The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2024

by Hugh Howey (Editor), John Joseph Adams (Series Editor)

A collection of the year’s best science fiction and fantasy short fiction selected by New York Times bestselling author of the Silo series Hugh Howey and series editor John Joseph Adams.

Hugh Howey, bestselling author of Wool and the Molly Fyde series, selects twenty pieces that represent the best examples of the form published the previous year and explores the ever-expanding and changing world of science fiction and fantasy today.

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Science Fiction, Fiction, Anthologies, Horror, Speculative Fiction

375 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 22, 2024

About the author

I'm the author of WOOL, a top 5 science fiction book on Amazon. I also wrote the Molly Fyde saga, a tale of a teenager from the 25th century who is repeatedly told that girls can't do certain things -- and then does them anyway.

A theme in my books is the celebration of overcoming odds and of not allowing the cruelty of the universe to change who you are in the process. Most of them are classified as science fiction, since they often take place in the future, but if you love great stories and memorable characters, you'll dig what you find here. I promise.

Reviews

[Austin Beeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE BEST AMERICAN SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY 2024
RATED 88% POSITIVE. STORY SCORE 3.95 OF 5
20 STORIES : 5 GREAT / 11 GOOD / 3 AVERAGE / 1 POOR / 0 DNF

The latest edition of Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy offers an equal split between the two genres, with final selections curated by a distinguished author in the field. This year’s guest editor is Hugh Howey, the celebrated author of the bestselling Silo series. As in past editions, the collection resists a singular theme, instead showcasing the diversity that defines speculative fiction in 2023. The stories feature a wide range of perspectives, including works by female authors and those featuring LGBTQ+ characters.

https://www.shortsf.com/reviews/basff...

While I’m not generally a fan of fantasy—often finding it unappealing—I was pleasantly surprised by this collection. The fantasy selections lean more toward horror, eschewing the traditional tropes of knights, princesses, and elves. Even as a skeptic of the genre, I found these stories enjoyable. For dedicated fantasy enthusiasts, the book will likely be an even greater delight.

Notably, Amazon Original Fiction emerges as a standout contributor, supplying a significant portion of the 10 science fiction entries.

Five Stories Joined by All-Time Great List: https://www.shortsf.com/beststories

How It Unfolds by James S. A. Corey

A small group of scientists are duplicated and sent across the universe(folded), only to discover that very few of them have survived. As they attempt to learn how to make the most of their existence, voices of their alternate selves lead one man - Roy - to grapple with the romantic pain he was unable to leave behind.

Window Boy by Thomas Ha

A young boy lives safely in a fortified house. The outer darkness is patrolled by monstrous “Mailmen” - part human and part machine. Despite being told not to do so, the young boy feeds and befriends the desperate malnourished “Window Boy.” But the Window Boy has something far more sinister planned.

Calypso’s Guest by Andrew Sean Greer

A touching, gay retelling of Calypso in a science fiction context. A man who will not age has been stranded on a planet for a very long time. Robots serve his every whim, except that they won’t help him leave. One day, another man crashes down and a love affair begins. No surprises, except how well the story overcomes my cynicism.

Once Upon a Time at The Oakmont by P. A. Cornell

The Oakmont is a special apartment building in New York, literally on the precipice of time. People from different years live there together under a number of rules that keep time in line. A woman from 2023 and a man from 1941 have a romance that give a framing to the exploration of The Oakmont. I really loved this. One of my very favorite stories this year.

Falling Bodies by Rebecca Roanhorse

Nature vs Nurture is examined against a backdrop of colonialism, conquest, and the youthful desire for self expression. Ira is a human raised by a senator of the conquering Genteel. Now he is on probation for a horrible crime. An anonymous student at a far distant university, he must stay quiet and unremarkable, even while being drawn to a group of rebellious humans.

The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2024

20 STORIES : 5 GREAT / 11 GOOD / 3 AVERAGE / 1 POOR / 0 DNF

How It Unfolds by James S. A. Corey

Great. A small group of scientists are duplicated and sent across the universe(folded), only to discover that very few of them have survived. As they attempt to learn how to make the most of their existence, voices of their alternate selves lead one man - Roy - to grapple with the romantic pain he was unable to leave behind.

Eye & Tooth by Rebecca Roanhorse

Good. Fun and spooky horror fantasy. A brother and sister head out to an old rural house to help some creepy people with their monster problem. Predictably, all isn’t quite what it seems.

Zeta-Epsilon by Isabel J. Kim

Good. In a militarized future, Zeta San Tano, a Gen-1 Pilot mentally fused to his AI counterpart Epsilon, struggles with the confines of their symbiotic bond aboard a starship. He begins to question his role, leading to an act that reshapes both their fates.

Bari and the Resurrection Flower by Hana Lee

Average. In a mythical Joseon-era Korea, Bari, outcast by her royal family, must explore the underworld for a cure for her estranged parents’ poisoning. Journey reveals deeper truths about her identity, her family, and the price of power.

Window Boy by Thomas Ha

Great. A young boy lives safely in a fortified house. The outer darkness is patrolled by monstrous “Mailmen” - part human and part machine. Despite being told not to do so, the young boy feeds and befriends the desperate malnourished “Window Boy.” But the Window Boy has something far more sinister planned.

Disassembling Light by Kel Coleman

Poor. A spark-craftman at a small building in the woods takes on a female apprentice and puts her through various challenges. Gotta admit that I forgot this story also as soon as I put the book down.

The Long Game by Ann Leckie

Good. A “Mousy, Slug Thing” works its short life in service of humans. When it discovers the truth of human life spans, an obsession is born.

John Hollowback and the Witch by Amal El-Mohtar

Good. A man with a hole in his back goes to a witch for help. He slowly learns the horrible truths about himself and his past deeds.

Calypso’s Guest by Andrew Sean Greer

Great. A touching, gay retelling of Calypso in a science fiction context. A man who will not age has been stranded on a planet for a very long time. Robots serve his every whim, except that they won’t help him leave. One day, another man crashes down and a love affair begins. No surprises, except how well the story overcomes my cynicism.

The Blade and the Bloodwright by Sloane Leong

Good. Violent bloody fantasy about a ‘bloodwright’ who is a slave with the forbidden power to twist and manipulate the bodies of others in horrible ways. She is deployed across an archipelago by a ‘blade’ wreaking havoc until the ‘blade’ starts to have a change of heart.

Form 8774-D by Alex Irvine

Good. Pleasant enough super hero story about a woman who works as the first conversation for people declaring their 'superpower' status. Vignettes alternate with sections of the Form these people must fill out.

Resurrection Highway by A. R. Capetta

Good. Automancer raises a car from the “dead” and reconnects with his old gang to rescue a friend via a violent grungy roadtrip.

The Four Last Things by Christopher Rowe

Good. A very ambitious and challenging story that may get better as I reread and work with it. Four different vignettes around the arrival of a ship to an alien world where sea-worms make a drumming noise that may or may not have meaning. Inspired by elements of catholic theology, but no direct one-to-one connection to catholic theology. As far as I can tell.

Ankle Snatcher by Grady Hendrix

Good. Chilling horror. As a child, our protagonist’s father was arrested for killing his wife. He claims innocence. He claims it was the Ankle Snatcher beneath the bed. As an adult, the protagonist never gets out of bed without the lights on. Until he brings a girl home after at date…. I found this very scary.

Emotional Resonance by V. M. Ayala

Good. Indentured robots, with human consciousness embedded, find love during their 1000 year service doing violence for their corporate overlords.

Bruised-Eye Dusk by Jonathan Louis Duckworth

Average. Spellbreaker and witch killer is hired to kill a which who is harming a small town. Of course, things aren’t what they seem. The best thing here is that the main character rides an alligator.

Once Upon a Time at The Oakmont by P. A. Cornell

Great. The Oakmont is a special apartment building in New York, literally on the precipice of time. People from different years live there together under a number of rules that keep time in line. A woman from 2023 and a man from 1941 have a romance that give a framing to the exploration of The Oakmont. I really loved this. One of my very favorite stories this year.

How to Raise a Kraken in Your Bathtub by P. Djèlí Clark

Average. (revised down on reread) In an alternate past when the British Empire has been fighting the Mermen, one ambitious jerk buying a kraken egg from a magazine and tries to raise it in his bathtub. Of course, things go horribly wrong.

Falling Bodies by Rebecca Roanhorse

Great. Nature vs Nurture is examined against a backdrop of colonialism, conquest, and the youthful desire for self expression. Ira is a human raised by a senator of the conquering Genteel. Now he is on probation for a horrible crime. An anonymous student at a far distant university, he must stay quiet and unremarkable, even while being drawn to a group of rebellious humans.

If Someone You Love Has Become a Vurdalak by Sam J. Miller

Good. The Vurdalak is a vampire that can only feed from someone who loves it. This is a powerful analogy for living with a loved one in the throes of addiction.

[Dan Trefethen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Series editor Adams chooses 80 stories, strips the author names and sources from them, and hands them to the guest editor to choose 20 stories to appear in the book. Since the guest editor is different each year, there's an interesting variation every year.

This year, guest editor Hugh Howey was able to split the stories evenly: ten are science fiction, ten are fantasy. The stories alternate throughout, first a science fiction story, then a fantasy, all the way through. It's a nice mix.

Because the guest editor doesn't know the authors, sometimes an author can appear more than once, which usually doesn't happen in a 'best of' anthology. This year it's Rebecca Roanhorse, who nevertheless follows the format by placing one story each of SF and fantasy.

What impressed me the most was the number of authors unknown to me. I'm pretty well-read, but I didn't know many of the authors. There are veterans; James S.A. Corey has the first story, Roanhorse the second, but then it moves into new territory for the most part. Some of the other veterans are saved to last: P. Djeli Clark, Roanhorse again, and Sam J. Miller. Ann Leckie, Grady Hendrix, Alex Irvine and Christopher Rowe are also in here.

All in all a pretty well-balanced collection, befitting the series title.

[Curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's that time of year again: the season where all the Best Of anthologies begin to drop. I'll be getting to the annual Ellen Datlow and Paula Guran, but we're starting with some Best American.

This was a really strong selection. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll laugh again. You'll cry again. Basically there will be a whole lot of laughing and crying. Stories seemed to be selected for characters and emotional impact over high concept plots. Favorites were by Isabel J Kim, Sam J Miller, Rebecca Roanhorse, Grady Hendrix, Thomas Ha, Anne Leckie, P Djeli Clark, PA Cornell, and Andrew Sean Greer.

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing collection of SF & Fantasy short stories bringing me into the orbit of a number of amazingly skilled writers, changing the trajectory of my literary journey which is what I’m looking for in these sort of collections.

Not everything was my cup o’ tea but that’s nigh impossible for any anthology to do but I did enjoy the vast majority of them. This collection does delve a bit in the horror genre with some stories but that won’t garner any complaints from me. I really wish I had the time to write my thoughts on each individual story.

[Ann]

I’m not really the target audience for this, so didn’t want to give stars. Most of the stories I wasn’t interested in enough to finish. Just making note of my favorite: Form 8774-D by Alex Irvine.

[Kaavya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Net Galley and Mariner Books for the ARC. I really enjoy reading short story collections, they're a great way to discover new authors to read. I really liked the stories picked for this collection. Some of my favorites are Eye and Tooth by Rebecca Roanhorse, Zeta Epsilon by Isabel J Kim, Bari and the Resurrection Flower by Hana Lee, Disassembling Light by Kel Coleman, John Hollowback and the Witch by Amal El-Mohtar, How To Raise a Kraken in Your Bathtub by P Djeli Clark, and Falling Bodies by Rebecca Roanhorse.

[Grace Parry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is 3.5 for me. Similar to other ratings I've seen (and this makes sense since it's an anthology), there are some fantastic stories, some good ones, some fine ones and some bad ones. I had a good time reading this.

Fantastic:
Window Boy (I have not stopped thinking about this since I read it. So creepy.)
- Post-apocalyptic world, young boy has a friend who comes to his window every night and starts asking suspicious questions.
Calypso's Guest (heartbreaking)
- A man is banished to his own world to live alone for the rest of his days when he receives an unexpected guest.
Ankle Snatcher (I haven't been able to get out of bed when the light is out since I read this)
- I don't even want to say anything about the plot because I don't want to spoil a single thing. So scary. This might have been my favorite story.
Once Upon a Time at the Oakmont (I felt so happy and so sad and so surprised!)
- There's an apartment in Manhattan out of time, and residents can interact with people from different eras.

Good:
How it Unfolds (this was very thought provoking)
- Future of colonizing other planets far away. The science is speculative but based in real science.
Zeta-Epsilon (engaging, creative way to explain thought)
- Futuristic spaceship pilot shares his brain with the spaceship core.
John Hollowback and the Witch (Compelling characters, good reveals)
- Man with a magical malady comes to a witch in the woods and she shows him that he has some issues to work through.
Form 8774-D (really fun format)
- Superheroes are commonplace and have to register with the government if they want to legally work as a superhero.
Falling Bodies (I was interested the whole time, good twists)
- Humans live in relative harmony with extraterrestrials, but a young human wants a fresh start.

Fine:
Eye & Tooth (a little scary with a predictable twist)
- Brother and sister are monster hunters with special powers.
Bari and the Resurrection Flower (descriptions were creative, sympathetic main character)
- Child of royal parents is shunned to the forest and becomes a sorcerer.
Disassembling Light (I had to look over this story to remember what it was about. Not super memorable)
- Magic engineer student girl comes to the woods to work with a master magic engineer who isn't such a great guy.
The Long Game (interesting premise)
- From the perspective of aliens working with humans who have come to their world, the main character struggles to understand their purpose
The Blade and the Bloodwright (good imagery, but this one is low on the fine list. Not a super compelling storyline)
- Crew on a ship enlist the help of a scary witch but she's also super hot so that's a problem.
The Four Last Things (interesting sci-fi, fun to read the perspective of each crew member)
- Crew has first contact with alien life, things go sideways.
Bruised-Eye Dusk (interesting! I imagined this as taking place in a southern swamp)
- Someone in the village is cursing the people, so a sorcerer on a giant alligator rides in to break the spell.
If Someone You Love Has Become a Vurdalak (fine)
- Twin brothers go different ways in a story about addiction and family love.

Bad:
Resurrection Highway (I hated this it was so dumb)
- Man has the ability to bring dead CARS BACK TO LIFE??
Emotional Resonance (I don't really have anything to say about this?)
- Two robots hire for planetary destruction fall in love.
How to Raise a Kraken in Your Bathtub (meh)
- Title is pretty self-explanatory

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy anthologies are always SO DAMN GOOD. I considered picking this book up a dozen times before I finally got it from the library and now I wish’d purchased a copy.

Short burst of brilliant storytelling, all good, wildly different. A few I’ve heard of, several I haven’t, and a couple I was disappointed to learn ONLY seem to work in short fiction and don’t have a backlog of novels I can dive into. The complete saga of Tugboat & The Spellbreaker WHEN, man.

The only real caveat I have is that like a lot of good speculative fiction, some of these will break your heart wide open. Humanity? Who is that, even.

[gay wrongs · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite stories from this anthology were:
Hana Lee's "Bari and the Resurrection Flower"
Thomas Ha's "Window Boy"
Amal El-Mohtar's "John Hollowback and the Witch"
Sloane Leong's "The Blade and the Bloodwright"
Rebecca Roanhorse's "Falling Bodies"
And Sam J. Miller's "If Someone You Love Has Become a Vurdalak"

[Darth Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty middle of the road anthology here (took me a lot longer to finish this than I expected). "Window Boy" by Thomas Ha was hands-down the best story, followed by "The Long Game" by Ann Leckie, and "If Someone You Love Has Become a Vurdalak" by Same J. Miller.

Roanhorse is in here twice (editor picks the stories blind initially) and, inexplicably, wrote one of my least favorite stories along with one I really enjoyed: "Falling Bodies" was Roanhorse at her best and reminded me of all the reasons I enjoy her writing. But "Eye & Tooth" was so unbelievably predictable and cringe. It read way, way more YA/middle-grade.

Honestly, this collection had a *lot* of stories I cringed at and, if they weren't cringe, they were only okay for me--including ones by some of my favorite writers (Kim, El-Mohtar).

I did enjoy that Howey alternated the stories between sci-fi and fantasy, and I also liked that he picked "edgier" stories with harsher explorations of themes.

[Ruben · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve grown to really enjoy anthology books, it’s like Love, Death, and Robots in book form. You can pick it up and put it down with no pressure at all. Most of the stories are good, some are great, and some are mid. The first story, How It Unfolds, is perfect. Goes from sci-fi to existential horror real quick and is a great intro to the book. Ankle Snatcher is freaky. The Long Game has vivid imagery and great examples of gentle parenting that I think about often. Bruise-Eyed Dusk might be my favorite. A really interesting world and would love to read more from Duckworth. Great representation of identity and love throughout the collection too.

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*

I have read a lot of these collections and there's usually always 2 or 3 stories I find a bit boring/not to my taste, but there was only one in this one.

A really great collection this year.

[Mythlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice collection of stories - some pleased me more than others, of course. My favorite was P.A. Cornell's "Once Upon a Time at the Oakmont." And there was only one story that I found myself too impatient to read fully.

[Andre Gaudreau · Rating 2 out of 5]

Collection of 20 short stories, 10 sci fi and 10 fantasy. I’d say 5/20 were really special and I still think about, the rest were meh.

[Lost Lare · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best collections I have read in awhile. There were stories that I hated (very few), but none that I thought were bad. Honestly, this collection is an excellent example of what Science Fiction and Fantasy is capable of at its best.

How it Unfolds
By: James S. A. Corey

Roy Court and a team of people (including his ex-wife) are scanned and printed onto planets so far away humanity will never reach in hopes of colonization. The story juggles between the theme of many different versions of yourself living different lives/worlds and the story of Roy and his wife. This has to be my favorite version of living different lives I have seen so far and the tie in with the divorce was frankly poetic. I do think the ending was a little rushed in the end, though. We needed just a little bit more for his transition from wanting to remarry his wife to marrying another woman. Otherwise, this was a very solid story. We are starting strong!

Eye and Tooth
By: Rebecca Roanhorse

Monster hunters Atticus and Zelda travel out to a remote farm in Texas to deal with a creature that is killing the local animals. I found this one extremely predictable and I am not one for mysteries so I didn’t get too into it. Aside from that, I thought the horror atmosphere was well done and I am curious enough to learn more about this duo.

Zeta-Epsilon
By: Isabel J Kim

Zed and Epsilon are ship and pilot. They are of one mind, but with separate voices. This story explores the how’s, who’s, and why’s of combining AI with biological brains. I found all the concepts to be absolutely fascinating and my only wish is that the story was to be more fleshed out (and maybe the ending to be a little less vague).

Bari and the Resurrection Flower
By: Hana Lee

This is a retelling of the Korean folktale “Barigongju” where a princess who is discarded in the woods and is later asked to take a perilous journey to save those same parents that abandoned her. This whole story was BADASS.

The Window Boy
By: Thomas Ha

Jakey gives sandwiches to his mysterious friend he sees through a window. A boy he is specifically told not to talk to meet with. When I read this I got the vibe of those moments when you walk through your house at night with all the lights off. Awake in the dark quiet hours where the familiar feels so empty. I know this summary is vague as heck, but the joy of this story is the unpacking of this horror.

Disassembling Light
By: Kel Coleman

Terse, a grandmaster creator of mechanical crimeras, is approached by a young lady who wants to be his apprentice. This world has a wonderful fantasy world feel to it that makes you want to know more. I wasn’t wild about how it ended, but I think that is the point. It is made to subvert expectations.

The Long Game
By: Ann Leckie

The Long Game is told through the lens of a primitive slug creature who wants to learn from humans how to defeat death. This was a hard read, not because of the subject matter, but because the writing was in first person of an alien creature with lower intelligence. At times it was very hard to understand what was happening in the story. I think the difficulty of reading this (with a lower intelligent voice) was actually brillant of Leckie. Certain parts are just as hard for us the reader to understand as it is for the main character which is a kind of magic. I didn’t particularly enjoy this story. I do have mad respect for how well it is written.

John Hollowback and the Witch
By: Amal El-Mohtar

John Hollowback comes to a witch to fill a hole in his back. He cannot remember who took it nor can he remember where the additional objects, an apple, a comb, and a piece of thread, came from. I found this story a brilliant sleight of hand from the author and I appreciate this story not being as predictable as I feared it was. This is a mystery I can get behind.

Calypso’s Guest
By: Andrew Sean Greer

This story is a retelling of Calypso’s part of the Odyssey but in space (and gay). I think rewriting the Odyssey in space is inspired even though it didn’t resonate with me. It had a bit too many hypothetical questions for my liking. Not a bad story (I liked the set building) just not for me.

The Blade and the Bloodwright
By: Sloane Leong

The brothers of the White Chain, an archipelago, seek to get revenge on their enemies by using a Bloodwright as a kind of nuclear bomb on their most important islands. This story is full of images of viscera and bone and death and cruelty. While I think the imagery was epic and very well done I HAAAAAAAAATTTTED this story. I never could get a read on if the woman (Bloodwright) was a slave or if all the gang rape was actually consensual, which I do not think it is. Honestly, the sex scene in the end is making me desperate to read some stories by some asexual authors because I am so tired of this sex end all be all. I mean she is about to die and she wants SEX?!? After the gang rape at the start of her journey? Am I missing something? Gahhhhhhhh!

Form 8774-D
By: Alex Irvine

Leelee is a low grade government worker who goes over entry forms for prospective super heroes and in this story we follow her average work days. I want more. All of it. A full 500 page novel. I love, love, love what I call imaginary slice of life stories with small people in extraordinary worlds. This story is not exactly perfect. I think the prose may need more work, but I love this so much it is so hard to see the warts. I was also tickled that you can tell the author is from Michigan without needing to even look at his bio.

Ressurection Highway
By: A. R. Capetta

Written in second person, the main character and their crew go on a road trip across a post apocalyptic American in a car brought back from the dead using automancy. I thought this was a pretty cool read and I didn’t even mind too much that most of the story was dealing with world details and backstory.

The Last Four Things
By: Christopher Rowe

This story takes place on a research ship and it is broken into four parts for each of the crew members. That is all I got. It was a very challenging read and there was little there that incentivised me to work to understand any of it. A lot of the story is confusing philosophy and science jargon and I just can’t. Do I feel bad hating something I do not understand? Yes, yes I do.

The Ankle Snatcher
By: Grady Hendrix

Marcus is haunted since childhood with the fact that his father killed his mother and the fact his father claims that it was actually the ankle snatcher. Little does he know that the ankle snatcher is very real. If you look at my past reads you will know I like Hendrix a lot and this story is just as strong as his novels. It truly fits into the monster horror genre to a tee and the moment when Marcus is lying in bed listening to the ankle snatcher eat someone was so very very real.

Emotional Resonance
By: VM Ayala

The giant robot corporate slave, Arbor, meets another new hire, Crowe, during one of their murder assignments and they become bestest friends and possibly lovers. I might have spoiled the plot a bit in this summary, but it is just very straight forware and full Queer and Trans vibes. This story was not one of my favorites in this collection. It was fine. Giant robots are cool. However, for the right person it will be perfect.

Bruised-Eye Dusk
By: Jonathan Louis Duckworth

Rugg, the spellbreaker, travels to Ganvil riding an alligator named Tugboat hoping to pick up resources for the next leg of his journey. In Ganvill he is asked to solve the sour conja curse that is making the local children sick in exchange for goods and so he sets off to find a solution. The writing had a very clear accented voice, the voodoo type magic was and the name Tugboat for a gator is perfect. However, if a story has even so much a whiff of a mystery to it I lose 100% of my interest, which is what happened here. Just not for me.

Once Upon a Time at The Oakmont
By: P.A. Cornwell

The Oakmont is a building in New York City and exists in all times where the residents are from all times. This is a love story about Sarah (2024) and Rodger (1941). Something doesn’t sit too well with me in this story. I think the ending was a little too neat and twee for me. That being said I liked the concept and the writing had a bit of whimsy that I liked.

How to Raise a Kraken in Your Bathtub
By: P. Djeli Clark

Set in a steampunk, Victorian London, Trevor claims to be a man of ambition. As a man of ambition he needs to build his fortune in a new and unprecedented way, raising a kraken to be a sideshow display that would make him rich. This is the kind of story where you keep shouting at the main character, “WHY do you think this is a good idea?!?” Since Trevor is practically a caricature of the backward times of the 1800’s full of loads of racism, sexism and colonialism you do not feel bad at all when the story meets its expected and delightful ending. Loved it.

Falling Bodies
By: Rebecca Roanhorse

Earth is colonized by Genteel aliens and Ira is adopted as a baby by a Senator of the Genteel race to help civilize the savage human. The story begins with Ira trying to get a new start at college away from politics. Obviously, this is a story about colonialism, mainly the colonization of America and American Indians. I think Roanhorse did a good job, but I think she was a little melodramatic at some spots. That isn’t to say colonization is not traumatizing on all fronts or make less of the issue. I just think the story would be more effective if Roanhorse used a little lighter hand in some of the inner monologuing.

If Someone You Love Becomes a Vurdalak
By: Sam J. Miller

Faraday has learned that his drug addicted twin brother, Planck, has become a vurdalak (a vampire that can only feed on loved ones) and has to come to terms with what can be done. This is a story about how drug addiction can bleed families dry. This was fantastic and I am never going to read it again because it is so sad.

[Taylor Swift Scholar · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed previous collections more than this year, but I am still glad that I read this. My favorite was definitely John Hollowback and the Witch.

[Elle VanGilder · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.55 average between all my little individual thoughts, rounded up because the stories that I loved actually left me breathless. This collection was really fantastic; Hugh Howey chose well—and opened with a very thoughtful introduction that deserves a round of applause in its own right. Lots of queer stories in this anthology, which is admittedly one of my favorite things about contemporary science fiction and fantasy. The most memorable for me (not necessarily all of the ones I gave my—admittedly liberally given—five stars to lol) include “How It Unfolds”, “The Blade and the Bloodwright”, and “If Someone You Love Has Become a Vurdalak”. I will be thinking about these three pieces for longer than I have a right to.

- “How It Unfolds” by James S. A. Corey - Admittedly, one of those things that I know is not a unique trait but which I feel I uniquely carry the burden of, is the need to read Deeper into everything presented to me. Especially a short story. For this one I’ve chosen to read into it the idea that things will change and you can’t stop them from changing but despite this change you’re still you and your past will always be with you. You will always love and loathe your past but you will love your future even more, and all the possibilities that come with it. On another note: really tasty sci-fi with this one. The idea of light as a medium for (re)production is ingenious imo and I fw the almost Groundhog Day effect of the group eternally colonizing planets without ever (truly) reaping the rewards. It’s lonely, but I think it’s also a bit hopeful? There’s something fixed and tautological about it, to be sure, but the ending (ultimately about a return and a change and a new possibility (that’s also already written? tautology man)) was slay nonetheless. Anyway! 5/5 from me as I’m a sentimental bastard.
- “Eye & Tooth” by Rebecca Roanhorse - A predictable monster hunting romp complete with enough smarmy narrative to remind me of (hit TV show) Supernatural. Sure it was enjoyable (had a certain cinematic vibe to it) but I didn’t find it necessarily memorable or moving in any way. Compact, neat horror story (I’ll admit, I’m more of an epic fantasy lover myself) nonetheless! Like a hardy plot of land missing some of the nutrients to grow a nice garden. 3/5 from me, I have been meaning to read more Roanhorse!
- “Zeta-Epsilon” by Isabel J. Kim - If my unhealthy attachment to Ann Leckie is anything to go by, I’m quite fond of weird AI-human mindmeld stories, of which this is one. Super rad sci-fi bullshit abound here, which sucks me in right away—I don’t even need an impetus for why the Zeta-Epsilon human-AI pair left the government, I’m too charmed by the fact that they can’t separate themselves from the other to a point where it’s impossible to think of themselves as a discrete being. Like, that’s gas. 4/5 (because I actually do long for impetus).
- “Bari and the Resurrection Flower” by Hana Lee - Enjoyable and compact! I don’t know what more to say about it other than I had a good ride while reading and could see the author pulling it out into a larger work if they so chose. But it’s just as satisfying as is. Killer premise; the language itself feels unfulfilling—something a bit YA-ish about it that makes me reticent while reading (could just be the first person). 3.5/5, I have Lee’s book on hold at the library.
- “Window Boy” by Thomas Ha - Downright eerie omfg. The implicit world-building (for lack of a better description, seeping out of the story instead of laid at your feet which I appreciated) was so well done. A story that still leaves you with a lot to chew on once you’re done. That ending scene is soooo haunting, man. You can’t help but sympathize with everyone in the story, even when they’re doing/planning to do something “wrong” you know WHY these choices are being made. 4/5 because I still had a few questions nagging at me when I put it down.
- “Disassembling Light” by Kel Coleman - I was not the biggest fan of this as a whole, but there were moments of undeniable whimsy (to steal a word used in this story, because I forgot about this word!! I forgot about whimsy!!!) that made the whole thing more enjoyable. Sunflower light, braided entrails, a frog with wooden legs, the word ‘spark’. It just didn’t thrill me, you know? AnywAY; 2/5 for me.
- “The Long Game” by Ann Leckie - Another Ann Leckie slay for the books! Love a story from the view of some(one/thing) non-human; it’s so fun to parse through. Defamiliarization has me in a chokehold when it comes to SF genre, shout out Shklovsky. 4/5, although I’m admittedly giving a nepotism adjacent boost because I love Leckie.
- “John Hollowback and the Witch” by Amal El-Mohtar - Another Amal El-Mohtar banger, but are we really surprised? You don’t necessarily have to forgive someone or want them back in your life in order to wish them a better life. In only a few pages you’re able to see all the contradictory aspects of John, just the crazy amount of cognitive dissonance that he (and men like him) go through—and then of course his ‘rehabilitation’ and acknowledgment of all the shit he’s done. IDK, it felt like a hopeful ending to me! Another 4/5; some of the dialogue felt cheesy but I loved the witch kicking him out at the end.
- “Calypso’s Guest” by Andrew Sean Greer - Queer retelling of Odysseus’ stay in Ogygia, but this time Ogygia is in space. I said oooh I love this the people said oh of course. Two parts bitter one part sweet, but that’s sort of the best type of story to read. 4/5! I really liked it but it didn’t make me go totally crazayy yk.
- “The Blade and the Bloodwright” by Sloane Leong - And if I say this was epic? If I say this got an actual physical reaction from me? If I say this had me on the floor staring listlessly up at the ceiling? What then? Will I be put on the cross Jesus style? It’s gory, it’s visceral, it’s gross, but Leong absolutely killed the worldbuilding in such a short period. Admittedly, there was a good bit still left unanswered (less about the magic system and more about the socio-political landscape; sue me, that’s my reading experience) but that’s WHATEVA!!! 5/5!!!
- “8774-D” by Alex Irvine - SUPERHERO BUREAUCRATIC BULLSHIT LETS GOOOO! 5/5!!! NO NOTES!!
- “Resurrection Highway” by A. R. Capetta - There’s this board game called Battlecars and this story feels like that on crack. I’ll admit, I’m generally pretty iffy on post-apocalyptic stories as a whole. And also I think Mad Max is lame. So this? Was never going to be something that I would enjoy. That smarmy Mad Max-esque prose always makes my eye twitch (once again: just not for me). So, with a heavy heart, I bequeath thee with 1.5/5. Extra half because it was written in second person and I fuck with an unexpected POV.
- “The Four Last Things” by Christopher Rowe - I’m a big enough person to admit that I didn’t Get this one…the sort of thing that plays on the outskirts of understanding. Inspired by Christian eschatology and, you know, ultimately about death, so of course it’s going to get Strange. Difficult but sort of pleasurable for being so? Idk. Some bits did just feel like science fiction for science fiction’s sake, though (although, once again, I definitely do not have the chops on the first read to bite into the heart of the matter, so maybe the bits I found superfluous are actually central). 3/5 — it was engaging even with the barrier between reader and meaning lol.
- “Ankle Snatcher” by Grady Hendrix - Childhood fears become adulthood realities; easy reading more than anything that made me go ape shit. It was fine? But not really memorable? I don’t know, it felt like a nothing story to me lol. 2/5!
- “Emotional Resonance” by V. M. Ayala - The giant space mechs are trans and gay ♡ and also late stage capitalism is going to kill us all, even in the beautiful expanse of deep space. Unless we are gay and trans together… (it’s an offer). Anyway! I loved the impetus, I loved the set up, the story didn’t knock my socks off, though. I’m sorry robots! 3/5.
- “Bruised-Eye Dusk” by Jonathan Louis Duckworth - So atmospheric, even the language is steeped in swampiness. Very much a predictable arc in the storytelling, but the displacement of the actual content (bayou/deep south inspired setting and magic system, queer storytelling, a HUGEEEE alligator that doubles as a horse) is enough to leave me absolutely enchanted. 3/5!!
- “Once Upon a Time at The Oakmont” by P. A. Cornell - I’ve read old diaries from the 1800s, the early 1900s, and found myself falling in love with whoever wrote it. This is a similar story, but instead of falling (nominally) in love over writing, it’s literal love between time. It was very sweet and such a neat (albeit sad) concept—and it made my brain itch when I tried to think about it past a certain point. It was very creative! The ending was sort of giving me smirk and stare at the camera at the end of a movie, though lmao. 3/5 from meeee!
- “How to Raise a Kraken in Your Bathtub” by P. Djèlí Clark - So, you’ve unleashed an eldritch horror onto your 1800s English city. Really fun and funny, but I’m not a big fan of the setting (in general; it’s a mixture of not liking pirate stories and not liking historical fiction set in English cities from this exact time period—I don’t know why). Literally, this fell into the exact niche of stuff that I avoid in fantasy. I do love Clark’s work (me and If the Martians Have Magic against the world) but this unfortunately was not for me. 2/5.
- “Fallen Bodies” by Rebecca Roanhorse - I feel like I need to be physically restrained; this story was everything I never knew I needed. This could just as well be a non-sci fi story (which usually I’m sort of meh about, but here the addition of these elements didn’t feel like superfluous blah blah blah—just extra flavor yk? idk if that makes sense) and Roanhorse sells it sooo well. 5/5, I’m on the floor kicking and screaming.
- “If Someone You Love Has Become a Vurdalak” by Sam J. Miller - So good I want to go back and demote everything else I gave five stars to. And also so sad. It’s been a while since a story made me actually sob. So. Yeah. Loving and living with someone with an addiction and all that good stuff. 5/5. Six, even.

[Daphne · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorites from this collection:

Zeta-Epsilon by Isabel J. Kim
Window Boy by Thomas Ha
Form 8774-D by Alex Irvine
Once Upon a Time at the Oakmont by P. A. Cornell

[Eamonn Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy’ anthology has been running since 2015. John Joseph Adams is the series editor and chooses a lot of stories from which the annual guest editor, Hugh Howey in this case, gets to pick the final selection. Here are some stories I liked.

‘How It Unfolds’ James S. A. Corey. Somehow, with slow light, Earth transmits copies of people to distant planets. The copies, who are exactly like the originals, can then transmit the same data packets to other planets further out and so humans, over time, will spread through the galaxy. Roy Court is scanned and transmitted and new Roy wakes up on another planet with companions and sets about the work of colonisation. What are the effects of having multiple copies of yourself in the galaxy, some in the past and more to come in the future?

‘Eye & Tooth’ by Rebecca Roanhorse. Atticus and Zelda are monster hunters dealing with haints, spirits, poltergeists and others. Atticus has the Eye and can see into the other world, which makes him absent-minded in this one. Zelda is the tooth. Ms Washington summons them to a big ol’ house in cow country near Fort Worth, Texas because something out in the cornfield is killing birds, then a cat. What next? A neat fantasy/horror tale with clever misdirection.

‘Zeta Epsilon’ by Isabel J. Kim. Zeta San Tano is a man with a receiver in his brain since infancy that connects him to Epsilon, a humming black sphere the size of a bedroom and the AI controlling a spaceship. He’s the pilot in a perfect merger of the human brain and computer logic. It’s a lovely relationship but from the start, it is paid for, owned and run by the military, who do things their way.

‘Window Boy’ by Thomas Ha. Jakey is a nice lad and quite privileged in a world where others need food and shelter. His father has a steady job with a company. Jakey lowers the house shields sometimes to put out a sandwich for a vagabond he calls Window Boy who might even be a friend. A realistic look at the results of inequality on the kind and the desperate.

‘Disassembling Light’ by Kel Coleman. A tale in the spirit of the arts and craft movement. Factories make utilitarian things but craftsmen make assemblages that are intricate and graceful. Cinerous, a young lady, applies to a master craftsman named Terse to be his apprentice and shows him some of her work. An uncomfortable look at what it takes to make art. Odd, but it worked.

‘John Hollowback and the Witch’ by Amal El-Mohtar. A year ago, as he was about to propose to Lydia, a hole appeared in John’s back. He was a woodworker and travelled with a small theatre company, making their sets and other odd jobs. Lydia was a singer in the group and he loved her. Now he goes to an old witch to get his hollow back fixed and learns a thing or two about personal relationships in this clever fantasy.

I thoroughly enjoyed ‘Form 8774-D’ by Alex Irvine which tells the story of an ordinary mortal dealing with superheroes. Leelee Remsburg works in the Bureau of Metahuman, Mutant and Occult Affairs where her job is to take in applicants’ form 8774-D’ and make sure they have filled it in correctly. Some are inclined to exaggerate. The next step for the client will be an appointment in six to eight weeks to demonstrate their abilities. Like any able employee in a customer-facing role, Leelee is very good at dealing with a variety of people including the silly, the arrogant and the bullies. There are super security guards on standby, just in case. Stories in which ordinary people work to make a living are rare and lovely. This also makes the point that bureaucrats, villains today, do necessary work and your path through their organisation will go smoother if you treat them respectfully.

One of my favourites herein is ‘Ankle Snatcher’ by Grady Hendrix, a boogyman story. Marcus is a nice chap who works on a Samaritans helpline with Tess and has progressed to a second date with her. It all goes wrong. This is different because there’s a back story and a long coda to the main event and Marcus is portrayed in some detail. As with the best horror, you almost believe in it, at least while reading. The author has written a history of paperback horror fiction so he knows his stuff.

For the first few pages, I was unimpressed with ‘Once Upon a Time at the Oakmont’ by P.A. Cornell because nothing much seemed to be happening. The Oakmont is an apartment building in New York where people from different eras cohabit but with strict rules about what they can tell each other. Sarah is from our time and falls in love with Roger from 1942. She knows how the war will turn out but can’t tell him. This was classed as science fiction but seemed more like a fantasy. Perhaps all time travel stories are fantasy. In any case, it was a heartwarming little gem and l enjoyed it.

‘How to Raise a Kraken in Your Bathtub’ by P. Djèlí Clark is a sort of Steampunk fantasy set at the end of the nineteenth century. A Captain Nobody is harassing shipping on the high seas and conquered Mermen are available for hire as cheap labour in London. Trevor Hemley, an ambitious clerk, answers an advert in a penny dreadful and raises a Kraken in his bathtub. This is great fun and perhaps a homage to Bradbury’s ‘Boys! Raise Giant Mushrooms in your Cellar’ though the background is different.

These stood out for me. The collection shows what is being published in the field presently and which kind of stories you should produce if they want to please the editors in control of the top magazines so it’s useful for writers.

[Kerry Pickens · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series was the best of the 2024 Best American collections, mainly because it contained two stories by Rebecca Roanhorse.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a good anthology. This is a very great collection, but it's clear that Hugh Howey greatly prefers dark fantasy and horror rather than more conventional fantasy. The science fiction is more hard and usually is set in outer space. Plot matters for all stories, so it has to keep moving. The diversity of contributors in impressive (gender, race, and sexuality) as is the diversity of big and smaller names. I read every story except one.

My reviews (out of 5):
"How It Unfolds" by James S.A. Corey - A great start! A touching story of exploration and space settlement and the ways a person's life might have turned out. 5
"Eye & Tooth" by Rebecca Roanhorse - DFW airport mentioned! One of two authors with ties to the area. This was a pretty predictable horror story but fun. 3.5
"Zeta-Epsilon" by Isabel J Kim - A good, solid story of a twinned AI and human mind told in a non-linear manner to heighten the mystery of what happened. It's a bit difficult to initially parse. 3
"Bari and the Resurrection Flower" by Hana Lee - This is when I realized Howey loves dark fantasy. The only story involving a king and princess is set in Joseon Korea. Non-binary child goes into the underworld to do more than just save ungrateful parents. It's the only story based on folklore in a clear way - other are inspired by folklore at best. 4.5
"Window Boy" by Thomas Ha - Horror again in a future that is brutal. This was just horror, but enough of the setting to make it science fiction. 4
"Disassembling Light" by Kel Coleman - This dark fantasy fell a bit short for me. I don't know if it was the ending or the way it handle the mentor and the aspiring mentee trope, but it was just okay. 3
"The Long Game" by Ann Leckie - A hard science fiction story from the viewpoint of an alien slug that observes humans and wants to beat mortality. The funny tone and the main character make the story sing. Surprisingly sweet take on colonialization!? 4.5
"John Hollowback and The Witch" by Amal El-Mohtar - I read this before and love El-Mohtar's language and how this story feels like a folktale and how we learn of how John had a hollowback. 5
"Calypso's Guest" by Andrew Sean Greer - I love a story that shows you another side of an author. This gay science fiction take on Odyssey was very satisfying. I would read the book. 5
"The Blade and The Bloodwright" by Sloane Leong - A gory horror/dark fantasy tale of islands at war with a shocking ending. It was compelling and disturbing. This story was so different from the only book I read by Leong (a young adult graphic novel about a girl's high school basketball team) that I had to check it was indeed that same author. 4
"Form 8774-D" by Alex Irvine - A very funny story of bureaucracy and superhumans that focuses on a human worker and the people she encounters. 5
"Resurrection Highway" by A. R. Capetta - A queer Mad Max rescue mission involving automancy. Cool visuals described. 3.5
"Four Last Things" by Christopher Rowe - skip -
"Ankle Snatcher" by Grady Hendrix - a straight forward horror story with an interesting monster. The stylistic touches make an okay story much better. 4
"Emotional Resonance" by V.M. Ayala - Big queer robots fall in love. It feels like "Zeta-Epsilon" but with mechas. 4
"Bruised-Eye Dusk" by Jonathan Louis Duckworth - A swamp-set queer mystery. I loved the Southern language and setting. I'd read a novel of this. 5
"Once Upon a Time at the Oakmont" - A cool time displaced love story. It wasn't flesh out enough, but it was nice. 4
"How to Raise a Kraken in your Bathtub" by P Djeli Clark -A Victorian story that refutes colonialism with mermen and Kraken. Another story that the language is so fun. I just love his writing. 5
"Falling Bodies" by Rebecca Roanhorse - Oh, man a great story about transracial adoption set in a colonized space station and how humans are going to human. Just great! 5
"If Someone You Love has become a Vurdalak" - A sad story that uses a little known monster to talk about addiction, love, and queer longing. A nice pairing with "Calypso's Guest." 5

[Lynn DiFerdinando · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read slowly as a 20-minutes-before-bed book. This series is always good but this one was particularly great. No stories that I hated, many that I really liked. Favorites: Window Boy, John Hollowback, Resurrection Highway, Bruised-Eye dusk, Falling bodies, If someone you love has become a vurdalak

I don't know why I used the currently-reading updates feature to keep track of the stories. It always glitches and is only easily accessible on mobile but then you can't copy paste from it so here I am opening it in browser anyways - whatever. goodreads broken, dog bites man, news at 8, etc

Story descriptions and reactions below the cut

How It Unfolds: how is it that every single James S A Corey story starts with a man pining for a woman and getting rejected. Who hurt them. Anyways, interesting worldbuilding, love the excerpts from other worlds

Eye & tooth - unmemorable, simple twist. Meh

Zeta- Epsilon - that’s more like it! Very cool POV of two blended consciousnesses…or are they? Who can say

Bari and the Resurrection Flower- interesting, nonbinary character and their emotions about their family that abandoned them.

Window Boy - oof. truly haunting. Jakey can’t forget what’s outside of the bunker, and neither will I. I liked the mentions of “think about the children!” censorship moms, while other children die outside…ouch.

Disassembling Light- interesting world but not super interesting story. Bitter old man is bitter news at 11

The Long Game- always like an alien POV of humans, pretty good

John Hollowback- every time I read a great short story in a collection and go to check the author, it’s Amal El-Mohtar. She can’t keep getting away with this! I hope she releases a short story collection eventually.

Calypso's Guest - wonderful retelling of part of the Odyssey, the yearning! the letting him go anyways!

Blade and the Bloodwright - not sure what to say because Im not sure what I read. a lot of emotions and literal viscera wrapped up in this short story. the gender envy was chefs kiss

form 8774-d - just started a job as a govt worker who fills out this kinda form. yep they've captured the mood perfectly

Resurrection Highway- short but pretty much perfect. Echoed with the vibes of the world

The 4 Last Things- this was inspired by James Joyce and it shows. Felt like reading poetry at times. But I do love a beautiful prose, so I liked it

The ankle snatcher - Hendrix is a great horror writer. Ending was a little meh

Emotional resonance - giant robots in wuvvv. fun but not extraordinary

Bruised-Eye dusk - I literally want an entire novel about this character and world. apparently the author has written several others in the same universe and theyre all in Beneath Ceaseless Skies. I may have to actually subscribe to a short story magazine

once upon a time at the oakmont - fine but I've read this kind of time travel story a million times

how to raise a kraken in your bathtub - really captured the Verne vibes. get wrecked, brits

falling bodies - oof ouch my emotions. I don't even know what to say about this except it hurts

if someone you love has become a vurdalak - this also hurts but in a more understandable, cathartic way, somehow.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

I love short fiction, so I was absolutely thrilled to receive an ARC of this anthology highlighting some of the best science fiction and fantasy short stories published during the 2023 calendar year. This anthology series has been going on for several years, and after reading this volume, I can certainly see why. The selected stories covered a broad range of styles, authors, and original publications, and read as a whole, I thought it was an excellent and well-curated snapshot of the year in speculative short fiction. As is always true for me with anthologies, there were some stories I loved, a lot of stories that I liked, a few that I disliked, and one that I hated, but overall the hit rate was good. With the stories I disliked, I know it’s a matter of my own tastes; those stories were lauded and celebrated by a lot of other readers and editors, but just didn’t work for me personally.

I especially appreciated the extra touches in this anthology, which give the reader a broader glimpse of the SFF short fiction world. Series editor John Joseph Adams provided a helpful explanation of how stories were sourced, chosen for initial consideration, and then given to guest editor Hugh Howey, who read them anonymously, without any bylines or information about where they first appeared, and then made the final selections. Adams also shared information about all the periodicals, anthologies and collections where the stories originally appeared, as well as a list of the eighty stories that were considered. Along with author biographies, the book also included contributor notes for each story. I really enjoyed hearing from the authors themselves about the inspirations and experiences that led to the creation of their story.

I used to always be a year or two behind on new SFF short stories, but now I try to keep up on them in order to nominate and vote for the Hugos. From that perspective this anthology is very successful. I had only heard of about half of the stories included, which just shows how much fantastic SFF fiction is out there, and I had read 6. Several of my own favorites were included, either in the anthology itself or in the “top eighty” list that was included. While I might quibble with some of the specific choices made by the editors, that’s based on my own personal reading preferences. The included stories average out to a 3.75 star rating, but the experience of reading the anthology as a whole was an easy 5 stars, so I settled on 4.5 stars overall, and rounded up to 5 for Goodreads and NetGalley.

Highlights for me:

- Zeta-Epsilon by Isabel J. Kim
- How it Unfolds by James S.A. Corey
- The Long Game by Ann Leckie
- Bruised-Eye Dusk by Jonathan Louis Duckworth
- Window Boy by Thomas Ha

Thank you to John Joseph Adams, Hugh Howey, Mariner Books, and NetGalley for generously providing an ARC for review!

r/Fantasy 2024 Bingo squares: Short Stories (HM), Published in 2024, Alliterative, Reference Materials (HM)

[Heather Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an absolutely fantastic sci fi and fantasy anthology!!! I really enjoyed (almost) every story, some by already favorite authors but most were authors I hadn’t read and will be looking for!
“How It Unfolds” (4 stars) by James S.A. Corey-very thoughtful and emotional, nice twist on a love story.
“Eye & Tooth” (4.5 stars) by Rebecca Roanhorse-I had read this already in ‘Out There Screaming’ & it was still very enjoyable with a cool magic/monster twist.
“Zeta-Epsilon” (5 stars) by Isabel J. Kim-wow, Emotion with a capital E, very special story of AI & a human, loved the ending.
“Bari and the Resurrection Flower” (3.5 stars) by Hana Lee-magic & gods & family dysfunction.
“Window Boy” (5 stars) by Thomas Ha-whew, did not see any of that coming, an apocalypse & monsters & a traditional upper class American life! Fascinating and I would like a whole book thank you!
“Disassembling Light” (3.5 stars) by Kel Coleman-interesting fantasy tale and kind of sad.
“The Long Game” (4 stars) by Ann Leckie-just plain weird and fun but also really thoughtful about colonization and its effects on the indigenous lives.
“John Hollowback and the Witch” (4 stars) by Amal El-Mohtar-gotta love a story of punishment and justice and acknowledgment of the wrong.
“Calypso’s Ghost” (4.25 stars) by Andrew Sean Greer-a space sci-fi version of a classic mythological story, a love story.
“The Blade and the Bloodwright” (2.5 stars) by Sloane Leong-one of the two stories that didn’t really appeal to me, not because it was badly written, it just was not to my taste.
“Form 8774-D” (5+ stars!!) by Alex Irvine-loved, loved, loved!!!!!!! Humor and emotion, fun and creative!!! I WANT MORE!!!!!
“Resurrection Highway” (5 stars) by A.R. Capetta-steampunk magic set in an apocalyptic America with found family dysfunction and love! Excellent & creative! I could read a novel set in this world.
“The Four Last Things” (2.5 stars) by Christopher Rowe-he is an author that I have read and enjoyed but this story just didn’t work for me. Again, not badly written, simply did not click for me.
“Ankle Snatcher” (4 stars) by Grady Hendrix-flat out horror story, very unique and excellent finish!
“Emotional Resonance” (5+ stars) by V.M. Ayala-OMG, so full of heart and emotion and story and love. One of my favorite stories!”
“Bruised-Eye Dusk” (4 stars) by Jonathan Louis Duckworth-amazing world and characters (especially Tugboat!), good story and lots of humanity.
“Once Upon a Time at the Oakmont” (5 stars) by P.A. Cornell-awwwwwwwww. Fabulous!
“How to Raise a Kraken in your Bathtub (4.5 stars) by P. Djeli Clark-so creative and kind of steampunky with a ton of world building in a very short amount of time. Excellent & rather fun!
“Falling Bodies” (5 stars) by Rebecca Roanhorse-oh boy, this was heart wrenching, a trans-specie adopted boy takes back his power and himself.
“If Someone You Love Has Become a Vurdalak” (5 stars) by Sam J. Miller-emotional vampire story, so unique.
I strongly recommend this anthology!!!!! One of my best of the year!

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Contents:
Introduction: Plato and the Planogram by Hugh Howey - very much enjoyed reading it, but I won't rate it as it's not a story.
How It Unfolds by James S. A. Corey
Excellent and memorable - months later it crept back to mind and I had a devil of a time remembering where I had read it but was obsessed. "Big idea" SF that doesn't skimp on the human element. 4.25
Eye & Tooth by Rebecca Roanhorse
Very neat horror tale - 3.25
Zeta-Epsilon by Isabel J. Kim
I liked this a lot, even if I'm not sure I fully understood all of it. 3.5
Bari and the Resurrection Flower by Hana Lee
My first impression was that this story was nice and interesting but didn't wow me, but I revised that take when I got more context from reading the author's notes on the story, in Contributors' Notes section at the end. I was lacking cultural context. 3.5
Window Boy by Thomas Ha
Chilling and *excellent* --and the less you know going in, the better. 4.25
Disassembling Light by Kel Coleman
Ööf. What a dark but lovely (and dark!) tale. It felt like more of a morsel than a mouthful, though: 3.5
The Long Game by Ann Leckie
I really liked this alien story - 3.5
John Hollowback and the Witch by Amal El-Mohtar
I love this story so damned much. It was a standout in Book of Witches and is still so great - 5
Calypso’s Guest by Andrew Sean Greer
Really lovely Odyssey-in-space and bittersweet love song. 3.75
The Blade and the Bloodwright by Sloane Leong
Poetic enough, but yeesh you'd better have a strong stomach. CW for lots of body horror, gore, war crimes/genocide, and sexual assault. 3.5
Form 8774-D by Alex Irvine
Very fun and charming - cozy superhero fic 3.5
Resurrection Highway by A. R. Capetta
Nice diesel punk/necromancy story; very extra. 2.5
The Four Last Things by Christopher Rowe
Whew - good, over my head, intense and neat. While esoteric, it might think it's smarter than it is, but I didn't mind. 4
Ankle Snatcher by Grady Hendrix
Cute, funny light horror tale wherein the darker bits sneak up on you. 3.5
Emotional Resonance by V. M. Ayala
Cute; battle robots escape corporate overlords. A little sweet for my taste. It was okay. 2
Bruised-Eye Dusk by Jonathan Louis Duckworth
Nice story, I liked it, but didn't resonate deeply and I had trouble recalling details a few days later. 3
Once Upon a Time at the Oakmont by P. A. Cornell
This was so sweet and left me with a warm, fuzzy, but bittersweet & nostalgia-egded feeling. 4.25
How to Raise a Kraken in Your Bathtub by P. Djèlí Clark
Your mileage, as always, may vary. I know this was quite popular with a lot of readers but Clark's short stories often leave me struggling just a little for closer engagement. Cute, clever, a little dry for me personally. 3.5
Falling Bodies by Rebecca Roanhorse
Powerful, excellent - 4.25
If Someone You Love Has Become a Vurdalak by Sam J. Miller - Strong, complex story about addiction, vampirism, and love. 4.5

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, I received an ARC in exchange for a review. Opinions, especially when it comes to short stories, are super subjective, as we're all well aware. I thought Howey did a remarkable job of picking out gems of stories readers might have missed and showcasing the breadth of the genres.

[Tess · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 (8/10)
For most of my life, I’ve always thought the same thing: I’ll read almost anything, as long as it’s not fantasy. I’ve red fantasy books that I’ve really enjoyed, but they were almost all either war epics or had some link to the current reality of our world. I was much more comfortable with Science Fiction, which I considered to be the green that was easier for me to visualize and understand, and therefore the “better” genre (for me). Well, I was gifted this book, and my first thought before reading it was: well, let’s just hope I can make it through the fantasy sections. After reading this, and genuinely not disliking a single story, I can finally admit that I’ve judged fantasy, as a genre, too harshly. The type of fantasy I dislike, the type that many refer to as “romantasy”, the type that involves basic tropes, random “fantasy” names that have too many or too few vowels, and words that are both hard to pronounce and hard to understand what they represent, was what I thought of as fantasy as a whole. Well, after reading this book, and after having “fantasy” listed as my third most read genre of the year last year, I’ve come to understand just how broad and all encompassing the genre tag of fantasy can be. So, anyways, thanks to this book for opening my eyes about that. I’ve been wanting to read Hugh Howey’s smash hit novel Wool for ages (and now own a copy! Reading incoming), so it was cool to see him edit this novel. There were a ton of authors in this collection that I knew of, but had never read their work, or had read an enjoyed some of their novels, so it was interesting read all of their work in the context of a short story collection. I can’t possibly recap all of my thoughts on all of the stories in this book, and, as I said earlier, there wasn’t a single story in this that I disliked, but for some form of feedback on the actual stories, I’ll list my top 3 (not in order). They are: Zeta-Epsilon by Isabel J Kim, Form 8774-D by Alex Irvine, and Resurrection Highway by A R Capetta. I tried to come up with just a top 5 for this review, but it became too close after those three, so that’s all I got. Just know that all of the stories in this are good. I’m happy to have finally completed my first book of the year (accidentally took a week off from reading this because I was so busy). I need to read more collections like this.

[Michael Reilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a long history of Best Science Fiction Stories of the Year books going back to the Fantasy and Science Fiction Magazine annual volumes in the early 1950s. By the 1990s there were at least three annual collections by major publishers. Gardner Dozois edited a huge volume of 40 or so science fiction stories every year.

This is the most widely available collection these days. As the title promises, this is a collection of science fiction and fantasy.

I am not a fan of most fantasy stories. I wonder how many readers are big fans of both fantasy and science fiction. I suspect most strongly prefer one over the other. The recent tendency to offer them in separate sections in books stores seems to support my idea.

There are some very good science fiction stories here. James A. Corey's "How It Unfolds" is based on a big clever idea about technology and identity. It has a satisfyingly complicated plot and a first-rate love story.

Ann Leckie's "The Long Game" has a wonderful, strange nonhuman hero struggling with what intelligence and mortality means. The story is smart and, I thought, funny.

P. Djeli Clark's story, "How to Raise a Kraken in Your Bathtub", is set in Victorian England. It is very funny and not all from the slapstick humor the title would suggest.

The Fantasy stories did not interest me as much. A man goes to a witch to fill his hollow back. A childhood boogie man turns out to exist. A spell breaker shows up in a strange town and breaks spells. Not my kind of thing.

However, to be fair, my favorite stories was the time travel fantasy "Once Upon a Time at the Oakmont" by P. A. Cornell. A hotel in New York City is outside of time. The residents come from all different times, mostly over the last 100 years. Cornell calmly explains the civilized rules that prevent time paradoxes. She grates an alternative world inside NYC which is fascinating and decent. The guest are interesting people who calmly accept the odd world they inhabit. Cornell clearly enjoys work out the details of how this would work. It was my favorite story in the collection.

[Robert Yokoyama · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great collection of science fiction and fantasy stories. The best aspect of this book are the creative titles of the stories themselves, because they motivate me to read more to find out what each story is about. My favorite story title is "Zeta-Epsilon". This is a creative science fiction story about the symbiotic relationship between a character named Zeta and the neural implant named Epsilon that gives Zeta sentience. My other favorite story title is "Ankle Snatcher". An ankle snatcher is another term for a boogyman. I love the unexpected plot of how the ankle snatcher catches and kills the young victim in this story. "How To Raise a Kraken in Your Bathtub" I have heard of the sea creature called the Kraken before, but I have never read about the creature in a short story before. I love the suspense in this story. "Form 8744D" is another creative story title. The title is a reference to a fictitious form that certifies that a person has superhuman abilities. Form 8744D reads like a graphic novel and describes characters with superpowers very superbly. All the stories in this book are well written.

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.325 average!
How it Unfolds by James S A Corey - 5 stars
Eye & Tooth by Rebecca Roanhorse - 4.5 stars
Zeta-Epsilon by Isabel J. Kim - 4.5 stars
Bari and the Resurrection Flower by Hana Lee - 4 stars
Window Boy by Thomas Ha - 4.5 stars
Disassembling Light by Kel Coleman - 4 stars
The Long Game by Ann Leckie - 4 stars
John Hollowback and the Witch by Amal El-Mohtar - 4 stars
Calypso’s Guest by Andrew Sean Greer - 4 stars
The Blade and the Bloodwright by Sloane Leong - 2.5 stars
Form 8774-D by Alex Irvine - 4 stars
Resurrection Highway by A. R. Capetta - 3.5 stars
The Four Last Things by Christopher Rowe - 2 stars
Ankle Snatcher by Grady Hendrix - 4 stars
Emotional Resonance by V M Ayala -3.5 stars
Bruised-Eye Dusk by Jonathan Louis Duckworth - 4 stars
Once Upon a Time at the spamming by P. A. Cornell - 4 stars
How to Raise a Kraken in Your Bathtub by P Djeli Clark - 3.5 stars
Falling Bodies by Rebecca Roanhorse - 3.5 stars
If Someone You Love Has Become a Vurdalak by Sam J Miller - 3.5 stars

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have rated a lot of these books in the series, and a lot of anthologies in general. What I've always noticed is that these anthology or short story collections always end up middling because of the variety of good and bad in near equal measure.

However, for the first time I decided to individually rank each story. In the middle of ranking the stories I found that there were a bunch of them I really, really enjoyed! I was certain that the overall ranking would definitely be a four or five. However I was surprised to find there were a couple DNFs in this edition that weighed everything back to middling three stars territory.

So, I will say that this book has a lot of very high highs and a couple low DNF crap, rather than consistently middling, mediocre stories. I definitely think this is one of the better editions of the series and I think Hugh Howey did a wonderful job overall selecting some truly amazing short stories that found themselves in my life of favorite short stories all time.