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Title: They Don't Make Life Like They Used to

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Title: They Don't Make Life Like They Used to Title Record # 40874
Author: Alfred Bester
Date: 1963-10-00
Type: SHORTFICTION
Length: novelette
Language: English
Synopsis: The last man and woman left in postapocalyptic New York City have difficulties creating a relationship until a major new external factor forces them together.
User Rating: 10.00 (1 vote) Your vote: Not cast VOTE
Current Tags: New York City (1), romance (1), aliens on Earth (1), only Earth (1), postapocalyptic (1), last people on earth (1), post apocalypse (1), science fiction (1) Add Tags

Other Titles

Variant Titles Translations
Year Title
1964 They Don't Make Life Like They Used to...
Year Language Title
1964ⓘTranslated by Charlotte Winheller
 German Die Überlebenden
1964ⓘTranslated by Michel Deutsch
 French Ces derniers temps
1967ⓘTranslated by Hilja Brinis
 Italian Due nella metropoli
1971ⓘTranslated by Gisela Stege
 German Das Leben ist auch nicht mehr, was es einmal war
1974ⓘTranslated by Michel Deutsch
 French
La vie n'est plus ce qu'elle était?La vie n'est plus ce qu'elle etait
1977ⓘTranslated by Walter Relsky
 Dutch Het leven Is ook niet meer wat het geweest is
1979ⓘTranslated by Gunnar Gällmo First published in JVM #377, 1979
 Swedish Ingenting är längre som förut
1985ⓘTranslated by José Manuel Álvarez Flórez
 Spanish Antes la vida era distinta

Awards

Place Year and Award Category
Nominations Below Cutoff 1964 Hugo Best Short Fiction

Publications

Displaying all variants and translations • Do not display translations • Do not display variants or translations

Title Date Author/Editor Publisher/Pub. Series ISBN/Catalog ID Price Pages Format Type Cover Artist Verif
The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, October 1963 1963-10-00 ed. Avram Davidson Mercury Press, Inc.  
$0.40?$: US dollar
 132
digest?Digest-size magazine, including both standard digest size, at about 7" by 4.5", and also large digest, such as recent issues of Asimov's, which are about 8.25" by 5.125".
 mag Chesley Bonestell Checkmark
Die Überlebenden 1964-00-00 ed. Charlotte Winheller Heyne (Heyne Allgemeine Reihe #272) 272
DM 2.40?DM: German (Deutsche) mark
 160
pb?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.
 anth Heinrichs & Piloty Checkmark
The Best from Fantasy and Science Fiction, Thirteenth Series 1964-00-00 ed. Avram Davidson Doubleday  
$4.50?$: US dollar
 255
hc?Hardcover. Used for all hardbacks of any size.
 anth Thomas Chibbaro  
The 9th Annual of the Year's Best SF 1964-00-00 ed. Judith Merril Simon & Schuster  
$4.95?$: US dollar
 384
hc?Hardcover. Used for all hardbacks of any size.
 anth Lawrence Ratzkin Checkmark
Fiction, #123 1964-02-00 ed.
Alain Dorémieux?Alain Doremieux
 OPTA  
F2.50?F: French frank
 164
digest?Digest-size magazine, including both standard digest size, at about 7" by 4.5", and also large digest, such as recent issues of Asimov's, which are about 8.25" by 5.125".
 mag Jean-Claude Forest Checkmark
Venture Science Fiction [UK], March 1964 1964-03-00 ed. Ronald R. Wickers Atlas Publishing and Distribution Co. Ltd  
2/6?Prior to decimilisation (1968-1971), UK books were priced in shillings, or shillings and pence, where 20 shillings equals one pound and 12 old pence equals one shilling. Shillings were indicated with a variety of suffixes, e.g. 3s, 3', 3", 3/ all mean 3 shillings. Any number after that is additional pence, usually 6 (half a shilling) but sometimes 3 or 9 (a quarter of a shilling or three-quarters of a shilling).
 116
digest?Digest-size magazine, including both standard digest size, at about 7" by 4.5", and also large digest, such as recent issues of Asimov's, which are about 8.25" by 5.125".
 mag  
The Dark Side of the Earth 1964-05-00 Alfred Bester Signet / New American Library of Canada D2474
C$0.50?C$: Canadian dollar
 160
pb?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.
 coll Checkmark
The Dark Side of the Earth 1964-05-00 Alfred Bester Signet / New American Library D2474
$0.50?$: US dollar
 160
pb?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.
 coll Checkmark
The Best from Fantasy and Science Fiction: Thirteenth Series 1964-07-00 ed. Avram Davidson Doubleday / SFBC  
$1.20?$: US dollar
 255
hc?Hardcover. Used for all hardbacks of any size.
 anth Thomas Chibbaro Checkmark
The 9th Annual of the Year's Best SF 1965-03-00 ed. Judith Merril Simon & Schuster / SFBC  
$1.90?$: US dollar
 384
hc?Hardcover. Used for all hardbacks of any size.
 anth Lawrence Ratzkin Checkmark
9th Annual Edition: The Year's Best S-F 1965-05-00 ed. Judith Merril Dell 9775
$0.75?$: US dollar
 384
pb?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.
 anth Three Lions Checkmark
The Best from Fantasy and Science Fiction, Thirteenth Series 1966-00-00 ed. Avram Davidson Gollancz  
21/-?Prior to decimilisation (1968-1971), UK books were priced in shillings, or shillings and pence, where 20 shillings equals one pound and 12 old pence equals one shilling. Shillings were indicated with a variety of suffixes, e.g. 3s, 3', 3", 3/ all mean 3 shillings. Any number after that is additional pence, usually 6 (half a shilling) but sometimes 3 or 9 (a quarter of a shilling or three-quarters of a shilling).
 255
hc?Hardcover. Used for all hardbacks of any size.
 anth  
An Alfred Bester Omnibus 1967-00-00 Alfred Bester Sidgwick & Jackson 102199
30/-?Prior to decimilisation (1968-1971), UK books were priced in shillings, or shillings and pence, where 20 shillings equals one pound and 12 old pence equals one shilling. Shillings were indicated with a variety of suffixes, e.g. 3s, 3', 3", 3/ all mean 3 shillings. Any number after that is additional pence, usually 6 (half a shilling) but sometimes 3 or 9 (a quarter of a shilling or three-quarters of a shilling).
 710
hc?Hardcover. Used for all hardbacks of any size.
 omni  
The Best from Fantasy and Science Fiction, 13th Series 1967-00-00 ed. Avram Davidson Ace Books H-26
$0.60?$: US dollar
 256
pb?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.
 anth Checkmark
9th Annual S-F 1967-00-00 ed. Judith Merril Mayflower-Dell 9775-8
5/-?Prior to decimilisation (1968-1971), UK books were priced in shillings, or shillings and pence, where 20 shillings equals one pound and 12 old pence equals one shilling. Shillings were indicated with a variety of suffixes, e.g. 3s, 3', 3", 3/ all mean 3 shillings. Any number after that is additional pence, usually 6 (half a shilling) but sometimes 3 or 9 (a quarter of a shilling or three-quarters of a shilling).
 381
pb?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.
 anth Hoot von Zitzewitz Checkmark
Urania #469 1967-08-27 ed. Carlo Fruttero, Franco Lucentini Mondadori 469
Lit 250?Lit: Italian lira
 168
digest?Digest-size magazine, including both standard digest size, at about 7" by 4.5", and also large digest, such as recent issues of Asimov's, which are about 8.25" by 5.125".
 mag Karel Thole Checkmark
The Best from Fantasy and Science Fiction Number 13 1968-00-00 ed. Avram Davidson Panther 026185
5/-?Prior to decimilisation (1968-1971), UK books were priced in shillings, or shillings and pence, where 20 shillings equals one pound and 12 old pence equals one shilling. Shillings were indicated with a variety of suffixes, e.g. 3s, 3', 3", 3/ all mean 3 shillings. Any number after that is additional pence, usually 6 (half a shilling) but sometimes 3 or 9 (a quarter of a shilling or three-quarters of a shilling).
 219
pb?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.
 anth Checkmark
The Dark Side of the Earth 1969-11-00 Alfred Bester Pan Books 0-330-02393-4
£0.25?£: UK pound
 171
pb?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.
 coll W. F. Phillipps Checkmark
The Best of Science Fiction 9 1970-00-00 ed. Judith Merril Mayflower 0-583-11068-1
7/-?Prior to decimilisation (1968-1971), UK books were priced in shillings, or shillings and pence, where 20 shillings equals one pound and 12 old pence equals one shilling. Shillings were indicated with a variety of suffixes, e.g. 3s, 3', 3", 3/ all mean 3 shillings. Any number after that is additional pence, usually 6 (half a shilling) but sometimes 3 or 9 (a quarter of a shilling or three-quarters of a shilling).
 381
pb?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.
 anth  
The Dark Side of the Earth 1970-10-00 Alfred Bester Signet / New American Library of Canada T4402
C$0.75?C$: Canadian dollar
 160
pb?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.
 coll Bob Pepper Checkmark
Liebe 2002 1971-00-00 ed. Thomas Landfinder Bärmeier & Nikel  
DM 26.00?DM: German (Deutsche) mark
 419
hc?Hardcover. Used for all hardbacks of any size.
 anth Eckart Warminski Checkmark
Liebe 2002 1972-00-00 ed. Thomas Landfinder Deutscher Bücherbund     350
hc?Hardcover. Used for all hardbacks of any size.
 anth Rathin Chattopadhyay Checkmark
Liebe 2002 1973-04-00 ed. Thomas Landfinder Fischer Taschenbuch (Fischer Orbit #22) 3-436-01687-X
DM 4.80?DM: German (Deutsche) mark
 269
pb?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.
 anth Eddie Jones Checkmark
Liebe 2002 1974-02-00 ed. Thomas Landfinder Fischer Taschenbuch (Fischer Orbit #22) 3-436-01687-X
DM 4.80?DM: German (Deutsche) mark
 269
pb?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.
 anth Eddie Jones Checkmark
Histoires de fins du monde 1974-10-25 ed. Jacques Goimard,
Demètre Ioakimidis?Demetre Ioakimidis
,
Gérard Klein?Gerard Klein
 Le Livre de Poche (La grande anthologie de la science-fiction #3767) 2-253-00608-4   409
pb?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.
 anth Pierre Faucheux Checkmark
Star Light, Star Bright 1976-07-00 Alfred Bester Berkley/Putnam 0-399-11816-0
$7.95?$: US dollar
 248
hc?Hardcover. Used for all hardbacks of any size.
 coll Richard Powers Checkmark
Starlight: The Great Short Fiction of Alfred Bester 1976-12-00 Alfred Bester Nelson Doubleday / SFBC 3140
$3.98?$: US dollar
 409
hc?Hardcover. Used for all hardbacks of any size.
 omni Jack Woolhiser Checkmark
Verrukkelijk fahrenheit 1977-00-00 Alfred Bester Meulenhoff (M=SF #123) 90-290-0516-5   349
pb?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.
 coll Paul Lehr Checkmark
The Dark Side of the Earth 1977-00-00 Alfred Bester Pan Books 0-330-02393-4
£0.60?£: UK pound
 171
pb?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.
 coll Gino D'Achille Checkmark
Starlight: The Great Short Fiction of Alfred Bester 1977-07-00 Alfred Bester Berkley Medallion 0-425-03451-8
$1.95?$: US dollar
 452
pb?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.
 omni Richard Powers Checkmark
Star Light, Star Bright 1978-02-00 Alfred Bester Gollancz 0-575-02320-1
£4.50?£: UK pound
 248
hc?Hardcover. Used for all hardbacks of any size.
 coll  
Star Light, Star Bright 1979-00-00 Alfred Bester Fontana 0-00-615406-9
£0.95?£: UK pound
 220
pb?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.
 coll Tim White Checkmark
Det hände i morgon 12?Det hande i morgon 12
 1980-00-00 ed. Sam J. Lundwall Delta (Stockholm) (Delta Science Fiction #108) 91-7228-231-2
skr 69.00?skr: Swedish krona (crown)
 313
unknown?The publication record was created from a secondary source and the publication format is unknown.
 anth Paul Lehr  
Oh, luminosa y brillante estrella 1985-00-00 Alfred Bester Teorema (Visión Arcadia) 84-7604-042-3   281
tp?Trade paperback. Any softcover book which is at least 7.25" (or 19 cm) tall, or at least 4.5" (11.5 cm) wide/deep.
 coll Tim White  
Histoires de fins du monde 1985-08-00 ed. Jacques Goimard,
Demètre Ioakimidis?Demetre Ioakimidis
,
Gérard Klein?Gerard Klein
 Le Livre de Poche (La grande anthologie de la science-fiction #3767) 2-253-00608-4   409
pb?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.
 anth Adamov Checkmark
The Great SF Stories #25 (1963) 1992-07-00 ed. Isaac Asimov, Martin H. Greenberg DAW Books (DAW Collectors #885) 0-88677-518-3
$5.50?$: US dollar
 382
pb?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.
 anth Bob Layzell Checkmark
The Great SF Stories #25 (1963) 1993-01-00 ed. Isaac Asimov, Martin H. Greenberg DAW Books / SFBC 05922
$8.98?$: US dollar
 381
hc?Hardcover. Used for all hardbacks of any size.
 anth Bob Layzell Checkmark
Le grandi storie della fantascienza: 1963 1995-09-00 ed. Isaac Asimov, Martin H. Greenberg Mondadori (Classici Urania #222)  
Lit 6,500?Lit: Italian lira
 330
pb?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.
 anth Marco Patrito  
Le grandi storie della fantascienza: 1963 1995-12-00 ed. Isaac Asimov, Martin H. Greenberg Mondadori (I Libri di Urania #31) 88-04-40838-3
Lit 8,000?Lit: Italian lira
 330
tp?Trade paperback. Any softcover book which is at least 7.25" (or 19 cm) tall, or at least 4.5" (11.5 cm) wide/deep.
 anth Marco Patrito  
Virtual Unrealities: The Short Fiction of Alfred Bester 1997-11-00 Alfred Bester Vintage Books 0-679-76783-5
$14.00?$: US dollar
 xiii+
366
tp?Trade paperback. Any softcover book which is at least 7.25" (or 19 cm) tall, or at least 4.5" (11.5 cm) wide/deep.
 coll Evan Gaffney Checkmark
Virtual Unrealities: The Short Fiction of Alfred Bester 1997-11-00 Alfred Bester Topeka Bindery 1-4177-1932-X
$17.92?$: US dollar
  
hc?Hardcover. Used for all hardbacks of any size.
 coll  
Virtual Unrealities: The Short Fiction of Alfred Bester 1998-08-00 Alfred Bester Vintage Books / SFBC 1-56865-805-2 / 17770
$10.98?$: US dollar
 366
hc?Hardcover. Used for all hardbacks of any size.
 coll  
Sci Fiction, March 2, 2005 2005-03-02 ed. Ellen Datlow SciFi.com      
webzine?Used for Internet-based periodical publications which are otherwise not downloadable as an "ebook".
 mag  
Virtual Unrealities: The Short Fiction of Alfred Bester 2013-05-30 Alfred Bester Byron Preiss Visual Publications 0-679-76783-5
$16.95?$: US dollar
  
ebook?Used for all electronic formats, including but not limited to EPUB, eReader, HTML, iBook, Mobipocket, and PDF.
 coll Evan Gaffney  
Starlight: The Great Short Fiction of Alfred Bester date unknown Alfred Bester Berkley Medallion 0-425-03451-8
$1.95?$: US dollar
 452
pb?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.
 omni Richard Powers Checkmark
Virtual Unrealities: The Short Fiction of Alfred Bester date unknown Alfred Bester Vintage Books 978-0-679-76783-1
$16.95?$: US dollar
 xiii+
366
tp?Trade paperback. Any softcover book which is at least 7.25" (or 19 cm) tall, or at least 4.5" (11.5 cm) wide/deep.
 coll Evan Gaffney Checkmark
Virtual Unrealities: The Short Fiction of Alfred Bester date unknown Alfred Bester Vintage Books 0-679-76783-5
$14.00?$: US dollar
 xiii +
366
tp?Trade paperback. Any softcover book which is at least 7.25" (or 19 cm) tall, or at least 4.5" (11.5 cm) wide/deep.
 coll Evan Gaffney Checkmark
The Dark Side of the Earth date unknown Alfred Bester Signet / New American Library T4402
$0.75?$: US dollar
 160
pb?Paperback. Typically 7" by 4.25" (18 cm by 11 cm) or smaller, though trimming errors can cause them to sometimes be slightly (less than 1/4 extra inch) taller or wider/deeper.
 coll Bob Pepper Checkmark
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