Future Games

by Paula Guran (Editor), Orson Scott Card, Cory Doctorow

Human competition is eternal. We thrill to victory, we suffer the agony of defeat. No matter what the future brings, sports will be a part of it. But what forms will these games take? Who will be the spectator, who will play? Will aliens be our opponents or machines? Will physical competition even exist? What rules will we play by? What will be at stake? What rewards will be reaped by the victors? What fates await the defeated? Will the entire universe be our arena or will our world be smaller than today? Visionary authors speculate on what swifter, higher, stronger, and winning will mean in the near and distant future.

Preface by Paula Guran
Will the Chill by John Shirley
Run to Starlight by George R. R. Martin
Man-Mountain Gentian by Howard Waldrop
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
The Fate of Nations by James Morrow
Unsportsmanlike Conduct by Scott Westerfeld
Ladies and Gentlemen, This Is Your Crisis! by Kate Wilhelm
Breakaway by George Alec Effinger
Kip, Running by Genevieve Williams
Diamond Girls by Louise Marley
Anda’s Game by Cory Doctorow
Listen by Joel Richards
Name That Planet! by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough
Distance by Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff
Pawn by Timons Esaias
The Survivor by Walter F. Moudy

Genres: Science Fiction, Anthologies, Short Stories, Fiction

384 pages, Paperback

Published January 22, 2013

About the author

Paula Guran is senior editor for Prime Books. She edited the Juno fantasy imprint from its small press inception through its incarnation as an imprint of Pocket Books. She is also senior editor of Prime's soon-to-launch digital imprint Masque Books. Guran edits the annual Year's Best Dark Fantasy and Horror series as well as a growing number of other anthologies. In an earlier life she produced weekly email newsletter DarkEcho (winning two Stokers, an IHG award, and a World Fantasy Award nomination), edited Horror Garage (earning another IHG and a second World Fantasy nomination), and has contributed reviews, interviews, and articles to numerous professional publications.

Reviews

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Anda’s Game” by Cory Doctorow 3 stars
“Breakaway” by George Alec Effinger 2 Stars
“Will the Chill” by John Shirley 1 star
“Run to Starlight” by George R.R. Martin 1 Star
“The Survivor” by Walter F. Moudy 3 stars
“Name That Planet!” by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough 2 stars
“Unsportsmanlike Conduct” by Scott Westerfeld 4 stars
“Ladies and Gentlemen, This Is Your Crisis!” by Kate Wilhelm 4 stars
“Kip Running” by Genevieve Williams 4 stars

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Editor Paula Guran has put together a really great anthology of sf stories involving a variety sports and games in Future Games. From a sport involving planets colliding to a story about the children of enemies playing football, the stories span the familiar to the unfamiliar.

There are a wide variety of authors included in the collection with stories going back as far as 1965. Included is the original novella for 'Ender's Game' by Orson Scott Card as well as stories by Cory Doctorow, George R. R. Martin and Scott Westerfield, among others. There are encounters with alien beings, reality television events and sports played on strange terrain.

An editor of an anthology has the job of deciding what to include and exclude in a collection like this, and usually I walk away liking most of the stories. In this case, I can't think of one I didn't enjoy in this collection. There are a couple standout favorites, but the collection stands quite nicely in it's complete form. All the stories seemed to focus on what it means to be human and compete, whether your opponent is an alien lifeform, or your own mind. I'm glad I picked this one up.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's not to like? This is the perfect combination: Sports and sci-fi. An excellent compilation. I loved most of the stories. But like any anthology, there are always a few stories that are really memorable and a few that you kind of skim though. One of my favorites was "Unsportsmanlike Conduct" by Scott Westerfeld. I also enjoyed revisiting the short story "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card which was expanded into the novel of the same name.

This is a collection of 16 stories from authors such as Orson Scott Card, Cory Doctorow, George R.R. Martin, Scott Westerfeld and many others. All but one were previously published. The earliest "The Survivor" by Walter F. Moudy was from 1965. The latest "Kip, Running" by Genevieve Williams was published in March. 2010. Most of the stories have a central theme of a type of organized team sport, but a couple are more in the game vein, which works since the book is called Future Games.

I give this 4 stars out of 5.
I received this book for free through NetGalley.com.

[CM]

i definitely wanted to be more into this collection than i'm ending up. the premise is great, but the collection seems to suffer from two problems: 1) it feels very dated, and 2) there's a lack of... imagination overall. the first issue has to do with the fact that while the anthology was put out in 2013, the most recent story within it was first published in 2008. additionally, the collection feels dated because of its composition - of sixteen stories, only five are from women (who play more games and sports than either industry's media likes to give credit to), and the majority of stories are from authors over 50 (whose relationship to games and sports is and was probably a lot different than that of more contemporary players and athletes). the imagination issue was more disappointing, in the sense that i wasn't often wowed by the sport-ness that was introduced. i like sports and games A LOT, and i think that anyone who does too might have come up with some more clever twists on rules and goals.

[Taldragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Human competition is eternal. We thrill to victory, we suffer the agony of defeat. No matter what the future brings, sports will be a part of it. But what forms will these games take? Who will be the spectator, who will play? Will aliens be our opponents or machines? Will physical competition even exist? What rules will we play by? What will be at stake? What rewards will be reaped by the victors? What fates await the defeated? Will the entire universe be our arena or will our world be smaller than today? Visionary authors speculate on what swifter, higher, stronger, and winning will mean in the near and distant future.

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the stories in this book. The sports were different and varied; yet gave an interesting view of how sports could vary. the planet throwers were the most astounding, yet creative thought into future sports.
It was interesting to read of a number of sports that have somewhat similar sports in more current stories and tv. I think I would prefer their reality survivalist game where a few people have to get to the "flags" at the outskirts, competing against nature and themselves.
Well written and entertaining.

[Alisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Collections of short stories are really hard to rate because there is such a variety in the quality of writing. Some of the stories in this book were really very good - some were just stupid. Still, I would recommend it to any of my fellow nerdy friends who love both sports and science fiction. Which is probably no one.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The allure of sports has always baffled me. This book I thought would help me understand by way of a recreation that does interest me, science fiction. By the end I gained no further insight. Interesting stories nonetheless.

[Derek · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mixed bag. Some stories I really liked and most were OK with a few the didn't click for me. My favorites were:

Run to Starlight by George R. R. Martin
Will the Chill by John Shirley
Unsportsmanlike Conduct by Scott Westerfeld

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started this collection of short stories this morning. It's very cool see how each of the authors has taken the games we play to today into the future, like American football & Sumo Wrestling, as well as create future games from scratch.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well-rounded selection of short science fiction stories about futuristic games and sports founded on mankind's love of competitive challenges. The stories are well written so as to hold the reader's attention.

[Rebecka · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with all anthologies, a few of the stories were weak, but overall an excellent collection.

[Doug Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

some of the stories rock.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Library edition

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hit or miss collection of short stores.

[Jen]

I was good until the final story. That was not the kind of ending to a book that I enjoy.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting collection of sports based sci-fi. Some stories better than others. Excellent imagery in the story by Effinger.