Fast Forward 1: Future Fiction from the Cutting Edge

Mars #3 - Plotters and Shooters

by Lou Anders (Editor), Kage Baker (Collaborator), Stephen Baxter (Collaborator)

Science Fiction is the genre that looks at the implications of technology on society, which in this age of exponential technological growth makes it the most relevant branch of literature going. This is only the start, and the close of the 21st century will look absolutely nothing like its inception. It has been said that science fiction is an ongoing dialogue about the future, and the front line of that dialogue is the short story. The field has a long history of producing famous anthologies to showcase its distinguished short fiction, but it has been several years since there has been a prestigious all-original science fiction anthology series. Fast Forward is offered in the tradition of Damon Knight’s prestigious and influential anthology series, Orbit, and Frederik Pohl’s landmark Star SF. Fast Forward marks the start of a new hard science fiction anthology series, dedicated to presenting the vanguard of the genre and charting the undiscovered country that is the future. Contributors scheduled for the first volume Paolo Bacigalupi, Kage Baker, Tony Ballantyne, Stephen Baxter, Elizabeth Bear (Sarah B.E. Kindred), A.M. Dellamonica, Paul Di Filippo, Robyn Hitchcock, Louise Marley, Ken MacLeod, Ian McDonald, John Meaney, Larry Niven & Brenda Cooper, Mike Resnick & Nancy Kress, Justina Robson, Pamela Sargent, Mary A. Turzillo, Robert Charles Wilson, Gene Wolfe, George Zebrowski.

Genres: Science Fiction, Anthologies, Short Stories, Fiction, Hard Science Fiction

409 pages, Paperback

First published February 5, 2007

About the author

LOU ANDERS is the author of the novel Once Upon a Unicorn, the Thrones & Bones trilogy of fantasy adventure novels (Frostborn, Nightborn, and Skyborn), and the novel Star Wars: Pirate’s Price. He is the recipient of a Hugo Award for editing and a Chesley Award for art direction. In the tabletop roleplaying game world, Anders is the creator and publisher of the Thrones & Bones: Norrøngard campaign setting. He has also done game design for Kobold Press, River Horse, and 3D Printed Tabletop. In 2016, he was named a Thurber House Writer-in-Residence and spent a month in Columbus, Ohio, teaching, writing, and living in a haunted house. When not writing, designing, and editing, he enjoys playing roleplaying games, 3D printing, weightlifting, and watching movies. He lives with his wife, children, and two golden doodles in Birmingham, Alabama. You can visit Anders online at louanders.com or on Facebook, Instagram, and other social networks.

Reviews

[Peter Tillman · Rating 3 out of 5]

My 2007 review, revised a bit.:
This is the first volume of a projected annual series of original SF stories. It has a couple of standout stories, and is pretty good overall.

The standout story is Ken MacLeod's amazing "Jesus Christ, Reanimator". It takes place in
present-day Israel (in part at Meggido) and opens: "The Second Coming was something of a washout, if you remember." Truly a KILLER story, MacLeod's best short to then, I think. Enthusiastically recommended. Online at https://www.apex-magazine.com/jesus-c...

My second-favorite story is Paul Di Filippo's very amusing (if slight) "Wikiworld." It's pretty much what you'd expect, but *very* nicely done. Recommended.

Past this we get into good, pretty-good, and "eh" stories. Here's the TOC, with comments:

"YFL-500", Robert Charles Wilson. Eh. Can't remember a thing, two weeks later.
"The Girl Hero's Mirror Says He's Not the One", Justina Robson. Pretty good, if very slight.
"Small Offerings", Paolo Bacigalupi. Unpleasantly gory, but a decent story.
"They Came From the Future", Robyn Hitchcock. Poem, sorta kinda. Eh.
"Plotters and Shooters", Kage Baker. Gamers in Spaaaace! Pretty good, really, if slight.
"Aristotle OS," Tony Ballantyne. OK but very slight.
"The Something-Dreaming Game", Elizabeth Bear. Pediatric autoerotic asphyxiation. Well-written but icky.
"No More Stories," Stephen Baxter. Forgotten already.
"Time of the Snake", A.M. Dellamonica. Violent, nihilistic and slight.
"The Terror Bard", Larry Niven & Brenda Cooper. Sequel to "Kath & Quicksilver"; pretty good.
"p dolce", Louise Marley. Channeling into Brahms; good.
"Jesus Christ, Reanimator," Ken MacLeod. KILLER story, best by far.
"Solomon's Choice", Mike Resnick & Nancy Kress. Weird aliens, except they're not. Good.
"Sanjeev and Robotwallah", Ian McDonald. Exotic violence & fashion in a future India. Good.
"A Smaller Government," Pamela Sargent. Literally so, and very amusing
"Pride", Mary A. Turzillo. Bringing up a sabertooth kitten. Very good.
"I Caught Intelligence", Robyn Hitchcock. Poem. Eh.
"Settlements", George Zebrowski. "Helpful" aliens; a downer (what a surprise!). Eh.
"The Hour of the Sheep", Gene Wolfe. I just don't get Wolfe.
"Sideways from Now", John Meaney. Interesting novella from the Nulapeiron guy.
"Wikiworld", Paul Di Filippo. Second-best story; also in his collection of the same name.

Bottom line: worth checking out for the standouts, but not really worth buying, in my opinion. Too many "read once & forget" stories.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the 1940s through the early 1980s, the anthology of original short stories served as the backbone of the science-fiction field, reaching its zenith in the 1970s with original anthology series such as Harlan Ellison's Dangerous Visions, Terry Carr's Universe, and Robert Silverberg's New Dimensions. Fresh ideas and new writers often emerged from these books, which were sold in bookstores and therefore able to reach mass audiences. Recently several new series – Polyphony, Adventure, and Leviathan to name a few – have premiered to revive the formerly moribund format. With Fast Forward 1: Future Fiction From the Cutting Edge, acclaimed editor Lou Anders joins the fray.

Behind the dazzling John Picacio cover, Fast Forward opens strongly with the Hugo-winning Robert Charles Wilson's "YFL-500," a tale of futuristic art and the dreams that fuel it. Several stories throughout equal the quality of the first. In "Aristotle OS," Tony Ballantyne presents an insightful glimpse into a world-changing operating system. Elizabeth Bear pens a unique take on alien invasion and childhood autoerotic asphyxiation with "The Something-Dreaming Game." "Jesus Christ, Reanimator" by Ken MacLeod, possibly the best short-story title of the decade, posits the inherent conflicts in the Second Coming.

In his introduction, Anders states that his goal is to emulate previous groundbreaking science-fiction-anthology series, most notably Fredrick Pohl's Star SF (six volumes from 1953 to 1959) and Damon Knight's Orbit (21 volumes, 1966-1980). If successive volumes equal the quality of this excellent debut, Fast Forward will go a long way in achieving Anders' hope and might even inspire a new generation.

(This review originally appeared in The Austin Chronicle, February 23, 2007.)

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://staffersmusings.blogspot.com/2...

I don't read a lot of anthologies.  No particular reason really other than I tend to read them a story at a time in between novels.  Thus they take forever for me to finish, and oftentimes I've forgotten the less memorable stories by the time I actually finish the whole collection.  If I were smart, I'd do a quick paragraph on each story as I finish them.  In case you're curious, I'm not and I didn't.  So instead I'm going to do more of a short review about the overall tone of Fast Forward 1: Future Fiction from the Cutting Edge edited by Lou Anders and give a few of my favorites.

Anders, in his introduction to the anthology, reminds us that, "To a very real extent, we live today in the science fiction of the past."  He's so right - just look at William Gibson's notion of cyberspace in Neuromancer (1984).  Fast Forward 1 is all about looking at the implications of technology on society, but not today's technology.  Anders and his all-star cast of authors are instead looking at the future of tomorrow and millenium from now to push the envelope not only about what technology we can expect to see, but how it will impact our lives.  Anders goes on to say that, "it is the future of science fiction itself (and that of science fiction publishing) that some have called into question, and lately it seems as if the very idea of the future has been under threat."  In his essay "The Omega Glory," Pulitzer prize-winning author Michael Chabon summarizes Anders' thoughts:

"I don't know what happened to the Future. It's as if we lost our ability, or our will, to envision anything beyond the next hundred years or so, as if we lacked the fundamental faith that there will in fact be any future at all beyond that not-too-distant date."

Interestingly, one of Anders' contributors, Paolo Bacigalupi said in an interview with Locus Magazine:

"Maybe science fiction lost its track a little bit, and got off on some lines of speculation which are pretty interesting but not necessarily connected to today’s questions, as previously it had been core to our conception of ourselves and where we were headed."

I think Bacigalupi's view and Chabon's desire to continue pushing the envelop are well blended by Anders.  Fast Forward 1 shows how the world will change just over the next hill in stories like Elizabeth Bear's The Something-Dreaming Game or Mary Turzillo's Pride.  It looks beyond and into the distant future with stories like The Terror Bard by Larry Niven and Brenda Cooper or No More Stories by Stephen Baxter.

For me the anthology works best in the stories that fell in between.  Not so esoteric as to be difficult to identify with, and not so near term as to be uninspiring.  These stories shined because they not only pushed the science fiction envelope, but found a way to use that technology to pull back the shades on the cultural and ethical dilemmas of today.  To me, and Anders who I quote, "science fiction is a tool for making sense of a changing world. It is the genre that looks at the implications of technology on society, which in this age of exponential technological growth makes it the most relevant branch of literature going."

Haunting stories like Bacigalupi's Small Offerings and George Zebrowski's Settlements confront our ability to sustain humanity.  A Smaller Government by Pamela Sargent parodies the U.S. government, while Jesus Christ, Reanimator by Ken MacLeod takes on faith.  Vanity is a popular subject reflected in p dolce by Louise Marley and The Hour of the Sheep by Gene Wolfe.  There are very few failures in the anthology.  Some are not terribly memorable like The Girl's Hero Mirror Says He's Not the One by Jennifer Robson or Kage Baker's Plotters and Shooters, but in the moment they are compelling and well worth the read.

Perhaps the most thought provoking work in the book is Anders' introduction which I have quoted from liberally.  He provides a thought provoking discussion about where the genre has been, is going, and will find itself in the years ahead.  It's well worth a read all on its own and can be read on-line in its entirety (here).  Anders was recently awarded a Hugo for his editing prowess and as far as I can tell from Fast Forward 1 and the dozens of other Pyr titles I've read, it is well deserved.

As I stated in the early parts of this review, I don't read many anthologies so rating this is one tough.  I can say that there was no story I rolled my eyes at or felt like skipping and there are certainly several stories I would hold up against any I've read.

In the mood for a science fiction anthology? Definitely pick this one up.

[Jenny Coyne · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were a mixture of hits and misses. I'm trying a few new authors because of this book. That's always a win.

[Cr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!

Engaging, fun, fast, inspiring, exciting and thought provoking. I enjoyed every story in here. Great variety of styles and ideas.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun anthology of science fiction short stories. The stories let your imagination flow, and they leave you wanting more from these characters and universes!

[Des · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of it's just kind of there. "Wikiworld" is pretty good, so it ends on a high note.

[Shara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Time for the stats: I enjoyed 14/21 stories in this, with Wilson’s, Bacigalupi’s, Bear’s, Marley’s, and the Resnick/Kress piece being my personal faves for their “wow” factor. I recognized some of the stories in this anthology were not to my particular SF taste (and some I wished were written differently), but most of these pieces had good/fun premises and it was nice to see a variety of stories in this anthology.[return][return]I’d definitely recommend this anthology to anyone reading (or writing) science fiction, and I’m not just saying that because I got the ARC: I think I’ll pick up the actual copy myself, when it comes out. Some of these stories really blew me away, and while I would’ve bought the anthology solely for Bacigalupi’s work, I wouldn’t have minded paying for the rest of it either, if that makes sense. In other words, there’s something in here for everyone, and there’s some really, really good stories here.[return][return]Also, an interesting stat that some of you won’t care about: 9/21 stories are penned by women (though two of those nine are co-written by men). The reason this stat jumps out at me is the fact that I’ve heard several women complain about how when you pick up an anthology of SF stories, there are few to no women featured. It’s something I’ve noticed myself, so a big shout-out to Lou Anders for both sampling a variety of SF and not limiting anthology slots to the male population of the SF community.[return][return]For a story-by-story review, which may or may not include spoilers, just go here: http://calico-reaction.livejournal.co...

[Ryun · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are interesting times for science fiction – for writers, readers, and the general public. Cormac McCarthy’s THE ROAD has won a Pulitzer; some fans rejoice, while others wail and beat their breasts because, as post-apocalyptic as it may be, McCarthy’s book isn’t shelved between Anne McCaffrey and Ian McDonald. No, THE ROAD is on the “literature” shelves, far from the genre Sargasso of Laurel Hamilton and BABYLON 5 novelizations.

I think science fiction is in a fairly great Renaissance nowadays, but the best writing is not being released for mass consumption. Most Hugo and Nebula nominees for short fiction come from a handful of niche magazines with minuscule maketing budgets. It’s great stuff, but it’s sadly obscure.

More: http://www.bookgasm.com/reviews/sci-f...

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few of the stories left me cold after I sort of forced my way through them, but others were entirely captivating. (I'll just say I think this is more about my personal preferences and not about the quality of the writing in a particular story.) Among my favorites were "YFL-500", "p dolce", "Pride", and "Aristotle OS". Lou Anders (whom I work with, by the way, for full disclosure) does a good job of including many types of SF so that is bound to be something that appeals to just about everyone who likes to read.

[Rusty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh my god. I have no idea when I started this book, but it has been years. I'm finally done. The witch is dead!

As for the collection of stories themselves. I was underwhelmed. There were a few I liked, a few I hated, but mostly, I just didn't connect with the tales here. I wanted to like it much more, but I'm finding that my taste for short stories runs counter to what I see getting selected for these anthologies. I'll be starting another one pretty soon. I'll hold out hope for that one to blow me away.

I'd recommend skipping this one.

[Snail in Danger (Sid) Nicolaides · Rating 3 out of 5]

I checked this out for "Plotters and Shooters", a Kage Baker story set in her Company universe. I remember it as merely all right. I also thought Paul Di Filippo's "Wikiworld" was decent, but I may have originally read that in his Plumage from Pegasus collection.

[CountZeroOr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of really good stuff in here. I particularly liked the short stories "Plotter and Shooters" and "Sideways from Now" by Kage Baker and John Meaney, respectively. It's good to know that the science fiction short story is still alive and kicking.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like most anthologies this one has its strong and weak parts. But what it has throughout is good/interesting ideas, which is what I enjoy most about hard SF. Even if the writing isn't as good as it could be, the idea behind the story still makes me think.

[Nadine in NY Jones]

This book of short stories LOOKS great, but I just didn't have time to read it while I had it out from the library. Maybe another time.

[Nick Fagerlund · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed each story; too big to put here. See May and April book posts: http://2ce.livejournal.com/tag/didread

[DaughterDaDa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining. Especially "Smaller Government", and "Aristotle OS", hilarious.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extremely good collection of short stories by some of the 'big names' in SF. Well worth buying.

[Karlo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great anthology; a few stories just had me on the edge of my chair. Great stuff.

[Justus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Few/none of the stories in this collection really struck me. The next in the series is much better.

[Jay Caselberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

SO so and extremely self-referential. Wasn't really convinced except for one or two of the tales.

[Brandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great collection of short science fiction stories, my favorite of which is Paul Di Filippo's "Wikiworld."

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://nethspace.blogspot.com/2007/01...