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Best Science Fiction of the Year 15
(The book includes many short stories by some of the leading Science Fiction writers of the day, including Harry Turtledove and Robert Silverberg 'Sailing to Byzantium' (THE 1986 NEBULA AWARD WINNING STORY) by Robert Silverberg, 'Flying Saucer Rock-and-Roll' by Howard Waldrop, 'Bluff by Harry Turtledove, 'Spanish Lesson' by Lucius Shepard, 'Snow' by John Crowley, 'Shanidar' by David Zindell, 'All My Darling Daughters')
365 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1986
1 person is currently reading
64 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 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 27, 2009
Best stories: the very moving "Snow" by John Crowley, and the all-time repulsive "All my darling Daughters" by Connie Willis, as ghastly a vision of depravity as I wish to read for a while, thank you Connie.
December 22, 2024
One of the better anthologies from 1985 that I found available for free in the Internet Archive Free Libraries when I searched for Connie Willis. Got two more of her stories that I haven't been able to find elsewhere! As well as Several more Hugo, Nebula, and Locus winners for that year, and some obscure but very good stories from Harry Turtledove & James Tiptree.
June 7, 2019
Good collection of science fiction stories. Unlike modern anthologies, I read and enjoyed all but one of the stories. Some of them made me think, which is also unheard of for anything modern.
September 22, 2022
12 stories from 1985.
**** Sailing to Byzantium • Robert Silverberg
*** Flying Saucer Rock & Roll • Howard Waldrop
*** Bluff • Harry Turtledove
***** A Spanish Lesson • Lucius Shepard
***** Snow • John Crowley
*** Shanidar • David Zindell
**** All My Darling Daughters • Connie Willis
**** Of Space-Time and the River • Gregory Benford
*** A Gift from the GrayLanders • Michael Bishop
**** Praxis • Karen Joy Fowler
**** The People on the Precipice • Ian Watson
**** The Only Neat Thing to Do • James Tiptree, Jr.
Notes: Certainly in the running for best of the Carr annual best-of anthologies. Not a stinker in the entire book. Two out of the ordinary works of art by Crowley and Shepard. One of grandmaster Silverberg's best. Fowler starts off a great career with her excellent first published story. Watson, Benford, more excellence. Waldrop, Turtledove, Zindell, in a different mood I might have given extra stars. A late story by Tiptree that is unexpectedly almost the level of her early career heights. And, to my mind, the stories from Bishop and Willis, two writers I am not predisposed to like, outdid themselves.
**** Sailing to Byzantium • Robert Silverberg
*** Flying Saucer Rock & Roll • Howard Waldrop
*** Bluff • Harry Turtledove
***** A Spanish Lesson • Lucius Shepard
***** Snow • John Crowley
*** Shanidar • David Zindell
**** All My Darling Daughters • Connie Willis
**** Of Space-Time and the River • Gregory Benford
*** A Gift from the GrayLanders • Michael Bishop
**** Praxis • Karen Joy Fowler
**** The People on the Precipice • Ian Watson
**** The Only Neat Thing to Do • James Tiptree, Jr.
Notes: Certainly in the running for best of the Carr annual best-of anthologies. Not a stinker in the entire book. Two out of the ordinary works of art by Crowley and Shepard. One of grandmaster Silverberg's best. Fowler starts off a great career with her excellent first published story. Watson, Benford, more excellence. Waldrop, Turtledove, Zindell, in a different mood I might have given extra stars. A late story by Tiptree that is unexpectedly almost the level of her early career heights. And, to my mind, the stories from Bishop and Willis, two writers I am not predisposed to like, outdid themselves.
February 16, 2008
Terry Carr's selection of the Best SF stories of 1985 is not quite up to the previous year's collection but is still a reminder of what an excellent anthologist he was, and how many good stories were around.
For a full review, see here on Suite101
For a full review, see here on Suite101
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August 22, 2008Terry Carr's Best Science Fiction of the Year, No. 15 by Terry Carr (1986)
October 16, 2009
Best shorts of 1985.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews