Futures Past

by Jack Dann (Editor), Gardner Dozois (Editor)

Change the past-and the future may come undone.

An outstanding collection of time-traveling alternate history stories from 16 major science fiction writers, both old and new. Every day, a thousand possible futures die unborn around us-corners not turned, paths not taken. But if one could go back into the past and change it, the outcome could be unimaginable.

ix • Preface (Futures Past) • essay by Jack Dann and Gardner Dozois
1 • Aristotle and the Gun • (1958) • novelette by L. Sprague de Camp
41 • Sitka • (2004) • shortstory by William Sanders
57 • The Only Game in Town • [Time Patrol • 4] • (1960) • novelette by Poul Anderson
93 • Playing the Game • (1982) • shortstory by Gardner Dozois and Jack Dann
102 • Killing the Morrow • (1996) • shortstory by Robert Reed
118 • Thus We Frustrate Charlemagne • (1967) • shortstory by R. A. Lafferty
131 • The Game of Blood and Dust • (1975) • shortstory by Roger Zelazny
137 • Calling Your Name • (2003) • shortstory by Howard Waldrop
153 • What Rough Beast? • (1959) • novelette by Damon Knight
185 • O Brave Old World! • (1976) • novelette by Avram Davidson
202 • Radiant Doors • (1998) • shortstory by Michael Swanwick
221 • The Hotel at Harlan's Landing • [Company] • (2002) • shortstory by Kage Baker
237 • Mozart in Mirrorshades • (1985) • shortstory by Bruce Sterling and Lewis Shiner
256 • Under Siege • (1985) • novelette by George R. R. Martin

Genres: Science Fiction, Anthologies, Time Travel, Fiction

290 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 31, 2006

Reviews

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the book at 3 stars until I read the last two stories which were by Lewis Shiner & George R.R. Martin. The last one, in my opinion, was the best one. There were only 3 of the 14 novelette's that I just had to skip after reading several pages, one due to the writing style that read as a heavy eastern European accent. The George R.R. Martin novellette was quite interesting. The story and writing style makes me want to check out his other writings. The only thing in Martin's writing I'm not big on is the f-bombs/swearing.

[Rena Sherwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

When this was published, Dozois had been doing anthologies for nearly 30 years. By this time, he could do them in his sleep. Not sure if it was him or Jack Daan who wrote the overly long introductions for each selection. They were more or less the same introductions as appeared in the final few books in the Exclamitory Series, and in Dozois' 2005 anthology Galileo's Children.

This bunch of time travel stories are limited to those who purposefully go back in time to alter the past, presumably to make a better future. Or something like that. It's ultimately a grim and unsatisfying read.

The overriding theme is, "Don't change anything." But how can you make bad things better unless you change it?

Selections:

* "Preface" by Our Editors. The usual from our not-so-dynamic duo, with hints about the stories to come.
* "Aristotle and the Gun" by L. Sprague de Camp. It seems that Our Co-editors loved to place a de Camp story at the beginning of an Exclamitory Series anthology. This was one of de Camp's best stories ever. I really wish it happened, because I liked the world created when our time traveler met Aristotle.
* "Sitka" by William Sanders. An eventful meeting between Jack London and Lenin. Interesting, quirky, but a lame ending.
* "The Only Game in Town" by Poul Anderson. A really lame, overly long Time Patrol story about Mongols discovering America with a rushed, confusing and unnecessarily bloody ending.
* "Playing the Game" by Our Co-editors. They've done a shitload of anthologies together, so it was inevitable that they'd write a story together. This is a deeply felt, densely layered portrait of a kid who I think is in south-central Pennsylvania trying to find his way home.
* "Killing the Morrow" by Robert Reed. This is a highly imaginative post Apocalyptic story, where a future hominid species controls the brains of people in the present.
* "Thus We Frustrate Charlemagne" by R. A. Lafferty. This is one of the Diogenes Pontifax stories, although he only plays a bit role here. This is a dull, predictable mess about being happy with what you've got.
* "The Game of Blood and Dust" by Robert Zelazny. Very short story about two aliens who play a game, tinkering with Earth's past. Chilling to read that there only 2.5 billion people when this was written. If only!
* "Calling Your Name" by Howard Waldrop. Perhaps the most bizarre love story you'll ever read. Man goes into alternate universe after being accidentally electrocuted.
* "What Rough Beast" by Damon Knight. Knight has a way of concocting a great situation -- and then turning it to shit.
* "O Brave Old World" by Avram Davidson. Not a lot of fun reading this, even though I do know a bit of history from around the American Revolution.
* "Radiant Doors" by Michael Swanick. Pretty sick stuff, complete with prostitution of small boys and men against a swarm of rats.
* "The Hotel at Harlan's Landing" by Kage Baker. This is part of a time-travel series called the Company. It's an okay story, but really loses a lot if you haven't read the OTHER stories.
* "Mozart in Mirrorshades" by Bruce Sterling and Lewis Shiner. Just about as awful as the title mental image suggests.
* "Under Seige" by George R. R. Martin. Ambitious time traveling mutant story, but loses much of it's impact when you find out that it's set in 2008. So, I guess you're reading about a parallel world. The ending is vague enough that you can make it mean whatever you want.

[H · Rating 4 out of 5]

More great short stories, you can tell I like shorts....
Most of them were good.

[Witek · Rating 5 out of 5]

A set of short but extremely good sci-fi stories, all of which concern time travel. Some of them are simply chilling to the bone, others make you wonder, but none of them ends with the reader not feeling some strong emotion. Reeeeeeally good!

[Doug · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done

A nice review of some golden oldies with a variety of flavours. Anderson and Martin stood out among the others.