Modern Classics of Fantasy

by Gardner Dozois (Editor), James P. Blaylock (Contributor), Tanith Lee (Contributor)

This is the kind of assortment that can hook a reader on short fantasy. Thirty-two good stories--some previously anthologized, some hot off the press ("Beauty and the Opera" by Suzy McKee Charnas appeared in July 1996), and a few once considered classic, but now nearly forgotten (Thomas Burnett Swann is rapidly falling out of sight)--offer entertainment for every taste. Many of the stories ("The Overworld" by Jack Vance, and "The Changeling" by Michael Swanwick) also offer continuation elsewhere as part of a longer work.

Gardner Dozois's emphasis is on magazine fiction. As such, it's an interesting view of the evolution and increasing sophistication of the "pulps"--and their readers. For this reason this would be an excellent text for a course on modern fantasy writing. Stories from Asimov Science Fiction Magazine, which Dozois edits, are prominent among the recent pieces. Providing a brief history of 20th-century fantasy, the introduction seems written with the new reader in mind.


Contents
Walk Like a Mountain • [John the Balladeer] • (1955) • shortstory by Manly Wade Wellman
Scylla's Daughter • [Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser] • (1961) • novella by Fritz Leiber
Paper Dragons • (1985) • novelette by James P. Blaylock
The Golem • (1955) • shortstory by Avram Davidson
Flowers of Edo • (1987) • novelette by Bruce Sterling
Bears Discover Fire • (1990) • shortstory by Terry Bisson
The Changeling's Tale • (1994) • shortstory by Michael Swanwick
Missolonghi 1824 • (1990) • shortstory by John Crowley
Blunderbore • (1990) • shortstory by Esther M. Friesner
Into Gold • (1986) • novelette by Tanith Lee
Space-Time for Springers • [Gummitch the Cat] • (1958) • shortstory by Fritz Leiber
Beauty and the Opéra or the Phantom Beast • (1996) • novelette by Suzy McKee Charnas
The Man Who Painted the Dragon Griaule • [Griaule] • (1984) • novelette by Lucius Shepard
A Cabin on the Coast • (1984) • shortstory by Gene Wolfe
The Sleep of Trees • (1980) • shortstory by Jane Yolen
Trouble with Water • (1939) • shortstory by H. L. Gold
The Gnarly Man • (1939) • novelette by L. Sprague de Camp
Death and the Executioner • [Lord of Light] • (1967) • novelette by Roger Zelazny
The Manor of Roses • [John & Stephen] • (1966) • novella by Thomas Burnett Swann
The Overworld • [Dying Earth] • (1965) • novelette by Jack Vance
Extempore • (1956) • shortstory by Damon Knight
God's Hooks! • (1982) • shortstory by Howard Waldrop
Buffalo Gals, Won't You Come Out Tonight • (1987) • novelette by Ursula K. Le Guin
The Tale of Hauk • (1977) • novelette by Poul Anderson
A Gift of the People • (1988) • shortstory by Robert Sampson
Configuration of the North Shore • (1969) • shortstory by R. A. Lafferty
Two Sadnesses • (1973) • shortstory by George Alec Effinger
Manatee Gal, Won't You Come Out Tonight • [Jack Limekiller] • (1977) • novelette by Avram Davidson (aka Manatee Gal Ain't You Coming Out Tonight)
The Signaller • [Pavane] • (1966) • novelette by Keith Roberts
The Troll • (1935) • shortstory by T. H. White
Death and the Lady • (1992) • novelette by Judith Tarr
Professor Gottesman and the Indian Rhinoceros • (1995) • novelette by Peter S. Beagle
Preface (Modern Classics of Fantasy) • (1997) • essay by Gardner Dozois
Recommended Reading (Modern Classics of Fantasy) • essay by Gardner Dozois

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Anthologies, Fiction, Science Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Ebooks

672 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Gardner 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...

Reviews

[Werner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note, Feb.25, 2021: I've just edited this review to correct a minor typo (an omitted ").

The thirty authors of the selections here (Avram Davidson and Fritz Leiber are represented twice) include a roster of some of the best-known names in speculative fiction in the last 60 years of the 20th-century, plus some less well-known writers who deserve to be more famous. Dozois' definition of fantasy is broad, including pretty much anything supernatural as long as it isn't horrific, plus forays into soft sci-fi; Terry Bisson's "Bears Discover Fire" is an example of surrealism -and one of the few works from that school that's really an good, readable story!--, and Charnas' take-off on The Phantom of the Opera is not speculative as such, but certainly exotic and macabre (and makes me want to read the original book). The tone of the stories varies from tragic and poignant to humorous, with settings from the past, present and future, and all around the world and on other worlds. A couple of stories, like Keith Roberts' "The Signaller," are explicitly pagan in their world-view; but a surprising number have a Christian message or favorably- treated Christian elements. Arrangement of the stories is mostly chronological (though T. H. White's "The Troll" is dated by a copyright renewal rather than by its original publication).

It's impossible for me to pick a single favorite story here; but if I'd try to narrow it down, some finalists would include: Manly Wade Wellman's Silver John story "Walk Like a Mountain;" Howard Waldrop's "God's Hooks!" White's "The Troll;" Thomas Burnett Swann's "The Manor of Roses;" Avram Davidson's "Manatee Gal Ain't You Coming Out Tonight" and "The Golem;" Poul Anderson's Viking ghost story "The Tale of Hauk;" L. Sprague de Camp's "The Gnarly Man;" and Harold L. Gold's "The Trouble With Water." Other authors represented with quality pieces include Tanith Lee, Gene Wolfe, Judith Tarr, James P. Blaylock, and Bruce Sterling.

Naturally, in an anthology this thick, few readers will like all of the selections: I didn't care for the ones by Ursula LeGuin, Esther Freisner, or George Alec Effinger. But in the main, Dozois' editorial taste is impeccable; the overall quality of the other 29 stories makes this absolutely one of the best general collections of speculative fiction that I've ever come across. It's a reader's treasury --and an excellent sampler introducing the work of authors you find yourself wanting to get better acquainted with. (And the editor's appended list of "Recommended Reading" is a nice feature for helping you do it!) Dozois is also the editor of Modern Classics of Science Fiction and Modern Classics of Horror; I haven't read either of those --but I definitely want to someday.

[Terence · Rating 3 out of 5]

CAVEAT EMPTOR - This is not a review/commentary on the entire collection. Though I read many of the other stories in the anthology & enjoyed most of them, my primary focus was on Thomas Burnett Swann's "The Manor of Roses," whose existence was made known to me by Werner A. (thanks, Werner, you were right :-) in a comment on my review of Swann's Green Phoenix here.

"The Manor of Roses" is a tale about three children (two boys & a girl) on the cusp of adulthood and the lady of the manor. John is the son of a Norman baron in early 13th century England, despised by his father because he'd rather study than join his father's retinue in a hunt; Stephen is one of John's father's villeins and John's closest friend (read "only friend"); and Ruth is a young, mysterious girl found by Stephen in the ruins of a Roman-era Mithraeum. Stephen has dreams of voyaging to Outremer and joining a Crusade. His discovery of Ruth and a final humiliation of John by his father prompt the trio to run off to London, where they'll take ship to the Levant.

Before they're even a day's journey from home, the boys are abducted by the Mandrake People, faerie-like inhabitants of the wood, who mistakenly believe they've killed one of their children. Ruth rescues them by bribing the Mandrakes with a bejewelled crucifix but incurs John's suspicions that she may be a Mandrake herself - a changling who's lived among humans long enough to pass for one of them. But John's paranoia may be a product of his jealousy as he sees Ruth coming between himself and Stephen.

Having escaped the Mandrakes, the children come upon the titular manor and are taken in by its mistress, Lady Mary, the widow of a Crusader, who has lost not only a husband but a son as well, when he hared off to follow in his father's footsteps but was cut down by a thief before he could even set sail. There follows a confrontation with Ruth over her real identity, and a revelation of Lady Mary's that isn't wholly unexpected but nevertheless gives the story a moral power it otherwise might have lacked.

Swann resembles one of my favorite authors - Edgar Pangborn - in style and sentiment. Both authors' focus on themes of love, trust, friendship & faith, and the bittersweetness of life, without be preachy or self-righteous.

I left Green Phoenix sitting on the fence but in the face "The Manor of Roses," I'm putting Swann on my favorite authors list and will hunt down more of his work.

[Charlie Eckhaus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another for me obligatory milestone anthology, with lots of familiar but untasted names.

The Trouble with Water by HL Gold: Skipped this one, as I just (re-)read it elsewhere and the experience stuck most satisfactorily.
The Gnarly Man by L Sprague deCamp: Re-read to refresh my memory --the story serves its trope so well.
The Golem by Avram Davidson: I can't help imagine this as a Gahan Wilson-illustrated comic book story.
Walk Like a Mountain by Manly Wade Wellman: Backwoods mythic gem.
Extempore by Damon Knight: A time travel story I think I understand, but Knght's writing clarity is always an issue for me.
Space Time for Springers by Fritz Leiber: Delightful point-of-view masterpiece.
Scylla's Daughter by Fritz Leiber: Savored the lively writing by this master, long a favorite of mine.
The Otherworld by Jack Vance: Another forever favorite with a representative superlative tale of Cugel and The Dying Earth.
The Signaller by Keith Roberts: An author I'm barely familiar with creates a distinctive feel and mood.
The Manor of Roses by Thomas Burnett Swann: Promising start to journey adventure.
Death and the Executioner by Roger Zelazny: Exotic mythic/religious feel, would probably have enjoyed more if I had a stronger grounding in these things.
Configuration of the North Shore by RA Lafferty: Unusual for me puzzling example of the author's wonderful whimsy
Two Sadnesses by George Alec Effinger: Interest rose from the apparent clash in intent and the nature of the principals, if I got it straight.
Tale of Hauk by Poul Anderson: Authenticity of setting, strong rugged writing with touches of warmth
Manatee Gals Ain't You Coming Out Tonight by Avram Davidson: Tedious and slow-paced but eventually rewarding, with dialects and even a bit of suspense, but I feel ed overendorses it.
The Troll by TH White: A disappointment
The Sleep of Trees by Jane Yolen: First sampling of this author, well-written but it just sits there for me
God's Hooks by Howard Waldrop: Moderately entertaining tall tale, not so classic for me
The Man Who Painted the Dragon Griaule by Lucius Shepard: Another classic that puzzles me: had some trouble visualizing, overlong, rambling and vague in point.
Cabin on the Coast by Gene Wolfe: A straightforward (I think) short tale, but classic?
Paper Dragons by James P. Blaylock: Evocative writing but not much to latch onto.
Into Gold by Tanith Lee: A small effort to get into (I'm poorly-read with this author,) but much worth it for the emotional payoff.
Flowers of Edo by Bruce Sterling: The charmes of this one elude me.
Buffalo Gals Won't You Come Out Tonight by Ursula K Le Guin: I'm skipping this one due to fairly recent reading elsewhere, with the recollection of enjoyment of the magical atmosphere and thinking I "got" it.
Gift of the People by Robert Sampson: Nicely written but meaningless to me
Missolonghi 1826 by John Crowley: A delusion?
Bears Discover Fire by Terry Bisson: Skipped it, but recollecting my the first reread, I still say it's highly overrated and "So what?"
Blunderbore by Esther Friesner: Not so hilarious for me, nor significant. Reliance on modern social attitudes didn't help.
Death and the Lady by Judith Tarr: Atmospheric and absorbing, a highlight here.
Changeling's Tale by Michael Swanwick: Nice writing, more plot preferred.
Professor Gottesman and the Indian Rhinoceros by Peter S Beagle: The hit of the book for me -- whimsical and emotional.
Beauty and the Opera or the Phantom Beast by Suzy McKee Charnas: Exceptionally well-told erotic melding of two classic stories. Wisely chosen as the closing piece here.
Recommended reading, Very useful guide to erstwhile authors and promising collections to track down.

[Meredith is a hot mess]

Note: Contains Into Gold by Tanith Lee

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

A big anthology, 32 stories and a long preface that takes about 660+ pages total. The stories date from 1939 to 1996 and according to the editor they were all favorites of his. The majority of the stories were first published in a variety of magazines. Frankly I'm a little disappointed with this - there are too many weak stories. This does manage to present a wide variety of material to show the breadth of writing that can be considered fantasy. For me this meant that some of the types just failed to entertain me, especially the ones that tried to be humorous fantasy. The appearance of several strong stories and a few exceptional ones let me give this an overall OK to good rating. The editor writes a nice introduction to each and often gives a long recitation of titles by the author that was probably more useful in pre-internet times than now.

I'm not going to give a blow by blow of each story - that would be a task!. Among the stories that entertained and amused me was "Space-time for Springers" by Fritz Leiber, a story inside the head of a precocious kitten.

Many years ago, when I was in college in fact, I read Jack Vance's "The Dying Earth" and was quite taken with it as I recall. In this collection is the novelette "The Overlord" which is supposed to be a story (one of many) that follows the original collection. It didn't trigger any recollection at all, although it is clearly written and enjoyable in the stylish fantasy prose that marks Vance's stories. I was glad to have read this but don't know how it connects to the original work.

Friends asked recently if I liked Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories and I couldn't recall, although I thought I had read a bit of them in my teens or early 20's. Surprisingly (or not) there was one in this collection - a novella "Scylla's Daughter." Unfortunately this story did not catch my fancy at all and I started to skim it and then gave it up. I did later go back and read the latter part of the story I had skimmed. It confirmed that this is just not my sort of story, even with cats. Not a bad story, just not my preference.

Keith Roberts' "The Signaller" was a wonderful heartwarming and ultimately heartbreaking story set in an imagined alternate history England which reminded me that I must read Roberts' classic novel "Pavane" much sooner rather than later. The intro to this story tells me that this became part of the novel. Great imagination and storytelling with this one.

'The Manor of Roses' was an awesome piece of historical fiction/fantasy, a novella by Thomas Burnett Swann that the editor, in 1997, proclaimed one of the finest pieces of fantasy of the preceding 30 years. I'll make that 50 years. The writing is lovely without falling over the edge into purple schlock. It is a bit of a horror story as well as a fantasy and I was thoroughly entranced. Without giving things away the horror aspect here is primarily caused by mandrakes. Day of the Triffids type mandrakes! As an adult this is fairly mild but if I had read this as a child I may have missed much of the beauty and skill of the writing but would probably have had a nightmare or two and would never ever have ventured into an English garden or forest. I'll seek out other works by Swann in the future (he died in 1976). I believe I have one of his novels buried away somewhere.

I liked Poul Anderson's Nordic historical fiction / supernatural fantasy 'The Tale of Hauk.' This is told like we are reading an old Viking Saga and gives us a taste of what might happen if you die the wrong way. I've enjoyed this type of fantasy from Anderson before. He slips little details in with what might look like a throwaway sentence, but I appreciate it when a skillful author can do that.

I do really like it when an author can give me a story in about 10 pages that fully transports my mind to another place or gives me a look at something unexpected with enough detail. Anderson's 'The Tale of Hauk' took 17 pages to do that, but T.H. White and Jane Yolen manage to do that very nicely in about 10 pages each. White takes us on a visit to Lapland where we encounter 'The Troll', and Yolen puts us inside the mind of a tree spirit with 'The Sleep of Trees.' I read quite a few short stories and poems by Yolen within the pages of science fiction and fantasy magazines in the mid 80's and onward. They generally always satisfied. 'The Sleep of Trees' dates to a 1980 magazine publication and was new to me.

One of the grandest stories in here, and the story that is the source of the painting that graces the cover of this collection, is Lucius Shepard's 'The Man Who Painted the Dragon Griaule.' I had just started (in 1984) a one year sub to the Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (a Christmas gift from my spouse to be) and this story showed up in the last issue of the year (December 1984). I was devouring every one of the stories in the mags but this one knocked it out of the park. Re-reading it I can once again experience the discovery of the imagination that created this story. A little dark, and the sequel if I recall gets even darker (note to self - re-read the followup novella 'The Scalehunter's Beautiful Daughter'). I won't spoil the story but it is certainly among the best pieces of fantasy I read in the 80's. The story here is only 24 pages but I had it in my memory as much longer. I think I had added in one or two of the followup novellas. Shepard wrote some amazing stuff in the fantasy and science fiction genre in the 80's and into the 90's but his focus shifted more to horror in later years which I did not enjoy nearly as much as his earlier work. I need to read and re-read more of his works.

Slightly awesome to my warped mind is that the story that follows Griaule is 'A Cabin on the Coast' by Gene Wolfe, which appeared in the first copy (February 1984) of The magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction I recieved in the mail those many years ago. This is a subtly spooky story about a ghost ship on the California coast that ventures into horror territory and even gave me a nightmare!

Ursula K Le Guin's 'Buffalo Gals, Won't You Come Out Tonight' is good but left me with mixed feelings. The story is a long short story that maybe needed to be the length of a true novella. It plays with the coyote-trickster character of Native American mythology who rescues a small girl who fell from the sky - the girl remembers being in a small plane. The coyote seems to be a shapeshifter. In fact just about everyone who shows up seems likely to be a shapeshifter. I won't try to analyze this story - I'm sure there is intended to be layers of meaning. There's some strange creepiness in here.

'Bears Discover Fire' by Terry Bisson is one of my very favorite fantasy short stories of all time. I first read it when it was published in Asimov''s magazine in 1990 and I've read it several times since. It won a slew of awards. It is a story that is what the title says - and it is also something more. Highly recommended.

[Godly Gadfly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mixed bag (3 stars)

This tome is a large anthology containing more than 30 fantasy stories that were written from the mid-1930s to the mid-1990s. It's a companion to a similar collection of science fiction stories. The included stories range in length from short stories to novelettes and novellas. Each begins with a helpful overview from editor Gardner Dozois about the author and the story. A lot of the content is mediocre, and some of the stories contain profanity and immorality, so I can't give an unqualified recommendation for this collection. But it's still worthwhile picking out some of the better stories to read. I also found it helpful to get a basic overview of each story before reading it, because that can help overcome the opaqueness that will in some instances be a barrier to enjoying the story.

There aren't that many entries that I thoroughly enjoyed, but these are the ones I especially recommend:

"Space-Time for Springers" (Fritz Leiber) is a marvellous short story from the viewpoint of a super-intelligent kitten named Gummitch. Gummitch has the theory that it will eventually morph into a human and drink coffee, and that the two humans it lives with (whom it dubs Old Horsemeat and Kitty-Come-Here) are its actual parents. It's an ingenious story where everything makes sense once you step into the kitten's head.

"The Overworld" (Jack Vance) is a novella that became part of "The Eyes of the Overworld", the sequel to Vance's famous "The Dying Earth". As punishment for being caught trying to steal from a magician, the trickster Cugel is sent on a quest to obtain magical violet lenses that reveal the Overworld. A sentient creature is magically attached to his liver to ensure he doesn't deviate from his mission. The story stands well on its own, has good world-building, and the concept of magical lenses that show another and better world while living in an inferior one is brilliant.

"A Cabin on the Coast" (Gene Wolfe) is widely regarded as one of the enigmatic Wolfe's more accessible short stories. When Tim's girlfriend goes missing from the cottage where they are staying, he makes a deal with the ghost ship that captured her, offering 20 years of service in return for her freedom. But when he swims back to shore to rejoin her he is in for a surprise.

"Bears Discover Fire" (Terry Bisson) is a short story that has won multiple awards and is widely praised. The premise of the story is exactly what the title suggests: suppose bears discovered fire and no longer needed to hibernate in winter. It's an imaginative and touching story that also has some good things to say about family and community.

"Professor Gottesman and the Indian Rhinoceros" (Peter S. Beagle) is a charming and whimsical novelette in which a philosophy professor meets a talking rhinoceros that manages to avoid being seen by anyone else. Claiming it is a unicorn, the rhinoceros turns out to be like the best imaginary friend possible, moving in with the professor, and talking philosophy with him.

Less satisfying, but somewhat good in one way or another were the following:

"The Signaller" (Keith Roberts) is an interesting novella in light of the alternative history that Roberts has created. The setting is an imagined world where the Spanish Armada succeeds, and England is defeated by the Spanish. Technology is hindered under the repressive rule of the Catholics, and communication across the country happens via a network of semaphore stations run by the secretive Guild of Signallers. The story tells how Rafe Bigland is apprenticed to the signallers, culminating in a final test where he must man a remote signal station. Along with "The Lady Margaret" (corresponding science fiction anthology) and more, it later became part of Roberts' novel "Pavane".

"Two Sadnesses" (George Alec Effinger) consists of two short stories, one told with the characters and style of Winnie the Pooh, the other with the characters and style of the Wind in the Willows. The first one is worth reading, and does a good job of showing the melancholy of a destroyed world as it might look to a Winnie the Pooh character.

"God's Hooks!" (Howard Waldrop) is an unusual fishing story about the one that got away, and was nominated for a 1982 Nebula Award. What will happen when a group of fishermen including Izaak Walton, the author of The Compleat Angler, meets with up with a religious prophet in John Bunyan, while fishing for Leviathan in the Slough of Despond? It is set after the Great London Fire of 1666, and reflects that historical period, including some of the religious sentiments of the time.

"Beauty and the Opéra or The Phantom Beast" (Suzy McKee Charnas) is a clever novella that blends aspects of two familiar classics: The Phantom of the Opera and Beauty and the Beast. It describes what might have happened had Christine committed to marrying the Phantom (Erik) for five years in return for letting her lover Raoul go free. The love that she develops for the Phantom brings to mind the Stockholm syndrome, although she also uses this to manipulate him. But despite some clever aspects about the story, there's far too much explicit detail about their nightly passion for me to be able to recommend this.

These last four all made some kind of impression on me, but were middle of the road at best. The ones I'd recommend reading and savouring are "Space-Time for Springers", "The Overworld", "A Cabin on the Coast", "Bears Discover Fire", and "Professor Gottesman and the Indian Rhinoceros".

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some really good stuff, but unfortunately suffers that common anthology affliction of having a few too many duds.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wide spread of talents from the 1940s up to the 1990s, each with a little preamble speaking on the author's clout and body of work. Some of these are quite well known writers while many are fairly obscure by today's standards. Their length ranges from a handful of pages to 40 or 50 page novellettes.

The sheer variety, alone, is enough to elevate this collection above many others of its kind. Some are quite silly, others lean into the more horrific. There are some with quite mature and even sexual focal points while others are quite suitable for younger readers. With this variance some stories will be real page burners while others may fail to captivate some readers. This is what short stories are all about. Exploration of many different ideas in small quick episodes.

This is a book of plenty of that exploration into a large body of fantasy writers of the 1900s and it feels quite adequate in that regard.

[Joel · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some real gems in here, and nothing so terrible that I had to skip it. I call that a successful anthology. In particular the back half has a lot of solid feelings-driven work, so, stick around for it!

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kzkz

[Silvio Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

For one reason or another none of these stories is my favorite kind of fantasy, but I'm not sorry I read them except one or two. The only one I'd read already is "Buffalo Gals, Won't You Come Out Tonight" by Le Guin. Only a few are in a proper secondary world. Almost all are centered on the interplay between an ordinary world and a supernatural one. The stories I enjoyed most had a historical or historically inspired setting, especially two that were later rewritten as parts of novels that I unfortunately haven't read yet: "The Signaller" (Pavane) and "Death and the Executioner" (Lord of Light). The stories were published between the early-ish twentieth century and about 1990. I forget if all the authors are from the U.S., but most are. There's an informative introduction about the history of fantasy as a genre in the U.S.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Huge collection with lots of negligible stories but most of the significant authors (sans Tolkien, Anne McCaffrey, Emma Bull, R.A. McAvoy, R.A. Salvatore, C.J. Cherryh among others) active between WWII and the late 1990s in genre fantasy represented.

[James S. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read/sampled 2/3rds of the book and found nothing I enjoyed. Not sure if this kind of anodyne, mainstream fantasy is just not for me, or if there is actually something wrong with these stories. In any case, I found them bland and uninteresting.

[bluetyson]

Modern Classics of Fantasy by Gardner R. Dozois (1997)

[Kevin Gallan]

44/646

[Vj288 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read with a wide variety of fantasy short stories. It would be hard to pick a handful of good ones from a book with so many stories worth reading. Personally the most memorable would have to be "Two Sadnesses" by George Alec Effinger though.