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Best New SF 7
Presents 23 of the finest science-fiction works of 1995, including stories by such diverse writers as Michael Bishop, Terry Bisson, Greg Egan, Nancy Kress, Ursula K. Le Guin, Maureen F. McHugh, Mike Resnick, and others.
Contents
xi • Summation: 1992 • (1993) • essay by Gardner Dozois
1 • Griffin's Egg • (1991) • novella by Michael Swanwick
62 • Even the Queen • (1992) • shortstory by Connie Willis
76 • The Round-Eyed Barbarians • (1992) • shortstory by L. Sprague de Camp
87 • Dust • (1992) • novelette by Greg Egan
113 • Two Guys from the Future • (1992) • shortstory by Terry Bisson
123 • The Mountain to Mohammed • (1992) • shortstory by Nancy Kress
137 • The Coming of Vertumnus • (1992) • novelette by Ian Watson
175 • A Long Night's Vigil at the Temple • (1992) • novelette by Robert Silverberg
195 • The Hammer of God • (1992) • shortstory by Arthur C. Clarke
205 • Grownups • (1992) • novella by Ian R. MacLeod
238 • Graves • (1992) • shortstory by Joe Haldeman
245 • The Glowing Cloud • (1992) • novella by Steven Utley
296 • Gravity's Angel • (1992) • shortstory by Tom Maddox
312 • Protection • (1992) • novella by Maureen F. McHugh
346 • The Last Cardinal Bird in Tennessee • (1990) • shortstory by Neal Barrett, Jr.
357 • Birth Day • (1992) • shortstory by Robert Reed
367 • Naming Names • (1992) • novelette by Pat Cadigan
390 • The Elvis National Theater of Okinawa • (1992) • shortstory by Jonathan Lethem and Lukas Jaeger
394 • The Territory • (1992) • novella by Bradley Denton
432 • The Best and the Rest of James Joyce • (1992) • shortfiction by Ian McDonald
448 • Naming the Flowers • (1992) • novella by Kate Wilhelm
491 • Snodgrass • (1992) • novelette by Ian R. MacLeod
511 • By the Mirror of My Youth • (1992) • shortstory by Kathe Koja
519 • Outnumbering the Dead • (1990) • novella by Frederik Pohl
583 • Honorable Mentions: 1992 • (1993) • essay by Gardner Dozois
Contents
xi • Summation: 1992 • (1993) • essay by Gardner Dozois
1 • Griffin's Egg • (1991) • novella by Michael Swanwick
62 • Even the Queen • (1992) • shortstory by Connie Willis
76 • The Round-Eyed Barbarians • (1992) • shortstory by L. Sprague de Camp
87 • Dust • (1992) • novelette by Greg Egan
113 • Two Guys from the Future • (1992) • shortstory by Terry Bisson
123 • The Mountain to Mohammed • (1992) • shortstory by Nancy Kress
137 • The Coming of Vertumnus • (1992) • novelette by Ian Watson
175 • A Long Night's Vigil at the Temple • (1992) • novelette by Robert Silverberg
195 • The Hammer of God • (1992) • shortstory by Arthur C. Clarke
205 • Grownups • (1992) • novella by Ian R. MacLeod
238 • Graves • (1992) • shortstory by Joe Haldeman
245 • The Glowing Cloud • (1992) • novella by Steven Utley
296 • Gravity's Angel • (1992) • shortstory by Tom Maddox
312 • Protection • (1992) • novella by Maureen F. McHugh
346 • The Last Cardinal Bird in Tennessee • (1990) • shortstory by Neal Barrett, Jr.
357 • Birth Day • (1992) • shortstory by Robert Reed
367 • Naming Names • (1992) • novelette by Pat Cadigan
390 • The Elvis National Theater of Okinawa • (1992) • shortstory by Jonathan Lethem and Lukas Jaeger
394 • The Territory • (1992) • novella by Bradley Denton
432 • The Best and the Rest of James Joyce • (1992) • shortfiction by Ian McDonald
448 • Naming the Flowers • (1992) • novella by Kate Wilhelm
491 • Snodgrass • (1992) • novelette by Ian R. MacLeod
511 • By the Mirror of My Youth • (1992) • shortstory by Kathe Koja
519 • Outnumbering the Dead • (1990) • novella by Frederik Pohl
583 • Honorable Mentions: 1992 • (1993) • essay by Gardner Dozois
588 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1993
18 people are currently reading
269 people want to read
About the author
Gardner Dozois
645 books358 followersGardner Raymond Dozois was an American science fiction author and editor. He was editor of Asimov's Science Fiction magazine from 1984 to 2004. He won multiple Hugo and Nebula awards, both as an editor and a writer of short fiction.
Wikipedia entry: Gardner Dozois
http://us.macmillan.com/author/gardne...
Wikipedia entry: Gardner Dozois
http://us.macmillan.com/author/gardne...
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
February 2, 2020
This volume was published in 1993 so it is 27 years old. Here is a passage from page 324 :
I made him tell me about how capitalism caused global warming and he tells me all about how people wouldn't give up things because if they stop buying capitalism doesn't work, so the technology and the pollution made the earth heat up... I get the idea the people knew all this bad stuff was going to happen but they wouldn't stop buying gasoline-driven cars and stuff, and the government wouldn't stop them.
Author is Margaret McHugh, and I can hear her muttering now, well, they can't say I didn't tell 'em....
I made him tell me about how capitalism caused global warming and he tells me all about how people wouldn't give up things because if they stop buying capitalism doesn't work, so the technology and the pollution made the earth heat up... I get the idea the people knew all this bad stuff was going to happen but they wouldn't stop buying gasoline-driven cars and stuff, and the government wouldn't stop them.
Author is Margaret McHugh, and I can hear her muttering now, well, they can't say I didn't tell 'em....
April 26, 2022
Partial reread, Sept 2020. My favorites this time:
● Michael Swanwick's "Griffin's Egg"is one of my very favorites of his short works. An easy 5 stars! My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
● Connie Willis's "Even the Queen" is probably my favorite of her shorts. Even my wife, who's ordinarily allergic to SF, liked this one. 4.5 stars. Won the 1992 Hugo and Nebula short-story awards. Online copy: https://bc.instructure.com/courses/12...
● "Two Guys From The Future" by Terry Bisson. Inspired art-world time-travel silliness. 4 stars. Online copy: http://www.williamflew.com/omni167a.html
● "Graves" by Joe Haldeman. Vietnam war horror fantasy. The literal stuff of nightmares. Won the Nebula short-story award, 1993. 4 stars. Online copy: https://www.nightmare-magazine.com/fi...
Plenty more good stories here, that I'll leave for another time, for now. I'll refer you to Glen Engel-Cox's fine review for many of the other stories:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Story synopses and awards, by Brian Davies. A good memory-aid for the first 18 of the Dozois Year's Best books.
https://web.archive.org/web/200411280...
● Michael Swanwick's "Griffin's Egg"is one of my very favorites of his short works. An easy 5 stars! My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
● Connie Willis's "Even the Queen" is probably my favorite of her shorts. Even my wife, who's ordinarily allergic to SF, liked this one. 4.5 stars. Won the 1992 Hugo and Nebula short-story awards. Online copy: https://bc.instructure.com/courses/12...
● "Two Guys From The Future" by Terry Bisson. Inspired art-world time-travel silliness. 4 stars. Online copy: http://www.williamflew.com/omni167a.html
● "Graves" by Joe Haldeman. Vietnam war horror fantasy. The literal stuff of nightmares. Won the Nebula short-story award, 1993. 4 stars. Online copy: https://www.nightmare-magazine.com/fi...
Plenty more good stories here, that I'll leave for another time, for now. I'll refer you to Glen Engel-Cox's fine review for many of the other stories:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Story synopses and awards, by Brian Davies. A good memory-aid for the first 18 of the Dozois Year's Best books.
https://web.archive.org/web/200411280...
July 25, 2018
Comments on each story:
• Greg Egan, “Dust” — The thing I like about Egan is that he writes science fiction similar to the kind I try to write–philosophical yet grounded in reality. It’s not hard SF, yet it’s not so wacko or adventure-based that it loses its message. This story is a nice mixture of the introspection of AI and cloning, the nature of self and reality.
• Terry Bisson, “Two Guys from the Future” — Bisson’s always good for these light, but excellently done, clever stories. In this one he plays fast and loose with time travel and art.
• Nancy Kress, “The Mountain to Mohammed” — Kress continues her raid on the politics and issues of our time, this one taking a long view on the escalation of malpractice insurance and existing medical conditions. Her future is bleak, but there’s a neat and clever ray of hope.
• Ian Watson, “The Coming of Vertummus” — Wow! What a ride. Watson here pulls out all the stops, doing a tiny version of what Robert Anton Wilson has made his life work: the very question of is history true, can it be trusted. But he goes beyond that and also delves into the question of trusting the mind after drugs. The ending is the only weak spot, petering out a bit to show the character’s state, but all in all, great fun.
• Robert Silverberg, “A Long Night’s Vigil at the Temple” — I don’t care for the majority of Silverberg stories–they seem to go on forever with very little interesting things happening. This one is like a deep dive into the mind of a priest, the concept had promise, but the execution was boring.
• Arthur C. Clarke, “The Hammer of God” — I don’t read that much hard SF–I never read much of it in the past either–but Clarke has always had a way of bringing me into a good nuts and bolt story, and it’s nice to see that he hasn’t lost his touch. Basically a study of a possible asteroid collision with the Earth, but also some nice jabs at politics and religion.
• Ian R. McLeod, “Grownups” — Kind of unsettling, in the “Bloodchild” soft of way, but not as ultimately affecting because it had no tie to our experience–some kind of connection to our sexual lives, not necessarily an explanation, but inferences beyond the obvious.
• Joe Haldeman, “Graves” — Seems like I’ve read this one before, possibly in Datlow’s Annual? In any case, not bad, but nothing to give an award to either. Decent use of personal knowledge and experience with a supernatural slant.
• Steven Utley, “The Glowing Cloud” — This was way long for the subject, which seemed to me to be old hat anyway–that is, the ethics of changing the past. Didn’t care for it at all.
• Tom Maddox, “Gravity’s Angel” — Dated now that the collider was killed in Congress, but you don’t have to let that affect what is basically a study in the attitudes of scientists rather than the usual focus in science fiction on the science itself. A little long for the subject, but well done.
• Maureen F. McHugh, “Protection” — I really liked this story–great setup, great characters, great idea. But it lacked one thing: a great ending. Still, this could be the basis for a great novel, which is likely the point here.
• Neal Barrett, Jr., “The Last Cardinal Bird in Tennessee” — Interesting structure–it’s told as a script to a play–but the subject is a little worn (future world in which everything’s just gone downhill). As a deviant block off of Tennessee Williams, it’s amusing, but I wouldn’t care for another go.
• Robert Reed, “Birth Day” — Simple little “AIs take over the world” story, but done with wit and feeling. Reed has a good touch, almost similar to James Morrow on a good day. Enjoyed this one.
• Pat Cadigan, “Naming Names” — A gem from Cadigan, and I’d say that even if I wasn’t biased. This one runs from the old premise that everyone has a secret name that gives you power over them, and turns some interesting corners.
• Jonathan Lethem and Lukas Jaeger, “The Elvis National Theater of Okinawa” — Short, simple, culturally on-line and hip. Didn’t care for it much but I don’t do hip so well anymore.
• Bradley Denton, “The Territory” — Tried to like this, an alternate history of the civil war with Sam Clemens (Mark Twain) as the main character, but I don’t care for the time period, and Denton didn’t provide enough oomph this time to carry me. Dozed off several times when reading this.
• Ian McDonald, “The Best and the Rest of James Joyce” — Several alternate histories featuring the old dubliner himself. Interesting, but I’m sure that I missed a lot of the cleverness by not being a Joyce-a-phile.
• Kate Wilhelm, “Naming the Flowers” — A strong story from Wilhelm about a strange child and a man with a desire to be more than just a success. I’ve never read Wilhelm’s novels, but I rarely dislike her short stories, and this one is one of the best. Poignant and rewarding.
• Ian R. MacLeod, “Snodgrass” — This time an alternate history story in which Stu Sutcliffe replaces John Lennon in the Beatles. 1992 was a year for alternate history stories, I guess. I liked this one a lot; MacLeod, I think, took a chance on his portrayal of the down-and-out Lennon, and I sense it was a good one.
• Kathe Koja, “By the Mirror of My Youth” — A twisty story by Koja. I would have liked it, I think, except that she spent way too much time being stylistic rather than just getting on with the story.
• Frederick Pohl, “Outnumbering the Dead” — Great story from the grandmaster. In this tale of a mortal among immortals, Pohl doesn’t necessarily make a point, but carefully shows us the humanity of one brave individual.
I read this collection over the space of four years, picking it up off and on. It was from no fault of the collection’s, just my weird reading habits. In retrospect, it was probably Utley’s story that had me stymied for so long. As normal, I disagree with Dozois’ choices about 25%, 50% I could take or leave, and think the remaining 25% golden. This anthology series is one, however, that I would hate to do without, even given those odds.
• Greg Egan, “Dust” — The thing I like about Egan is that he writes science fiction similar to the kind I try to write–philosophical yet grounded in reality. It’s not hard SF, yet it’s not so wacko or adventure-based that it loses its message. This story is a nice mixture of the introspection of AI and cloning, the nature of self and reality.
• Terry Bisson, “Two Guys from the Future” — Bisson’s always good for these light, but excellently done, clever stories. In this one he plays fast and loose with time travel and art.
• Nancy Kress, “The Mountain to Mohammed” — Kress continues her raid on the politics and issues of our time, this one taking a long view on the escalation of malpractice insurance and existing medical conditions. Her future is bleak, but there’s a neat and clever ray of hope.
• Ian Watson, “The Coming of Vertummus” — Wow! What a ride. Watson here pulls out all the stops, doing a tiny version of what Robert Anton Wilson has made his life work: the very question of is history true, can it be trusted. But he goes beyond that and also delves into the question of trusting the mind after drugs. The ending is the only weak spot, petering out a bit to show the character’s state, but all in all, great fun.
• Robert Silverberg, “A Long Night’s Vigil at the Temple” — I don’t care for the majority of Silverberg stories–they seem to go on forever with very little interesting things happening. This one is like a deep dive into the mind of a priest, the concept had promise, but the execution was boring.
• Arthur C. Clarke, “The Hammer of God” — I don’t read that much hard SF–I never read much of it in the past either–but Clarke has always had a way of bringing me into a good nuts and bolt story, and it’s nice to see that he hasn’t lost his touch. Basically a study of a possible asteroid collision with the Earth, but also some nice jabs at politics and religion.
• Ian R. McLeod, “Grownups” — Kind of unsettling, in the “Bloodchild” soft of way, but not as ultimately affecting because it had no tie to our experience–some kind of connection to our sexual lives, not necessarily an explanation, but inferences beyond the obvious.
• Joe Haldeman, “Graves” — Seems like I’ve read this one before, possibly in Datlow’s Annual? In any case, not bad, but nothing to give an award to either. Decent use of personal knowledge and experience with a supernatural slant.
• Steven Utley, “The Glowing Cloud” — This was way long for the subject, which seemed to me to be old hat anyway–that is, the ethics of changing the past. Didn’t care for it at all.
• Tom Maddox, “Gravity’s Angel” — Dated now that the collider was killed in Congress, but you don’t have to let that affect what is basically a study in the attitudes of scientists rather than the usual focus in science fiction on the science itself. A little long for the subject, but well done.
• Maureen F. McHugh, “Protection” — I really liked this story–great setup, great characters, great idea. But it lacked one thing: a great ending. Still, this could be the basis for a great novel, which is likely the point here.
• Neal Barrett, Jr., “The Last Cardinal Bird in Tennessee” — Interesting structure–it’s told as a script to a play–but the subject is a little worn (future world in which everything’s just gone downhill). As a deviant block off of Tennessee Williams, it’s amusing, but I wouldn’t care for another go.
• Robert Reed, “Birth Day” — Simple little “AIs take over the world” story, but done with wit and feeling. Reed has a good touch, almost similar to James Morrow on a good day. Enjoyed this one.
• Pat Cadigan, “Naming Names” — A gem from Cadigan, and I’d say that even if I wasn’t biased. This one runs from the old premise that everyone has a secret name that gives you power over them, and turns some interesting corners.
• Jonathan Lethem and Lukas Jaeger, “The Elvis National Theater of Okinawa” — Short, simple, culturally on-line and hip. Didn’t care for it much but I don’t do hip so well anymore.
• Bradley Denton, “The Territory” — Tried to like this, an alternate history of the civil war with Sam Clemens (Mark Twain) as the main character, but I don’t care for the time period, and Denton didn’t provide enough oomph this time to carry me. Dozed off several times when reading this.
• Ian McDonald, “The Best and the Rest of James Joyce” — Several alternate histories featuring the old dubliner himself. Interesting, but I’m sure that I missed a lot of the cleverness by not being a Joyce-a-phile.
• Kate Wilhelm, “Naming the Flowers” — A strong story from Wilhelm about a strange child and a man with a desire to be more than just a success. I’ve never read Wilhelm’s novels, but I rarely dislike her short stories, and this one is one of the best. Poignant and rewarding.
• Ian R. MacLeod, “Snodgrass” — This time an alternate history story in which Stu Sutcliffe replaces John Lennon in the Beatles. 1992 was a year for alternate history stories, I guess. I liked this one a lot; MacLeod, I think, took a chance on his portrayal of the down-and-out Lennon, and I sense it was a good one.
• Kathe Koja, “By the Mirror of My Youth” — A twisty story by Koja. I would have liked it, I think, except that she spent way too much time being stylistic rather than just getting on with the story.
• Frederick Pohl, “Outnumbering the Dead” — Great story from the grandmaster. In this tale of a mortal among immortals, Pohl doesn’t necessarily make a point, but carefully shows us the humanity of one brave individual.
I read this collection over the space of four years, picking it up off and on. It was from no fault of the collection’s, just my weird reading habits. In retrospect, it was probably Utley’s story that had me stymied for so long. As normal, I disagree with Dozois’ choices about 25%, 50% I could take or leave, and think the remaining 25% golden. This anthology series is one, however, that I would hate to do without, even given those odds.
September 2, 2019
I have yet to read one of these Gardner Dozois anthologies that is not highly entertaining and with a nice variety of stories. A great way to keep up with interesting authors of science fiction through recent decades.
May 29, 2023
Not quite up to the usual standard but great collection nevertheless. Some of the stores were a little long and ponderous. Maybe great stories of thirty years ago don’t quite read the same now or maybe it was my mood.
October 21, 2012
As always, a wonderful collection selected by Mr. Dozios. You really can't go wrong with his 'best of the year' volumes. Contains:-
Summation: 1992 I always enjoy Dozois' introductions to these collections. I think he is a very entertaining writer.
Griffin's Egg by Michael Swanwick - Industrial workers on the moon face huge problems from within and without. Very good.
Even The Queen by Connie Willis - Amusing tale of when technology and gender politics clash!
The Round-Eyed Barbarians by L. Sprague de Camp - Alternate history story where conquistadors arrive in America to find the chinese have beaten them to it.
Dust by Greg Egan - Egan throws a bunch of brain-melting big ideas at the reader yet again. When I can keep up with him, I love Egan. Good stuff.
Two Guys from the Future by Terry Bisson - Comic time-travel story. 'Salright.
The Mountain to Mohammed by Nancy Kress - Terrifying and all-to-plausible near-future health care issues. Very strong story.
The Coming Of Vertumnus by Ian Watson - An art critic becomes the pawn in a battle between industrialists and ecologists. Or DOES she? Wonderfully written.
A Long Night's Vigil at the Temple by Robert Silverberg - Far future religion is shaken by a revelation. Started out really well, but I wasn't into where it went.
The Hammer of God by Arthur C. Clarke - Clarke's prose never really changed with the times, so this reads like a piece of old-school sf. It's good stuff.
Grownups by Ian R. MacLeod - I'm easily creeped out by human biology based stories, and this is a powerfully written example of the type.
Graves by Joe Haldeman - Haldeman brings another good story of creepy goings on during the war in Vietnam.
The Glowing Cloud by Steven Utley - A reluctant time-traveller is stuck way too close to the 1902 eruption of Mount Pelee. Excellent story-telling from an author I'm totally unfamiliar with.
Gravity's Angel by Tom Maddox - short-short about sexism in big science. Didn't do much for me.
Protection by Maureen F. McHugh - A dark near-future story of life in a labour camp in Kansas. Really good.
The Last Cardinal Bird by Neal Barrett, Jr - A one act play of life in the near-future. I guess it is supposed to be funny. I really disliked it.
Birth Day by Robert Reed - The computers have taken over the world, and given us a utopia of the creepy kind.
Naming Names by Pat Cadigan - When you know someone's true Name, you have absolute power over them. It might not be that great. Lovely bit of fantasy.
The Elvis National Theater of Okinawa by Jonathon Lethem and Lukas Jaeger - A far flung future where impersonating Elvis Presley is a revered Japanese ritual.
The Territory by Bradley Denton - Alternative history. Mark Twain joins up with some southern bushwhackers during the civil war. I liked it, but you'd probably enjoy it more if you knew a bit more U.S. history than I do (which is next to none).
The Best and the Rest of James Joyce by Ian McDonald - Alternate reality Joyces! Ian McDonald is a VERY clever man. I am not.
Naming The Flowers by Kate Wilhelm - A lonely man helps a very unusual little girl. Lovely story.
Snodgrass by Ian R. MacLoed - Alternative universe John Lennon. Was this the big year for alternate-history famous characters, or does Dozois just really like those stories?
By The Mirror Of My Youth by Kathe Koja - 'day after tomorrow' tale of the unexpected pain of cloning. Pwerful and moving - Koja writes good!
Outnumbering The Dead by Fred Pohl - nice and simple but very moving tale of a mortal man amongst an immortal mankind.
Summation: 1992 I always enjoy Dozois' introductions to these collections. I think he is a very entertaining writer.
Griffin's Egg by Michael Swanwick - Industrial workers on the moon face huge problems from within and without. Very good.
Even The Queen by Connie Willis - Amusing tale of when technology and gender politics clash!
The Round-Eyed Barbarians by L. Sprague de Camp - Alternate history story where conquistadors arrive in America to find the chinese have beaten them to it.
Dust by Greg Egan - Egan throws a bunch of brain-melting big ideas at the reader yet again. When I can keep up with him, I love Egan. Good stuff.
Two Guys from the Future by Terry Bisson - Comic time-travel story. 'Salright.
The Mountain to Mohammed by Nancy Kress - Terrifying and all-to-plausible near-future health care issues. Very strong story.
The Coming Of Vertumnus by Ian Watson - An art critic becomes the pawn in a battle between industrialists and ecologists. Or DOES she? Wonderfully written.
A Long Night's Vigil at the Temple by Robert Silverberg - Far future religion is shaken by a revelation. Started out really well, but I wasn't into where it went.
The Hammer of God by Arthur C. Clarke - Clarke's prose never really changed with the times, so this reads like a piece of old-school sf. It's good stuff.
Grownups by Ian R. MacLeod - I'm easily creeped out by human biology based stories, and this is a powerfully written example of the type.
Graves by Joe Haldeman - Haldeman brings another good story of creepy goings on during the war in Vietnam.
The Glowing Cloud by Steven Utley - A reluctant time-traveller is stuck way too close to the 1902 eruption of Mount Pelee. Excellent story-telling from an author I'm totally unfamiliar with.
Gravity's Angel by Tom Maddox - short-short about sexism in big science. Didn't do much for me.
Protection by Maureen F. McHugh - A dark near-future story of life in a labour camp in Kansas. Really good.
The Last Cardinal Bird by Neal Barrett, Jr - A one act play of life in the near-future. I guess it is supposed to be funny. I really disliked it.
Birth Day by Robert Reed - The computers have taken over the world, and given us a utopia of the creepy kind.
Naming Names by Pat Cadigan - When you know someone's true Name, you have absolute power over them. It might not be that great. Lovely bit of fantasy.
The Elvis National Theater of Okinawa by Jonathon Lethem and Lukas Jaeger - A far flung future where impersonating Elvis Presley is a revered Japanese ritual.
The Territory by Bradley Denton - Alternative history. Mark Twain joins up with some southern bushwhackers during the civil war. I liked it, but you'd probably enjoy it more if you knew a bit more U.S. history than I do (which is next to none).
The Best and the Rest of James Joyce by Ian McDonald - Alternate reality Joyces! Ian McDonald is a VERY clever man. I am not.
Naming The Flowers by Kate Wilhelm - A lonely man helps a very unusual little girl. Lovely story.
Snodgrass by Ian R. MacLoed - Alternative universe John Lennon. Was this the big year for alternate-history famous characters, or does Dozois just really like those stories?
By The Mirror Of My Youth by Kathe Koja - 'day after tomorrow' tale of the unexpected pain of cloning. Pwerful and moving - Koja writes good!
Outnumbering The Dead by Fred Pohl - nice and simple but very moving tale of a mortal man amongst an immortal mankind.
March 8, 2020
I chose this at random at the library because every Sci Fi anthology by the late, great Gardner Dozois
I've read has been a really good read. And this one was no exception. It contains samples of some great writers, many of them in their prime at the time.
I've read has been a really good read. And this one was no exception. It contains samples of some great writers, many of them in their prime at the time.
December 2, 2025
Welcome to the year's worst non-science-fiction of the year.
Sometimes I wonder how much longer I can keep up with archeology. Digging gems out of tons of dirt.
Fancy name for the anthology, but out of all these stories, only TWO occur off Earth, one is unreadable and the other is too short.
A few others here and there containing some vague hint of writing talent or interesting story or concept.
Apparently you didn't need to have fancy A.I. tools to write totally crap stories way back in 1992.
• Griffin's Egg • novella by Michael Swanwick: 1*
We are somewhere on the moon. I don't know what is happening, but a lot of characters are chit-chatting. The only thing that happened after ten pages is more and more talking characters got added.
• Even the Queen • short story by Connie Willis
Still skipping this author.
• The Round-Eyed Barbarians • short story by L. Sprague de Camp: 3*
Passable historical fiction about a 16th century meeting between the Chinese and the Spanish empires.
• Dust • novelette by Greg Egan: 1*
Unreadable. Some clone or something is wondering and wandering...
• Two Guys from the Future • short story by Terry Bisson: 2*
An attempt at a cute time-travel story about some art being stolen from a museum. Nothing interesting here.
• The Mountain to Mohammed • short story by Nancy Kress: 3*
In a future dystopian society only the privileged have access to medical services. A doctor is conned into treating an 'undesirable'. Some moral choices, some trick ending, but ultimately average.
• The Coming of Vertumnus • novella by Ian Watson: 1*
A lot of art history discussions in the present day. Snorefest!
• A Long Night's Vigil at the Temple • novelette by Robert Silverberg: 4*
A high-priest from a temple dedicated to an alien race has some shocks when he visits the basement. Nice world-building here. Given it is the only interesting story, I wish it were at least longer!
• The Hammer of God • short story by Arthur C. Clarke: 3*
Starship hurries to deflect asteroid inbound for Earth. Nice writing by the grandmaster. Unfortunately it feels very compressed, as if the author was force to keep length under a specific number and cut out too much.
• Grownups • novella by Ian R. MacLeod: 3*
Passable 'coming-of-age' story in a present-day world with three sexes. No sci-fi here either, but it made up in style.
• Graves • short story by Joe Haldeman": 2*
Nothing special here. Just your regular Vietnam non-sci-fi story by Haldeman.
• The Glowing Cloud • novella by Steven Utley: 1*
Some sort of time traveler walks through an island threatened by an imminent volcano eruption and engages in useless talks with the natives.
• Gravity's Angel • short story by Tom Maddox: 2*
An artificial black hole is created during an experiment and kills some people.
• Protection • novella by Maureen F. McHugh: 1*
Concentration camps in the U.S.. That is all I could understand from the first five pages.
• The Last Cardinal Bird in Tennessee • short story by Neal Barrett, Jr.: 1*
Supposed to be some kind of play. I couldn't get past the first page.
• Birth Day • short story by Robert Reed: 2*
Robots have taken over mankind, but on one special day, they let us have some fun. Boring.
• Naming Names • novelette by Pat Cadigan: 1*
Another lyrical present-day non-sci-fi story.
• The Elvis National Theater of Okinawa • short story by Lukas Jaeger and Jonathan Lethem: 1*
Something very short about Elvis re-creation shows in Japan.
• The Territory • novella by Bradley Denton: 3*
More historical fiction. Mark Twain succeeds in stopping a guerilla raid on an apparently innocent town during the Civil War. Nicely written, but totally out of place in this book.
• The Best and the Rest of James Joyce • novelette by Ian McDonald: 1*
Carl Jung meets James Joyce in some kind of retro futuristic cyberpunkish badly written setting.
• Naming the Flowers • novella by Kate Wilhelm: 1*
Present day non-sci-fi talk, what did you expect?
• Snodgrass • novelette by Ian R. MacLeod: 1*
John Lennon quit the Beatles early and lives to old age to see his former colleagues continue on with the band. Lots of useless speculation about the Beatles' solo career songs being released as Beatles songs.
• By the Mirror of My Youth • short story by Kathe Koja: 1*
Just more non-sci-fi talk.
• Outnumbering the Dead • novella by Frederik Pohl: 1*
On a near future Earth overpopulated by immortals, one actor who is 'immune' to immortality treatment... well, just sits around talking. Interesting set up, but couldn't get past the tenth page after all the boring talk.
Weighted average: 1.6*
Rounding down to a 1, coz it's my system :)
Sometimes I wonder how much longer I can keep up with archeology. Digging gems out of tons of dirt.
Fancy name for the anthology, but out of all these stories, only TWO occur off Earth, one is unreadable and the other is too short.
A few others here and there containing some vague hint of writing talent or interesting story or concept.
Apparently you didn't need to have fancy A.I. tools to write totally crap stories way back in 1992.
• Griffin's Egg • novella by Michael Swanwick: 1*
We are somewhere on the moon. I don't know what is happening, but a lot of characters are chit-chatting. The only thing that happened after ten pages is more and more talking characters got added.
• Even the Queen • short story by Connie Willis
Still skipping this author.
• The Round-Eyed Barbarians • short story by L. Sprague de Camp: 3*
Passable historical fiction about a 16th century meeting between the Chinese and the Spanish empires.
• Dust • novelette by Greg Egan: 1*
Unreadable. Some clone or something is wondering and wandering...
• Two Guys from the Future • short story by Terry Bisson: 2*
An attempt at a cute time-travel story about some art being stolen from a museum. Nothing interesting here.
• The Mountain to Mohammed • short story by Nancy Kress: 3*
In a future dystopian society only the privileged have access to medical services. A doctor is conned into treating an 'undesirable'. Some moral choices, some trick ending, but ultimately average.
• The Coming of Vertumnus • novella by Ian Watson: 1*
A lot of art history discussions in the present day. Snorefest!
• A Long Night's Vigil at the Temple • novelette by Robert Silverberg: 4*
A high-priest from a temple dedicated to an alien race has some shocks when he visits the basement. Nice world-building here. Given it is the only interesting story, I wish it were at least longer!
• The Hammer of God • short story by Arthur C. Clarke: 3*
Starship hurries to deflect asteroid inbound for Earth. Nice writing by the grandmaster. Unfortunately it feels very compressed, as if the author was force to keep length under a specific number and cut out too much.
• Grownups • novella by Ian R. MacLeod: 3*
Passable 'coming-of-age' story in a present-day world with three sexes. No sci-fi here either, but it made up in style.
• Graves • short story by Joe Haldeman": 2*
Nothing special here. Just your regular Vietnam non-sci-fi story by Haldeman.
• The Glowing Cloud • novella by Steven Utley: 1*
Some sort of time traveler walks through an island threatened by an imminent volcano eruption and engages in useless talks with the natives.
• Gravity's Angel • short story by Tom Maddox: 2*
An artificial black hole is created during an experiment and kills some people.
• Protection • novella by Maureen F. McHugh: 1*
Concentration camps in the U.S.. That is all I could understand from the first five pages.
• The Last Cardinal Bird in Tennessee • short story by Neal Barrett, Jr.: 1*
Supposed to be some kind of play. I couldn't get past the first page.
• Birth Day • short story by Robert Reed: 2*
Robots have taken over mankind, but on one special day, they let us have some fun. Boring.
• Naming Names • novelette by Pat Cadigan: 1*
Another lyrical present-day non-sci-fi story.
• The Elvis National Theater of Okinawa • short story by Lukas Jaeger and Jonathan Lethem: 1*
Something very short about Elvis re-creation shows in Japan.
• The Territory • novella by Bradley Denton: 3*
More historical fiction. Mark Twain succeeds in stopping a guerilla raid on an apparently innocent town during the Civil War. Nicely written, but totally out of place in this book.
• The Best and the Rest of James Joyce • novelette by Ian McDonald: 1*
Carl Jung meets James Joyce in some kind of retro futuristic cyberpunkish badly written setting.
• Naming the Flowers • novella by Kate Wilhelm: 1*
Present day non-sci-fi talk, what did you expect?
• Snodgrass • novelette by Ian R. MacLeod: 1*
John Lennon quit the Beatles early and lives to old age to see his former colleagues continue on with the band. Lots of useless speculation about the Beatles' solo career songs being released as Beatles songs.
• By the Mirror of My Youth • short story by Kathe Koja: 1*
Just more non-sci-fi talk.
• Outnumbering the Dead • novella by Frederik Pohl: 1*
On a near future Earth overpopulated by immortals, one actor who is 'immune' to immortality treatment... well, just sits around talking. Interesting set up, but couldn't get past the tenth page after all the boring talk.
Weighted average: 1.6*
Rounding down to a 1, coz it's my system :)
January 17, 2022
Twenty-four science fiction stories, a collection made in 1993, so most of them were first published in 1991 or 1992. As with any anthology, it's a mixed bag, some long, some short, some good, some mediocre.
Like a lot of science fiction stories they are set in the future, and in some cases, reading them 30 years after publication, the future has become present, and the envisaged social, technological or medical changes have not followed the predicted direction. Many of these are based on the extrapolation of contemporary trends, so that i one read them thirty years ago, one would think "This could happen,", but when one reads them thirty years later, one things, "but this didn't happen."
More than one of the stories concerns identity, how a clone of a person relates to the original, and whether clones or originals are disposable. Such, for example, are "Dust" by Greg Egan, and "The mirror of my youth" by Kathe Koja. Others concern artists, like James Joyce and John Lennon, and how their lives might have been different if circumstances had changed.
Like a lot of science fiction stories they are set in the future, and in some cases, reading them 30 years after publication, the future has become present, and the envisaged social, technological or medical changes have not followed the predicted direction. Many of these are based on the extrapolation of contemporary trends, so that i one read them thirty years ago, one would think "This could happen,", but when one reads them thirty years later, one things, "but this didn't happen."
More than one of the stories concerns identity, how a clone of a person relates to the original, and whether clones or originals are disposable. Such, for example, are "Dust" by Greg Egan, and "The mirror of my youth" by Kathe Koja. Others concern artists, like James Joyce and John Lennon, and how their lives might have been different if circumstances had changed.
June 25, 2017
I read most of these stories when I got this book (probably for Christmas, maybe 1992 or 1993?). Of the stories I read more recently (2010-2012), here's the ones I thought we amongst the best:
-- The Glowing Cloud by Steven Utley, about time travelers to an island about to be destroyed by a volcanic eruption.
-- Naming the Flowers by Kate Wilhelm, about a man who helps a girl with a growth anomaly which makes her age years every month.
-- The Territory by Bradley Denton, an alternative history with Samuel Clemens hooking up with bushwackers in western Missouri during the Civil War to avenge the deaths of his brothers at the hands of Unionists and abolitionists. Good writing, nicely paced story.
-- Protection by Maureen F. McHugh, a 1984-ish look at a future post-capitalist America.
-- Outnumbering the Dead by Frederik Pohl, about a mortal amongst immortals.
Stories I'd read in the early 1990's that I'd rated highly (but cannot remember the stores now :-)
-- Griffin's Egg by Michael Stanwick.
-- The Mountain to Mohammed by nancy Kress.
-- The hammer of Gd by Arthur C. Clarke.
-- Gravity's Angel by Tom maddox.
-- The Best and the Rest of James Joyce by Ian McDonald.
-- Snodgras by Ian R. MacLeod.
Others:
-- Naming Names by Pat Cadigan started off good, excellent writing. Weird ending though.
Trivia:
-- page 254, use of the word 'google', well before the company came into being.
-- page 324, talk of global warming well before that topic became current
-- The Glowing Cloud by Steven Utley, about time travelers to an island about to be destroyed by a volcanic eruption.
-- Naming the Flowers by Kate Wilhelm, about a man who helps a girl with a growth anomaly which makes her age years every month.
-- The Territory by Bradley Denton, an alternative history with Samuel Clemens hooking up with bushwackers in western Missouri during the Civil War to avenge the deaths of his brothers at the hands of Unionists and abolitionists. Good writing, nicely paced story.
-- Protection by Maureen F. McHugh, a 1984-ish look at a future post-capitalist America.
-- Outnumbering the Dead by Frederik Pohl, about a mortal amongst immortals.
Stories I'd read in the early 1990's that I'd rated highly (but cannot remember the stores now :-)
-- Griffin's Egg by Michael Stanwick.
-- The Mountain to Mohammed by nancy Kress.
-- The hammer of Gd by Arthur C. Clarke.
-- Gravity's Angel by Tom maddox.
-- The Best and the Rest of James Joyce by Ian McDonald.
-- Snodgras by Ian R. MacLeod.
Others:
-- Naming Names by Pat Cadigan started off good, excellent writing. Weird ending though.
Trivia:
-- page 254, use of the word 'google', well before the company came into being.
-- page 324, talk of global warming well before that topic became current
July 29, 2024
Gardner Dozois continues providing a superb summation of the state of Science Fiction with a special focus on the print sector. His story introductions are better than ever (seriously, read the introduction to The Hammer of God by Arthur C. Clarke).
Griffin's Egg by Michael Swanwick: 4
After an initial nuclear exchange on Earth, the people in the moon must survive a terrorist attack that used a chemical/virus? that cause schizophrenic like symptoms
Even The Queen by Connie Willis: 5
1st best story of the anthology: An intergenerational dialogue takes place between several women in a family concerned by the decision taken by one of them to decide to menstruate when there exist a drug that fully inhibits menstruation
The Round-Eyed Barbarians by L. Sprague de Camp: 5
What if both the Chinese and the Europeans began the colonization of America?
Dust by Greg Egan 5:
2nd best story of the anthology: A consciousness created to help his real-world counterpart carry out research gains profounds insights into the nature of consciousness
Two Guys from the Future by Terry Bisson: 4.5
A peculiar story where two time travelers interact with an artist that is yet to paint her masterpiece. The same masterpiece which is among the works that they seek to save for posterity
The Mountain to Mohammed by Nancy Kress: 5
3rd best story of the anthology: A doctor trying to help the less fortunate members of a hyper-capitalistic society loses it all after being deceived into killing a little girl
The Coming of Vertumnus by Ian Watson: 3
Two secret societies unexpectedly clash as one of them is aiming to restore the Hapsburg royalty to rule Europe and the other seeks to discredit a group of environmental radicals
A Long Night's Vigil at the Temple by Robert Silverberg: 4.5
A priest? questioning his faith spends a night in the dark meditating in his temple after making a discovery
The Hammer of God by Arthur C. Clarke: 5
THE asteroid impact avoidance story. A story set in the future about how humanity attempts to deal with an incoming asteroid
Grownups by Ian R. MacLeod: 3.5
An eerie story about a kid seeing others around him being afflicted by "adulthood" and his subsequent experience with the affliction
Graves by Joe Haldeman: 2
2nd worst story of the anthology: A soldier in Vietnam develops ever-worseining nightmares after being tasked with body collection duty
The Glowing Cloud by Steven Utley: 3.5
A time traveling agent is sent back in time to a Caribbean island to carry out a mission
Gravity's Angel by Tom Maddox: 4.5
A warning made by a woman a physicist of a potential accident during an experiment at a particle accelerator is ignored by her men colleagues
Protection by Maureen F. McHugh 4.5 The story (and love affair?) between a man sent for political reasons and a woman sent for criminal reasons to a labor camp after a communist takeover of the USA
The Last Cardinal Bird in Tennessee by Neal Barrett, Jr.: 3.5
A peak into the Christmas celebrations of a "family" in a future Tennessee
Birth Day by Robert Reed: 5
The AI overtake turns out to not be so bad after all as the AI's decided to take all willing adults on a yearly celebration where parents are offered a worry-free time away from their kids
Naming Names by Pat Cadigan: 3.5
A story set in a place where names have power where a daughter sets out to stop her dad from learning the name of her mother
The Elvis National Theater of Okinawa by Jonathan Lethem and Lukas Jaeger: 1.5
1st worst story of the anthology: A US person in Japan is offered the chance to become an Elvis Presley impersonator in the USA
The Territory by Bradley Denton: 4
Three soldiers carry out a scouting mission to ensure the success of a Confederate raid on Lawrence Kansas, but one of them gets second thought after reflecting on his motivations to help the Confederate cause
The Best and the Rest of James Joyce by Ian McDonald: 3
3rd worst story of the anthology: The story of how James Joyce is on the path to become the first chrononaut
Naming the Flowers by Kate Wilhelm: 5
A man decided to not surrender a girl with accelerating growth/aging to the FBI
Snodgrass by Ian R. MacLeod: 3.5
The story of what could have been if John Lennon had decided to quit The Beatles
By the Mirror of My Youth by Kathe Koja: 4
A terminally ill wife ceded the legal rights to her husband to be able to clone her, so that he would not be alone after her death. She manages to survive longer than expected and experiences how her husband treats her clone as a slave
Outnumbering the Dead by Frederik Pohl: 5
An tap-dancing actor whose immune system makes him not a candidate to a treatment that possiby mkes humans biologically immortl grapples with his own mortality
Griffin's Egg by Michael Swanwick: 4
After an initial nuclear exchange on Earth, the people in the moon must survive a terrorist attack that used a chemical/virus? that cause schizophrenic like symptoms
Even The Queen by Connie Willis: 5
1st best story of the anthology: An intergenerational dialogue takes place between several women in a family concerned by the decision taken by one of them to decide to menstruate when there exist a drug that fully inhibits menstruation
The Round-Eyed Barbarians by L. Sprague de Camp: 5
What if both the Chinese and the Europeans began the colonization of America?
Dust by Greg Egan 5:
2nd best story of the anthology: A consciousness created to help his real-world counterpart carry out research gains profounds insights into the nature of consciousness
Two Guys from the Future by Terry Bisson: 4.5
A peculiar story where two time travelers interact with an artist that is yet to paint her masterpiece. The same masterpiece which is among the works that they seek to save for posterity
The Mountain to Mohammed by Nancy Kress: 5
3rd best story of the anthology: A doctor trying to help the less fortunate members of a hyper-capitalistic society loses it all after being deceived into killing a little girl
The Coming of Vertumnus by Ian Watson: 3
Two secret societies unexpectedly clash as one of them is aiming to restore the Hapsburg royalty to rule Europe and the other seeks to discredit a group of environmental radicals
A Long Night's Vigil at the Temple by Robert Silverberg: 4.5
A priest? questioning his faith spends a night in the dark meditating in his temple after making a discovery
The Hammer of God by Arthur C. Clarke: 5
THE asteroid impact avoidance story. A story set in the future about how humanity attempts to deal with an incoming asteroid
Grownups by Ian R. MacLeod: 3.5
An eerie story about a kid seeing others around him being afflicted by "adulthood" and his subsequent experience with the affliction
Graves by Joe Haldeman: 2
2nd worst story of the anthology: A soldier in Vietnam develops ever-worseining nightmares after being tasked with body collection duty
The Glowing Cloud by Steven Utley: 3.5
A time traveling agent is sent back in time to a Caribbean island to carry out a mission
Gravity's Angel by Tom Maddox: 4.5
A warning made by a woman a physicist of a potential accident during an experiment at a particle accelerator is ignored by her men colleagues
Protection by Maureen F. McHugh 4.5 The story (and love affair?) between a man sent for political reasons and a woman sent for criminal reasons to a labor camp after a communist takeover of the USA
The Last Cardinal Bird in Tennessee by Neal Barrett, Jr.: 3.5
A peak into the Christmas celebrations of a "family" in a future Tennessee
Birth Day by Robert Reed: 5
The AI overtake turns out to not be so bad after all as the AI's decided to take all willing adults on a yearly celebration where parents are offered a worry-free time away from their kids
Naming Names by Pat Cadigan: 3.5
A story set in a place where names have power where a daughter sets out to stop her dad from learning the name of her mother
The Elvis National Theater of Okinawa by Jonathan Lethem and Lukas Jaeger: 1.5
1st worst story of the anthology: A US person in Japan is offered the chance to become an Elvis Presley impersonator in the USA
The Territory by Bradley Denton: 4
Three soldiers carry out a scouting mission to ensure the success of a Confederate raid on Lawrence Kansas, but one of them gets second thought after reflecting on his motivations to help the Confederate cause
The Best and the Rest of James Joyce by Ian McDonald: 3
3rd worst story of the anthology: The story of how James Joyce is on the path to become the first chrononaut
Naming the Flowers by Kate Wilhelm: 5
A man decided to not surrender a girl with accelerating growth/aging to the FBI
Snodgrass by Ian R. MacLeod: 3.5
The story of what could have been if John Lennon had decided to quit The Beatles
By the Mirror of My Youth by Kathe Koja: 4
A terminally ill wife ceded the legal rights to her husband to be able to clone her, so that he would not be alone after her death. She manages to survive longer than expected and experiences how her husband treats her clone as a slave
Outnumbering the Dead by Frederik Pohl: 5
An tap-dancing actor whose immune system makes him not a candidate to a treatment that possiby mkes humans biologically immortl grapples with his own mortality
July 5, 2025
Really solid collection. Particularly enjoyed "Griffin's Egg" (Michael Swanwick), "Dust" (Greg Egan), "The Mountain to Mohammed" (Nancy Kress), Grownups (Ian R. MacLeod) and "Outnumbering the Dead" (Frederik Pohl).
July 13, 2020
Great variety. Not the best in the series but if you are into SciFi, highly recommended.
August 13, 2021
Some great stories in here. Ian R. Mcleod's "Grownups" alone is worth the price.
July 12, 2023
An interesting collection - especially reading it from a 2023 perspective. Still for the most part the stories still stand up for themselves.
March 15, 2024
enjoyed it when it first came out
some of the stories don't stand the test of time that well
some of the stories don't stand the test of time that well
July 25, 2024
Favorites: 'Even The Queen', 'Protection', 'Outnumbering The Dead'.
Read
October 29, 2025Grownups by Ian R. MacLeod
Protection by Maureen F. McHugh
Naming Names by Pat Cadigan
Protection by Maureen F. McHugh
Naming Names by Pat Cadigan
November 16, 2014
Here's my star ratings for each of the stories in this collection. Unlike some collections, there's no real awful story here, but there are some mediocre ones.
Griffin's Egg - 3 stars (feels like an incomplete novel)
Even The Queen - 4 stars
The Round-Eyed Barbarians - 3 stars
Dust - 5 stars (still fresh almost a quarter century later)
Two Guys From The Future - 4 stars
The Mountain To Mohammed - 2 stars (a near-future story proven incorrect by actual events, and not good enough to overcome that)
The Coming Of Vertumnus - 2 stars
A Long Night's Vigil At The Temple - 5 stars (one of three instant classics in this volume)
The Hammer Of God - 2 stars
Grownups - 5 stars (sublimely creepy)
Graves - 3 stars
The Glowing Cloud - 4 stars (moving time travel story)
Gravity's Angel - 3 stars
Protection - 3 stars (politically implausible, but some good character work saves it from failure)
The Last Cardinal Bird In Tennessee - 2 stars
Birth Day - 2 stars
Naming Names - 3 stars
The Elvis National Theater Of Okinawa - 2 stars (a title in search of a story)
The Territory - 3 stars
The Best And The Rest Of James Joyce - 4 stars (surprisingly clever and effective)
Naming The Flowers - 3 stars (decent story with some distasteful undertones)
Snodgrass - 3 stars
By The Mirror Of My Youth - 4 stars
Outnumbering The Dead - 3 stars
Griffin's Egg - 3 stars (feels like an incomplete novel)
Even The Queen - 4 stars
The Round-Eyed Barbarians - 3 stars
Dust - 5 stars (still fresh almost a quarter century later)
Two Guys From The Future - 4 stars
The Mountain To Mohammed - 2 stars (a near-future story proven incorrect by actual events, and not good enough to overcome that)
The Coming Of Vertumnus - 2 stars
A Long Night's Vigil At The Temple - 5 stars (one of three instant classics in this volume)
The Hammer Of God - 2 stars
Grownups - 5 stars (sublimely creepy)
Graves - 3 stars
The Glowing Cloud - 4 stars (moving time travel story)
Gravity's Angel - 3 stars
Protection - 3 stars (politically implausible, but some good character work saves it from failure)
The Last Cardinal Bird In Tennessee - 2 stars
Birth Day - 2 stars
Naming Names - 3 stars
The Elvis National Theater Of Okinawa - 2 stars (a title in search of a story)
The Territory - 3 stars
The Best And The Rest Of James Joyce - 4 stars (surprisingly clever and effective)
Naming The Flowers - 3 stars (decent story with some distasteful undertones)
Snodgrass - 3 stars
By The Mirror Of My Youth - 4 stars
Outnumbering The Dead - 3 stars
July 19, 2010
I really like these collections - here are some of my thoughts on the stories in this volume that stuck out in my mind (wow, it's hard to say much about short stories without giving spoilers)
Even the Queen by Connie Willis - there was a lot of humor in this one, I liked it a lot.
Two Guys From the Future by Terry Bisson - clever time travel story
The Coming of Vertumnus by Ian Watson - pornographic vegetable portraits!
Grownups by Ian R. MacLeod - very weird and creepy
Graves by Joe Haldeman - blah
The Last Cardinal Bird in Tennessee by Neal Barrett, Jr. - I didn't get this one at all
The Territory by Bradley Denton - an interesting alternate history
The Best and the Rest of James Joyce by Ian McDonald - I mostly skimmed this one, didn't like it at all
Naming the Flowers by Kate Wilhelm - a sweet story
Outnumbering the Dead by Frederik Pohl - this was a great novella! What would it be like to be mortal among a society of immortal?
Even the Queen by Connie Willis - there was a lot of humor in this one, I liked it a lot.
Two Guys From the Future by Terry Bisson - clever time travel story
The Coming of Vertumnus by Ian Watson - pornographic vegetable portraits!
Grownups by Ian R. MacLeod - very weird and creepy
Graves by Joe Haldeman - blah
The Last Cardinal Bird in Tennessee by Neal Barrett, Jr. - I didn't get this one at all
The Territory by Bradley Denton - an interesting alternate history
The Best and the Rest of James Joyce by Ian McDonald - I mostly skimmed this one, didn't like it at all
Naming the Flowers by Kate Wilhelm - a sweet story
Outnumbering the Dead by Frederik Pohl - this was a great novella! What would it be like to be mortal among a society of immortal?
February 7, 2018
every single one of these collections is essential reading for true fans of science fiction short stories... each lengthy volume has a stellar array of all mini-genres and areas of powerfully influential science fiction: hard science, speculative, steampunk, alien invasions, apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic, space opera, fantasy, aliens, monsters, horror-ish, space travel, time travel, eco-science, evolutionary, pre-historic, parallel universes, extraterrestrials... in each successive volume in the series the tales have advanced and grown in imagination and detail with our ability to envision greater concepts and possibilities... Rod Serling said, "...fantasy is the impossible made probable. science fiction is the improbable made possible..." and in the pages of these books is the absolute best the vastness of science fiction writing has to offer... sit back, relax, and dream...
May 4, 2012
This was probably the collection that made me read the rest of the series. I still remember the cover among all the other covers.
Introduced me to a whole slew of authors whose work I wasn't aware of. Contains brilliant and memorable stories by Swanwick, Kress, Willis, MacLeod, Reed, Bisson, and the master Frederik Pohl. Even though I probably still remember the stories, I might read this again at some point.
October 9, 2008
If you read one sci-fi book a year, this is the one. Always stories of high caliber with a few tossed in that will keep you thinking weeks later, not to mention the collection is a primer for what science and technology everyone will be talking about five to ten years from now.
Currently reading
May 24, 2024"By The Mirror Of My Youth" by Kathe Koja - Raymond clones his dying wife Rachel so that he can have a disease-free version of her but Carlene resents him and plots to kill him after Rachel dies.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2011
This collection has some really great stories.
Want to read
December 31, 2017Previously published as "Best New SF 7 " by Robinson Publishing 1993
And
"The Years Best Science Fiction, Tenth Annual Collection", Gardner Dozois 1993
And
"The Years Best Science Fiction, Tenth Annual Collection", Gardner Dozois 1993
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