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The Year's Finest Fantasy 2
- GenresFantasyAnthologies
311 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 1, 1979
1 person is currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
Terry Carr
202 books32 followersCarr was born in Grants Pass, Oregon. He attended the City College of San Francisco and the University of California, Berkeley from 1954 to 1959.
Carr discovered science fiction fandom in 1949, where he became an enthusiastic publisher of fanzines, which later helped open his way into the commercial publishing world. (He was one of the two fans responsible for the hoax fan 'Carl Brandon' after whom the Carl Brandon Society takes its name.) Despite a long career as a science fiction professional, he continued to participate as a fan until his death. He was nominated five times for Hugos for Best Fanzine (1959–1961, 1967–1968), winning in 1959, was nominated three times for Best Fan Writer (1971–1973), winning in 1973, and was Fan Guest of Honor at ConFederation in 1986.
Though he published some fiction in the early 1960s, Carr concentrated on editing. He first worked at Ace Books, establishing the Ace Science Fiction Specials series which published, among other novels, The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin and Rite of Passage by Alexei Panshin.
After conflicts with Ace head Donald A. Wollheim, he worked as a freelancer. He edited an original story anthology series called Universe, and a popular series of The Best Science Fiction of the Year anthologies that ran from 1972 until his death in 1987. He also edited numerous one-off anthologies over the same time span. He was nominated for the Hugo for Best Editor thirteen times (1973–1975, 1977–1979, 1981–1987), winning twice (1985 and 1987). His win in 1985 was the first time a freelance editor had won.
Carr taught at the Clarion Workshop at Michigan State University in 1978, where his students included Richard Kadrey and Pat Murphy.
Carr discovered science fiction fandom in 1949, where he became an enthusiastic publisher of fanzines, which later helped open his way into the commercial publishing world. (He was one of the two fans responsible for the hoax fan 'Carl Brandon' after whom the Carl Brandon Society takes its name.) Despite a long career as a science fiction professional, he continued to participate as a fan until his death. He was nominated five times for Hugos for Best Fanzine (1959–1961, 1967–1968), winning in 1959, was nominated three times for Best Fan Writer (1971–1973), winning in 1973, and was Fan Guest of Honor at ConFederation in 1986.
Though he published some fiction in the early 1960s, Carr concentrated on editing. He first worked at Ace Books, establishing the Ace Science Fiction Specials series which published, among other novels, The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin and Rite of Passage by Alexei Panshin.
After conflicts with Ace head Donald A. Wollheim, he worked as a freelancer. He edited an original story anthology series called Universe, and a popular series of The Best Science Fiction of the Year anthologies that ran from 1972 until his death in 1987. He also edited numerous one-off anthologies over the same time span. He was nominated for the Hugo for Best Editor thirteen times (1973–1975, 1977–1979, 1981–1987), winning twice (1985 and 1987). His win in 1985 was the first time a freelance editor had won.
Carr taught at the Clarion Workshop at Michigan State University in 1978, where his students included Richard Kadrey and Pat Murphy.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 20, 2014
The reason I've read this anthology is my grandmother has a story in it (Raylyn Moore), but it has some really amazing authors and stories in it, so my rating is based on all the stories but my grandmothers. This is an old anthology, but its still full of great speculative fiction.
July 7, 2017
This wasn't a bad anthology. The stories weren't all what I'd call "Fantasy" but apparently at this point in time horror was grouped in with fantasy at times.
The jewel of this piece was The Gunslinger by Stephen King, especially with the Dark Tower film coming out soon. I think this was the complete story that was serialized in the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction back in the 70s. I don't remember reading this version of the story before, although I have read the expanded version in The Gunslinger Novel. Very interesting, and just another testament to King's talent.
The others ran from good to fair. Nothing was bad as all were worth a read (although the Lafferty story was very very strange.)
If you are a fantasy fan this one is worth picking up, especially since you get King, Bradbury and Ellison all in one volume.
The jewel of this piece was The Gunslinger by Stephen King, especially with the Dark Tower film coming out soon. I think this was the complete story that was serialized in the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction back in the 70s. I don't remember reading this version of the story before, although I have read the expanded version in The Gunslinger Novel. Very interesting, and just another testament to King's talent.
The others ran from good to fair. Nothing was bad as all were worth a read (although the Lafferty story was very very strange.)
If you are a fantasy fan this one is worth picking up, especially since you get King, Bradbury and Ellison all in one volume.
May 15, 2010
What makes this fantasy anthology worthy of being read are the stories by Stephen R. Donaldson and Harlan Ellison. The rest of them, well, not really my kind of stories.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews