metaphorosis's review
2.0
2 stars Metaphorosis Reviews
Summary
Gardner Dozois' favorite stories from 20 years of his Year's Best Science Fiction anthologies.
Review
Subtitled 20 Years of the Year’s Best Science Fiction, the volume gives you a feeling for just how long Dozois had been doing this. And then realize there’s also a later Very Best of the Best: 35 Years of the Year’s Best Science Fiction. Impressive.
I’ve read several of Dozois’ Year’s Best over the years, most recently this one. I’ve never really cared for them much, and I’ve generally put it down to an off year, though with the suspicion that perhaps Dozois and I didn’t agree. Having now read this volume – his best of the best – I can now definitively confirm the latter. While acknowledging that Dozois was a much-respected master anthologist in the field, I just don’t like his taste.
Very few of these stories appealed to me, despite including at least some authors (such as Ursula Le Guin and Brian Stableford) that I generally enjoy. If this was a summary of 20 years of SF, the field was in a dire state during those years. I found the stories, as a rule, on the dull side, and it’s not because I require fast-moving action and adventure. It’s just that these stories generally neither engaged nor moved me. The writing is technically sound – as it should be at this level – but I seldom found myself caring much about what happened.
The exceptions – the more interesting stories – were largely and happily packed toward the back of the book, when I was most tired of it and most wanting it to end. They weren’t enough to lift the anthology into the realms of books I enjoyed, but they gave me just enough hope to push through. They included:
Summary
Gardner Dozois' favorite stories from 20 years of his Year's Best Science Fiction anthologies.
Review
Subtitled 20 Years of the Year’s Best Science Fiction, the volume gives you a feeling for just how long Dozois had been doing this. And then realize there’s also a later Very Best of the Best: 35 Years of the Year’s Best Science Fiction. Impressive.
I’ve read several of Dozois’ Year’s Best over the years, most recently this one. I’ve never really cared for them much, and I’ve generally put it down to an off year, though with the suspicion that perhaps Dozois and I didn’t agree. Having now read this volume – his best of the best – I can now definitively confirm the latter. While acknowledging that Dozois was a much-respected master anthologist in the field, I just don’t like his taste.
Very few of these stories appealed to me, despite including at least some authors (such as Ursula Le Guin and Brian Stableford) that I generally enjoy. If this was a summary of 20 years of SF, the field was in a dire state during those years. I found the stories, as a rule, on the dull side, and it’s not because I require fast-moving action and adventure. It’s just that these stories generally neither engaged nor moved me. The writing is technically sound – as it should be at this level – but I seldom found myself caring much about what happened.
The exceptions – the more interesting stories – were largely and happily packed toward the back of the book, when I was most tired of it and most wanting it to end. They weren’t enough to lift the anthology into the realms of books I enjoyed, but they gave me just enough hope to push through. They included:
- A Dry, Quiet War – Tony Daniels. I’d not heard of Daniels before, but this military SF story had the best kind of heartbreak and duty in it.
- Story of Your Life – Ted Chiang. Chiang’s has been one of those names floating around the periphery of my thoughts for years, but has never really come to the fore. This story is interesting, if (intentionally) somewhat unresolved.
- The Real World -Steven Utley. A story about Hollywood in which, for once, the scientist is not overawed or a fool.
- Have Not Have – Geoff Ryman. A somewhat convoluted (or maybe just tangential) piece about coming to terms with change.
machla's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
1.0
The variation of quality in the short stories is wild, and at half way through I’d not found one particularly enjoyable so I abandoned it.
octavia_cade's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
3.0
The thing about "best," in anthologies like this, is that "best" is ultimately subjective. These are the stories that Dozois liked the best, and I think it's safe to say that our tastes do not always coincide. That being said, I do like most of the stories here. I don't know that there's a single one that I'd rate as five star, so no absolute knock-outs from my perspective, but there are a few that I'd rate as four star stories. I particularly enjoyed "The Lincoln Train" by Maureen F. McHugh, which I thought was the pick of the bunch, and there were a few others that made an impression. I have to say, though, that the longer the pieces were, the more likely they were to leave me cold - with the exception of Ted Chiang's "Story of Your Life" there wasn't a single novella here where I wasn't thinking Would you please just get on with it, and I felt the same way about a good portion of the novelettes. My preference for short fiction (actually short fiction) becomes ever more entrenched.
I haven't read any other of Dozois' "Best of" anthologies, and while I mean to get around to them eventually, there are certainly other anthologists for whom I have greater sympathy of taste, I think.
I haven't read any other of Dozois' "Best of" anthologies, and while I mean to get around to them eventually, there are certainly other anthologists for whom I have greater sympathy of taste, I think.
dray's review against another edition
4.0
Quite and large and diverse collection of short stories in SF. I particularly liked the short biographies and list of accomplishments at the start of each story.
mikimeiko's review
3.0
I never did this before, but I want to try to review each story as I read them (also because I'm not sure if I'm going to read the entire book all at once)
Blood Music by Greg Bear
I definitely read this one before, it must have been in one of the Year's Best Science Fiction that I've read in the past. Incredibly unsettling. I love the idea, but something about the writing didn't quite work for me. Everything happened incredibly fast, and still felt kind of slow at times.
Cabin On The Coast by Gene Wolfe
I loved, loved, loved the writing. I was quite disappointed though by the abrupt change of pace that happened right after the deal on the boat. I kind of get why that could be a good way to do that but... no. Also, it didn't feel like science fiction at all. More like a... fantastic story. I'm not sure.
Salvador by Lucius Shepard
War stories are really not my thing. This one was really disturbing, which I think was the point, but again... it didn't feel like science fiction.
Trinity by Nancy Kress
Ah, yes, this is the science fiction I know and love. Well, one kind of science fiction I know and love, but still. Trying to explore spiritual matters in a scientific way, ethical concerns, the dangers of human curiosity. Very, very interesting. It even had a pretty good ending. It feels a little outdated in some aspects, but it's a really good story.
Flying Saucer Rock And Roll by Howard Waldrop
Uhm... okay. I liked the idea but I never really got engaged by the story.
Dinner In Audoghast by Bruce Sterling
Ah Sterling, I definitely wasn't expecting this. I might try and read more books by him. The story was quite fascinating, but I probably would have to know more about actual history to understand how far this was from the reality.
Roadside Rescue by Pat Cadigan
Yes, yes, very lovely! Well, not really lovely, but short, amusing, effective. I love when writers get really creative with what it means to be an alien.
Snow by John Crowley
So weird, and sad. A little detached, too, but not too much. I'm sure that I have read something else by Crowley before, but I can't remember what.
The Winter Market by William Gibson
Gibson, my love. I had a really short cyberpunk phase where I LOVED his writing, then I think I grew out of it and couldn't stand him anymore. Maybe it's been enough time since then, and I can actually enjoy his stories again, with a different perspective. I also think I've read this story before. I liked it, but it was slightly unsatisfying, too short, too brief, too unconclusive. But I guess that was the point.
The Pure Product by John Kessel
Uhm, no. Oh well, there had to be some stories that just... don't work for me.
Stable Strategies for Middle Management by Eileen Gunn
Superweird, and interesting! I wish there was more.
Kirinyaga by Mike Resnick
It's not a bad story but... it left kind of unsatisfied.
Tale from the Venia Woods by Robert Silverberg
I found Silverberg books profoundly disappointing when I read them for the first time in english, but this story tickled my curiosity enough that I think I'm going to try something else from the Roma universe (yes, I really loved the idea of a timeline in which the Roman Empire never fell).
Bears Discover Fire by Terry Bisson
A quite, fascinating story. I didn't know Terry Bisson, but I'd like to read something else.
Even the Queen by Connie Willis
Oh I loved this! I want to live after the Liberation, thank you very much. Also, I found the spokeperson for the Cyclists quite amusing, and relevant if you think at some of the controversy surrounding the social justice warriors and their way of describing many things.
Guest of Honor by Robert Reed
Haunting. I found the idea quite fascinating, but the execution... a little less.
None So Blind by Joe Haldeman
I really loved the concept, but I think it was a little too short, a little too... compressed. I would have liked to read more about it.
Mortimer Gray's History of Death by Brian Stableford
I don't know if I've ever been so sad of disliking someones writing. It definitely not badly written, but for me the style just kept pushing me back from the story. And I liked the story! I loved the ideas, and the theme, and the way it made think about certain things.
The Lincoln Train by Maureen F. McHugh
I think not knowing much of American history really impaired my understanding of the story. From the introduction, and the fact that it has been included in a scifi book, I suppose it's some kind of alternate reality, but I'm not quite sure what is supposed to be an alternate of.
Wang's Carpets by Greg Egan
Not really my thing. I might have liked it more if it were longer, if it gave me more time to understand the world it was set in... but maybe not. I'm not sure.
Coming of Age in Karhide by Ursula K. Le Guin
I don't know how many times I read this story when I was a teenager. It's soft and hot and anthropological and everything I love of the scifi that I used to read back then. And amazingly, it was still really, really good. A super short story that feels as complete as a novel and as open as an introduction. It's a world condensed in a few pages. Amazing.
The Dead by Michael Swanwick
I like the concept, but I never really got engaged with the story, and then it ended.
Recording Angel by Ian McDonald
Interesting idea, compelling development, and yet I didn't find the end completely satisfying.
A Dry, Quiet War by Tony Daniel
Eerie, and fascinating. It made me want to know more, and yet there was a felling like everything that needed saying was already said. Interesting, though not my usual genre.
The Undiscovered by William Sanders
Once again, I felt like my ignorance was dampening my understanding of the story. I guess alternate histories rely on the fact that you know how things went in the real world, and this time me not knowing enough of Shakespeare work prevented me to notice the differences.
Second Skin by Paul J. McAuley
Uhm... I love the history and worlds the story hinted at, but the story itself? Not so much.
Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang
Okay, so this story... this story is everything I think about when I think of good science fiction. It has both very interesting science and very interesting human stories. It makes you care, and hurt, and rejoice. But most of all it makes you think: it has a very powerful what if at its core, and it manages to leave to the reader enough space to consider the implications. I truly loved it.
People Came From Earth by Stephen Baxter
I'm perplexed. It was a very intriguing story, but it felt more like reading a piece in a larger narrative rather than reading a complete story in itself.
The Wedding Album by David Marusek
Quite good, though at some point it kind of lost itself in the computer issues, neglecting the development of the story.
10^16 To 1 by James Patrick Kelly
Uhm. I guess I like the idea, but I didn't particularly enjoy the tone.
Daddy's World by Walter Jon Williams
Very diquieting. It was kind of difficult for me to get into the story, but once I understood what was going on I was captured.
The Real World by Steven Utley
I found it quite boring and pointless.
Have Not Have by Geoff Ryman
I wish it was longer, because I would have loved to know more about the world. The story felt a little forced, but I liked the ending.
Lobsters by Charles Stross
Maybe I'm not ready to try cyberpunk again. It's just... a lot of noise. It's tiring, and it makes following the story harder. I liked some ideas though.
Breathmoss by Ian R. MacLeod
I was quite unlucky with this antology, since the two novelettes (at least, I think it's just two) were my least favourite stories. This in particular was confused and confusing, and the big reveal at the end... meh.
Lambing Season by Molly Gloss
I guess thanks to Terry Pratchett I will always have a soft spot for sheperdesses (? I have no idea how to spell the plural). This is one of those really short, really quiet stories that nonetheless leaves a mark.
The Fluted Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
Wow, very haunting. It actually tasted like a fairytale, but there was enough science in this to make this more scifi than many other stories in this book. I wish it was longer, I wish it was a whole book. And I loved the ending, so perfect in its openness.
Footvote by Peter F. Hamilton
Too short! This idea deserved at least an entire book, or maybe even a series! The laws of New Suffolk were hilarious.
Zima Blue by Alastair Reynolds
So weird. Artists are definitely weird people, even when they turn out to be something else entirely.
Blood Music by Greg Bear
I definitely read this one before, it must have been in one of the Year's Best Science Fiction that I've read in the past. Incredibly unsettling. I love the idea, but something about the writing didn't quite work for me. Everything happened incredibly fast, and still felt kind of slow at times.
Cabin On The Coast by Gene Wolfe
I loved, loved, loved the writing. I was quite disappointed though by the abrupt change of pace that happened right after the deal on the boat. I kind of get why that could be a good way to do that but... no. Also, it didn't feel like science fiction at all. More like a... fantastic story. I'm not sure.
Salvador by Lucius Shepard
War stories are really not my thing. This one was really disturbing, which I think was the point, but again... it didn't feel like science fiction.
Trinity by Nancy Kress
Ah, yes, this is the science fiction I know and love. Well, one kind of science fiction I know and love, but still. Trying to explore spiritual matters in a scientific way, ethical concerns, the dangers of human curiosity. Very, very interesting. It even had a pretty good ending. It feels a little outdated in some aspects, but it's a really good story.
Flying Saucer Rock And Roll by Howard Waldrop
Uhm... okay. I liked the idea but I never really got engaged by the story.
Dinner In Audoghast by Bruce Sterling
Ah Sterling, I definitely wasn't expecting this. I might try and read more books by him. The story was quite fascinating, but I probably would have to know more about actual history to understand how far this was from the reality.
Roadside Rescue by Pat Cadigan
Yes, yes, very lovely! Well, not really lovely, but short, amusing, effective. I love when writers get really creative with what it means to be an alien.
Snow by John Crowley
So weird, and sad. A little detached, too, but not too much. I'm sure that I have read something else by Crowley before, but I can't remember what.
The Winter Market by William Gibson
Gibson, my love. I had a really short cyberpunk phase where I LOVED his writing, then I think I grew out of it and couldn't stand him anymore. Maybe it's been enough time since then, and I can actually enjoy his stories again, with a different perspective. I also think I've read this story before. I liked it, but it was slightly unsatisfying, too short, too brief, too unconclusive. But I guess that was the point.
The Pure Product by John Kessel
Uhm, no. Oh well, there had to be some stories that just... don't work for me.
Stable Strategies for Middle Management by Eileen Gunn
Superweird, and interesting! I wish there was more.
Kirinyaga by Mike Resnick
It's not a bad story but... it left kind of unsatisfied.
Tale from the Venia Woods by Robert Silverberg
I found Silverberg books profoundly disappointing when I read them for the first time in english, but this story tickled my curiosity enough that I think I'm going to try something else from the Roma universe (yes, I really loved the idea of a timeline in which the Roman Empire never fell).
Bears Discover Fire by Terry Bisson
A quite, fascinating story. I didn't know Terry Bisson, but I'd like to read something else.
Even the Queen by Connie Willis
Oh I loved this! I want to live after the Liberation, thank you very much. Also, I found the spokeperson for the Cyclists quite amusing, and relevant if you think at some of the controversy surrounding the social justice warriors and their way of describing many things.
Guest of Honor by Robert Reed
Haunting. I found the idea quite fascinating, but the execution... a little less.
None So Blind by Joe Haldeman
I really loved the concept, but I think it was a little too short, a little too... compressed. I would have liked to read more about it.
Mortimer Gray's History of Death by Brian Stableford
I don't know if I've ever been so sad of disliking someones writing. It definitely not badly written, but for me the style just kept pushing me back from the story. And I liked the story! I loved the ideas, and the theme, and the way it made think about certain things.
The Lincoln Train by Maureen F. McHugh
I think not knowing much of American history really impaired my understanding of the story. From the introduction, and the fact that it has been included in a scifi book, I suppose it's some kind of alternate reality, but I'm not quite sure what is supposed to be an alternate of.
Wang's Carpets by Greg Egan
Not really my thing. I might have liked it more if it were longer, if it gave me more time to understand the world it was set in... but maybe not. I'm not sure.
Coming of Age in Karhide by Ursula K. Le Guin
I don't know how many times I read this story when I was a teenager. It's soft and hot and anthropological and everything I love of the scifi that I used to read back then. And amazingly, it was still really, really good. A super short story that feels as complete as a novel and as open as an introduction. It's a world condensed in a few pages. Amazing.
The Dead by Michael Swanwick
I like the concept, but I never really got engaged with the story, and then it ended.
Recording Angel by Ian McDonald
Interesting idea, compelling development, and yet I didn't find the end completely satisfying.
A Dry, Quiet War by Tony Daniel
Eerie, and fascinating. It made me want to know more, and yet there was a felling like everything that needed saying was already said. Interesting, though not my usual genre.
The Undiscovered by William Sanders
Once again, I felt like my ignorance was dampening my understanding of the story. I guess alternate histories rely on the fact that you know how things went in the real world, and this time me not knowing enough of Shakespeare work prevented me to notice the differences.
Second Skin by Paul J. McAuley
Uhm... I love the history and worlds the story hinted at, but the story itself? Not so much.
Story of Your Life by Ted Chiang
Okay, so this story... this story is everything I think about when I think of good science fiction. It has both very interesting science and very interesting human stories. It makes you care, and hurt, and rejoice. But most of all it makes you think: it has a very powerful what if at its core, and it manages to leave to the reader enough space to consider the implications. I truly loved it.
People Came From Earth by Stephen Baxter
I'm perplexed. It was a very intriguing story, but it felt more like reading a piece in a larger narrative rather than reading a complete story in itself.
The Wedding Album by David Marusek
Quite good, though at some point it kind of lost itself in the computer issues, neglecting the development of the story.
10^16 To 1 by James Patrick Kelly
Uhm. I guess I like the idea, but I didn't particularly enjoy the tone.
Daddy's World by Walter Jon Williams
Very diquieting. It was kind of difficult for me to get into the story, but once I understood what was going on I was captured.
The Real World by Steven Utley
I found it quite boring and pointless.
Have Not Have by Geoff Ryman
I wish it was longer, because I would have loved to know more about the world. The story felt a little forced, but I liked the ending.
Lobsters by Charles Stross
Maybe I'm not ready to try cyberpunk again. It's just... a lot of noise. It's tiring, and it makes following the story harder. I liked some ideas though.
Breathmoss by Ian R. MacLeod
I was quite unlucky with this antology, since the two novelettes (at least, I think it's just two) were my least favourite stories. This in particular was confused and confusing, and the big reveal at the end... meh.
Lambing Season by Molly Gloss
I guess thanks to Terry Pratchett I will always have a soft spot for sheperdesses (? I have no idea how to spell the plural). This is one of those really short, really quiet stories that nonetheless leaves a mark.
The Fluted Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
Wow, very haunting. It actually tasted like a fairytale, but there was enough science in this to make this more scifi than many other stories in this book. I wish it was longer, I wish it was a whole book. And I loved the ending, so perfect in its openness.
Footvote by Peter F. Hamilton
Too short! This idea deserved at least an entire book, or maybe even a series! The laws of New Suffolk were hilarious.
Zima Blue by Alastair Reynolds
So weird. Artists are definitely weird people, even when they turn out to be something else entirely.
bowienerd_82's review against another edition
3.0
This didn't feel like a collection that should be named "The Best of the Best"; it was pretty mixed, and only had a couple of stories I thought were really awesome. Most of them were OK, but there were a couple that really were not good. Also, far too many of them were borderline sci-fi at best; I suppose you could call them speculative fiction, but really, do they then belong in a book subtitled "20 Years of the Year's Best Science Fiction"? Several of those stories actually wound up being my favorites, but still...
Among the stories I did really like: "Bears Discover Fire" by Terry Bisson, "The Undiscovered" by William Sanders , "Stable Strategies for Middle Management" by Eileen Gunn, "Even the Queen" by Connie Willis, "Tales from the Venia Woods" by Robert Silverberg, and "Daddy's World" by Walter Jon Williams. Also worth the read, though not quite as awesome: "Mortimer Gray's History of Death" by Brian Stableford, "Coming of Age in Karhide" by Ursula K. Le Guin, "Story of Your Life" by Ted Chiang, and "The Winter Market" by William Gibson.
In the end, I still remain someone who prefers novels to short stories, but there were definitely some stories worth the read, and some authors I will now have to investigate further.
Among the stories I did really like: "Bears Discover Fire" by Terry Bisson, "The Undiscovered" by William Sanders , "Stable Strategies for Middle Management" by Eileen Gunn, "Even the Queen" by Connie Willis, "Tales from the Venia Woods" by Robert Silverberg, and "Daddy's World" by Walter Jon Williams. Also worth the read, though not quite as awesome: "Mortimer Gray's History of Death" by Brian Stableford, "Coming of Age in Karhide" by Ursula K. Le Guin, "Story of Your Life" by Ted Chiang, and "The Winter Market" by William Gibson.
In the end, I still remain someone who prefers novels to short stories, but there were definitely some stories worth the read, and some authors I will now have to investigate further.
nwhyte's review against another edition
http://nhw.livejournal.com/414091.html[return][return]Meaty, meaty stuff. Dozois' annual collection of his choice of the best sf of the year is always the one I look forward to most, the other similar volumes just really keeping me going until the big one appears. Here he's picked three dozen or so of the best stories, all by different authors, from his first twenty volumes; I had previously read around half of them. (Three are joint Hugo/Nebula winners.) I'd originally planned to go through it and single out my favourites, but I've been reading it off and on over the last two months and can't do anything so systematic; in summary, I don't think there was a single duff story in the collection. It's excellent: buy it.
arkron's review against another edition
4.0
Summary: Dozois published annual anthologies with the best published SF short works from several magazines ever since 1985. From 20 of these anthologies covering the years 1983-2002, he chose those 36 stories which impressed him as a reader the most. Obviously these are not absolutely the best stories of those years, because he didn't grab everyone in his anthologies. This is the first volume of three, where the second publishes novellas which were excluded from this first volume, and the third covering the years from 2003 to 2017. Together, they summarize and conclude those 35 years of anthologies, as there won't be no more from this master of his trade: Sadly, he passed away in 2018, may he rest in peace.
Please note, that review links will lead to my blog (GR doesn't like single stories and often deletes reviews, so I've pushed those to the external site).
What is to be expected from this anthology? First of all, a huge amount of stories. Also not only Science Fiction stories despite of the title - many of the stories are not exactly SF but magical realism or borderline SF at the best. Dozois tended to select literary stories which might not be to everyone's taste, but fit mine very well. As with every anthology, it is a mixed bag - some of the stories just didn't fit my taste, and I could have easily selected a better story from the according annual anthology. But I liked most and found more than a handful new favourites. Also, it is a extremely good retrospective of those years. So, if you trust Mr Dozois more than the Hugo or other awards like me, I can really recommend this huge anthology which is well worth the price and the time invested.
My favourite ★★★★★ stories were
Weakest ☆ or ★ stories
Contents (stories are ordered from oldest to newest):
Please note, that review links will lead to my blog (GR doesn't like single stories and often deletes reviews, so I've pushed those to the external site).
What is to be expected from this anthology? First of all, a huge amount of stories. Also not only Science Fiction stories despite of the title - many of the stories are not exactly SF but magical realism or borderline SF at the best. Dozois tended to select literary stories which might not be to everyone's taste, but fit mine very well. As with every anthology, it is a mixed bag - some of the stories just didn't fit my taste, and I could have easily selected a better story from the according annual anthology. But I liked most and found more than a handful new favourites. Also, it is a extremely good retrospective of those years. So, if you trust Mr Dozois more than the Hugo or other awards like me, I can really recommend this huge anthology which is well worth the price and the time invested.
My favourite ★★★★★ stories were
- Kirinyaga • 1988 • SF novelette by Mike Resnick • review
- Guest of Honor • 1993 • SF novelette by Robert Reed • review
- Wang's Carpets • 1995 • Posthuman first contact novelette by Greg Egan • review
- The Undiscovered • 1997 • Alternate History novelette about Shakespeare writing Hamlet at the Cherokee by William Sanders • review
- Story of Your Life • 1998 • first contact SF novella by Ted Chiang • review
- Lobsters • 2001 • Near future novelette by Charles Stross • review
- Breathmoss • 2002 • SF novella by Ian R. MacLeod • review
Weakest ☆ or ★ stories
- None So Blind • 1994 • Near Future SF short story by Joe Haldeman • review
- The Lincoln Train • 1995 • Alternate History short story by Maureen F. McHugh • I didn't get this story at all; Lincoln didn't die after his assassination, but that had no consequence for the story.
- The Wedding Album • 1999 • novella by David Marusek • clones in holograms are freed by human rights movement - this started as an interesting story, but got longer and longer and the reused names confused me completely
Contents (stories are ordered from oldest to newest):
- 1 • ★★★★ • Blood Music • 1983 • Near Future SF novelette about nano computers gone rogue by Greg Bear • review
- 19 • ★★★+ • “A Cabin on the Coast” • 1981 • magical realism short story about the passage to the fairy world by Gene Wolfe • review
- 28 • ★★★★ • Salvador • 1984 • Near Future SF short story about drug induced haluzinating soldiers by Lucius Shepard • review
- 42 • ★★★+ • Trinity • 1984 • SF novella about a way of scientific search for God by Nancy Kress • review
- 78 • ★★ • Flying Saucer Rock and Roll • 1985 • Vintage novelette about exactly that title by Howard Waldrop • review
- 93 • ★★★ • Dinner in Audoghast • 1985 • Historical fiction short story by Bruce Sterling • review
- 103 • ★★ • Roadside Rescue • 1985 • SF short story by Pat Cadigan • review
- 109 • ★★★★ • Snow • 1985 • short story about recording lifes for the afterworld by John Crowley • review
- 121 • ★★★★ • The Winter Market • 1985 • Cyberpunk novelette about uploading minds by William Gibson • review
- 137 • ★★★ • The Pure Product • 1986 • Time Travel novelette about a murdering traveler in the 1980s by John Kessel • review
- 152 • ★★ • Stable Strategies for Middle Management • 1988 • Absurdist fiction short story covering Kafka's metamorphosis by Eileen Gunn
- 162 • ★★★★★ • Kirinyaga • 1988 • SF novelette about a Kenyan tribe in space by Mike Resnick • review
- 177 • ★★★★ • Tales from the Venia Woods • 1989 • Alternative History of an eternal Roman Empire short story by Robert Silverberg • review
- 191 • ★★★+ • Bears Discover Fire • 1990 • magical realism short story by Terry Bisson • review
- 199 • ★★★ • Even the Queen • 1992 • Near Future short story by Connie Willis • review
- 213 • ★★★★★ • Guest of Honor • 1993 • SF novelette by Robert Reed • review
- 238 • ★ • None So Blind • 1994 • Near Future SF short story by Joe Haldeman • review
- 246 • ★★★★ • Mortimer Gray's History of Death • 1995 • Posthuman SF novella by Brian Stableford • review
- 293 • ★ • The Lincoln Train • 1995 • Alternate History short story by Maureen F. McHugh • I didn't get this story at all; Lincoln didn't die after his assassination, but that had no consequence for the story.
- 303 • ★★★★★ • Wang's Carpets • 1995 • Posthuman first contact novelette by Greg Egan • review
- 328 • ★★★★ • Coming of Age in Karhide • 1995 • Hainish novelette by Ursula K. Le Guin • review
- 342 • ★★★★ • The Dead • 1996 • Zomedy short story by Michael Swanwick about Zombies as the new workforce • review
- 352 • ★★★+ • Recording Angel • 1996 • First contact short story by Ian McDonald • review
- 363 • ★★★★★ • A Dry, Quiet War • 1996 • Spaghetti Western in Space novelette by Tony Daniel • review
- 380 • ★★★★★ • The Undiscovered • 1997 • Alternate History novelette about Shakespeare writing Hamlet at the Cherokee by William Sanders • review
- 400 • ★★★ • Second Skin • 1997 • Quiet War short story by Paul J. McAuley • review
- 418 • ★★★★★ • Story of Your Life • 1998 • first contact SF novella by Ted Chiang • review
- 454 • ★★+ • People Came from Earth • 1999 • SF short story by Stephen Baxter • review
- 464 • ☆ (DNFed) • The Wedding Album • 1999 • novella by David Marusek • clones in holograms are freed by human rights movement - this started as an interesting story, but got longer and longer and the reused names confused me completely
- 502 • ★★★+ • 10 to 16 to 1 • 1999 • Time travel novelette by James Patrick Kelly • review
- 520 • ★★★+ • Daddy's World • 1999 • Posthuman novelette by Walter Jon Williams • review
- 541 • ★★★+ • The Real World • 2000 • SF novelette by Steven Utley • review
- 561 • ★★★+ • Have Not Have • 2001 • SF novelette by Geoff Ryman • review
- 577 • ★★★★★ • Lobsters • 2001 • Near future novelette by Charles Stross • review
- 597 • ★★★★+ • Breathmoss • 2002 • SF novella by Ian R. MacLeod • review
- 647 • ★★+ • Lambing Season • 2002 • First contact short story by Molly Gloss • review
survivalisinsufficient's review against another edition
5.0
I really thought this was a pretty brilliant collection.Lots of must-reads.