
The 1990 Annual World's Best SF is an anthology of science fiction short stories edited by Donald A. Wollheim and Arthur W. Saha, the nineteenth volume in a series of nineteen. It was first published in paperback by DAW Books in July 1990, followed by a hardcover edition issued in August of the same year by the same publisher as a selection of the Science Fiction Book Club. For the hardcover edition the original cover art of Jim Burns was replaced by a new cover painting by Richard Powers.

The Adventures of Lucius Leffing is a collection of supernatural, detective short stories by American writer Joseph Payne Brennan. It was first published in 1990 by Donald M. Grant, Publisher, Inc. in an edition of 1,000 copies, all of which were signed by the author and the artist. The stories feature Brennan's supernatural detective, Lucius Leffing. All but four of the stories first appeared in this collection. The others were taken from the magazines Weird Tales and Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine or from the anthology Night Visions 2, edited by Charles L. Grant.

Alternate Heroes is an anthology of alternate history science fiction short stories edited by Gregory Benford and Martin H. Greenberg as the second volume in their What Might Have Been series. It was first published in paperback by Bantam Spectra in January 1990, and in trade paperback by BP Books in June 2004. It was also gathered together with Alternate Empires into the omnibus anthology What Might Have Been: Volumes 1 & 2: Alternate Empires / Alternate Heroes.

Anything for a Quiet Life and Other New Mystery Stories is a collection of nine short stories by the British writer Michael Gilbert published in the United Kingdom by Hodder and Stoughton in 1990 and in the United States by Carroll & Graf the same year. Gilbert, who was appointed CBE in 1980, was a founder-member of the British Crime Writers' Association. The Mystery Writers of America named him a Grand Master in 1988 and in 1990 he was presented Bouchercon's Lifetime Achievement Award. All nine stories had previously appeared in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. All of them take place in a fictional English coastal town called Shackleton-on-Sea that is situated in the south of England not far from Brighton and Hove. In spite of Gilbert's usual low-key urbanity in his style, a number of them have an unexpected grimness about them. "Michael was an exceptionally fine storyteller, but he's hard to classify," said one of his British publishers after his death. "He's not a hard-boiled writer in the classic sense, but there is a hard edge to him, a feeling within his work that not all of society is rational, that virtue is not always rewarded.".

The Barnum Museum is a 1990 collection of fantasy themed short stories by Steven Millhauser. Its closing story is 'Eisenheim the Illusionist', which was filmed in 2006 as The Illusionist.

Classic Stories 1: From The Golden Apples of the Sun and R is for Rocket is a semi-omnibus edition of two short story collections by Ray Bradbury: The Golden Apples of the Sun (1953) and R is for Rocket (1962).

Classic Stories 2: From A Medicine for Melancholy and S Is for Space is a semi-omnibus edition of two short story collections by American writer Ray Bradbury, A Medicine for Melancholy and S is for Space. Stories from the original collections that are included in Classic Stories 1 are omitted.

The Complete Stories is a discontinued series intended to form a definitive collection of Isaac Asimov's short stories. Originally published in 1990 and 1992 by Doubleday, it was discontinued after the second book of the planned series. Altogether 86 of Asimov's 383 published short stories are collected in these two volumes.

The Conan Chronicles 2 is a 1990 omnibus collection of two previous fantasy collections and one fantasy novel by American writers Robert E. Howard, L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter, featuring Howard's sword and sorcery hero Conan the Barbarian, published by Orbit Books. The component books had originally been published by Lancer Books in 1966, 1968 and 1971, and later reissued by Ace Books. The omnibus collection was preceded by The Conan Chronicles.

The Days of Perky Pat is a collection of science fiction stories by American writer Philip K. Dick. It was first published by Gollancz in 1990 and reprints Volume IV of The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick. It had not previously been published as a stand-alone volume. The stories had originally appeared in the magazines Galaxy Science Fiction, Science Fiction Stories, If, Fantastic Universe, Fantasy and Science Fiction, Fantastic, Worlds of Tomorrow, Escapade and Amazing Stories.

Dinosaurs! is a themed anthology of science fiction short works edited by Jack Dann and Gardner Dozois. It was first published in paperback by Ace Books in June 1990, and as an ebook by Baen Books in November 2014.

Domains of Darkover is an anthology of fantasy and science fiction short stories edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley. The stories are set in Bradley's world of Darkover. The book was first published by DAW Books in March 1990.

East, West (ISBN 0-394-28150-0) is a 1994 anthology of short stories by Salman Rushdie. The book is divided into three main sections, entitled "East", "West", and "East, West", each section containing stories from their respective geographical areas. Though Rushdie himself never divulged the exact inspirations for his stories in East, West, it is commonly thought that the central themes of each of his stories are drawn from his personal experiences as an immigrant in England during the time of the fatwas issued against his life. Rushdie weaves in many pop cultural references into his stories, just as television and Western media such as MTV and movies like Rambo have become popular throughout the world and on the Indian subcontinent. The influence and travels of Indians and Indian culture is also shown in the West.

Escape from Earth: New Adventures in Space is an anthology of original science fiction novellas edited by American writers Jack Dann and Gardner Dozois, published in 2006.

The Five Dollar Smile and Other Stories is a short story collection by the Indian politician Shashi Tharoor, published in 1990 by Viking Press. The stories collected were written in the author's late teens, and were initially published in various magazines and newspapers including JS, The Illustrated Weekly of India, Eve's Weekly, Youth Times, Gentleman, The New Review, and Cosmopolitan.

Flamingoes in Orbit is a collection of short stories by Philip Ridley. It was first published in the United Kingdom by Hamish Hamilton ltd in 1990. It was Ridley's third literary work for adults after his 1988 novella Crocodilia and his 1989 novel In The Eyes of Mr Fury.

Four Past Midnight is a collection of novellas written by Stephen King in 1988 and 1989 and published in August 1990. It is his second book of this type, the first one being Different Seasons. The collection won the Bram Stoker Award in 1990 for Best Collection and was nominated for a Locus Award in 1991. In the introduction, King says that, while a collection of four novellas like Different Seasons, this book is more strictly horror with elements of the supernatural.

Friend of My Youth is a book of short stories by Alice Munro, published by McClelland and Stewart in 1990. It won the 1990 Trillium Book Award.

Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids is the debut book by British author Jamie Rix and was the first book in the children's cautionary horror book series Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids. It was published on 17 May 1990 by André Deutsch Limited and contains 15 short cautionary tales. These stories featured a monster maths teacher, animal nannies, a barber that specialised in making rude children behave themselves, a giant that cannot stop growing, a magical hat, a magic book, magic scissors, and a sweet shop full of mannequins.

Her Smoke Rose Up Forever is a collection of science fiction and fantasy stories by author James Tiptree, Jr.. It was released in 1990 by Arkham House. It was originally published in an edition of 4,108 copies and was the author's second book published by Arkham House. It was later released to a wider audience in paperback form in 2004 from Tachyon Publications.

Invasions is an anthology of science fiction short stories edited by Isaac Asimov, Martin H. Greenberg and Charles G. Waugh as the tenth and last volume in their Isaac Asimov's Wonderful Worlds of Science Fiction series. It was first published in paperback by Roc/New American Library in August 1990, with the first British edition issued in paperback by Robinson at the same time.

Kaleidoscope is a collection of science fiction, fantasy and alternate history stories by Harry Turtledove, first published in paperback by Ballantine Books in April 1990. It was later gathered together with his novel Noninterference and collection Earthgrip into the omnibus collection 3 X T, published in hardcover by Baen Books in 2004.

"The Last Word" is a short story by author Graham Greene, written in 1988. It first appeared in The Independent but can also be found in collections of his short fiction, notably the Penguin edition of The Last Word and Other Stories, for which it is the lead story. The story, written toward the end of Greene's life, reflects his frustration at the declining influence of religion, particularly Catholicism, in the modern world.

The Little Black Box is a collection of science fiction stories by American writer Philip K. Dick. It was first published by Gollancz in 1990 and reprints Volume V of The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick. It had not previously been published as a stand-alone volume. Many of the stories had originally appeared in the magazines Worlds of Tomorrow, Galaxy Science Fiction, Amazing Stories, Fantasy and Science Fiction, Famous Science Fiction, Niekas, Rolling Stone College Papers, Interzone, Playboy, Omni and The Yuba City High Times.

Lovecraft's Legacy was an anthology edited by Robert Weinberg and Martin H. Greenberg and published by Tor Books in 1990.

The Mammoth Book of Vintage Science Fiction: Short Novels of the 1950s is a themed anthology of science fiction short works edited by Isaac Asimov, Martin H. Greenberg, and Charles G. Waugh, the third in a series of six samplers of the field from the 1930s through the 1980s. It was first published in trade paperback by Robinson in 1990. The first American edition was issued in trade paperback by Carroll & Graf in the same year.

The Man-Kzin Wars is a series of military science fiction short story collections, as well as the eponymous conflicts between mankind and the Kzinti that they detail. They are set in Larry Niven's Known Space universe; however, Niven himself has only written a small number of the stories.

Maps in a Mirror (1990) is a collection of short stories by American writer Orson Scott Card. Like Card's novels, most of the stories have a science fiction or fantasy theme. Some of the stories, such as "Ender's Game", "Lost Boys", and "Mikal's Songbird" were later expanded into novels. Each of the smaller volumes that make up the larger collection as a whole are centered on a theme or genre. For instance, Volume 1, The Changed Man, reprints several of Card's horror stories. The collection won the Locus Award in 1991.

N-Space is a collection of short stories by American science fiction author Larry Niven released in 1990. Some of the stories are set in Niven's Known Space universe. Also included are various essays, articles and anecdotes by Niven and others, excerpts from some of his novels, and an introduction by Tom Clancy. Its sequel is Playgrounds of the Mind.

Nebula Awards 24 is an anthology of award winning science fiction short works edited by Michael Bishop, the second of three successive volumes published under his editorship. It was first published in hardcover and trade paperback by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich in April 1990.

Prayers to Broken Stones is a short story anthology by American author Dan Simmons. It includes 13 of his earlier works, along with an introduction by Harlan Ellison in which the latter relates how he "discovered" Dan Simmons at the Colorado Mountain College's "Writers' Conference in the Rockies" in 1981. The title is a borrowed line from T. S. Eliot's "The Hollow Men".

Puzzles of the Black Widowers is a collection of mystery short stories by American author Isaac Asimov, featuring his fictional club of mystery solvers, the Black Widowers. It was first published in hardcover by Doubleday in January 1990, and in paperback by Bantam Books the same year. The first British edition was issued in hardcover by Doubleday (UK) in April 1990, and the first British paperback edition by Bantam UK in April 1991.

Robot Visions (1990) is a collection of science fiction short stories and factual essays by Isaac Asimov. Many of the stories are reprinted from other Asimov collections, particularly I, Robot and The Bicentennial Man and Other Stories. It also includes the title story, "Robot Visions", which combines Asimov's motifs of robots and of time travel. It is the companion book to Robot Dreams.

Rumpole a La Carte is a 1990 collection of short stories by John Mortimer about defence barrister Horace Rumpole. They were adapted from his scripts for the TV series of the same name. The stories were:"Rumpole à la Carte" "Rumpole and the Quacks" "Rumpole and the Right to Silence" "Rumpole and the Summer of Discontent" "Rumpole at Sea" "Rumpole for the Prosecution"

The Short Happy Life of the Brown Oxford is a collection of science fiction stories by American writer Philip K. Dick. It was first published by Citadel Twilight in 1990 and reprints Volume I of The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick. Many of the stories had originally appeared in the magazines Fantasy and Science Fiction, Planet Stories, If, Galaxy Science Fiction, Imagination, Space Science Fiction, Fantastic Story Magazine, Amazing Stories, Future, Cosmos, Fantasy Fiction, Beyond Fantasy Fiction, Thrilling Wonder Stories and Startling Stories. The collection was reprinted by Citadel Press in 2003 under the title Paycheck and Other Classic Stories.

The Sixth Day and Other Tales, written by Primo Levi, is a collection of short stories, originally published in Storie naturali and Vizio di forma. Unlike the author's earlier and better-known works, these stories may be considered science fiction.

The Things They Carried (1990) is a collection of linked short stories by American novelist Tim O'Brien, about a platoon of American soldiers fighting on the ground in the Vietnam War. His third book about the war, it is based upon his experiences as a soldier in the 23rd Infantry Division.

Universe 1 is an anthology of original science fiction short stories edited by American writers Robert Silverberg and Karen Haber, the first volume in a series of three, continuing an earlier series of the same name edited by Terry Carr. It was first published in hardcover and trade paperback by Doubleday Foundation in June 1990. A standard paperback edition was issued by Bantam Spectra in April 1991.

War Fever is a collection of short stories by J. G. Ballard, first published in 1990 by Collins. It includes:"War Fever" "The Secret History of World War 3" "Dream Cargoes" "The Object of the Attack" "Love in a Colder Climate" "The Largest Theme Park in the World" "Answers to a Questionnaire" "The Air Disaster" "Report on an Unidentified Space Station" "The Man Who Walked on the Moon" "The Enormous Space" "Memories of the Space Age" "Notes Towards a Mental Breakdown" "The Index"

We Can Remember It for You Wholesale is a collection of science fiction stories by American writer Philip K. Dick. It was first published by Citadel Twilight in 1990 and reprints Volume II of The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick replacing the story "Second Variety" with "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale". Many of the stories had originally appeared in the magazines Fantasy Fiction, Fantastic Universe, Fantasy and Science Fiction, Imagination, If, Amazing Stories, Science Fiction Quarterly, Startling Stories, Cosmos, Orbit, Astounding, and Planet Stories.

The Worthing Saga (1990) is a science fiction book by American writer Orson Scott Card, set in the Worthing series. It is made up of the novel The Worthing Chronicle (1982) and nine related stories. Six of the stories are from Card’s short story collection Capitol (1979) and the other three are early works, two of them previously unpublished.

The Year's Best Science Fiction: Seventh Annual Collection is a science fiction anthology edited by Gardner Dozois that was published in 1990. It is the 7th in The Year's Best Science Fiction series and won the Locus Award for best Anthology in 1991.