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The Best Science Fiction of the Year 5
Introduction· Terry Carr
Down to a Sunless Sea· Cordwainer Smith· F&SF 10/75
Retrograde Summer· John Varley· F&SF 2/75
The Hero as Werwolf· Gene Wolfe· The New Improved Sun, ed. Th M. Disch, Harper, '75
The Silent Eyes of Time· Algis Budrys· F&SF 11/75
Croatoan· Harlan Ellison· F&SF 5/75
Doing Lennon· Gregory Benford· Analog 4/75
The New Atlantis· Ursula K. Le Guin· The New Atlantis, ed. Rbt Silverberg, Hawthorne, '75
Clay Suburb· Rbt F. Young· Amazing 11/75
The Storms of Windhaven/Maris· Geo R.R. Martin, Lisa Tuttle · Analog 5/75
Child of All Ages/Melissa· P.J. Plauger· Analog 3/75
In the Bowl· John Varley· F&SF 12/75
Sail the Tide of Mourning/Bentfin Boomers· Richard A. Lupoff · New Dimensions 5, ed. Robert Silverberg, Harper & Row, '75
Recommended Reading '75· Terry Carr
The Science Fiction Year· Chas N. Brown
Down to a Sunless Sea· Cordwainer Smith· F&SF 10/75
Retrograde Summer· John Varley· F&SF 2/75
The Hero as Werwolf· Gene Wolfe· The New Improved Sun, ed. Th M. Disch, Harper, '75
The Silent Eyes of Time· Algis Budrys· F&SF 11/75
Croatoan· Harlan Ellison· F&SF 5/75
Doing Lennon· Gregory Benford· Analog 4/75
The New Atlantis· Ursula K. Le Guin· The New Atlantis, ed. Rbt Silverberg, Hawthorne, '75
Clay Suburb· Rbt F. Young· Amazing 11/75
The Storms of Windhaven/Maris· Geo R.R. Martin, Lisa Tuttle · Analog 5/75
Child of All Ages/Melissa· P.J. Plauger· Analog 3/75
In the Bowl· John Varley· F&SF 12/75
Sail the Tide of Mourning/Bentfin Boomers· Richard A. Lupoff · New Dimensions 5, ed. Robert Silverberg, Harper & Row, '75
Recommended Reading '75· Terry Carr
The Science Fiction Year· Chas N. Brown
367 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 12, 1976
2 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
About the author
Terry Carr
219 books31 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 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 6, 2019
There's an Ursula le Guin story in here about rising sea levels because of carbon emissions and Florida and Manhattan being underwater etc etc.
This was 1975! You can't say we weren't warned.
This was 1975! You can't say we weren't warned.
June 21, 2021
After several years of collaboratively editing their World's Best annual anthologies of their picks for the best short science fiction stories published in the previous year, Carr and Donald A. Wollheim began editing separate annual anthologies in 1972. Wollheim had left Ace to found DAW Books, and Carr's series appeared from Ballantine Books (before their line was renamed Del Rey Books). 1976 was the fifth year that each edited their own volume, with their picks of the best of 1975. Two of the stories overlapped this year and appeared in both books, Child of All Ages by P.J. Plauger and The Storms of Windhaven by Lisa Tuttle and George R.R. Martin. I preferred Carr's book again this year, though both are pretty good. Carr's excellent selections included stories from Gene Wolfe, John Varley (with two stories), Algis Budrys, Ursula K. LeGuin, Robert F. Young, and Richard A. Lupoff's excellent Sail the Tide of Mourning. My favorites were the posthumous Down to a Sunless Sea by Cordwainer Smith, Croatoan by Harlan Ellison, and Doing Lennon by Gregory Benford.
September 14, 2022
I was taking my time with this book, a collection of 12 short science fiction stories, all from 1975. I read one or two stories at a time all during the summer, finishing the book on September 13th (2022). I especially enjoyed the book overall as the 70s was a high point of my interest in science fiction when most of what I read was science fiction! No surprise that I had already read most of the stories in this book.
My favorite story was one I hadn't read before, "Down to a Sunless Sea" by Cordwainer Smith, who was actually Paul Linebarger (1913-1966). This story was unfinished by Linebarger when he died and it was completed by his widow, Genevieve, who had collaborated with him on some of his earlier stories. It's another of his fascinating "Lords of the Instrumentality" stories.
A close second was one I had read before--"Child of All Ages" by P.J. Plauger (1944--) and another great one which I had read before as well was by Lisa Tuttle (1940--) and George R.R. Martin (1948--)--"The Storms of Windhaven."
Ursula K. LeGuin has long been one of my favorites but I was rather disappointed in her story in this book-"The New Atlantis." And the story by Richard A. Lupoff is terrible. Just skip it.
Ratings for each story-
Down to A Sunless Sea by Cordwainer Smith-- 5 stars
Retrograde Summer by John Varley--3.5
The Hero as Werwolf by Gene Wolfe--3
The Silent Eyes of Time by Algis Budrys 3
Croatoan by Haran Ellison--4
Doing Lennon by Gregory Benford--3
The New Atlantis by Ursula LeGuin--3
Clay Suburb by Robert F. Young--2
The Storms of Windhaven by Lisa Tuttle & George R.R. Martin--4.5
Child of All Ages by P.J. Plauger--5
In the Bowl by John Varley--4
Sail the Tide of Mourning by Richard A. Lupoff--1
Overall, a solid 3 stars.
My favorite story was one I hadn't read before, "Down to a Sunless Sea" by Cordwainer Smith, who was actually Paul Linebarger (1913-1966). This story was unfinished by Linebarger when he died and it was completed by his widow, Genevieve, who had collaborated with him on some of his earlier stories. It's another of his fascinating "Lords of the Instrumentality" stories.
A close second was one I had read before--"Child of All Ages" by P.J. Plauger (1944--) and another great one which I had read before as well was by Lisa Tuttle (1940--) and George R.R. Martin (1948--)--"The Storms of Windhaven."
Ursula K. LeGuin has long been one of my favorites but I was rather disappointed in her story in this book-"The New Atlantis." And the story by Richard A. Lupoff is terrible. Just skip it.
Ratings for each story-
Down to A Sunless Sea by Cordwainer Smith-- 5 stars
Retrograde Summer by John Varley--3.5
The Hero as Werwolf by Gene Wolfe--3
The Silent Eyes of Time by Algis Budrys 3
Croatoan by Haran Ellison--4
Doing Lennon by Gregory Benford--3
The New Atlantis by Ursula LeGuin--3
Clay Suburb by Robert F. Young--2
The Storms of Windhaven by Lisa Tuttle & George R.R. Martin--4.5
Child of All Ages by P.J. Plauger--5
In the Bowl by John Varley--4
Sail the Tide of Mourning by Richard A. Lupoff--1
Overall, a solid 3 stars.
August 24, 2021
Contents adapted with thanks from the Wikipedia entry for this volume.
"Introduction" (Terry Carr)
The year 1975 came during a significant transition period for SF—Star Wars and E.T. had not yet conquered public imaginations, but the genre was slowly beginning to be taken seriously by mainstream reviewers and critics. Veteran editor Terry Carr recognized this trend, but he was well aware that science fiction still had powerful detractors. Carr's Introduction to The Best Science Fiction of the Year #5 is an interesting snapshot, as well as a typically defensive attempt to justify science fiction's existence, from an era when that sort of apologia was still necessary.
"Down to a Sunless Sea" (Cordwainer Smith)
"Cordwainer Smith" was the pseudonym of Paul Linebarger—and, in this case, for a posthumous collaboration with his widow, Genevieve Linebarger. Wikipedia calls Genevieve's contribution "uncredited," but that's not entirely accurate—she (and her husband) don't appear individually in the Table of Contents (or on the cover), but Carr's preface for "Down to a Sunless Sea" does acknowledge her role in completing this sad story about the abuse of power.
"Retrograde Summer" (John Varley)
Families are weird, and that seems unlikely to change, even after humans have spread to the rest of the Solar System. This is Varley at the height of his considerable powers of invention.
"The Hero as Werwolf" (Gene Wolfe)
Note spelling—and also be aware that posthuman doesn't necessarily mean better. Wolfe's story of old-style humans being treated like Steinbeck's Joads by their new-and-improved counterparts is precisely as savage as it needs to be.
It struck me at about this point in The Best Science Fiction of the Year #5 that I had forgotten just how much SF in the 70s was depressing... but not all of it was.
"The Silent Eyes of Time" (Algis Budrys)
"Croatoan" (Harlan Ellison)
I'd read this one many times before, of course. One of Ellison's least likeable narrators (however reliable), who admits,
"Doing Lennon" (Gregory Benford)
Atypically hip for Benford, I think, and thoroughly broken by history, but still... this story about a resurrected John Lennon in the far future still has an edge.
"The New Atlantis" (Ursula K. Le Guin)
A weirdly counterfactual Portland, Oregon, with a "Goldschmidt Overpass" (heh), but that's just the backdrop for a fascinating reinvasion of reality by myth. Some of the extrapolation in this one (making marriage illegal, for example) is just contrariness for its own sake, but overall it does seem to hang together.
"Clay Suburb" (Robert F. Young)
This story seems to have sunk without making a ripple. I am not surprised—its overheated prose in the service of a complicated time-travel plot, hatched by a rather conflicted individual, relies on some extremely questionable psychological assumptions.
"The Storms of Windhaven" (Lisa Tuttle and George R. R. Martin)
Heh... imagine Martin getting second billing these days.
Wings must be flexible to work... and so must traditions.
A reputation-maker of a story.
"Child of All Ages" (P.J. Plauger)
Plauger is a guy (despite the carefully-ambiguous initials), a computer programmer, and a fellow West Virginian. This appears to be Plauger's only major SF story, but it's a really good one, about an adorable little girl with a long family history...
"In the Bowl" (John Varley)
Varley was riding high in 1975, as evidenced by this second appearance in Carr's anthology. However, this one is very Heinleinian, for both good and ill—right down to the creepy age difference between the story's main characters.
"Sail the Tide of Mourning" (Richard A. Lupoff)
Aboriginal people are rare protagonists in science fiction. Lupoff's story makes no overt mention of that fact, but I noticed. However, Lupoff's story also involves a creepy age difference between the story's main characters.
Two in a row... an odd way to end an anthology, to be sure, but this interstellar adventure does have its poignant moments.
"Recommended Reading—1975" (Terry Carr)
Carr explicitly eschews the term "honorable mentions" for this section, in which he lists a number of strong stories that didn't quite make the cut.
"The Science Fiction Year" (Charles N. Brown)
This roundup of the year's changes, including memorials for several authors who had passed away, prefigures Gardner Dozois' later and more expansive Summations, and is well worth reading as a capstone for The Best Science Fiction of the Year #5.
"Introduction" (Terry Carr)
The year 1975 came during a significant transition period for SF—Star Wars and E.T. had not yet conquered public imaginations, but the genre was slowly beginning to be taken seriously by mainstream reviewers and critics. Veteran editor Terry Carr recognized this trend, but he was well aware that science fiction still had powerful detractors. Carr's Introduction to The Best Science Fiction of the Year #5 is an interesting snapshot, as well as a typically defensive attempt to justify science fiction's existence, from an era when that sort of apologia was still necessary.
"Down to a Sunless Sea" (Cordwainer Smith)
"Cordwainer Smith" was the pseudonym of Paul Linebarger—and, in this case, for a posthumous collaboration with his widow, Genevieve Linebarger. Wikipedia calls Genevieve's contribution "uncredited," but that's not entirely accurate—she (and her husband) don't appear individually in the Table of Contents (or on the cover), but Carr's preface for "Down to a Sunless Sea" does acknowledge her role in completing this sad story about the abuse of power.
"Retrograde Summer" (John Varley)
Families are weird, and that seems unlikely to change, even after humans have spread to the rest of the Solar System. This is Varley at the height of his considerable powers of invention.
"The Hero as Werwolf" (Gene Wolfe)
Note spelling—and also be aware that posthuman doesn't necessarily mean better. Wolfe's story of old-style humans being treated like Steinbeck's Joads by their new-and-improved counterparts is precisely as savage as it needs to be.
It struck me at about this point in The Best Science Fiction of the Year #5 that I had forgotten just how much SF in the 70s was depressing... but not all of it was.
"The Silent Eyes of Time" (Algis Budrys)
"{...}a corporation is one of the world's crudest life-forms."This time-travel story (that I'd never read before) went on a bit too long, perhaps, but its light-hearted feel came in welcome contrast to Wolfe's tale.
—p.91
"Croatoan" (Harlan Ellison)
I'd read this one many times before, of course. One of Ellison's least likeable narrators (however reliable), who admits,
I grow bored quickly.
—p.140
"Doing Lennon" (Gregory Benford)
Atypically hip for Benford, I think, and thoroughly broken by history, but still... this story about a resurrected John Lennon in the far future still has an edge.
"The New Atlantis" (Ursula K. Le Guin)
A weirdly counterfactual Portland, Oregon, with a "Goldschmidt Overpass" (heh), but that's just the backdrop for a fascinating reinvasion of reality by myth. Some of the extrapolation in this one (making marriage illegal, for example) is just contrariness for its own sake, but overall it does seem to hang together.
I don't read much since the libraries were closed down, it's too hard to get books; all you can buy are best-sellers.
—p.179
"Clay Suburb" (Robert F. Young)
This story seems to have sunk without making a ripple. I am not surprised—its overheated prose in the service of a complicated time-travel plot, hatched by a rather conflicted individual, relies on some extremely questionable psychological assumptions.
"The Storms of Windhaven" (Lisa Tuttle and George R. R. Martin)
Heh... imagine Martin getting second billing these days.
Wings must be flexible to work... and so must traditions.
A reputation-maker of a story.
"Child of All Ages" (P.J. Plauger)
Plauger is a guy (despite the carefully-ambiguous initials), a computer programmer, and a fellow West Virginian. This appears to be Plauger's only major SF story, but it's a really good one, about an adorable little girl with a long family history...
"In the Bowl" (John Varley)
Varley was riding high in 1975, as evidenced by this second appearance in Carr's anthology. However, this one is very Heinleinian, for both good and ill—right down to the creepy age difference between the story's main characters.
"Sail the Tide of Mourning" (Richard A. Lupoff)
Aboriginal people are rare protagonists in science fiction. Lupoff's story makes no overt mention of that fact, but I noticed. However, Lupoff's story also involves a creepy age difference between the story's main characters.
Two in a row... an odd way to end an anthology, to be sure, but this interstellar adventure does have its poignant moments.
"Recommended Reading—1975" (Terry Carr)
Carr explicitly eschews the term "honorable mentions" for this section, in which he lists a number of strong stories that didn't quite make the cut.
"The Science Fiction Year" (Charles N. Brown)
This roundup of the year's changes, including memorials for several authors who had passed away, prefigures Gardner Dozois' later and more expansive Summations, and is well worth reading as a capstone for The Best Science Fiction of the Year #5.
February 17, 2025
2025 Book #8:
The Best Science Fiction of the Year #5 (1975), edited by Terry Carr
Another strong anthology from editor Terry Carr. Some highlights for me included the two tales from Varley, who was making a splash in the mid-1970s with his unique stories of a post-Earth gender-bending humanity. The early Tuttle/Martin novella, an earnest if somewhat pat critique of the crippling weight of tradition, presages the future success of these writers. And the posthumous Cordwainer Smith story was a real treat. The most disappointing story was the Plauger, probably because it came with too much hype (he had won the “best new writer” SF award that year). His tale features a well-worn SF conceit that, I think, has been done much better by Jerome Bixby in “The Man from Earth.” But this quibble aside, these stories are all recommended reading. Below are my star-ratings for each:
***** John Varley, “Retrograde Summer”
**** Cordwainer Smith, “Down to a Sunless Sea”
**** Gene Wolfe, “The Hero as Werwolf”
**** Lisa Tuttle & George R. R. Martin, “The Storms of Windhaven”
**** John Varley, “In the Bowl”
**** Gregory Benford, “Doing Lennon”
**** Richard A. Lupoff, “Sail the Tide of Mourning”
**** Harlan Ellison, “Croatoan”
**** Ursula K. Le Guin, “The New Atlantis”
**** Robert F. Young, “Clay Suburb”
*** Algis Budrys, “The Silent Eyes of Time”
*** P. J. Plauger, “Child of All Ages”
The Best Science Fiction of the Year #5 (1975), edited by Terry Carr
Another strong anthology from editor Terry Carr. Some highlights for me included the two tales from Varley, who was making a splash in the mid-1970s with his unique stories of a post-Earth gender-bending humanity. The early Tuttle/Martin novella, an earnest if somewhat pat critique of the crippling weight of tradition, presages the future success of these writers. And the posthumous Cordwainer Smith story was a real treat. The most disappointing story was the Plauger, probably because it came with too much hype (he had won the “best new writer” SF award that year). His tale features a well-worn SF conceit that, I think, has been done much better by Jerome Bixby in “The Man from Earth.” But this quibble aside, these stories are all recommended reading. Below are my star-ratings for each:
***** John Varley, “Retrograde Summer”
**** Cordwainer Smith, “Down to a Sunless Sea”
**** Gene Wolfe, “The Hero as Werwolf”
**** Lisa Tuttle & George R. R. Martin, “The Storms of Windhaven”
**** John Varley, “In the Bowl”
**** Gregory Benford, “Doing Lennon”
**** Richard A. Lupoff, “Sail the Tide of Mourning”
**** Harlan Ellison, “Croatoan”
**** Ursula K. Le Guin, “The New Atlantis”
**** Robert F. Young, “Clay Suburb”
*** Algis Budrys, “The Silent Eyes of Time”
*** P. J. Plauger, “Child of All Ages”
January 3, 2022
12 stories from 1975. So far in my re-readings of these Terry Carr "Best sf" anthologies this is the least impressive. Three of my favorite sf writers are here, Gene Wolfe, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Cordwainer Smith, but only the Wolfe story is of their best.
Down to a Sunless Sea • Cordwainer Smith
Down to a Sunless Sea • Cordwainer Smith
a posthumous story from the unique but unfortunately non-prolific "Cordwainer"Retrograde Summer • John Varley
seemed great at the time, not so much nowThe Hero As Werwolf • Gene Wolfe
the only top rank story in this collectionThe Silent Eyes of Time • Algis Budrys
dull, overlong, excessively and pointlessly misogynist; suffers from the dialogue pretensions of its cardboard cut-out 60s sitcom charactersCroatoan • Harlan Ellison
as expected, all too typical of Ellison: juvenile, amateurish, disgusting, vile, lacking any redeeming qualitiesDoing Lennon • Gregory Benford
the first of no less than three time travel stories, relatively amusingThe New Atlantis • Ursula K. Le Guin
prophetic at the time but perhaps telling that when it came time late in life for a retired Le Guin to self curate her career encompassing story collections, this just didn't make the cutClay Suburb • Robert F. Young
gothic and grotesque, benefits from brevity, levity and focusThe Storms of Windhaven • George R. R. Martin and Lisa Tuttle
falling short of hopes, the longest story in the collection starts off well with an intriguingly imagined world and a strong main character - a welcome strong female character for a change - but fizzles out over the last quarter of the book as the soaring pleasures of flying are grounded into a town hall meeting debateChild of All Ages • P. J. Plauger
a compact immortality tale that in present company seems way better than it is though at heart kind of a variation on a couple well-known Star Trek episodesIn the Bowl • John Varley
givin Varley this extra contribution was evidence of the big splash he made in the sf pool back in the day, but this is one of the least of his stories, everSail the Tide of Mourning • Richard A. Lupoff
virtually plotless but poetic and evocative of cultures in a manner unusual for 70s era sf
September 19, 2020
A collection of stories from 1975. The most surprising thing here being the last chapter, which kind of summarizes "1975 in Science Fiction". Never seen that before.
Down to a sunless sea: Weird set-up, not very engaging.
Retrograde Summer: Hard sci-fi on Mercury plus what would a potential future society may look like. Neat.
The Hero as werewolf: Huh? Moody, but rather pointless.
The Silent Eyes of Time: Utterly bizarre "time travel written for business executives". Very detailed on the business side with a quirky ending.
Croatoan: Very atmospheric, not much happens.
Doing Lennon: A cryogenic story with a slight twist. Funnny to read about the death of Lennon from before he was murdered.
The New Atlantis: Ursula Le Guin as expected. Very human characters, very good descriptions, obtuse point.
Clay Suburb: time travel and split personality combine. Didn't care for the character(s).
The Storm of Windhaven: Excellent. G.R.R.M-class world building and engaging characters. Loved it.
Child of All Ages: Immortality writ small. Nice but not exciting.
In the Bowl: Same world and quality of writing as Retrograde Summer, this time on Venus.
Sail the Tide of Mourning: Sad and short. An interesting premise given short shrift for a sap story.
Down to a sunless sea: Weird set-up, not very engaging.
Retrograde Summer: Hard sci-fi on Mercury plus what would a potential future society may look like. Neat.
The Hero as werewolf: Huh? Moody, but rather pointless.
The Silent Eyes of Time: Utterly bizarre "time travel written for business executives". Very detailed on the business side with a quirky ending.
Croatoan: Very atmospheric, not much happens.
Doing Lennon: A cryogenic story with a slight twist. Funnny to read about the death of Lennon from before he was murdered.
The New Atlantis: Ursula Le Guin as expected. Very human characters, very good descriptions, obtuse point.
Clay Suburb: time travel and split personality combine. Didn't care for the character(s).
The Storm of Windhaven: Excellent. G.R.R.M-class world building and engaging characters. Loved it.
Child of All Ages: Immortality writ small. Nice but not exciting.
In the Bowl: Same world and quality of writing as Retrograde Summer, this time on Venus.
Sail the Tide of Mourning: Sad and short. An interesting premise given short shrift for a sap story.
August 5, 2019
Like most compilations, this was hit-or-miss depending on the story/author. Overall, however, this was a big hit. Several short stories that could have been fleshed out even further. Well-written, intriguing, and powerful. The book does end on a sour note, with the worst story in the collection, but almost all of the others were very well done.
July 29, 2023
Decent enough stories, but there was nothing outstanding here for me.
November 14, 2010
Does pretty much what it says on the tin. The year in question is 1975 and there are some cracking stories by some excellent names of the day in this collection. Amongst others, Cordwainer Smith delivers another story from his 'Instrumentality of Mankind' universe, we get two crackers from John Varley, an excellently creepy story from Ursula K. Le Guin and a slow-burning novella that eventually sucked me in by Lisa Tuttle and George R. R. Martin. A great collection with hardly a misstep amongst them.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews