Clifford D. Simak is one of sci-fi’s 50-year men. Born in 1904, he sold his first story in 1931 and continued publishing till he died in 1988, all the way from the fiction era to “Star Wars.” Open Road Media is now marking his achievement by bringing out his collected short stories in 14 e-books, of which three are now available.

Their titles alone hint at Simak’s characteristic themes and strengths. The title story of “The Big Front Yard” ($7.99) is set in Simak’s homeland of rural Wisconsin. Its hero makes a living by “dickering”—trading...