A warts and all take on the traditional sword and sorcery fantasy milieu, but with the heroicism removed.
Short wry piece in which aliens now controlling Earth have the misfortune to come up against the ticketing regime for public transport – in Germany of all places.
An unsettling view of how it is possible to be blind to what is happening around us.
A detailed look at the impact of near-future climate and economic downturn on the individual. There’s a subtle interplay of relationships, a contrast between the haves and havenots, and the choices people have to make in this new world order.
Sterling ponders whether space opera is at all feasible – do we have the wherewithal and the desire to reach out to the distant stars? The answer is yes, but the starting point is an interesting one.
this story of a woman visiting relatives in Nigeria and coming across some powerful local magic/evil similarly doesn’t really go far enough in exploring new places or situations or characters to be a standout.
A strong issue, with stories by Jason Sanford, Rebecca J. Payne, Colin Harvey, Lavie Tidhar, Shannon Page and Jay Lake.
High quality writing, subtly poetic, and giving the impression that you’re watching one part of a long, long story with real characters.
For my money, several nautical miles behind Elizabeth Bear and Sarah Monette’s ‘Boojum’ from the same collection, chosen by both Dozois and Hartwell/Cramer for their Year’s Best volumes.
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