I didn't review all of the stories, but here are a few:
The mile-long spaceship
2 stars
Overlords aliens looking for a new planet to occupy and enslave try to find Earth's location by telepathy with one of its occupants. But the guy is too ignorant of astronomy to be able to help them out. But wait! He's enrolling in night school!

Fear is a cold black
2 stars
A luxury spaceliner that had an unscheduled stop at a planet when it received its SOS, has picked up a virus that is picking off the crew and its passengers one by one. First, it lowers their body temperature until they freeze to death. The captain despairs and believes he'll have to self-destruct to prevent the virus from reaching humanity, until he gets an idea...

Jenny with wings
1 star
This one was just dumb. I suppose it served something if it's a warning not to confuse lust with love.

A is for automation
2 stars
A manufacturing factory is totally automated with a machine for the brain running it. The defense department has a contract with the owner. Why? If it's putting out toys? The brain is developing AI, but nobody believes the old watchman grandfathered into the sole surviving human working in the place.

Gift from the stars
3 stars
A New York City tycoon is determined to get to the owner of the one store in the street standing in the way of him leveling the block and building his tower. He personally investigates why none of his operatives have been able to get him to sell out. The little old man who runs the repair shop graciously gives him a tour of his shop, then his basement, then his sub-basement. Here's a hint: Talbot the tycoon is a Napoleon wannabe.

No light in the window
2 stars
Sort of perplexing, but I like the moral of the story: People who don't conform are the leaders. Also: leave your husband behind.


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This collection contains, among many great short stories, Kate Wilhelm's first published work, the eponymous "The Mile-Long Spaceship" (which I read in the original, a fact that still amazes me). Able to write of feminist issues without being shrill, or pandering, she remains one of my favorite authors. I wish that she'd continued to write in the SF world, but you have to go where there's inspiration (and more money, although I doubt that was a factor).

If you only read one book by Wilhelm, this should be it. ( )