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Future Sports
Enter a world of weird sportsmanship in this unique sci-fi anthology of stories by such great visionaries as:
Arthur C. Clarke, Kim Stanley Robinson, Michael Swanwick, Howard Waldrop, Jonathan Lethem, Alastair Reynolds, Ian McDonald, Robert Reed
Contents
ix • Preface (Future Sports) • essay by Jack Dann and Gardner Dozois
1 • The Wind from the Sun • (1964) • novelette by Arthur C. Clarke
26 • Arthur Sternbach Brings the Curveball to Mars • (1999) • shortstory by Kim Stanley Robinson
40 • Man-Mountain Gentian • (1983) • shortstory by Howard Waldrop
62 • Winning • (1990) • novelette by Ian McDonald
91 • The Dead • (1996) • shortstory by Michael Swanwick
107 • Game of the Century • (1999) • novelette by Robert Reed
148 • Streak • (1992) • shortstory by Andrew Weiner
168 • The Holy Stomper vs. the Alien Barrel of Death • (1997) • shortstory by R. Neube
189 • Stroboscopic • (1998) • shortstory by Alastair Reynolds
215 • Vanilla Dunk • (1992) • novelette by Jonathan Lethem
Arthur C. Clarke, Kim Stanley Robinson, Michael Swanwick, Howard Waldrop, Jonathan Lethem, Alastair Reynolds, Ian McDonald, Robert Reed
Contents
ix • Preface (Future Sports) • essay by Jack Dann and Gardner Dozois
1 • The Wind from the Sun • (1964) • novelette by Arthur C. Clarke
26 • Arthur Sternbach Brings the Curveball to Mars • (1999) • shortstory by Kim Stanley Robinson
40 • Man-Mountain Gentian • (1983) • shortstory by Howard Waldrop
62 • Winning • (1990) • novelette by Ian McDonald
91 • The Dead • (1996) • shortstory by Michael Swanwick
107 • Game of the Century • (1999) • novelette by Robert Reed
148 • Streak • (1992) • shortstory by Andrew Weiner
168 • The Holy Stomper vs. the Alien Barrel of Death • (1997) • shortstory by R. Neube
189 • Stroboscopic • (1998) • shortstory by Alastair Reynolds
215 • Vanilla Dunk • (1992) • novelette by Jonathan Lethem
- GenresScience Fiction
272 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
3 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
December 14, 2025
I was unnerved after reading multiple animal deaths in sci-fi short stories, so I thought I'd be safe with this one, a later entry in the Exclamitory Series.
Wrong.
Not just one, but two stories deal with animal deaths, including that of a puppy, which was mentioned as a joke. Dozois and Dann seemed to love dead animal jokes. After seeing too many real dead animals, I just can't stomach jokes about them any more.
The remaining stories were unexceptional, except for the first two, which you can find in much better anthologies than this.
Think I'm going to give up with this anthology series.
Selections:
* "Preface" by Our Co-editors. This is a much shorter introduction than you usually find in the Exclamitory Series. Safely skipped.
* "The Wind from the Sun" by Arthur C. Clarke. Sometimes, sci-fi writers can act like prophets. Although sailing the stars with solar sails hasn't happened yet, solar sails have become a reality. This story can be found in many sci-fi anthologies, because it's a true classic. It's original title was "Sunjammer."
* "Arthur Sternbach Brings the Curveball to Mars" by Kim Stanley Robinson. If you don't know what baseball is, skip this. If you do, even if you're not a fan of baseball on Earth, you gotta love baseball on Mars. This has been found in a few other anthologies.
* "Man-Mountian Gentian" by Howard Waldrop. Sumo wrestling has gone through some changes, but nothing as radical as proposed here. Sadly, some of this book is set in 2014 ... and I can't remember Zen Sumo wrestling even rating a joke on a talk show. Can you?
* "Winning" by Ian McDonald. Like a cross between Blade Runner and Chariots of Fire, a poor Muslim boy knows that being a fast runner is the only way he's allowed to succeed. Very sad, small section about guard dogs that are part cyborg, who foreshadow what the runner will become.
* "The Dead" by Michael Swanick. I'm really surprised this story made the cut, since boxing plays only a small part in this story. It's mainly a complex metaphor about contemporary labor practices, with some ugly sex thrown in. If you want to read a boxing sci-fi story, you'll do no better than "Steel" by Richard Matheson.
* "Game of the Century" by Robert Reed. This story is marred by beginning in 2041, when there's no chance in hell of human fetuses being tinkered with -- although the United States getting a new name is still a possibility. Rather long American football story climaxing in a game that never reaches a conclusion, although there is a vague hint. I absolutely despise American football, so the final game was confusing to me. Dogs and cats disappearing in the neighborhood of a homicidal player is mentioned in just one sentence.
* "Streak" by Andrew Weiner. Inspired by a Steven Jay Gould article, this chronicles the moment when aliens come to watch Joe DiMaggio's consecutive hitting streak snapped. In real life, this has yet to occur, despite chemical enhancements to baseball players, better diets and better equipment.
* "The Holy Stomper Vs The Alien Barrel of Death" by R. Neube. Pro wrestling in outer space, but the narrator reveals that he remembers the Avondale riots ... which occurred in 1967. WARNING: A puppy gets killed. It was totally unnecessary for the plot.
* "Stroboscopic" by Alastair Reynolds. Disgusting and stupid. A video gamer gets tricked into combating alien animals. Confusing and full of plot holes. This was too amateurish to be published, as well as displaying complete disregard to animal life.
* "Vanilla Dunk" by Jonathan Lethem. This story of basketball of the future was set ... in 2018. Whoops. One of the big sponsors of the NBA in the 2000s was Pan Am. Double whoops. Pan Am went out of business in 1991. The Sixers -- here incorrectly called the 76ers -- were sponsored by I. G. Farben. Triple whoops. They were gone in 2012. The fictional Vanilla Dunk, a white asshole, has a career that (somewhat) mirrors Alan Iverson's. Quadruple whoops.
Wrong.
Not just one, but two stories deal with animal deaths, including that of a puppy, which was mentioned as a joke. Dozois and Dann seemed to love dead animal jokes. After seeing too many real dead animals, I just can't stomach jokes about them any more.
The remaining stories were unexceptional, except for the first two, which you can find in much better anthologies than this.
Think I'm going to give up with this anthology series.
Selections:
* "Preface" by Our Co-editors. This is a much shorter introduction than you usually find in the Exclamitory Series. Safely skipped.
* "The Wind from the Sun" by Arthur C. Clarke. Sometimes, sci-fi writers can act like prophets. Although sailing the stars with solar sails hasn't happened yet, solar sails have become a reality. This story can be found in many sci-fi anthologies, because it's a true classic. It's original title was "Sunjammer."
* "Arthur Sternbach Brings the Curveball to Mars" by Kim Stanley Robinson. If you don't know what baseball is, skip this. If you do, even if you're not a fan of baseball on Earth, you gotta love baseball on Mars. This has been found in a few other anthologies.
* "Man-Mountian Gentian" by Howard Waldrop. Sumo wrestling has gone through some changes, but nothing as radical as proposed here. Sadly, some of this book is set in 2014 ... and I can't remember Zen Sumo wrestling even rating a joke on a talk show. Can you?
* "Winning" by Ian McDonald. Like a cross between Blade Runner and Chariots of Fire, a poor Muslim boy knows that being a fast runner is the only way he's allowed to succeed. Very sad, small section about guard dogs that are part cyborg, who foreshadow what the runner will become.
* "The Dead" by Michael Swanick. I'm really surprised this story made the cut, since boxing plays only a small part in this story. It's mainly a complex metaphor about contemporary labor practices, with some ugly sex thrown in. If you want to read a boxing sci-fi story, you'll do no better than "Steel" by Richard Matheson.
* "Game of the Century" by Robert Reed. This story is marred by beginning in 2041, when there's no chance in hell of human fetuses being tinkered with -- although the United States getting a new name is still a possibility. Rather long American football story climaxing in a game that never reaches a conclusion, although there is a vague hint. I absolutely despise American football, so the final game was confusing to me. Dogs and cats disappearing in the neighborhood of a homicidal player is mentioned in just one sentence.
* "Streak" by Andrew Weiner. Inspired by a Steven Jay Gould article, this chronicles the moment when aliens come to watch Joe DiMaggio's consecutive hitting streak snapped. In real life, this has yet to occur, despite chemical enhancements to baseball players, better diets and better equipment.
* "The Holy Stomper Vs The Alien Barrel of Death" by R. Neube. Pro wrestling in outer space, but the narrator reveals that he remembers the Avondale riots ... which occurred in 1967. WARNING: A puppy gets killed. It was totally unnecessary for the plot.
* "Stroboscopic" by Alastair Reynolds. Disgusting and stupid. A video gamer gets tricked into combating alien animals. Confusing and full of plot holes. This was too amateurish to be published, as well as displaying complete disregard to animal life.
* "Vanilla Dunk" by Jonathan Lethem. This story of basketball of the future was set ... in 2018. Whoops. One of the big sponsors of the NBA in the 2000s was Pan Am. Double whoops. Pan Am went out of business in 1991. The Sixers -- here incorrectly called the 76ers -- were sponsored by I. G. Farben. Triple whoops. They were gone in 2012. The fictional Vanilla Dunk, a white asshole, has a career that (somewhat) mirrors Alan Iverson's. Quadruple whoops.
Displaying 1 of 1 review