A Work Of Art

Blish is one of many neglected science fiction writers of the '50s and '60s. His short stories have been particularly hard to come by, so this collection of nine tales should be especially welcome. Editor Lyall has selected a wide range of stories, from ''Common Time,'' an intense, moving tale of a space explorer whose experiences alienate him from his fellow humans, to the brief and peculiar ''The Art of the Sneeze,'' which explicates some of the higher aesthetic principles of that underappreciated art form. Blish maintained a tightly wrought but highly readable prose style, whether venturing onto the surface of a distant frozen moon (''How Beautiful with Banners'') or to the farthest reaches of galactic empire (''This Earth of Hours''). ''Statistician's Day'' takes a darkly humorous look at one solution to overpopulation, while ''There Shall Be No Darkness'' is a werewolf story with a convincing scientific underpinning. The title story delves into Blish's abiding interest in classical music and the uncertainty inherent in the creative process at which he excelled. A fine and varied collection from an author whom science fiction readers cannot afford to forget.