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Starlight 3
Since its debut in 1996, Starlight has been recognized as the preeminent original anthology of science fiction and fantasy. Its stories have won the Nebula Award, the Sturgeon Award, and the Tiptree Award. Starlight 1 itself won the World Fantasy Award for Best Anthology. The series represents the best new short fiction in fantasy and SF.
Now, with Starlight 3 , award-winning editor Patrick Nielsen Hayden offers a new serving of powerful, original stories. Some are playful, some rigorous, or exuberant, or melancholy; some are set in the world of today, and some amidst the farthest stars or in worlds that never were.
Stephen Baxter
Terry Bisson
Ted Chiang
Susanna Clarke
Brenda W. Clough
D. G. Compton
Cory Doctorow
Andy Duncan
Colin Greenland
Alex Irvine
Geoffrey A. Landis
Maureen F. McHugh
Susan Palwick
Madeleine E. Robins
Greg van Eekhout
Jane Yolen
Now, with Starlight 3 , award-winning editor Patrick Nielsen Hayden offers a new serving of powerful, original stories. Some are playful, some rigorous, or exuberant, or melancholy; some are set in the world of today, and some amidst the farthest stars or in worlds that never were.
Stephen Baxter
Terry Bisson
Ted Chiang
Susanna Clarke
Brenda W. Clough
D. G. Compton
Cory Doctorow
Andy Duncan
Colin Greenland
Alex Irvine
Geoffrey A. Landis
Maureen F. McHugh
Susan Palwick
Madeleine E. Robins
Greg van Eekhout
Jane Yolen
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2001
4 people are currently reading
71 people want to read
About the author
Patrick Nielsen Hayden
19 books12 followersPatrick James Nielsen Hayden, often abbreviated as PNH, is an American science fiction editor, fan, fanzine publisher, essayist, reviewer, anthologist, teacher and blogger. He is a World Fantasy Award and Hugo Award winner (with nine nominations for the latter award), and is a Senior Editor and the Manager of Science Fiction at Tor Books. He changed his last name to "Nielsen Hayden" on his marriage to Teresa Nielsen (now Teresa Nielsen Hayden) in 1979.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Currently reading
February 27, 2026Review in a bit.
I read the first two, so I might as well go for number three. Although this book was originally scheduled to be released in 2000, it finally came out in "the more science fictional year of 2001." (Our Editor's words, not mine.)
Selections:
* "Introduction" by Our Editor. Compares the real 2001 to sci-fi expectations, and claims that the core of science fiction isn't science, but arguments.
* "Hell is the Absence of God" by Ted Chiang. Wow. This urban fantasy about religion is an impressive exercise by a fully mature writer.
* "Sun-Cloud" by Stephen Baxter. Very ambitious story about a microscopic society, but fails to be comprehensible.
* "Interview: On Any Given Day" by Maureen F. McHue. This is set from 2018 - 2021, so look back on the predictions and laugh.
* "Wings" by Colin Greenland. Another angel story, set in an alternate universe where angels came to Earth in the 1980s.
* "Gestella" by Susan Palwick. Horrific story with a lot of dead animals. It's meant to shock on many levels, I know, (it's a horror story) but it's still a kick in the throat, especially since this week a wolf-dog in Canada was euthanized after "owner surrender", despite the wolf-dog's background of nonviolent behavior.
* "The Barbarian and the Queen: Thirteen Viess" by Jane Yolen.
* "Wolves Till the World Goes Down" by Greg Van Eekhout.
* "The Secret Egg of the Clouds" by Geoffrey A. Landis.
* "Home is the Sailor" by Brenda W. Clough.
* "Tom Brightwind, or How the Fairy Bridge was Built at Thoresby" by Susanna Clarke.
* "La Vie Ende Ronde" by Madeline E. Robins.
* "In Which Avu Giddy Tries to Stop Dancing" by D. G. Compton.
* "Power Punctuation!" By Cory Doctorow.
* "The Sea Wind Offers Little Relief" by Alex Irvine.
* "Senator Bilbo" by Andy Duncan.
* "The Old Rugged Cross" by Terry Bisson.
I read the first two, so I might as well go for number three. Although this book was originally scheduled to be released in 2000, it finally came out in "the more science fictional year of 2001." (Our Editor's words, not mine.)
Selections:
* "Introduction" by Our Editor. Compares the real 2001 to sci-fi expectations, and claims that the core of science fiction isn't science, but arguments.
* "Hell is the Absence of God" by Ted Chiang. Wow. This urban fantasy about religion is an impressive exercise by a fully mature writer.
* "Sun-Cloud" by Stephen Baxter. Very ambitious story about a microscopic society, but fails to be comprehensible.
* "Interview: On Any Given Day" by Maureen F. McHue. This is set from 2018 - 2021, so look back on the predictions and laugh.
* "Wings" by Colin Greenland. Another angel story, set in an alternate universe where angels came to Earth in the 1980s.
* "Gestella" by Susan Palwick. Horrific story with a lot of dead animals. It's meant to shock on many levels, I know, (it's a horror story) but it's still a kick in the throat, especially since this week a wolf-dog in Canada was euthanized after "owner surrender", despite the wolf-dog's background of nonviolent behavior.
* "The Barbarian and the Queen: Thirteen Viess" by Jane Yolen.
* "Wolves Till the World Goes Down" by Greg Van Eekhout.
* "The Secret Egg of the Clouds" by Geoffrey A. Landis.
* "Home is the Sailor" by Brenda W. Clough.
* "Tom Brightwind, or How the Fairy Bridge was Built at Thoresby" by Susanna Clarke.
* "La Vie Ende Ronde" by Madeline E. Robins.
* "In Which Avu Giddy Tries to Stop Dancing" by D. G. Compton.
* "Power Punctuation!" By Cory Doctorow.
* "The Sea Wind Offers Little Relief" by Alex Irvine.
* "Senator Bilbo" by Andy Duncan.
* "The Old Rugged Cross" by Terry Bisson.
April 11, 2007
Best stories:
"Gestella" by Susan Palwick, about the romantic difficulties of a werewolf, even though it's based on that 7 human years=1 dog year equation, which isn't correct.
"The Barbarian and the Queen: Thirteen Views" by Jane Yolen. "
Tom Brightwind, or, How the Fairy Bridge was Built at Thoresby," lovely historical-novel voice.
"Power Punctuation" by Cory Doctorow, which resembles Theodore Sturgeon's "Mister Costello, Hero," except that there's less of a gap between appearance and reality.
"Gestella" by Susan Palwick, about the romantic difficulties of a werewolf, even though it's based on that 7 human years=1 dog year equation, which isn't correct.
"The Barbarian and the Queen: Thirteen Views" by Jane Yolen. "
Tom Brightwind, or, How the Fairy Bridge was Built at Thoresby," lovely historical-novel voice.
"Power Punctuation" by Cory Doctorow, which resembles Theodore Sturgeon's "Mister Costello, Hero," except that there's less of a gap between appearance and reality.
June 7, 2009
Another uneven collection. I got this so I could read Greg van Eekhout's story. It was okay -- decently written, but didn't grab me as much as other stories of his have. Some of the stories were uninteresting/dull enough that I stopped reading them halfway through. The two standouts for me were Jane Yolen's "The Barbarian and the Queen: Thirteen Views" and Susan Palwick's "Gestella".
January 7, 2009
This anthology is a bit of a mixed bag, but averages out fairly well.
July 3, 2011
Great collection of SF.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews