men volunteer to venture "Into Space" inside a giant aluminum capsule shot from a 900-foot gun. Although they survive the shock of launch and enjoy a view of Earth from beyond the atmosphere, it's unclear whether they survived the journey—or how they plan to return.

A new star appears in the vicinity of Neptune, disrupting the planet's orbit. As this new star's light intensifies in the sky each day—blotting out the moon and rivaling the sun—it isn't long before astronomers
realize that it's on a direct course for Earth in "The Star" by H.G. Wells.

A 13-year-old student named Timothy is sent to school psychologist Dr. Welles. At first, it's clear that Timothy is nervous, uncommunicative, and possibly holding something back. As trust grows between the young man and his counselor, it becomes apparent that the boy is a prodigy... and he may not be alone in Wilmar H. Shiras's "In Hiding."

Overall, this was an entertaining anthology with tales from writers I had not heard of previously (Zenna Henderson, Wilmar Shiras, P. Schuyler Miller, and Nelson Bond). My favorites included "Nightfall," "Pottage," "The Martian Crown Jewels," and "The Roads Must Roll." ( )

A very conservative compilation by Titcomb Smith, which surely has its moments, alhough 'Best' is evidently overestimating the contents.
Nelson Bond's Vital Factor starts the book, and is a bad choice altogether. Completely unlikely and devoid of any atmosphere, this is a Martian, unrecognizable as such, providing the long searched-for space-drive to 'get home'. How did he get on earth in the first place? Where is the ship he came with? Why is he not recognized as an alien? And so on...
Zenna Henderson's Pottage has been anthologized before, but is not among the best of her "The People" episodes. It's sentimental and, again, highty unlikely. A teacher ends up in some US backwater and discovers a pocket of extraterrestrials in hiding, acting like normal people. An medical emergency unites them with another group of ET's coming to the rescue. Completely unconvincing.
The Roads Must Roll is typical hard-boiled Robert Heinlein and includes a working-class revolt and some unhealthy theories about the mental state of mankind, but is at least fairly well-written and keeps the attention alert by its pace and imaginative background.
The Stolen Bacillus and The Star by H.G. Wells are probably included out of an historical point of view, but these have dated not too well and are thoroughly old-fashioned. The former relies too much on its not too clever clue, while the latter, a classic Terran catastrophy story, just rambles on and on without getting somewhere in the end. Probably this was great in the time it was written, it no longer is.
Much better is the often anthologized Nightfall by Isaac Asimov. Though the setting of a planet with six suns is not very credible, the human contents of the story are. Only once in two decennia all the suns will be under the horizon, creating a 'crisis' which is differently interpreted by different groups of people. The story goes to great lenghts to show how beliefs and prejudice unerringly will influence human decisions for the worse and is actually scary if you translate the proceedings into the current human situation.
Arthur C. Clarke's History Lesson relies strongly on the twisting clue at the end, which I will not disclose in order to not spoil the fun. Apart from that, the story works also well in showing that whatever we may think to know as 'scientific facts' actually could represent something completely else and all speculation about 'other' cultures necessarily is biased by our own makeshift interpretations.
Wilmar Shiras' In Hiding is yet another mutant story wherein the main character is a genius of inconceivable proportions. Completely average, unfortunately.
Poul Anderson's The Martian Crown Jewels is a Sherlock Holmes pastiche on Mars, much better written than I expected and even mildly funny too. My disregard of this author may need some revision.
The Sands Of Time by P. Schuyler Miller is the tragic nadir of this anthology: a cliché-ridden time-machine story (it's an ovoid, yes it is!), complete with unlikely romance, heart-breaking sacrifices and a whole lot of gunfights. This happens all in the Cretaceous era, mind you. Hopeless, really.
Jules Verne's Into Space, an excerpt of "Round The Moon" is interesting, but why just this morsel was chosen remains an enigma. No head, no tail, no clue to these pages.
All in all, I would not recommend this compilation to someone who is testing the SF waters with his reluctant toes. The three most worthwhile stories are anthologized often enough to get them elsewhere without ever so many weak companions marring the impression. ( )