A review by pearseanderson
The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2016 by John Joseph Adams, Karen Joy Fowler
3.0
It only makes sense to give this anthology around half of the possible stars, since around half of the possible stories in it are "The Best of 2016." And most of those were backloaded into this anthology, hung up by pieces like the science-fiction nonfiction-prose-poetry "Meet Me in Iram," the frustrating and unnecessary "Tea Time," and the instantly forgettable "By Degrees and Dilatory Time." This anthology was, in my opinion, poorly selected and arranged and I don't know what would explain this but Karen Joy Fowler. Were these the best? Really?
Well, besides the light/literary SFF (Rushdie's New Yorker piece, Ziemska's Tin House piece, Johnson's Harper's piece, Anders' essentially modern Rat Catcher's Yellows bit), there is some strong, creative, hard SFF work: Three Bodies at Mitanni, Ambiguity Machines, and Planet Lion (the former two have made it onto my Best Prose I've Read in 2017 list). Now, Anders and Johnson did do good pieces too! And Headshot and Things You Can Buy for a Penny were good too, but the remaining, unsuperb, kind of filler "best" works weighed this anthology down for me. So I dunno what I'll give it: 6/10? 7/10? It made me groan at times.
Well, besides the light/literary SFF (Rushdie's New Yorker piece, Ziemska's Tin House piece, Johnson's Harper's piece, Anders' essentially modern Rat Catcher's Yellows bit), there is some strong, creative, hard SFF work: Three Bodies at Mitanni, Ambiguity Machines, and Planet Lion (the former two have made it onto my Best Prose I've Read in 2017 list). Now, Anders and Johnson did do good pieces too! And Headshot and Things You Can Buy for a Penny were good too, but the remaining, unsuperb, kind of filler "best" works weighed this anthology down for me. So I dunno what I'll give it: 6/10? 7/10? It made me groan at times.