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The Locus Awards: An Indispensable Anthology of the Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Short Fiction
The Barnes & Noble Review
The introduction to The Locus Awards says it all: "This book contains some of the finest science fiction and fantasy short fiction ever written." Included within are some of the best Locus Award winning stories covering the last three decades. From Ursula K. Le Guin to Bruce Sterling, this collection is, simply put, essential reading for any serious fan of the genre.
The introduction to The Locus Awards says it all: "This book contains some of the finest science fiction and fantasy short fiction ever written." Included within are some of the best Locus Award winning stories covering the last three decades. From Ursula K. Le Guin to Bruce Sterling, this collection is, simply put, essential reading for any serious fan of the genre.
Groundbreaking classics and author masterworks abound in this collection, which includes Harlan Ellison's "Jeffty Is Five," a nostalgic tale about a boy who remains five years old -- a conduit to the 1940s world of comic books, candy bars, and serial radio shows -- while society keeps rolling on; and John Varley's "The Persistence of Vision," an unforgettable story about one man's experience in an isolated colony of deaf and blind people. George R. R. Martin's "The Way of Cross and Dragon" takes an unyielding look at the future of religion, and Octavia E. Butler's "Bloodchild" examines the symbiotic relationship between humans on a planet inhabited by sentient insectlike aliens.
The Locus Awards, presented to winners of Locus magazine's annual readers' poll, are arguably as prestigious as the Hugo and Nebula because they are chosen by the people who really matter -- the readers. The 18 multi-award-winning stories included in this collection, all in chronological order, take the reader on a retrospective tour of the genre and its many evolutions. From Gene Wolfe's "The Death of Doctor Island" (1973) to Neil Gaiman's homage to Ray Bradbury in "October in the Chair" (2003), this is an absolutely monumental collection worth its weight in gold. Paul Goat Allen
528 pages, Paperback
First published June 30, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
May 3, 2013
"Bears Discover Fire" By:Terry Bisson. I first heard this story on the Drabblecast. They have a fantastic reading of it. Check it out http://www.drabblecast.org/2012/01/26...
"Buffalo" by John Kessel is a story about an intelligent laborer who Meets and converses with H.G. Welles. They seem to have a lot in common.
"Even the Queen" by Connie Willis is an irreverent feminist tale concerning one girls choice to have her mensis, and her families reaction to her choice.
"Gone" by John Crowley addresses loss, the promise of future peace is you keep some things in mind, and hope for the future.
"Maneki Neko" by Bruce Stirling, is about the future of social networking. In this future, people of the world are all interconnected by some sort of super intelligent computer. This story gave me some hope for the future of social networking in life.
"Border Guards" by Greg Egan, was a very technical tale of a deathless future. I'm not sure I really understood the game they were playing....
"Hell is the Absence of God" by Ted Chiang was on Podcastle http://podcastle.org/2009/02/06/pc040... was a very interesting story of an alternate God. I have listened to this story several times and I still think it's fascinating.
"October in the Chair" by Neil Gaiman I have also read before. It was a coming of age story with a twist, kinda cute
"Buffalo" by John Kessel is a story about an intelligent laborer who Meets and converses with H.G. Welles. They seem to have a lot in common.
"Even the Queen" by Connie Willis is an irreverent feminist tale concerning one girls choice to have her mensis, and her families reaction to her choice.
"Gone" by John Crowley addresses loss, the promise of future peace is you keep some things in mind, and hope for the future.
"Maneki Neko" by Bruce Stirling, is about the future of social networking. In this future, people of the world are all interconnected by some sort of super intelligent computer. This story gave me some hope for the future of social networking in life.
"Border Guards" by Greg Egan, was a very technical tale of a deathless future. I'm not sure I really understood the game they were playing....
"Hell is the Absence of God" by Ted Chiang was on Podcastle http://podcastle.org/2009/02/06/pc040... was a very interesting story of an alternate God. I have listened to this story several times and I still think it's fascinating.
"October in the Chair" by Neil Gaiman I have also read before. It was a coming of age story with a twist, kinda cute
September 15, 2011
Excellent collection. Of course, when you're aiming to select the best stories from the last 30 years, you're bound to get some good ones! I'd already read about half of them, which wasn't a bad ratio, and I only disliked a couple. The anthology really works as an overview and a retrospective of the genre - I'd recommend it highly to anyone who asked me, "So, why do you like SF, anyway?"
Contents:
The Death of Doctor Island • (1973) • Gene Wolfe
The Day Before the Revolution • (1974) • Ursula K. Le Guin
Jeffty Is Five • (1977) • Harlan Ellison
The Persistence of Vision • (1978) • John Varley
The Way of Cross and Dragon • (1979) • George R. R. Martin
Souls • (1982) • Joanna Russ
Bloodchild • (1984) • Octavia E. Butler
The Only Neat Thing to Do • (1985) • James Tiptree, Jr.
Rachel in Love • (1987) • Pat Murphy
The Scalehunter's Beautiful Daughter • (1988) • Lucius Shepard
Bears Discover Fire • (1990) • Terry Bisson
Buffalo • (1991) • John Kessel
Even the Queen • (1992) • Connie Willis
Gone • (1996) • John Crowley
Maneki Neko • (1998) • Bruce Sterling
Border Guards • (1999) • Greg Egan
Hell Is the Absence of God • (2001) • Ted Chiang
October in the Chair • (2002) • Neil Gaiman
Contents:
The Death of Doctor Island • (1973) • Gene Wolfe
The Day Before the Revolution • (1974) • Ursula K. Le Guin
Jeffty Is Five • (1977) • Harlan Ellison
The Persistence of Vision • (1978) • John Varley
The Way of Cross and Dragon • (1979) • George R. R. Martin
Souls • (1982) • Joanna Russ
Bloodchild • (1984) • Octavia E. Butler
The Only Neat Thing to Do • (1985) • James Tiptree, Jr.
Rachel in Love • (1987) • Pat Murphy
The Scalehunter's Beautiful Daughter • (1988) • Lucius Shepard
Bears Discover Fire • (1990) • Terry Bisson
Buffalo • (1991) • John Kessel
Even the Queen • (1992) • Connie Willis
Gone • (1996) • John Crowley
Maneki Neko • (1998) • Bruce Sterling
Border Guards • (1999) • Greg Egan
Hell Is the Absence of God • (2001) • Ted Chiang
October in the Chair • (2002) • Neil Gaiman
October 21, 2007
http://nhw.livejournal.com/197044.html[return][return]This is a totally superb collection. OK, $15.95 for 500 pages paperback may seem a bit pricy, but the quality of the stories really justifies it. Of the 18 stories, I had read eight previously - the six that have won both Hugo and Nebula (as well as the Locus Award, a precondition for inclusion), and also Sterling's "Maneki Neko" and Le Guin's "The Day Before The Revolution". The other ten are all classics which I should have read years ago and somehow hadn't:[return][return]"The Death of Doctor Island" by Gene Wolfe[return]"The Way of Cross and Dragon", by George R.R. Martin[return]"Souls" by Joanna Russ[return]"The Only Neat Thing to Do", by James Tiptree Jr - possibly the weakest story in the collection, I thought, but still very good[return]"Rachel In Love", by Pat Murphy[return]"The Scale-Hunter's Beautiful Daughter", by Lucius Shepard[return]"Buffalo", by John Kessel[return]"Gone", by John Crowley[return]"Border Guards", by Greg Egan[return]"October in the Chair", by Neil Gaiman[return][return]Go out and buy it.
November 10, 2019
I say I have read this book but I save a few stories to read later. A great collection. There is a lovely story by Harvey Ellison. It was the reason I picked it up in the first place. I would recommend this book for anyone's collection.
July 14, 2012
The first story wasn't particularly engaging, so it has taken me a long time to finish the book. Glad I stuck with it though, as there are several stand-out stories and the final story, a tribute to Ray Bradbury by Neil Gaiman, was probably the best.
A chunky book though, while you want to take the stories to read with you everywhere the hefty tome demands you stay in bed or on the couch to dedicate time to reading this collection.
Looking forward to more.
A chunky book though, while you want to take the stories to read with you everywhere the hefty tome demands you stay in bed or on the couch to dedicate time to reading this collection.
Looking forward to more.
August 24, 2023
Rec. by: Serendipity
Rec. for: Seekers after an excellent overview
I picked up my copy of The Locus Awards in a charming little bookstore called Serendipity, in the small town (though it is the county seat) of Burns, Oregon, in the eastern part of our western state. And it was serendipity, several times over—we weren't even sure the store was open, at first, and this volume was tucked away on a high shelf where I could easily have overlooked it. There was also a very distracting bookstore cat who very much liked belly rubs... but despite every hurdle (or purrdle?), I found this book, or it found me, and once I saw its Table of Contents, I knew I had to take it home.
The editors of this 2004 anthology, Charles N. Brown and Jonathan Strahan, get in the first words, with Acknowledgements and an Introduction that are worth perusing before you dive into the stories—although I think perhaps their job might've been a little easier than most editors have it, since the readers of Locus Magazine selected these stories over three decades of annual voting. Brown and Strahan may have had a harder time choosing what to leave out, given that there are but eighteen stories in this retrospective.
At any rate, it seems to me that they—all of the readers and writers and editors involved in this project—did a fantastic job. Every one of these stories is memorable, truly one of the very best from its year of publication, and while I had in fact read just about all of these before in other venues, having them all gathered in one place makes The Locus Awards an indisputable treasure house of SF.
These stories are presented strictly in chronological order—which is logical and appropriate, but Gene Wolfe's distant and cerebral novella "The Death of Doctor Island" (1973) is not an easy beginning. Nicholas and Diane are stranded on (or, rather, in) Doctor Island... but really their psychoanalysis could be proceeding almost anywhere. Consider these observations:
And this question, redolent with recent significance in the era of ChatGPT,
After the extended psychodrama of Wolfe's story, it's almost a relief to settle down with Ursula K. Le Guin's contemplative short story, "The Day Before the Revolution" (1974). Odo—yes, the revolutionary philosopher after whom Odonianism is named, who had so much influence on The Dispossessed—looks back on her life's work. Like Moses, Odo will not see the end of what she has wrought.
"Jeffty Is Five" (1977), by Harlan Ellison is still heartbreaking, still just about the best thing Ellison ever wrote, although its nostalgia does not seem quite as pure since the last time I read it.
The details of John Varley's novella "The Persistence of Vision" (1978) have been overtaken by history, and its central relationship is certainly more problematic, but the core story survives—of profoundly alien contact with other human beings, at a time not much more tumultuous than our own.
Long before George R.R. Martin became a juggernaut of publishing, he was a hardworking author whose stories tended more to science fiction than fantasy. "The Way of Cross and Dragon" (1979) is one of the finest of those early examples, asking whether a cold and bleak Truth really is preferable to a beautiful Lie. And here, too, there be dragons...
"Souls" (1982), by Joanna Russ, seemed unfamiliar to me at first—the first story in this anthology that I did not immediately recognize—but as I read more I remembered. Like Martin's tale, this novella features a deeply religious protagonist. The Abbess Radegunde handles the Norsemen who have come a-viking, with charm and humor and... maybe even Grace.
Octavia E. Butler's hard science fiction novelette "Bloodchild" (1984) is known as one of her finest tales, and for good reason. Every body needs a partner... but the symbiosis between Gan and Tlic is something else.
"The Only Neat Thing to Do" (1985) offers a dilemma as sharp as the one from Godwin's "The Cold Equations," though not nearly as contrived. James Tiptree, Jr. (Alice B. Sheldon) was near the end of her career when this story was published, but her powers as a writer remained undiminished.
Rachel may be a chimpanzee but, in Pat Murphy's novelette "Rachel in Love" (1987), she knows what she wants—or, at least, she can figure it out. A soft and tender hard SF tale.
Lucius Shepard's use of language is extraordinarily assured in "The Scalehunter's Beautiful Daughter" (1988), this long, beautiful and decadent novella about the mile-long dragon Griaule and its denizens.
"Bears Discover Fire" (1990) by Terry Bisson is a much-reprinted, much-read classic about... well, about bears discovering fire, sure, but also about accepting what comes naturally.
"Buffalo" (1991), by John Kessel, is a meditative period piece—not often reprinted—about a meeting with H.G. Wells that could have happened. The mood is indigo.
Connie Willis' "Even the Queen" (1992) is a hilarious and brilliantly subversive story, no matter what time of the month you read it.
John Crowley's short story "Gone" (1996) concerns an ambiguous alien visitation by "elmers"—and the explanation for that name is a story in itself—bearing an ambiguous promise. All all right? It will be, in the end.
"Maneki Neko" (1998) is another classic of the multiply-connected future, written by cyberpunk pioneer Bruce Sterling—although it does now seem very much like a road not taken, from our vantage point.
What starts as a meticulous explication of a quantum soccer game—and hence typical Greg Egan—becomes a (still typically Egan) essay on death and immortality, in "Border Guards" (1999).
"Hell Is the Absence of God" (2001) is perhaps the quintessential Ted Chiang story, even if this one's unlikely ever to receive a Hollywood movie treatment—it is an utterly rigorous extrapolation of God's devastating, ineffable, inexorable will.
Although "October in the Chair" (2002) by Neil Gaiman comes last just because of chronological order, it's still a fine story with which to end.
A list of "Previous Winners" rounds out The Locus Awards, filling in the gaps in that thirty-year history, and containing one typo that I wish could be true: the credit for the Editor award which reads,
Credit where due: I adapted the Table of Contents from the ISFDB entry for this book.
Rec. for: Seekers after an excellent overview
I picked up my copy of The Locus Awards in a charming little bookstore called Serendipity, in the small town (though it is the county seat) of Burns, Oregon, in the eastern part of our western state. And it was serendipity, several times over—we weren't even sure the store was open, at first, and this volume was tucked away on a high shelf where I could easily have overlooked it. There was also a very distracting bookstore cat who very much liked belly rubs... but despite every hurdle (or purrdle?), I found this book, or it found me, and once I saw its Table of Contents, I knew I had to take it home.
The editors of this 2004 anthology, Charles N. Brown and Jonathan Strahan, get in the first words, with Acknowledgements and an Introduction that are worth perusing before you dive into the stories—although I think perhaps their job might've been a little easier than most editors have it, since the readers of Locus Magazine selected these stories over three decades of annual voting. Brown and Strahan may have had a harder time choosing what to leave out, given that there are but eighteen stories in this retrospective.
At any rate, it seems to me that they—all of the readers and writers and editors involved in this project—did a fantastic job. Every one of these stories is memorable, truly one of the very best from its year of publication, and while I had in fact read just about all of these before in other venues, having them all gathered in one place makes The Locus Awards an indisputable treasure house of SF.
These stories are presented strictly in chronological order—which is logical and appropriate, but Gene Wolfe's distant and cerebral novella "The Death of Doctor Island" (1973) is not an easy beginning. Nicholas and Diane are stranded on (or, rather, in) Doctor Island... but really their psychoanalysis could be proceeding almost anywhere. Consider these observations:
"They were functioning, Nicholas. They bought and sold; they worked, and paid their taxes—"
—p.19
"We have treatments for disturbed persons, Nicholas. But, at least for the time being, we have no treatment for disturbing persons."
—p.20
And this question, redolent with recent significance in the era of ChatGPT,
"Don't you even know how a machine is supposed to talk?"
—p.53
After the extended psychodrama of Wolfe's story, it's almost a relief to settle down with Ursula K. Le Guin's contemplative short story, "The Day Before the Revolution" (1974). Odo—yes, the revolutionary philosopher after whom Odonianism is named, who had so much influence on The Dispossessed—looks back on her life's work. Like Moses, Odo will not see the end of what she has wrought.
She was dizzy, but she was no longer afraid to fall.
—p.70
"Jeffty Is Five" (1977), by Harlan Ellison is still heartbreaking, still just about the best thing Ellison ever wrote, although its nostalgia does not seem quite as pure since the last time I read it.
The details of John Varley's novella "The Persistence of Vision" (1978) have been overtaken by history, and its central relationship is certainly more problematic, but the core story survives—of profoundly alien contact with other human beings, at a time not much more tumultuous than our own.
I didn't become rich, but I was usually comfortable. That is a social disease, the symptoms of which are the ability to ignore the fact that your society is developing weeping pustules and having its brains eaten out by radioactive maggots. I had a nice apartment in Marin County, out of sight of the machine gun turrets. I had a car, at a time when they were beginning to be luxuries.Not our world, but not all that far from it...
—p.132
Long before George R.R. Martin became a juggernaut of publishing, he was a hardworking author whose stories tended more to science fiction than fantasy. "The Way of Cross and Dragon" (1979) is one of the finest of those early examples, asking whether a cold and bleak Truth really is preferable to a beautiful Lie. And here, too, there be dragons...
"Souls" (1982), by Joanna Russ, seemed unfamiliar to me at first—the first story in this anthology that I did not immediately recognize—but as I read more I remembered. Like Martin's tale, this novella features a deeply religious protagonist. The Abbess Radegunde handles the Norsemen who have come a-viking, with charm and humor and... maybe even Grace.
Octavia E. Butler's hard science fiction novelette "Bloodchild" (1984) is known as one of her finest tales, and for good reason. Every body needs a partner... but the symbiosis between Gan and Tlic is something else.
"The Only Neat Thing to Do" (1985) offers a dilemma as sharp as the one from Godwin's "The Cold Equations," though not nearly as contrived. James Tiptree, Jr. (Alice B. Sheldon) was near the end of her career when this story was published, but her powers as a writer remained undiminished.
Rachel may be a chimpanzee but, in Pat Murphy's novelette "Rachel in Love" (1987), she knows what she wants—or, at least, she can figure it out. A soft and tender hard SF tale.
Lucius Shepard's use of language is extraordinarily assured in "The Scalehunter's Beautiful Daughter" (1988), this long, beautiful and decadent novella about the mile-long dragon Griaule and its denizens.
{...}she saw now that anticipation was the peak of vengeance, that carrying out the necessary actions would only harm her.
—p.358
"Bears Discover Fire" (1990) by Terry Bisson is a much-reprinted, much-read classic about... well, about bears discovering fire, sure, but also about accepting what comes naturally.
"Buffalo" (1991), by John Kessel, is a meditative period piece—not often reprinted—about a meeting with H.G. Wells that could have happened. The mood is indigo.
Connie Willis' "Even the Queen" (1992) is a hilarious and brilliantly subversive story, no matter what time of the month you read it.
John Crowley's short story "Gone" (1996) concerns an ambiguous alien visitation by "elmers"—and the explanation for that name is a story in itself—bearing an ambiguous promise. All all right? It will be, in the end.
"Maneki Neko" (1998) is another classic of the multiply-connected future, written by cyberpunk pioneer Bruce Sterling—although it does now seem very much like a road not taken, from our vantage point.
"I did think of running away to America. Nothing much ever happens there either."
—p.424
Friends he didn't even know were working every day to help him.
—p.427
What starts as a meticulous explication of a quantum soccer game—and hence typical Greg Egan—becomes a (still typically Egan) essay on death and immortality, in "Border Guards" (1999).
"Hell Is the Absence of God" (2001) is perhaps the quintessential Ted Chiang story, even if this one's unlikely ever to receive a Hollywood movie treatment—it is an utterly rigorous extrapolation of God's devastating, ineffable, inexorable will.
Although "October in the Chair" (2002) by Neil Gaiman comes last just because of chronological order, it's still a fine story with which to end.
"Put it like that," said November, "and I feel better. I suppose we can't help who we are."
"That's the spirit," said his brother.
—p.502
A list of "Previous Winners" rounds out The Locus Awards, filling in the gaps in that thirty-year history, and containing one typo that I wish could be true: the credit for the Editor award which reads,
1989-2993
Gardner Dozois
Credit where due: I adapted the Table of Contents from the ISFDB entry for this book.
September 16, 2021
This is another "best of the best" anthology spanning thirty years of Locus magazine's annual awards. There are some truly great stories gathered here, although a couple that have not aged as well as the others.
"The Death of Dr. Island" by Gene Wolfe (Universe 3, October 1973 - novella) 1974 Hugo Award finalist and 1974 Nebula Award winner
4 Stars
After losing the 1971 Nebula Award for "The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories" to No Award, Wolfe came back with this twist on the previous story. A boy on a space station orbiting Jupiter is being counseled by an AI calling itself Dr. Island in a simulation of a tropical island. There are many allusions to classical poetry and mythology, as the psychosis of the boy is slowly revealed.
"The Day Before the Revolution" by Ursula K. Le Guin (Galaxy Science Fiction, August 1974 - short story) 1975 Nebula Award winner and 1975 Hugo Award finalist
3 Stars
This is a character study of an old woman who had helped lead a revolution somewhere in her youth. She reminisces about those times, especially with her now deceased husband, and takes one last look at the town and her supporters who will continue the revolution. There is nothing inherently science fictional in this story—maybe it's set in the future?
"Jeffty Is Five" by Harlan Ellison (The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, July 1977 - short story) 1978 Hugo Award winner and 1978 Nebula Award winner
5 Stars
This is arguably Ellison's finest story. A boy who never ages beyond five years old is able to listen to old-time radio programs and experience other things from the past. On one hand, it's a somewhat cynical look at how things were so much better then than now. On the other hand, it's a poignant, nostalgic character study.
"The Persistence of Vision" by John Varley (The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, March 1978 - novella) 1979 Hugo Award winner and 1979 Nebula Award winner
5 Stars
This is an amazing examination of the thought experiment: how would a colony of deaf-blind people live? There's not much science fiction here—it's set in an economic downturn in the "future" of the 1990s and there's just a tad of magic realism near the end—but there is a lot of emotional depth. There is also a bit of an ick-factor whereby a middle aged man has sex with a thirteen-year-old girl (although Varley never shied away from unconventional gender and sexual depictions) and it makes sense within the context of the story.
"The Way of Cross and Dragon" by George R. R. Martin (Omni, June 1979 - short story) 1980 Hugo Award winner and 1980 Nebula Award finalist
4 Stars
A Catholic inquisitor butts heads with a self-proclaimed Liar, Lairs being an ancient sect that has secretly guided the inhabitants of the universe with false religions, conspiracy theories, and such. This is a story that has not lost its impact or relevance in the years since first published.
"Souls" by Joanna Russ (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, January 1982 - novella) 1983 Hugo Award winner and 1983 Nebula Award finalist
4 Stars
The fantasy element of this story only reveals itself near the end. Mostly, this is an emotional historical fiction about some 12th-Century Norse raiders invading a German abbey in search of treasure and slaves. The female abbess does her best to protect her people, but is not very successful, although ultimately she finds her true nature and converts the Norse leader into becoming more peaceful as a final act of revenge.
"Bloodchild" by Octavia E. Butler (Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, June 1984 - novelette) 1985 Hugo Award winner and 1985 Nebula Award winner
5 Stars
This is simultaneously a horror story and a love story, and not for the squeamish. Aliens use humans to incubate their eggs. Do the aliens actually care for the humans or just use them to breed? This is the central question, one that is answered in at least this one instance.
"The Only Neat Thing to Do" by James Tiptree, Jr. (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, October 1985 - novella) 1986 Hugo Award finalist and 1986 Nebula Award finalist
4 Stars
A 16-year-old girl takes her private spaceship to look for a missing expedition. She eventually comes into contact with an alien who mind melds with her symbiotically. As they explore the area where they think the missing ship went, it becomes apparent that the alien is a parasite that has the potential to do great harm to humanity. How the girl manages to deal with the situation and warn the humans back at home shows her ingenuity.
"Rachel in Love" by Pat Murphy (Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, April 1987 - novelette) 1988 Nebula Award winner and 1988 Hugo Award finalist
3 Stars
Rachel is a chimpanzee whose brain has been overwritten with the memories of a teenage girl. When her scientist father who performed the operation dies, Rachel is left to fend for herself and things don't go particularly well. Although well written, this seems more like the first two or three chapters of a novel—the story just stops as Rachel reaches a turning point.
"The Scalehunter's Beautiful Daughter" by Lucius Shepard (The Scalehunter's Beautiful Daughter, April 1988 - novella) 1989 Hugo Award finalist and 1989 Nebula Award finalist
5 Stars
This is a delightful story about a mile-long dragon named Griaule upon which lives a village of humans, since Griaule hasn't moved in hundreds of years. A young woman becomes trapped inside of Griaule's body for a decade; the story becomes the tale of her interactions with the other denizens of the dragon. Her hopes, fears, loves, and losses make for one of the most creative stories one will ever read.
"Bears Discover Fire" by Terry Bisson (Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, August 1990 - short story) 1991 Hugo Award winner and 1991 Nebula Award winner
3 Stars
This is an odd little story that posits that wild bears somehow learn how to make and tend fires in lieu of hibernating. No explanation is really given, nor is there any extrapolation as to what this might do to human/bear relations going forward. There is a nicely sentimental subplot about an elderly woman's reaction to the bears and how it affects her son and grandson.
"Buffalo" by John Kessel (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, January 1991 - short story) 1992 Hugo Award finalist and 1992 Nebula Award finalist
4 Stars
This is the imaginary story of Kessel's father's chance meeting with H. G. Wells in a 1934 Washington, DC, nightclub where Duke Ellington's orchestra was playing. I wouldn't classify this as sf per se, but it is very well written and has a strong message: "life constrained is not life wasted".
"Even the Queen" by Connie Willis (Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, April 1992 - short story) 1993 Hugo Award winner and 1993 Nebula Award winner
5 Stars
A comedy about a family of four generations of women coming to terms with one of them choosing to eschew, under the concept of personal sovereignty, a procedure that eliminates menstruation. So much of this story is applicable, with incredibly prescient arguments, to today's heated debates over Covid vaccines.
"Gone" by John Crowley (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, September 1996 - short story) 1997 Hugo Award finalist
4 Stars
Straddling science fiction and fantasy, this story tells of an alien ship from which strange humanlike automatons come to random people to do something, no one is sure what. A divorced mother has one of these call on her, and soon thereafter her ex manages to take the children without her permission. How these two storylines converge makes for some thought provoking philosophy.
"Maneki Neko" by Bruce Sterling (Hayakawa's Science Fiction Magazine, January 1997 [first English publication in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, May 1998] - short story) 1999 Hugo Award finalist
3 Stars
This is a strange little story about an ordinary man who gets caught up in misadventure by listening to his portable network AI a little too literally. The comedy in many ways predicts our dependance on mobile phones today, but also in many ways has not aged well.
"Border Guards" by Greg Egan (Interzone, #148 October 1999 - novelette) 2000 Hugo Award finalist
3 Stars
Egan's stories are almost always filled with strange mathematical concepts, and this is definitely no exception. The story starts off with a description of a weird game that somehow bridges the physicality of soccer with the abstractions of quantum mechanics. Once past this, it turns into a meditation on life and what it means to live eternally with the help of electronics.
"Hell is the Absence of God" by Ted Chiang (Starlight 3, July 2001 - novelette) 2002 Hugo Award winner and 2003 Nebula Award winner
5 Stars
How would humans react if real angels came to Earth, leaving (inadvertent) chaos and destruction in their wake? One man searches for answers to the suffering of innocents when his wife is killed by an angel's actions. Why do others gain heavenly rewards from the same experiences? Or is it all random? Is it better to be in hell for all eternity with someone you love or in heaven without them? Lots of philosophizing in this one.
"October in the Chair" by Neil Gaiman (Conjunctions: 39, The New Wave Fabulists, December 2002 - short story)
4 Stars
This is a typical Gaiman tale of life and death and the stories we tell ourselves. Here the storytellers are the months personified and their tales are mystical fables.
"The Death of Dr. Island" by Gene Wolfe (Universe 3, October 1973 - novella) 1974 Hugo Award finalist and 1974 Nebula Award winner
4 Stars
After losing the 1971 Nebula Award for "The Island of Doctor Death and Other Stories" to No Award, Wolfe came back with this twist on the previous story. A boy on a space station orbiting Jupiter is being counseled by an AI calling itself Dr. Island in a simulation of a tropical island. There are many allusions to classical poetry and mythology, as the psychosis of the boy is slowly revealed.
"The Day Before the Revolution" by Ursula K. Le Guin (Galaxy Science Fiction, August 1974 - short story) 1975 Nebula Award winner and 1975 Hugo Award finalist
3 Stars
This is a character study of an old woman who had helped lead a revolution somewhere in her youth. She reminisces about those times, especially with her now deceased husband, and takes one last look at the town and her supporters who will continue the revolution. There is nothing inherently science fictional in this story—maybe it's set in the future?
"Jeffty Is Five" by Harlan Ellison (The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, July 1977 - short story) 1978 Hugo Award winner and 1978 Nebula Award winner
5 Stars
This is arguably Ellison's finest story. A boy who never ages beyond five years old is able to listen to old-time radio programs and experience other things from the past. On one hand, it's a somewhat cynical look at how things were so much better then than now. On the other hand, it's a poignant, nostalgic character study.
"The Persistence of Vision" by John Varley (The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, March 1978 - novella) 1979 Hugo Award winner and 1979 Nebula Award winner
5 Stars
This is an amazing examination of the thought experiment: how would a colony of deaf-blind people live? There's not much science fiction here—it's set in an economic downturn in the "future" of the 1990s and there's just a tad of magic realism near the end—but there is a lot of emotional depth. There is also a bit of an ick-factor whereby a middle aged man has sex with a thirteen-year-old girl (although Varley never shied away from unconventional gender and sexual depictions) and it makes sense within the context of the story.
"The Way of Cross and Dragon" by George R. R. Martin (Omni, June 1979 - short story) 1980 Hugo Award winner and 1980 Nebula Award finalist
4 Stars
A Catholic inquisitor butts heads with a self-proclaimed Liar, Lairs being an ancient sect that has secretly guided the inhabitants of the universe with false religions, conspiracy theories, and such. This is a story that has not lost its impact or relevance in the years since first published.
"Souls" by Joanna Russ (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, January 1982 - novella) 1983 Hugo Award winner and 1983 Nebula Award finalist
4 Stars
The fantasy element of this story only reveals itself near the end. Mostly, this is an emotional historical fiction about some 12th-Century Norse raiders invading a German abbey in search of treasure and slaves. The female abbess does her best to protect her people, but is not very successful, although ultimately she finds her true nature and converts the Norse leader into becoming more peaceful as a final act of revenge.
"Bloodchild" by Octavia E. Butler (Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, June 1984 - novelette) 1985 Hugo Award winner and 1985 Nebula Award winner
5 Stars
This is simultaneously a horror story and a love story, and not for the squeamish. Aliens use humans to incubate their eggs. Do the aliens actually care for the humans or just use them to breed? This is the central question, one that is answered in at least this one instance.
"The Only Neat Thing to Do" by James Tiptree, Jr. (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, October 1985 - novella) 1986 Hugo Award finalist and 1986 Nebula Award finalist
4 Stars
A 16-year-old girl takes her private spaceship to look for a missing expedition. She eventually comes into contact with an alien who mind melds with her symbiotically. As they explore the area where they think the missing ship went, it becomes apparent that the alien is a parasite that has the potential to do great harm to humanity. How the girl manages to deal with the situation and warn the humans back at home shows her ingenuity.
"Rachel in Love" by Pat Murphy (Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, April 1987 - novelette) 1988 Nebula Award winner and 1988 Hugo Award finalist
3 Stars
Rachel is a chimpanzee whose brain has been overwritten with the memories of a teenage girl. When her scientist father who performed the operation dies, Rachel is left to fend for herself and things don't go particularly well. Although well written, this seems more like the first two or three chapters of a novel—the story just stops as Rachel reaches a turning point.
"The Scalehunter's Beautiful Daughter" by Lucius Shepard (The Scalehunter's Beautiful Daughter, April 1988 - novella) 1989 Hugo Award finalist and 1989 Nebula Award finalist
5 Stars
This is a delightful story about a mile-long dragon named Griaule upon which lives a village of humans, since Griaule hasn't moved in hundreds of years. A young woman becomes trapped inside of Griaule's body for a decade; the story becomes the tale of her interactions with the other denizens of the dragon. Her hopes, fears, loves, and losses make for one of the most creative stories one will ever read.
"Bears Discover Fire" by Terry Bisson (Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, August 1990 - short story) 1991 Hugo Award winner and 1991 Nebula Award winner
3 Stars
This is an odd little story that posits that wild bears somehow learn how to make and tend fires in lieu of hibernating. No explanation is really given, nor is there any extrapolation as to what this might do to human/bear relations going forward. There is a nicely sentimental subplot about an elderly woman's reaction to the bears and how it affects her son and grandson.
"Buffalo" by John Kessel (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, January 1991 - short story) 1992 Hugo Award finalist and 1992 Nebula Award finalist
4 Stars
This is the imaginary story of Kessel's father's chance meeting with H. G. Wells in a 1934 Washington, DC, nightclub where Duke Ellington's orchestra was playing. I wouldn't classify this as sf per se, but it is very well written and has a strong message: "life constrained is not life wasted".
"Even the Queen" by Connie Willis (Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, April 1992 - short story) 1993 Hugo Award winner and 1993 Nebula Award winner
5 Stars
A comedy about a family of four generations of women coming to terms with one of them choosing to eschew, under the concept of personal sovereignty, a procedure that eliminates menstruation. So much of this story is applicable, with incredibly prescient arguments, to today's heated debates over Covid vaccines.
"Gone" by John Crowley (The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, September 1996 - short story) 1997 Hugo Award finalist
4 Stars
Straddling science fiction and fantasy, this story tells of an alien ship from which strange humanlike automatons come to random people to do something, no one is sure what. A divorced mother has one of these call on her, and soon thereafter her ex manages to take the children without her permission. How these two storylines converge makes for some thought provoking philosophy.
"Maneki Neko" by Bruce Sterling (Hayakawa's Science Fiction Magazine, January 1997 [first English publication in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, May 1998] - short story) 1999 Hugo Award finalist
3 Stars
This is a strange little story about an ordinary man who gets caught up in misadventure by listening to his portable network AI a little too literally. The comedy in many ways predicts our dependance on mobile phones today, but also in many ways has not aged well.
"Border Guards" by Greg Egan (Interzone, #148 October 1999 - novelette) 2000 Hugo Award finalist
3 Stars
Egan's stories are almost always filled with strange mathematical concepts, and this is definitely no exception. The story starts off with a description of a weird game that somehow bridges the physicality of soccer with the abstractions of quantum mechanics. Once past this, it turns into a meditation on life and what it means to live eternally with the help of electronics.
"Hell is the Absence of God" by Ted Chiang (Starlight 3, July 2001 - novelette) 2002 Hugo Award winner and 2003 Nebula Award winner
5 Stars
How would humans react if real angels came to Earth, leaving (inadvertent) chaos and destruction in their wake? One man searches for answers to the suffering of innocents when his wife is killed by an angel's actions. Why do others gain heavenly rewards from the same experiences? Or is it all random? Is it better to be in hell for all eternity with someone you love or in heaven without them? Lots of philosophizing in this one.
"October in the Chair" by Neil Gaiman (Conjunctions: 39, The New Wave Fabulists, December 2002 - short story)
4 Stars
This is a typical Gaiman tale of life and death and the stories we tell ourselves. Here the storytellers are the months personified and their tales are mystical fables.
April 24, 2017
As many collections are, this was a mixed bag of stories. Some were amazing and some were only okay.
The Death of Doctor Island by Gene Wolfe
Eh. This one wasn't terrible, but I didn't like it that much. 3 stars.
The Day Before the Revolution by Ursula K. Le Guin
I've discovered that when I like her work, I really like it. Otherwise, I find it only okay or don't like it at all. This one was just okay. 3 stars.
Jeffty is Five by Harlan Ellison
This one blew me away. It's sweet and sad and I keep finding myself thinking of it. 5 stars.
The Persistence of Vision by John Varley
This is about a glut of babies born deaf and blindand how, once they grew up, they learned to cope on their own in the world and one outsider's experience. This blew. me. away. 5 stars.
The Way of the Cross and Dragon by George R. R. Martin
This was an interesting tale about faith and heresy. Kind of. 4.5 stars.
Souls by Joanna Russ
This is the story of a nun who deals with Vikings. They got much more than they bargained for. 5 stars.
Bloodchild by Octavia E. Butler
I don't want to say anything about this story, but again, it blew. me. away. 5 stars.
The Only Neat Thing to Do by James Tiptree Jr.
This tells of a girl who inadvertently picks up an alien life form. They form a friendship that's put to the test rather quickly. 4.5 stars.
Rachel in Love by Pat Murphy
Who knew a gorilla could be so sympathetic and human? 3.5 stars
The Scalehunter's Beautiful Daughter by Lucius Shepard
The story started out hopefully, but quickly lost my love for the story. It also dragged on, and though the ending was original (the last lines were perfect), it didn't make up for the middle. I did like the way the characters interacted with each other, and I liked Catherine. I think this story just wasn't for me. 1.5 stars.
Bears Discover Fire by Terry Bisson
Everyone praised this story, and though I found it sweet, I don't think it was one of the best in this book. 3.5 stars.
Buffalo by John Kessel
This is a fictional tale of the author's father meeting H. G. Wells. I loved the people and the father's reaction to meeting Wells. 4 stars.
Even the Queen by Connie Willis
Quite the smart (and amusing) story regarding women's rights. 4 stars.
Gone by John Crowley
This is a sweet and sad little story. 4 stars.
Maneki Neko by Bruce Sterling
This story revolves around those good luck kitties with one paw raised and technology. 5 stars.
Border Guards by Greg Egan
This one brought tears to my eyes. 5 stars.
Hell is the Absence of God by Ted Caiang
As a Christian, I didn't like this portrayal of God, though the story was very well written. 3 stars.
October in the Chair by Neil Gaiman
I've read this story numerous times and I STILL love it. 5 stars.
The Death of Doctor Island by Gene Wolfe
Eh. This one wasn't terrible, but I didn't like it that much. 3 stars.
The Day Before the Revolution by Ursula K. Le Guin
I've discovered that when I like her work, I really like it. Otherwise, I find it only okay or don't like it at all. This one was just okay. 3 stars.
Jeffty is Five by Harlan Ellison
This one blew me away. It's sweet and sad and I keep finding myself thinking of it. 5 stars.
The Persistence of Vision by John Varley
This is about a glut of babies born deaf and blindand how, once they grew up, they learned to cope on their own in the world and one outsider's experience. This blew. me. away. 5 stars.
The Way of the Cross and Dragon by George R. R. Martin
This was an interesting tale about faith and heresy. Kind of. 4.5 stars.
Souls by Joanna Russ
This is the story of a nun who deals with Vikings. They got much more than they bargained for. 5 stars.
Bloodchild by Octavia E. Butler
I don't want to say anything about this story, but again, it blew. me. away. 5 stars.
The Only Neat Thing to Do by James Tiptree Jr.
This tells of a girl who inadvertently picks up an alien life form. They form a friendship that's put to the test rather quickly. 4.5 stars.
Rachel in Love by Pat Murphy
Who knew a gorilla could be so sympathetic and human? 3.5 stars
The Scalehunter's Beautiful Daughter by Lucius Shepard
The story started out hopefully, but quickly lost my love for the story. It also dragged on, and though the ending was original (the last lines were perfect), it didn't make up for the middle. I did like the way the characters interacted with each other, and I liked Catherine. I think this story just wasn't for me. 1.5 stars.
Bears Discover Fire by Terry Bisson
Everyone praised this story, and though I found it sweet, I don't think it was one of the best in this book. 3.5 stars.
Buffalo by John Kessel
This is a fictional tale of the author's father meeting H. G. Wells. I loved the people and the father's reaction to meeting Wells. 4 stars.
Even the Queen by Connie Willis
Quite the smart (and amusing) story regarding women's rights. 4 stars.
Gone by John Crowley
This is a sweet and sad little story. 4 stars.
Maneki Neko by Bruce Sterling
This story revolves around those good luck kitties with one paw raised and technology. 5 stars.
Border Guards by Greg Egan
This one brought tears to my eyes. 5 stars.
Hell is the Absence of God by Ted Caiang
As a Christian, I didn't like this portrayal of God, though the story was very well written. 3 stars.
October in the Chair by Neil Gaiman
I've read this story numerous times and I STILL love it. 5 stars.
August 24, 2012
A couple of excellent stories, many enjoyable stories, a couple of mind-numbingly bad stories.
Highlights:
Jeffty is Five - Harlan Ellison
The Only Neat Thing to Do - James Tiptree
The Way of Cross and Dragon - George R.R. Martin
Maneki Neko - Bruce Sterling
October in the Chair - Neil Gaiman
Duds:
Even the Queen - Connie Willis
Border Guards - Greg Egan
Highlights:
Jeffty is Five - Harlan Ellison
The Only Neat Thing to Do - James Tiptree
The Way of Cross and Dragon - George R.R. Martin
Maneki Neko - Bruce Sterling
October in the Chair - Neil Gaiman
Duds:
Even the Queen - Connie Willis
Border Guards - Greg Egan
May 7, 2012
This was well worth the read. I believe that there were 18 stories in the book and of those only two or three dragged at all. A few of these really are wonderful and worth getting the book just for them alone (Harlan Ellison's story for example).
July 1, 2017
Why the HELL did I ever stop reading science fiction? Constantly surprising, often devastating collection. 'Souls' by Joanna Russ is the kind of story that makes me want to haul people off the street and tell them to read it. Save me the trouble and do so immediately.
March 15, 2019
Favorite stories:
"The Persistence of Vision" by John Varley
"The Way of Cross and Dragon" by George R.R. Martin
"Bloodchild" by Octavia E. Butler
"Rachel in Love" by Pat Murphy
"Buffalo" by John Kessel
"Hell Is the Absence of God" by Ted Chiang
"The Persistence of Vision" by John Varley
"The Way of Cross and Dragon" by George R.R. Martin
"Bloodchild" by Octavia E. Butler
"Rachel in Love" by Pat Murphy
"Buffalo" by John Kessel
"Hell Is the Absence of God" by Ted Chiang
April 21, 2018
Stories I liked were by Ursula K Le Guin, Harlan Ellison, George R.R. Martin, Joanna Russ, James Tiptree Jr., Pat Murphy,
September 19, 2020
The book is great. It helped me discover a few favorite writers for the future. While I didn't find all the stories equally engaging, the book is a fantastic tour to fantasy and science fiction.
January 14, 2018
https://www.goodreads.com/award/show/...
"Popular Award voted on by readers of the leading sf news magazine (or Newszine) Locus and presented annually since 1971. Each year's Locus awards normally honour work first published in the previous year. Thanks to their exceptionally wide reader base, these sf awards have come to share the stature of the Hugos (which reflect the preferences of fans and professionals who attend the annual Worldcon) and the Nebulas (which reflect the professional judgment but also sometimes the internal politics of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America). Where the Hugo and Locus awards differ, it is often thought that the Locus assessment is the more accurate reflection of general reading tastes. The Locus Award is not only good for vanity and sales: it has taken a very attractive form in perspex and metal."
Here the editors provide their choice of Locus readers' choice for "best of" for 33 years between 1971 and 2003. Possibly the major years when I read mountains of SF and Fantasy, and certainly geek enough to read Locus regularly. I didn't read "The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction" where many of these stories first appeared. So whilst I read them first here their authors are well known to me, any one is well worth the cost of admission. Short Story, novella, novelette; slight balance in favour of the short story for obvious reasons, 18 in total out of 92. Plenty of room for a volume 2.
I wouldn't have opened with Gene Wolfe, excellent writer that he is, he can be more of an acquired taste, and this piece I found difficult. But can't complain when it's then straight into Le Guin, Ellison, Varley and then Martin. For a survey of the era and its writers, this is a worthwhile anthology particularly if the reader didn't live through it.
Enjoyed it so much may put an in-depth review on my review blog.
"Popular Award voted on by readers of the leading sf news magazine (or Newszine) Locus and presented annually since 1971. Each year's Locus awards normally honour work first published in the previous year. Thanks to their exceptionally wide reader base, these sf awards have come to share the stature of the Hugos (which reflect the preferences of fans and professionals who attend the annual Worldcon) and the Nebulas (which reflect the professional judgment but also sometimes the internal politics of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America). Where the Hugo and Locus awards differ, it is often thought that the Locus assessment is the more accurate reflection of general reading tastes. The Locus Award is not only good for vanity and sales: it has taken a very attractive form in perspex and metal."
Here the editors provide their choice of Locus readers' choice for "best of" for 33 years between 1971 and 2003. Possibly the major years when I read mountains of SF and Fantasy, and certainly geek enough to read Locus regularly. I didn't read "The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction" where many of these stories first appeared. So whilst I read them first here their authors are well known to me, any one is well worth the cost of admission. Short Story, novella, novelette; slight balance in favour of the short story for obvious reasons, 18 in total out of 92. Plenty of room for a volume 2.
I wouldn't have opened with Gene Wolfe, excellent writer that he is, he can be more of an acquired taste, and this piece I found difficult. But can't complain when it's then straight into Le Guin, Ellison, Varley and then Martin. For a survey of the era and its writers, this is a worthwhile anthology particularly if the reader didn't live through it.
Enjoyed it so much may put an in-depth review on my review blog.
April 26, 2021
Deze verzameling van prijswinnende korte verhalen kostte mij meer moeite om uit te lezen dan ik ooit gedacht had. Ik weet ook niet precies waarom. Ik was er ooit na aanschaf (ca 10 jaar geleden) in begonnen en ben ergens na het derde verhaal gewoon gestopt vanwege verveling. Sindsdien heeft het boek mij vanuit de boekenkast beschuldigend staan aankijken. Ik voelde mij een verrader aan de scifi zaak en daarnaast een cultuur barbaar omdat ik overduidelijk het beste wat de SF te bieden had niet naar waarde wist te schatten.
Het was dan ook met enig genoegen dat ik aan deze bundel begon, wetende dat ik het na uitlezen in de mini-bieb mocht afvoeren. Ik begon weer van voren af aan en raakte wederom in een soort moeheid gevangen, grimmig doorlezend viel dat enigzins weg toen ik aan de verhalen van Joanna Russ en Octavia Butler toekwam, vooral de laatste maakte in een keer de hele excercitie de moeite waard met haar indringende scifi horror verhaal over een symbiose tussen mensen en aliens. Het bleef nog dagen in mijn hoofd hangen, met het voornemen om in ieder geval meer van Octavia Butler te gaan lezen.
De rest van de bundel was een soort van OK, ik geef het drie sterren vanwege Octavia Butler.
Het was dan ook met enig genoegen dat ik aan deze bundel begon, wetende dat ik het na uitlezen in de mini-bieb mocht afvoeren. Ik begon weer van voren af aan en raakte wederom in een soort moeheid gevangen, grimmig doorlezend viel dat enigzins weg toen ik aan de verhalen van Joanna Russ en Octavia Butler toekwam, vooral de laatste maakte in een keer de hele excercitie de moeite waard met haar indringende scifi horror verhaal over een symbiose tussen mensen en aliens. Het bleef nog dagen in mijn hoofd hangen, met het voornemen om in ieder geval meer van Octavia Butler te gaan lezen.
De rest van de bundel was een soort van OK, ik geef het drie sterren vanwege Octavia Butler.
December 26, 2020
Standouts:
John Varley - The Persistence of Vision
George R.R. Martin - The Way of Cross and Dragon
Pat Murphy - Rachel in Love
Connie Willis - Even the Queen
Bruce Sterling - Maneki Neko
Greg Egan - Border Guards
Super standouts / Favourites:
Joanna Russ - Souls
John Kessel - Buffalo
Ted Chiang - Hell is the Absence of God
Respect:
Gene Wolfe - The Death of Doctor Island
Ursula K. Le Guin - The Day Before the Revolution
Octavia E. Butler - Bloodchild
Blah:
Harlan Ellison - Jeffty is Five
Terry Bisson - Bears Discover Fire
John Crowley - Gone
Lucius Shepard - The Scalehunter's Beautiful Daughter
Skips:
James Tiptree Jr - The Only Neat Thing to Do
Neil Gaiman - Neil Gaiman
John Varley - The Persistence of Vision
George R.R. Martin - The Way of Cross and Dragon
Pat Murphy - Rachel in Love
Connie Willis - Even the Queen
Bruce Sterling - Maneki Neko
Greg Egan - Border Guards
Super standouts / Favourites:
Joanna Russ - Souls
John Kessel - Buffalo
Ted Chiang - Hell is the Absence of God
Respect:
Gene Wolfe - The Death of Doctor Island
Ursula K. Le Guin - The Day Before the Revolution
Octavia E. Butler - Bloodchild
Blah:
Harlan Ellison - Jeffty is Five
Terry Bisson - Bears Discover Fire
John Crowley - Gone
Lucius Shepard - The Scalehunter's Beautiful Daughter
Skips:
James Tiptree Jr - The Only Neat Thing to Do
Neil Gaiman - Neil Gaiman
May 15, 2017
Really hit and miss, some stories are great others are just boring.
February 18, 2010
The first story is one by Gene Wolfe, and this book is already worth the money--I'm not even done with the story yet. Very excited to read some good stuff...
----
Update: It's all pretty good stuff. The Harlan Ellison story was good, but pretty much a one-trick pony. I really enjoyed the LeGuin story (more than I've enjoyed either of the two novels of hers I've read), and the story about Saint Judas Iscariot, by George R.R. Martin was pretty much written for me. I'm only a fourth of the way through this book and already it's probably my fave anthology, ever.
----
Update: Finished this, regretfully, the other day. I love every single story in here, with one exception. Best anthology I've ever read.
----
Update: It's all pretty good stuff. The Harlan Ellison story was good, but pretty much a one-trick pony. I really enjoyed the LeGuin story (more than I've enjoyed either of the two novels of hers I've read), and the story about Saint Judas Iscariot, by George R.R. Martin was pretty much written for me. I'm only a fourth of the way through this book and already it's probably my fave anthology, ever.
----
Update: Finished this, regretfully, the other day. I love every single story in here, with one exception. Best anthology I've ever read.
January 5, 2016
This was in general a good collection. I've read a lot of sci-fi 'best of' anthologies, so there were certainly a few stories in here I've read before (although to be honest, Terry Bisson's Bears Discover Fire never gets old).
One story in this book made me genuinely uncomfortable: John Varley's Persistence of Vision. A key part of that story involved an ongoing sexual relationship between a 47 year old man and a 13 year old girl. Maybe that was an acceptable thing to write about in the 1970s (shades of Roman Polanski?) but wow it just comes off as super creepy and disturbing in modern times.
One story in this book made me genuinely uncomfortable: John Varley's Persistence of Vision. A key part of that story involved an ongoing sexual relationship between a 47 year old man and a 13 year old girl. Maybe that was an acceptable thing to write about in the 1970s (shades of Roman Polanski?) but wow it just comes off as super creepy and disturbing in modern times.
December 4, 2015
Jako u všech těchto výběrů, střídají se i v této antologii výborné povídky s těmi slabšími.
Jako nejlepší bych vyzvedl asi "Když Říjen předsedá" Neila Gaimana, ten nikdy nezklame. Jde o podobný příběh jako v jeho Knize hřbitova. Moc se mi líbí taky "Mé oči se za mnou zavřely" Johna Varleyho, odehrává se v komunitě hluchoslepých a určitě stojí za přečtení, dál třeba "Zamilovaná Ráchel" Pat Murphyové o šimpanzici do které přenese vědec duši své mrtvé dcerky. Na závěr třeba "Peklo je nepřítomnost Boha" Teda Chianga, svět ve kterém se andělé zjevují jako na běžícím páse a následky jejich zjevení pak nesou všichni náhodní kolemjdoucí.
Kdyby byly všechny povídky takové, bylo by to jasných pět hvězd, ten zbytek mě ale až tolik neoslovil takže dávám čtyři.
Jako nejlepší bych vyzvedl asi "Když Říjen předsedá" Neila Gaimana, ten nikdy nezklame. Jde o podobný příběh jako v jeho Knize hřbitova. Moc se mi líbí taky "Mé oči se za mnou zavřely" Johna Varleyho, odehrává se v komunitě hluchoslepých a určitě stojí za přečtení, dál třeba "Zamilovaná Ráchel" Pat Murphyové o šimpanzici do které přenese vědec duši své mrtvé dcerky. Na závěr třeba "Peklo je nepřítomnost Boha" Teda Chianga, svět ve kterém se andělé zjevují jako na běžícím páse a následky jejich zjevení pak nesou všichni náhodní kolemjdoucí.
Kdyby byly všechny povídky takové, bylo by to jasných pět hvězd, ten zbytek mě ale až tolik neoslovil takže dávám čtyři.
May 10, 2011
Some of these stories are really gripping: The Death of Doctor Island, Jefty is Five, The Persistence of Vision, Bloodchild, and Rachel in Love. Truly heart-rending and amazing. Most of the other ones, though, fall to the tired trope of "technology equals amazing, so read me", or "I'm on the cutting edge of sci-fi so I don't even have to be sci-fi anymore." Most of the unnamed (by me) stories in this collection reminded me of the hipster culture of Williamsburg, NY. Some were nifty, some were emotional, but as the reader I always knew that the writer was just trying to be more hip than anyone else. I'd still recommend it to a neophyte and a master of the genre.
November 7, 2015
The big problem with this anthology is that most (if not all) of the stories presented here have appeared in lots of other anthologies. Science-fiction has a lot of awards -- the Hugo, Nebula, Locus and others that I'm forgetting right now. Stories that win in one award group will often sweep the others as well. If you've been reading Nebula award books or the Year's Best Science Fiction books, then you've already read most (if not all) of the stories here.
However, if you've never read a science fiction short-story anthology before, then you are in for a treat. Don't expect happy endings though.
However, if you've never read a science fiction short-story anthology before, then you are in for a treat. Don't expect happy endings though.
July 28, 2009
This took a few years to read but almost every story in this book is fantastic. There are only a few stinkers but that may be just a matter of opinion.
To me, the best science fiction stories are those that use technology/science/the future/etc to examine issues of human nature and this collection is replete with these type of stories (as opposed to those that use a science fiction setting for yet another action adventure).
To me, the best science fiction stories are those that use technology/science/the future/etc to examine issues of human nature and this collection is replete with these type of stories (as opposed to those that use a science fiction setting for yet another action adventure).
February 8, 2023
Older collection but lots of good stuff, as you would expect. Well worth checking out if your library has it. As usual I liked the SF more than the fantasy, but top-quality goods. The real review to read is by Amy Peavy, https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... She picked most of my favorites too. And the Gaiman wind-up story is killer! "October in the Chair": copy online here: https://esl-bits.net/ESL.English.List... Don't miss!
July 17, 2008
A very strong anthology of high quality work. Unlike many anthologies there is little if any "filler" to be found here. Worth owning for the Ellison, Varley, Gaiman and Bisson stories. Gaiman's OCTOBER IN THE CHAIR is a loving homage to Bradbury that should not be missed. And for the record this got remaindered quickly and may currently be had for pennies on Amazon.
November 7, 2016
How can I count thee? Many many short and medium stories of thinking lore. It is amazing to think, too, of how predicting some of the stories are. The dates range from 1970 - 2010 -- and there are some to love, but all to at least LIKE [and there is something wonderful waiting just around the corner of the page].
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July 24, 2011This was such a great collection of science fiction short stories. I can see why they all won the Locus Award. My favorite stories in the collection were John Varley's "The Persistence of Vision" and George R. R. Martin's "The Way of Cross and Dragon". Fantastic read.
March 17, 2013
A lot of variety and very different examples of the genre. I particularly liked The Death of Doctor Island, The Persistence of vision, The Only Neat Thing To Do and Even The Queen. Has been a while since I read a good compilation of short stories. Very American collection.
August 14, 2014
A mixed bag. The Neil Gaiman one was mediocre. The George R. R. Martin one ("The Way of Cross and Dragon") was excellent, as was the one by Ted Chiang ("Hell is the Absence of God"). The Only Neat Thing To Do was pretty good too.
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