What do you think?
Rate this book
The Year's Best Science Fiction: Ninth Annual Collection
In The Year's Best Science Fiction: Ninth Annual Collection, Gardner Dozois produces another volume in the series that Locus calls 'the field's real anthology-of-record.' With a unique combination of foresight and perspective, Dozois continues to collect outstanding work by newcomers and established authors alike, reflecting the present state of the genre while suggesting its future directions. With the editor's annual summary of the year in the field, and his appendix of recommended reading, this book is indispensable for anyone interested in contemporary science fiction.
624 pages, ebook
First published June 15, 1992
20 people are currently reading
370 people want to read
About the author
Gardner Dozois
645 books358 followersGardner Raymond Dozois was an American science fiction author and editor. He was editor of Asimov's Science Fiction magazine from 1984 to 2004. He won multiple Hugo and Nebula awards, both as an editor and a writer of short fiction.
Wikipedia entry: Gardner Dozois
http://us.macmillan.com/author/gardne...
Wikipedia entry: Gardner Dozois
http://us.macmillan.com/author/gardne...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
March 29, 2019
This one from 1991 features at least three alternative time stream stories (you know, what if Hitler was a woman, what if nobody ever discovered America, etc) and I don’t think that stuff is science fiction at all.
What I really want them to invent is some device where you could immediately tell which stories in Gardner Dozois’s huge anthologies are worth reading. Sometimes I think Gardner, God bless him, erred more on the side of enthusiasm than discernment.
What I really want them to invent is some device where you could immediately tell which stories in Gardner Dozois’s huge anthologies are worth reading. Sometimes I think Gardner, God bless him, erred more on the side of enthusiasm than discernment.
July 25, 2018
Dozois does the best summation for the year, and his selections for the best short fiction, while not always matching mine, often encompass mine because of the shear volume of his collection. And, I have to admit, I find it hard not to be biased; Gardner’s been acknowledging me for some slight help I might have given him for the last several years, and I find myself pleased to be even the smallest part of the preparation of these volumes. Although I’ve cut down on my short fiction reading in recent years, this volume was old enough to overlap with many stories that I had already read before, so my comments are limited to the stories that were new to me.
• Nancy Kress, “Beggars in Spain”–Great story, that, while reminiscent of some of the classics of SF (Odd John, More Than Human), stands firmly on its own, and states something new. Kress is interested in the tensions between the two groups–one modern analogy for her story is the tension between conservatives and homosexuals. But what I’d like to have seen her spend more time on (and maybe she does in the novel version) is this perverted (in my humble opinion) desire of parents whose children must be their own genetic makeup, and must have all advantages possible. A reflection of evolution? How can that be exaggerated any more than it already is?
• Alexander Jablokov, “Living Will”–Excellent story about a man facing Alzheimer’s and deciding to do the “best” for his family and friends. I’m not sure I agree with Jablokov’s conclusion–I think I’m more optimistic or something–but at least he made me think about it.
• William Gibson, “Skinner’s Room”–The idea is interesting, just a passing speculation, but there’s no story here. Yes, there’s characterization, but absolutely zero plot. And a story without a plot isn’t much of a story, really.
• Greg Egan, “Blood Sisters”–This one’s got a plot; in fact, it’s got a lot, but I still didn’t find that it excited me all that much. Was it because for all the seeming passion that the narrator felt, the very fact and manner of the narration led to it feeling very passive? Things that occurred weren’t surprising. You know the narrator didn’t die because she’s narrating (although that gives me a great idea for a ghost story, although it’s probably been done before).
• Karen Joy Fowler, “The Dark”–I’m pretty much in the dark with this story. I think I follow it–Karen’s writing is very clear and informative–but when the ending comes, I’m lost. Very much like her novel, Sarah Canary, where there’s some great information, which I can’t connect with her plot. O, well.
• Ian R. McLeod, “Marnie”–The concept isn’t new, but McLeod does the characterization better than it’s been done before. In fact, the authentic romance reminded me of the best of Jonathan Carroll (like the first third of Bones of the Moon), no small compliment coming from me. The characterization was so good that I was disappointed that the concept wasn’t. If the concept had matched the characters, this would have been the best story I’ve read since Lucius Shepard’s “The Scalehunter’s Beautiful Daughter” or Bradley Denton’s “The Calvin Coolidge Home for Dead Comedians.”
• Kim Newman, “Ubermensh!”–Newman seems determined to make his name as an alternate fictioner. Here he gives quite a unique twist to the Superman legend, and it works just as well as his excellent alternate take on Dracula in Anno Dracula. I could probably get tired of this after awhile, but at the moment I’m inclined to give Newman three thumbs-up.
• Robert Reed, “Pipes”–I liked it, but I don’t know. I mean, it’s almost too simplistic; not elegant enough. Everything fits together, like a jigsaw puzzle, and like a jigsaw puzzle, everything fits together too nicely, and the very fact that I notice the seams at all is disturbing. And while the plot may be original, it isn’t all that exciting. So, I like it–with reservations.
• Paul McAuley, “Gene Wars”–A nice little condensed “Shaper” story. Yes, a mix of Bruce Sterling and J. G. Ballard. Neat. Wonder what weird combinations you could make with other authors? The ideas of one author through the style of another. Naw, too close to the recent rash of “tribute” stories. The story has to come out of it rather than being forced through the gimmick.
• Kristine Kathryn Rusch, “The Gallery of Her Dreams”–While this story reminded me of some of the others that I’ve read by Kris, there’s something different–better–here. It may be the very realistic portrayal of Civil War photographer Matthew Brady, or the verisimilitude in descriptions of place, or something that I can’t express. It is a moving story, and worthy of being included here.
• Geoffrey Landis, “A Walk in the Sun”–Here’s the problem with “hard science” fiction–Landis may have all the science in this story perfect, but for me to know this, I have to have a lot of knowledge of the moon myself. That is, the story works on specialized knowledge. The audience with that requisite specialized knowledge shrinks as the amount of that knowledge increases. In 1950, the SF audience could follow along with most SF concepts. In 1990, they can’t. Thus the growth of “soft science” and “science fantasy” fiction. The soft sciences allow an “intuitive” understanding, and science fantasy deliberately isn’t based on actually occurring science. Take away the scientific premise to Landis’ story, and it isn’t anything new.
• Rick Shelly, “Eyewall”–Of course the next story would have to prove everything differently. “Eyewall” is also a hard science story from Analog that works for me. Maybe it’s because Shelly takes the time to explain his science more fully, or that Shelly understands that SF stories aren’t about the science per se, but people’s reactions to that science. There’s some info-dumping here, but it’s not too odious, and the ending was a little predictable, but for the most part this is a fine story.
• Greg Egan, “The Moat”–I like Egan, but this is one of the poorest stories I’ve seen by him. Problems: a major amount of info-dumping, and a fairly boring info-dumping procedure. And the end is simply tacked on; what supposes to stand for the climax seems to have little to do with the rest of the story, and then to tie up the story, Egan adds a “told” section that reads like a “where are they now.” The idea wasn’t bad, but the execution was very poor.
• Jack Dann, “Voices”–How many times is Dann going to write about the Big Bopper, Holly and Valens? It’s not the major focus of this story, although it’s a major presence, and I seem to recall Dann writing about them before, maybe twice (“Touring” in collaboration with Dozois?). Maybe it isn’t Dann personally, but all of the writers of his age. “The day the music died” seems to have quite an effect on that age group, as Kennedy’s assassination, or Nixon’s resignation, or the Challenger explosion, has or may have on later groups. I’m just tired of it. The story wasn’t science fiction, either, although it was well-written.
• Brian Aldiss, “FOAM”–Nice little twist story, in which the twist is something much larger than the story. The story itself, as twist stories go, isn’t much to think on or read; the twist, however, is one of those universals that it never hurts to underline.
• Connie Willis, “Jack”–An excellently researched story, as was her novel Doomsday Book, that reminded me a bit of the Dann & Dozois story, “Down Among the Dead Men.” Superficially, it’s the same idea. If vampires were real, what would they have been doing in WWII. Dann & Dozois gave us the German version; Willis gives us the English. This is also a clever story, incorporating many references to Dracula, most notably in the names of the characters. In fact, it was almost distracting. Still, Willis is a wonderful writer, and always best at the short form.
• Chris Beckett, “La Macchina”–Neat story about one possible future populated by robots. Becket accomplishes a lot in a little, and that’s good writing to me.
• Mike Resnick, “One Perfect Morning, With Jackals”–The prequel to Resnick’s Kirinyaga series, it contains the same strengths and weaknesses of the other stories in the series. Unlike other critics of this series, I’m not bothered by what Resnick may or may not be saying about technology; the weaknesses I see are in the writing–simplistic characterization, woody dialogue, etc. Resnick overcomes this by intriguing ideas and a strange mixture of legend and future.
• Nancy Kress, “Beggars in Spain”–Great story, that, while reminiscent of some of the classics of SF (Odd John, More Than Human), stands firmly on its own, and states something new. Kress is interested in the tensions between the two groups–one modern analogy for her story is the tension between conservatives and homosexuals. But what I’d like to have seen her spend more time on (and maybe she does in the novel version) is this perverted (in my humble opinion) desire of parents whose children must be their own genetic makeup, and must have all advantages possible. A reflection of evolution? How can that be exaggerated any more than it already is?
• Alexander Jablokov, “Living Will”–Excellent story about a man facing Alzheimer’s and deciding to do the “best” for his family and friends. I’m not sure I agree with Jablokov’s conclusion–I think I’m more optimistic or something–but at least he made me think about it.
• William Gibson, “Skinner’s Room”–The idea is interesting, just a passing speculation, but there’s no story here. Yes, there’s characterization, but absolutely zero plot. And a story without a plot isn’t much of a story, really.
• Greg Egan, “Blood Sisters”–This one’s got a plot; in fact, it’s got a lot, but I still didn’t find that it excited me all that much. Was it because for all the seeming passion that the narrator felt, the very fact and manner of the narration led to it feeling very passive? Things that occurred weren’t surprising. You know the narrator didn’t die because she’s narrating (although that gives me a great idea for a ghost story, although it’s probably been done before).
• Karen Joy Fowler, “The Dark”–I’m pretty much in the dark with this story. I think I follow it–Karen’s writing is very clear and informative–but when the ending comes, I’m lost. Very much like her novel, Sarah Canary, where there’s some great information, which I can’t connect with her plot. O, well.
• Ian R. McLeod, “Marnie”–The concept isn’t new, but McLeod does the characterization better than it’s been done before. In fact, the authentic romance reminded me of the best of Jonathan Carroll (like the first third of Bones of the Moon), no small compliment coming from me. The characterization was so good that I was disappointed that the concept wasn’t. If the concept had matched the characters, this would have been the best story I’ve read since Lucius Shepard’s “The Scalehunter’s Beautiful Daughter” or Bradley Denton’s “The Calvin Coolidge Home for Dead Comedians.”
• Kim Newman, “Ubermensh!”–Newman seems determined to make his name as an alternate fictioner. Here he gives quite a unique twist to the Superman legend, and it works just as well as his excellent alternate take on Dracula in Anno Dracula. I could probably get tired of this after awhile, but at the moment I’m inclined to give Newman three thumbs-up.
• Robert Reed, “Pipes”–I liked it, but I don’t know. I mean, it’s almost too simplistic; not elegant enough. Everything fits together, like a jigsaw puzzle, and like a jigsaw puzzle, everything fits together too nicely, and the very fact that I notice the seams at all is disturbing. And while the plot may be original, it isn’t all that exciting. So, I like it–with reservations.
• Paul McAuley, “Gene Wars”–A nice little condensed “Shaper” story. Yes, a mix of Bruce Sterling and J. G. Ballard. Neat. Wonder what weird combinations you could make with other authors? The ideas of one author through the style of another. Naw, too close to the recent rash of “tribute” stories. The story has to come out of it rather than being forced through the gimmick.
• Kristine Kathryn Rusch, “The Gallery of Her Dreams”–While this story reminded me of some of the others that I’ve read by Kris, there’s something different–better–here. It may be the very realistic portrayal of Civil War photographer Matthew Brady, or the verisimilitude in descriptions of place, or something that I can’t express. It is a moving story, and worthy of being included here.
• Geoffrey Landis, “A Walk in the Sun”–Here’s the problem with “hard science” fiction–Landis may have all the science in this story perfect, but for me to know this, I have to have a lot of knowledge of the moon myself. That is, the story works on specialized knowledge. The audience with that requisite specialized knowledge shrinks as the amount of that knowledge increases. In 1950, the SF audience could follow along with most SF concepts. In 1990, they can’t. Thus the growth of “soft science” and “science fantasy” fiction. The soft sciences allow an “intuitive” understanding, and science fantasy deliberately isn’t based on actually occurring science. Take away the scientific premise to Landis’ story, and it isn’t anything new.
• Rick Shelly, “Eyewall”–Of course the next story would have to prove everything differently. “Eyewall” is also a hard science story from Analog that works for me. Maybe it’s because Shelly takes the time to explain his science more fully, or that Shelly understands that SF stories aren’t about the science per se, but people’s reactions to that science. There’s some info-dumping here, but it’s not too odious, and the ending was a little predictable, but for the most part this is a fine story.
• Greg Egan, “The Moat”–I like Egan, but this is one of the poorest stories I’ve seen by him. Problems: a major amount of info-dumping, and a fairly boring info-dumping procedure. And the end is simply tacked on; what supposes to stand for the climax seems to have little to do with the rest of the story, and then to tie up the story, Egan adds a “told” section that reads like a “where are they now.” The idea wasn’t bad, but the execution was very poor.
• Jack Dann, “Voices”–How many times is Dann going to write about the Big Bopper, Holly and Valens? It’s not the major focus of this story, although it’s a major presence, and I seem to recall Dann writing about them before, maybe twice (“Touring” in collaboration with Dozois?). Maybe it isn’t Dann personally, but all of the writers of his age. “The day the music died” seems to have quite an effect on that age group, as Kennedy’s assassination, or Nixon’s resignation, or the Challenger explosion, has or may have on later groups. I’m just tired of it. The story wasn’t science fiction, either, although it was well-written.
• Brian Aldiss, “FOAM”–Nice little twist story, in which the twist is something much larger than the story. The story itself, as twist stories go, isn’t much to think on or read; the twist, however, is one of those universals that it never hurts to underline.
• Connie Willis, “Jack”–An excellently researched story, as was her novel Doomsday Book, that reminded me a bit of the Dann & Dozois story, “Down Among the Dead Men.” Superficially, it’s the same idea. If vampires were real, what would they have been doing in WWII. Dann & Dozois gave us the German version; Willis gives us the English. This is also a clever story, incorporating many references to Dracula, most notably in the names of the characters. In fact, it was almost distracting. Still, Willis is a wonderful writer, and always best at the short form.
• Chris Beckett, “La Macchina”–Neat story about one possible future populated by robots. Becket accomplishes a lot in a little, and that’s good writing to me.
• Mike Resnick, “One Perfect Morning, With Jackals”–The prequel to Resnick’s Kirinyaga series, it contains the same strengths and weaknesses of the other stories in the series. Unlike other critics of this series, I’m not bothered by what Resnick may or may not be saying about technology; the weaknesses I see are in the writing–simplistic characterization, woody dialogue, etc. Resnick overcomes this by intriguing ideas and a strange mixture of legend and future.
April 30, 2025
Year under scrutiny: 1991. Or, as I will call it: "simply another year when they thought sci-fi was about stories set on modern day Earth involving mundane activities".
Just like previous year's edition - only 3 of the included stories take place off Earth or are anywhere near the actual future (yes, the future as seen from 1991).
After slowly getting fed-up with what feels like archaeology for the past 8 editions or so, my gut feeling is that the editor simply chose random stories from notable published books or magazines during the year, ignoring even his own personal taste (he claimed in some non year's best of anthologies that off-planet is his favorite sub-genre).
Story breakdown:
• Beggars in Spain • novella by Nancy Kress: 2*
Typical On-Earth Near-Future setting having to do with genetically engineering some humans to no longer need sleep. I needed a lot of sleep after reading this.
• Living Will • novelette by Alexander Jablokov: 2*
Some computer trying to imitate a human. A small preview of future Large Language Models. Unfortunately this suffers from bad writing.
• A Just and Lasting Peace • short story by Lois Tilton: 2*
I understand (and enjoy) alternate history when there's a catch. Like maybe technology arising earlier, or some big changes having happened. This is simply late 19th century USA with the Confederacy not really having fully surrendered. Nicely told, but ultimately useless.
• Skinner's Room • short story by William Gibson: 1*
The usual unreadable from this author.
• Prayers on the Wind • novella by Walter Jon Williams: 5*
The setting is superb for this one. Some remote planet where Buddhist humans are searching for their next Dalai Lama come into conflict with some aliens. Wouldn't have minded if the rest of the anthology was just this story.
• Blood Sisters • short story by Greg Egan: 1*
Very non-sci-fi-ish. Some virus, some double blind tests. Pointless.
• The Dark • short story by Karen Joy Fowler: 1*
This story is almost identical to the previous one. Again with the viruses on modern day Earth. Bizarre choice for Mr. Dozois to place these consecutively.
• Marnie • novelette by Ian R. MacLeod: 1*
More useless pretend sci-fi.
• A Tip on a Turtle • novelette by Robert Silverberg: 1*
Must be the low point of Silverberg's sci-fi career. If he ever meant to publish this as sci-fi. Bunch of people gamble on turtle races in a hotel.
• Übermensch! • short story by Kim Newman: 1*
Some sort of alternate history concerning WW2.
• Dispatches from the Revolution • novelette by Pat Cadigan: 1*
Again with the pointless alternate history of 1960's USA.
• Pipes • short story by Robert Reed: 1*
Plumber comes to fix some dude's pipes. Literally!
• Matter's End • novelette by Gregory Benford: 1*
Scientist travels to modern-day India. Long political discussions ensue.
• A History of the Twentieth Century, with Illustrations • novelette by Kim Stanley Robinson: 1*
It can't get any less sci-fi than this. Dude travels through Scotland and recounts historical events of the 20th century.
• Gene Wars • short story by Paul J. McAuley: 2*
Barely sci-fi-ish. Humans begin gene manipulation. The millionth story of this type.
• The Gallery of His Dreams • novella by Kristine Kathryn Rusch: 2*
This is like an alternate biography of Matthew Brady, a photographer from 19th century USA, with some speculative elements thrown in so it'd make a sci-fi list, I suppose.
• A Walk in the Sun • short story by Geoffrey A. Landis: 3*
Finally something almost sci-fi-ish. Shuttle crash lands on the moon and survivor is force to walk all around the moon following the sun.
• Fragments of an Analysis of a Case of Hysteria • novelette by Ian McDonald: 1*
Some unreadable nonsense told in the 2nd person.
• Angels in Love • short story by Kathe Koja: 1*
Another unreadable story.
• Eyewall • novelette by Rick Shelley: 2*
Only the 3rd or so story that is not set on Earth. Human scientists try to calm hurricanes on another planet by nuking them. Pretty boring.
• Pogrom • short story by James Patrick Kelly: 1*
Idle chatter here.
• The Moat • short story by Greg Egan: 1*
This starts with: "I'm first into the office". Didn't manage to turn two pages in it.
• Voices • short story by Jack Dann: 3*
This felt a lot like a Stephen King story. Two boys summon up the courage to attend a funeral and try to speak to the deceased.
• FOAM • novelette by Brian W. Aldiss: 1*
Some unreadable alternate near-future story.
• Jack • novella by Connie Willis: 1*
Of course, more WW2-Britain.
• La Macchina • short story by Chris Beckett: 2*
Tourist in Italy is bothered by some robots apparently showing sentience. Boring, but at least it's got robots.
• One Perfect Morning, with Jackals • short story by Mike Resnick: 4*
Lovely prequel to Resnick's Kirinyaga series. We finally get to see the 'forefather' on Earth.
• Desert Rain • novella by Pat Murphy and Mark L. Van Name: 2*
Nicely written, but ultimately pointless story about a woman befriending an AI which helps around the house.
Weighted average: 1.8. Rounding down to a 1 because of the lack of true sci-fi stories.
PS: This must be the fastest I managed to finish a book in this anthology series...
Just like previous year's edition - only 3 of the included stories take place off Earth or are anywhere near the actual future (yes, the future as seen from 1991).
After slowly getting fed-up with what feels like archaeology for the past 8 editions or so, my gut feeling is that the editor simply chose random stories from notable published books or magazines during the year, ignoring even his own personal taste (he claimed in some non year's best of anthologies that off-planet is his favorite sub-genre).
Story breakdown:
• Beggars in Spain • novella by Nancy Kress: 2*
Typical On-Earth Near-Future setting having to do with genetically engineering some humans to no longer need sleep. I needed a lot of sleep after reading this.
• Living Will • novelette by Alexander Jablokov: 2*
Some computer trying to imitate a human. A small preview of future Large Language Models. Unfortunately this suffers from bad writing.
• A Just and Lasting Peace • short story by Lois Tilton: 2*
I understand (and enjoy) alternate history when there's a catch. Like maybe technology arising earlier, or some big changes having happened. This is simply late 19th century USA with the Confederacy not really having fully surrendered. Nicely told, but ultimately useless.
• Skinner's Room • short story by William Gibson: 1*
The usual unreadable from this author.
• Prayers on the Wind • novella by Walter Jon Williams: 5*
The setting is superb for this one. Some remote planet where Buddhist humans are searching for their next Dalai Lama come into conflict with some aliens. Wouldn't have minded if the rest of the anthology was just this story.
• Blood Sisters • short story by Greg Egan: 1*
Very non-sci-fi-ish. Some virus, some double blind tests. Pointless.
• The Dark • short story by Karen Joy Fowler: 1*
This story is almost identical to the previous one. Again with the viruses on modern day Earth. Bizarre choice for Mr. Dozois to place these consecutively.
• Marnie • novelette by Ian R. MacLeod: 1*
More useless pretend sci-fi.
• A Tip on a Turtle • novelette by Robert Silverberg: 1*
Must be the low point of Silverberg's sci-fi career. If he ever meant to publish this as sci-fi. Bunch of people gamble on turtle races in a hotel.
• Übermensch! • short story by Kim Newman: 1*
Some sort of alternate history concerning WW2.
• Dispatches from the Revolution • novelette by Pat Cadigan: 1*
Again with the pointless alternate history of 1960's USA.
• Pipes • short story by Robert Reed: 1*
Plumber comes to fix some dude's pipes. Literally!
• Matter's End • novelette by Gregory Benford: 1*
Scientist travels to modern-day India. Long political discussions ensue.
• A History of the Twentieth Century, with Illustrations • novelette by Kim Stanley Robinson: 1*
It can't get any less sci-fi than this. Dude travels through Scotland and recounts historical events of the 20th century.
• Gene Wars • short story by Paul J. McAuley: 2*
Barely sci-fi-ish. Humans begin gene manipulation. The millionth story of this type.
• The Gallery of His Dreams • novella by Kristine Kathryn Rusch: 2*
This is like an alternate biography of Matthew Brady, a photographer from 19th century USA, with some speculative elements thrown in so it'd make a sci-fi list, I suppose.
• A Walk in the Sun • short story by Geoffrey A. Landis: 3*
Finally something almost sci-fi-ish. Shuttle crash lands on the moon and survivor is force to walk all around the moon following the sun.
• Fragments of an Analysis of a Case of Hysteria • novelette by Ian McDonald: 1*
Some unreadable nonsense told in the 2nd person.
• Angels in Love • short story by Kathe Koja: 1*
Another unreadable story.
• Eyewall • novelette by Rick Shelley: 2*
Only the 3rd or so story that is not set on Earth. Human scientists try to calm hurricanes on another planet by nuking them. Pretty boring.
• Pogrom • short story by James Patrick Kelly: 1*
Idle chatter here.
• The Moat • short story by Greg Egan: 1*
This starts with: "I'm first into the office". Didn't manage to turn two pages in it.
• Voices • short story by Jack Dann: 3*
This felt a lot like a Stephen King story. Two boys summon up the courage to attend a funeral and try to speak to the deceased.
• FOAM • novelette by Brian W. Aldiss: 1*
Some unreadable alternate near-future story.
• Jack • novella by Connie Willis: 1*
Of course, more WW2-Britain.
• La Macchina • short story by Chris Beckett: 2*
Tourist in Italy is bothered by some robots apparently showing sentience. Boring, but at least it's got robots.
• One Perfect Morning, with Jackals • short story by Mike Resnick: 4*
Lovely prequel to Resnick's Kirinyaga series. We finally get to see the 'forefather' on Earth.
• Desert Rain • novella by Pat Murphy and Mark L. Van Name: 2*
Nicely written, but ultimately pointless story about a woman befriending an AI which helps around the house.
Weighted average: 1.8. Rounding down to a 1 because of the lack of true sci-fi stories.
PS: This must be the fastest I managed to finish a book in this anthology series...
February 7, 2018
every single one of these collections is essential reading for true fans of science fiction short stories... each lengthy volume has a stellar array of all mini-genres and areas of powerfully influential science fiction: hard science, speculative, steampunk, alien invasions, apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic, space opera, fantasy, aliens, monsters, horror-ish, space travel, time travel, eco-science, evolutionary, pre-historic, parallel universes, extraterrestrials... in each successive volume in the series the tales have advanced and grown in imagination and detail with our ability to envision greater concepts and possibilities... Rod Serling said, "...fantasy is the impossible made probable. science fiction is the improbable made possible..." and in the pages of these books is the absolute best the vastness of science fiction writing has to offer... sit back, relax, and dream...
August 31, 2017
I've run across a few of these Dozois annual collections by chance lately, and am consistently impressed. Not absolutely every story may be to my taste, but most are good and some are very, very good. I'll be looking for the other collections for sure!
July 13, 2024
Gardner Dozois yearly summation reaches new heights and as always keeps providing wonderful introductions to all the stories within the anthology.
Beggars in Spain by Nancy Kress: 5
1st best story of the anthology: This is probably the best story from all the 9 volumes of the series I have read so far. From a merely contractual framework what do we owe the beggars in Spain? Read it to find out
Living Will by Alexander Jablokov: 4.5
A man creates a computer twin of himself to accomplish one final task before his mind goes
A Just and Lasting Peace by Lois Tilton: 2
1st worst story of the anthology: The story of two confederate boys living in the early days of a rebellion set to restart the USA's civil war
Skinner's Room by William Gibson: 2.5
A visit to an encampment of "homeless" people all over the Golden Gate bridge
Prayers on the Wind by Walter Jon Williams: 5
There is something amiss with Buddha's last incarnation as humanity finds itself on the brink of war with an alien civilization
Blood Sisters by Greg Egan: 5
Two twin sisters suffering from the same virus get the same experimental treatment, but get different outcomes
The Dark by Karen Joy Fowler: 2
2nd worst story of the anthology: Something about a feral boy being rescued from the wild
Marnie by Ian R. MacLeod: 4.5
A man resorts to time travel in a desperate attempt to change the course of a previously doomed relationship
A Tip on a Turtle by Robert Silverberg: 5
The story of a strange encounter in Jamaica with a man that is able to always predict the outcome of turtle races
Ubermensch! by Kim Newman: 4.5
A Nazi hunter comes face-to-face with the German Superman
Dispatches from the Revolution by Pat Cadigan: 5
2nd best story of the anthology: A story about how things could always be worse. In this case illustrated by the fall of the USA into a military dictatorship
Pipes by Robert Reed: 2
3rd worst story of the anthology: A native American plumbers expresses his opinions/thoughts towards a group of researchers attempting to bring prehistoric ecosystems back to life
Matter's End by Gregory Benford: 3
A scientific group in India claims to have detected proton decay
A History of the Twentieth Century, with Illustrations by Kim Stanley Robinson 3:
An author loses faith in humanity as he reviews 20th century history for his latest literary project
Gene Wars by Paul J. McAuley: 5
The life's work of a man leads humanity to the pinnacle of genetic engineering
The Gallery of His Dreams by Kristine Kathryn Rusch: 3
A time traveler commissions one of the very first photographers, Matthew Brady, to take images of history's most brutal war moments
A Walk in the Sun by Geoffrey A. Landis: 4
An astronaut walks around the moon to stay alive until her rescue
Fragments of an Analysis of a Case of Hysteria by Ian McDonald: 3
The case of a Jewish woman that had to live out her days in hiding agter the Nazis came to power
Angels in Love by Kathe Koja: 3.5
A woman becomes obsessed with the sounds made by the couple next door and decides to pay them a visit while they are going at it
Eyewall by Rick Shelley: 4
You do the math. Nuclear bombs + hurricanes on an alien planet = ?
Pogrom by James Patrick Kelly: 3
Extreme juvenoia and gerontophobia taken to their logical conclusion
The Moat by Greg Egan: 5
A married couple made up of an immigration lawyer and a forensic biologist stumbles upon a real conspiracy in Australia
Voices by Jack Dann: 2
Two kids go to a funeral because one of them claims he can talk with the dead
FOAM by Brian W. Aldiss: 3
A man gets his memories stolen which are then used to blackmail him
Jack by Connie Willis: 4.5
The story of Jack the greatest rescuer in Britain during The Blitz
La Macchina by Chris Beckett: 5
Two brothers visit Italy and experience many of the robots Italy has to offer
One Perfect Morning, with Jackals by Mike Resnick: 5
3rd best story of the anthology: The tale of a man setting out to pursue his dreams of Utopia
Desert Rain by Mark L. Van Name and Pat Murphy: 5
An originally reluctant wife ends up bonding with the artificial intelligence system set up by her husband to watch over the house
Beggars in Spain by Nancy Kress: 5
1st best story of the anthology: This is probably the best story from all the 9 volumes of the series I have read so far. From a merely contractual framework what do we owe the beggars in Spain? Read it to find out
Living Will by Alexander Jablokov: 4.5
A man creates a computer twin of himself to accomplish one final task before his mind goes
A Just and Lasting Peace by Lois Tilton: 2
1st worst story of the anthology: The story of two confederate boys living in the early days of a rebellion set to restart the USA's civil war
Skinner's Room by William Gibson: 2.5
A visit to an encampment of "homeless" people all over the Golden Gate bridge
Prayers on the Wind by Walter Jon Williams: 5
There is something amiss with Buddha's last incarnation as humanity finds itself on the brink of war with an alien civilization
Blood Sisters by Greg Egan: 5
Two twin sisters suffering from the same virus get the same experimental treatment, but get different outcomes
The Dark by Karen Joy Fowler: 2
2nd worst story of the anthology: Something about a feral boy being rescued from the wild
Marnie by Ian R. MacLeod: 4.5
A man resorts to time travel in a desperate attempt to change the course of a previously doomed relationship
A Tip on a Turtle by Robert Silverberg: 5
The story of a strange encounter in Jamaica with a man that is able to always predict the outcome of turtle races
Ubermensch! by Kim Newman: 4.5
A Nazi hunter comes face-to-face with the German Superman
Dispatches from the Revolution by Pat Cadigan: 5
2nd best story of the anthology: A story about how things could always be worse. In this case illustrated by the fall of the USA into a military dictatorship
Pipes by Robert Reed: 2
3rd worst story of the anthology: A native American plumbers expresses his opinions/thoughts towards a group of researchers attempting to bring prehistoric ecosystems back to life
Matter's End by Gregory Benford: 3
A scientific group in India claims to have detected proton decay
A History of the Twentieth Century, with Illustrations by Kim Stanley Robinson 3:
An author loses faith in humanity as he reviews 20th century history for his latest literary project
Gene Wars by Paul J. McAuley: 5
The life's work of a man leads humanity to the pinnacle of genetic engineering
The Gallery of His Dreams by Kristine Kathryn Rusch: 3
A time traveler commissions one of the very first photographers, Matthew Brady, to take images of history's most brutal war moments
A Walk in the Sun by Geoffrey A. Landis: 4
An astronaut walks around the moon to stay alive until her rescue
Fragments of an Analysis of a Case of Hysteria by Ian McDonald: 3
The case of a Jewish woman that had to live out her days in hiding agter the Nazis came to power
Angels in Love by Kathe Koja: 3.5
A woman becomes obsessed with the sounds made by the couple next door and decides to pay them a visit while they are going at it
Eyewall by Rick Shelley: 4
You do the math. Nuclear bombs + hurricanes on an alien planet = ?
Pogrom by James Patrick Kelly: 3
Extreme juvenoia and gerontophobia taken to their logical conclusion
The Moat by Greg Egan: 5
A married couple made up of an immigration lawyer and a forensic biologist stumbles upon a real conspiracy in Australia
Voices by Jack Dann: 2
Two kids go to a funeral because one of them claims he can talk with the dead
FOAM by Brian W. Aldiss: 3
A man gets his memories stolen which are then used to blackmail him
Jack by Connie Willis: 4.5
The story of Jack the greatest rescuer in Britain during The Blitz
La Macchina by Chris Beckett: 5
Two brothers visit Italy and experience many of the robots Italy has to offer
One Perfect Morning, with Jackals by Mike Resnick: 5
3rd best story of the anthology: The tale of a man setting out to pursue his dreams of Utopia
Desert Rain by Mark L. Van Name and Pat Murphy: 5
An originally reluctant wife ends up bonding with the artificial intelligence system set up by her husband to watch over the house
December 1, 2022
Another excellent collection of stories from the annual anthology by the great Gardner Dozois. Stand outs for me in these earlier works are the short stories of Kim Stanley Robinson among others. Connie Willis' story "Jack" stood out in this volume though just about all the stories were engaging. The problem with me with short story collections is that it's hard to keep all the stories and authors straight. In a novel there is time to be immersed and take the book into long term memory. Reading so many stories over a relatively short time makes it hard to retain - although when glancing back over the stories I remember virtually all of them. Interesting to see how the group of authors - fairly consistent - has evolved over the years, and how a few outstanding authors were present for virtually the entire 35 years of this series. Also impressive is how early on authors used global warming as a theme. I admit I don't read much of the preface but what stands out for me is how earlier trends of e-books, work at home, pandemic, and global warming are mentioned so long ago. Also poignant are the notable deaths each year of sci-fi authors and other greats in the world of media overall. I have around 22 more volumes to go - when faced with no more I will again mourn the loss of Gardner Dozois - for me setting the gold standard for great sci-fi (and any genre) writing.
March 6, 2019
As usual...
Some good stories, some bad ones, a couple I found unreadable, and a handful of great, thought provoking ones. Typical of anthologies, of which this series is the best.
Some good stories, some bad ones, a couple I found unreadable, and a handful of great, thought provoking ones. Typical of anthologies, of which this series is the best.
October 8, 2022
A collection of master story tellers (a few of the writers are not).
January 4, 2025
Favorites: 'Skinner's Room', 'A History of the Twentieth Century, with Illustrations', 'Jack'.
Currently reading
January 20, 2025"The Moat" by Greg Egan - This story postulates that wealthy elitist groups are conducting biomedical research in order to separate themselves from the rest of humanity.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 1, 2015
The Year’s Best Science Fiction : Ninth Annual Collection was published in 1992 and presents a selection of the better SF short story writing of 1991. As usual, the editor begins by summarising developments in the genre during the year in some detail, before launching into the stories themselves, each of which begins with a short potted history of the author concerned. The stories themselves are pretty good for the most part, but there are, arguably, at least a couple of duds. Not bad, considering the number of stories included, so very enjoyable overall.
May 4, 2012
Been a long time since I've read this. The only story I recall with certainty is Kress' Beggars In Spain novella, which became the basis for epic Beggars series. Gibson's Skinner's Room would later become Virtual Light, though at the time I believe I read Virtual Light first. In fact, I believe I worked backwards and bought this book after reading later collections.
Read
August 15, 2012This is a survey of 1991's science fiction in all media. These stories from this volume were especial favorites of mine:
Beggars in Spain by Nancy Kress -- genetically engineered children who do not need sleep
Jack by Connie Willis -- one of my favorite of her stories; set in London during WW2.
Beggars in Spain by Nancy Kress -- genetically engineered children who do not need sleep
Jack by Connie Willis -- one of my favorite of her stories; set in London during WW2.
June 25, 2021
This is really a three and a half star review. As always, an anthology has unevenness in how good the stories are and several did not appeal to me, several were really really good, and the rest were good. My favourite was A Walk in the Sun by Geoffrey A Landis. Because this was published in 1991, it has become very dated, but I found it in a street library and swapped it. Enjoyable.
January 30, 2012
If you read one sci-fi book a year, this is the one. Always stories of high caliber with a few tossed in that will keep you thinking weeks later, not to mention the collection is a primer for what science and technology everyone will be talking about five to ten years from now.
May 25, 2011
This volume published July 1992
Contains the stories "Jack" by Connie Willis, an author I love. Also "Beggars in Spain" by Nancy Kress, another marvel.
Contains the stories "Jack" by Connie Willis, an author I love. Also "Beggars in Spain" by Nancy Kress, another marvel.
November 25, 2015
One more volume in the definitive best science fiction series. If you want to read the best, here it is.
September 27, 2019
About 15-20% are nuggets, but the rest was nothing special.
June 1, 2021
some pearls some okay
June 27, 2015
Martin's stories were amazing. Most of the rest weren't really to my taste.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews