Orbit was a series of anthologies of new science fiction edited by Damon Knight, often featuring work by such writers as Gene Wolfe, Joanna Russ, R. A. Lafferty, and Kate Wilhelm. The anthologies tended toward the avant-garde edge of science fiction, but by no means exclusively; occasionally the volumes featured nonfiction critical writing or humorous anecdotes by Knight. Inspired by Frederik Pohl's Star Science Fiction series, and in its turn an influence on other original speculative fiction anthologies, it ran for over a decade and twenty-one volumes, not including a 1975 "Best of" collection selected from the first ten volumes.
Orbit 1 was published in October 1966 by Berkley Medallion. Algis Budrys praised Knight's skills as editor and critic but said that the compilation "represents science fiction well but not to any extraordinary extent", with no story "clearly and obviously the 'best' of anything". He advised readers to buy the paperback version.[1]
"Full Sun" by Brian W. Aldiss, republished in World's Best Science Fiction: 1968.[3] and Creatures from Beyond: Nine Stories of Science Fiction and Fantasy[4]
Volume 3 was published in 1968. Algis Budrys found the volume "happens to contain some remarkable work," although he faulted the jacket copy as overpromotional.[5]
Volume 5 was published September 1969 by G.P. Putnam's Sons. It was reprinted in October 1969 by Putnam, December 1969 by Berkley Medallion, and November 1970 in the UK by Rapp & Whiting. Barry N. Malzberg wrote that the anthology "doesn't, somehow, seem to be at the same high level of ambition or accomplishment as the earlier volumes," but singled out "The Big Flash" for praise, declaring "The last pages of this story may be one of the strongest experiences available in modern American fiction."[6]
"The Roads, The Roads, The Beautiful Roads" by Avram Davidson, reprinted in the anthology Car Sinister[7] The head of a state highway department, whose greatest passion is designing highways, even if they are not needed, takes a wrong exit and ends up in a closed off tunnel, where a minotaur attacks him.
"Look, You Think You've Got Troubles" by Carol Carr, about a non-religious Jewish family whose daughter marries an alien who subsequently converts to Judaism.
"The Time Machine" by Langdon Jones, with a prisoner reminiscing about an affair he had with a married woman.
"Configuration of the North Shore" by R.A. Lafferty about a psychiatrist exploring a patient's extraordinary dream that could lead to the ultimate fulfillment of human existence.
"Paul's Treehouse" by Gene Wolfe
"The Price" by Belcher C. Davis, reprinted as "Just Dead Enough". A local newspaper reporter follows a case where a man dies in a car accident and his organs are transplanted into other people in the town. When one of the organ recipients kills someone in a car accident and doesn't have insurance, their lawyer argues that the organ recipient is the donor's heir. Then the heirs sue the hospital for getting them involved in the case to begin with.
"The Rose Bowl-Pluto Hypothesis" by Robert S. Richardson. A professor notices that racing scores have dramatically improved and proposes that it is due to space shrinking.
"Winston" by Kit Reed,[8] written in 1969 [9] and reprinted in 1976 in the anthology The Killer Mice and in 1981 in the collection Other Stories and...The Attack of the Giant Baby.[10] A family purchases a child bred for intelligence, but neglects them and beats them until they suffer irreparable brain damage, when the mother finally views them as a normal child.
"The History Makers" by James Sallis. The story is told in a series of letters from a person known as Jim to his brother John. He writes about his stay on an alien planet. The beings there live in an "alternate time span" whereby interaction with humans is nearly impossible. Over the course of the planet's "day" the inhabitants build a city from a rude village. As the day ends, the inhabitants change: most go comatose, but others go insane and destroy their city. Eventually the entire city, including its ruins, is destroyed.
"The Big Flash" by Norman Spinrad, which won the Nebula Award for Best Novelette. The Pentagon hatches a plan to use atomic warfare in the Vietnam War. It had been determined that a single nuclear attack would destroy 2/3 of the enemy's fighting force. In order to get the American population to go along with the idea of nuclear warfare, the Pentagon hire a rock band called the Four Horsemen to popularize the use of nuclear warfare.[11]
"A Method Bit in "B"" by Gene Wolfe.[16] A police sergeant investigating a murder discovers he is actually a bit character in a B-movie.
"Interurban Queen" by R.A. Lafferty,[17] reprinted in RINGING CHANGES, Days of Grass, Days of Straw,[18] and Lafferty in Orbit.[19] A satirical story about an alternate history America where light rail systems have become the norm[20] and cars are outlawed.[21] This world is portrayed as a paradise, with all cities small, unique, and mostly for entertainment. Cars still exist, but being caught driving one is a capital offense without trial.
Volume 9 published by Putnam Books in 1971.[22]Theodore Sturgeon found the anthology "fascinating," saying "I profoundly admire what Knight is doing here."[23]
"Heads Africa Tails America" by Josephine Saxton
"What We Have Here Is Too Much Communication" by Leon E. Stover
Volume 16 was published in 1975.[31]Spider Robinson dismissed the anthology as minor and disappointing, noting that most of the stories were "manifestly by newcomers, first sales or nearly so."[32]