Fifty Years Of Wonder - Leigh Brackett

Her introduction at some length to The Best Of Edmond Hamilton collection.

"WHEN it was decided that Ballantine was going to do a Best of Edmond Hamilton and that I was going to edit it, Ed allowed as how after nearly thirty years of being married to him I was probably better qualified than most, having read more Hamilton stories, and he gave me only one word of advice concerning the introduction I was to write.
"Years ago," he said, "a young reader wrote to me, saying that if he had his way there would be a golden statue of Edmond Hamilton in every city, and that each of those golden statues would be garlanded with roses. I said at the time that that was all I had ever wanted from my readers . . . not praise, just good honest criticism. And that is all I want from you."
Gazing into the middle distance, he added thoughtfully, "You should also bear in mind that I am going to edit a Best of You . . ." So, getting briskly to it .. .
Edmond Hamilton's remarkable career spans half a century, and is still going strong. This says much for his staying power. It says even more for his ability to give the readers what they want in 1976 as well as he did in 1926. The world has changed in five decades, so much so that it is hardly the same planet. Yet Hamilton has managed, not only to keep abreast of the changes, but to stay a couple of jumps ahead of them."



4.5 out of 5