The end is nigh as chronicled in The Ends of Time by seven masters of science fiction including Poul Anderson, John W. Campbell, Arthur C. Clarke, Fritz Leiber, Robert Silverberg (editor), Cordwainer Smith, and Jack Vance.

Most, but not all, of my favorites from this anthology also happen to be the longest tales in the book, including:

“Alpha Ralpha Boulevard” by Cordwainer Smith – Paul and Virginia, members of a reborn human race on a post-apocalyptic Earth, were created only recently, with scant memories of a human society long extinct. To ensure that they are actually in love and not simply programmed to be, Paul and Virginia traverse the treacherous Alpha Ralpha Boulevard in order to put the question to the omniscient machine known as the Abba-dingo.

“Guyal of Sfere” by Jack Vance – To satisfy his voracious hunger, Guyal leaves the safety of his homeland and ventures north, braving several surreal dangers, to find the legendary Museum of Man where all of his questions will be answered by the Curator. Of course, they’ll first need to defeat the hideous demon infesting the museum.

“Epilogue” by Poul Anderson – In the far future, humans return to a long-abandoned Earth only to find that machines have evolved into sentient and fearful robots who have radically transformed the landscape—and are not fond of intruders.

“When the Last Gods Die” by Fritz Leiber – On Earth’s final day, members of the last generation to leave the planet return from space to dissuade the inconsolable Roman gods from terminating their own existence.

Other excellent tales include “The Awakening” by Arthur C. Clarke, “Twilight” by John W. Campbell, “At the End of Days” by Robert Silverberg, and, appropriately, “Last” by Fritz Leiber.