Ian McDonald. The Fifth Dragon. (Reach for Infinity)
A beautiful, elegaic story from McDonald that looks at the sacrifices made to turn the Moon into a place to live.
Ian McDonald. Digging. (The Year’s Best Science Fiction 29th Annual Collection)
From last year’s YA anthology edited by Strahan, which hopefully noted to the YA readership that not all adult SF is as good as this!
Ian McDonald. A Smart Well-Mannered Uprising of the Dead. (Solaris Rising)
McDonald takes us to Africa for a clever story in which it appears that the voices of the dead are being raised in objection to corruption in the government
Ian McDonald. Vishnu at the Cat Circus. (Year’s Best Science Fiction 27th Annual Collection)
An original story from the ‘Cyberad Days’ collection which neatly puts a seal on this story sequence, whilst potentially opening up a whole new ball game.
Rich Horton. The Year’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy 2009.
A late arrival on my doorstep, and it’s taken much longer to finish the review than I had hoped. Note to self : faster dude, faster!
Jonathan Strahan. The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year. Volume 3.
A collection of excellent stories.
Asimovs, July 2006
For me a -much- stronger issue than the previous one, which feels like it should be a double-issue, as so much quality is squeezed into it. The more experienced writers provide quality of the highest order, with Preston, Kosmatka and Pratt just a slight bit below that standard.
Asimovs, June 2005
Ian McDonald. Little Goddess. The (PDF) issue gets off to a strong start with the
Year’s Best Science Fiction, 26th Annual Collection. Gardner Dozois. St. Martins Griffin, 2009
Stories by : Alastair Reynolds, Aliette de Bodard, Charles Coleman Finlay, Daryl Gregory, Dominic Green, Elizabeth Bear, Garth Nix, Geoff Ryman, Gord Sellar, Greg Egan, Gwyneth Jones, Hannu Rajaniemi, Ian McDonald, James Alan Garner, James. L. Cambias, Jay Lake, Karl Schroeder, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Mary Robinette Kowal, Mary Rosenblum, Maureen F. McHugh, Michael Swanwick, Nancy Kress, Paolo Bacigalupi, Paul McAuley, Robert Reed, Stephen Baxter, Ted Kosmatka
Fast Forward 2. ed Lou Anders, pub Pyr 2008.
As with #1, another handsome collection of short SF from some of the biggest names in SF. Praise especially for making room for the lengthy Rosenbaum/Doctorow story.
‘Fast Forward 1’ ed Lou Anders, pub Pyr 2007
An excellent collection of short SF. Several made it to the various Year’s Best collections, and a couple of others which were not selected would not have looked out of place. The volume starts well, is strong in the middle, and ramps up to a strong finish.
The Starry Rift. ed Jonathan Strahan, Viking , 2008
The stories are almost without exception an excellent introduction to the genre, covering a wide spread and with something for most readers. If your kids are past the Harry Potter stage, then give them this hefty volume to help them take a step (or rather, a giant leap) in the right direction.
The New Space Opera, ed Gardner Dozois and Jonathan Strahan, Eos, 2007.
This has quite simply got to be the strongest original collection in SF in recent years. If you are a regular visitor to Best SF and tend to concur with what I see as being the best in short SF, then this volume is a must have.
The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year Volume One. ed Jonathan Strahan, Night Shade Books, 2007.
Stories by : Neil Gaiman, Peter S. Beagle, Cory Doctorow, Ellen Klages, Christopher Rowe, Margo Langanan, Walter Jon Williams, Jeffrey Ford, Benjamin Rosenbaum, Frances Hardinge, Tim Powers, Paolo Bacigalupi, Geoff Ryman, Jay Lake, Robert Charles Wilson, M. Rickert, Robert Reed, Kelly Link, Elizabeth Hand, Connie Willis, Paul Di Filippo, Gene Wolfe, Benjamin Rosenbaum, Ian McDonald
Forbidden Planets, edited by Peter Crowther, DAW Books 2006
Overall, the quality of the stories is high, and a fine collection showcasing primarily British authors, although perhaps just a tad below the quality of last year’s ‘Constellations’.
Constellations, edited by Peter Crowther, DAW Books 2005
If it’s SFnal bang for your buck you’re after, you won’t get much better value for money than this during 2005.
Science Fiction The Very Best of 2005 – edited by Jonathan Strahan, Locus Press, September 2006
A very strong volume, IMHO, with only the Palwick story being the one to which I would object to (although with the proviso that the Sterling and Cadigan stories were for my more towards the fantasy end of the spectrum than the SF, especially for an editor who does have a complementary fantasy collection).
Year’s Best SF 13. ed David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer. Eos Books 2008
Stories by : Bruce Sterling, Gene Wolfe., Greg Egan, Gregory Benford, Gwyneth Jones, Ian McDonald, James Van Pelt, Johanna Sinisalo, John Hemry, John Kessel, Kage Baker, Karen Joy Fowler, Kathleen Ann Goonan, Ken MacLeod, Marc Laidlaw, Nancy Kress, Palle Juul Holm, Peter Watts, Robin Hitchock, Stephen Baxter, Terry Bisson, Tim Pratt, Tony Ballantyne, William Shunn.
Year’s Best Science Fiction, 25th Annual Collection. Gardner Dozois. St. Martins Griffin, 2008
As ever, chock full of high quality SF, with the annual summation providing SF with an ongoing reference and reading tome which we should not take for granted. Here’s to the next 25 years! Stories by : Alastair Reynolds, Benjamin Rosenbaum and David Ackert, Brian Stableford, Bruce Sterling, Chris Roberson, David Moles, Elizabeth Bear, Greg Egan, Gregory Benford, Gwyneth Jones, Ian McDonald, James Van Pelt, John Barnes, Justin Stanchfield, Kage Baker, Keith Brooke, Ken MacLeod, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Michael Swanwick, Nancy Kress, Neal Asher, Pat Cadigan, Robert Reed, Robert Silverberg, Stephen Baxter, Ted Chiang, Ted Kosmatka, Tom Purdom, Una McCormack, Vandana Singh
Year’s Best Science Fiction, 24th Annual Collection. Gardner Dozois. St. Martins Griffin, 2007
Stories by : A.M. Dellamonica, Alastair Reynolds, Benjamin Rosenbaum, Bruce McAllister, Carolyn Ives Gilman, Cory Doctorow, Daryl Gregory, David D. Levine, Elizabeth Bear and Sarah Monette, Greg Egan, Greg van Eekhout, Gregory Benford, Ian McDonald, Jack Skillingstead, Jay Lake and Ruth Nestvold, John Barnes, Justin Stanchfield, Kage Baker, Ken MacLeod, Mary Rosenblum, Michael Swanwick, Paolo Bacigalupi, Paul J. McAuley, Robert Charles Wilson, Robert Reed, Stephen Baxter, Walter Jon Williams
Year’s Best Science Fiction, 23rd Annual Collection. Gardner Dozois. St. Martins Griffin, 2006
Stories by : Alastair Reynolds, Bruce Sterling, Chris Beckett, Chris Roberson, Daryl Gregory, David Gerrold, David Moles, Dominic Green, Elizabeth Bear, Gene Wolfe., Gwyneth Jones, Hannu Rajaniemi, Harry Turtledove, Ian McDonald, James Patrick Kelly, Jay Lake and Ruth Nestvold, Joe Haldeman, Ken MacLeod, Liz Williams, Mary Rosenblum, Michael Swanwick, Neal Asher, Paolo Bacigalupi, Peter Watts and Derryl Murphy, Robert Reed, Stephen Baxter, Stephen Popkes, Vonda N McIntyre, William Sanders
Year’s Best Science Fiction, 20th Annual Collection. Gardner Dozois. St. Martins Griffin, 2003
Stories by : Alastair Reynolds, Alex Irvine, Bruce Sterling, Charles Coleman Finlay, Charles Stross, Chris Beckett, Eleanor Arnason, Geoff Ryman, Greg Egan, Gregory Benford, Ian McDonald, Ian R. Macleod, James Van Pelt, John Kessel, John Meaney, Kage Baker, Maureen F. McHugh, Michael Swanwick, Molly Gloss, Nancy Kress, Paul McAuley, Richard Wadholm, Robert Reed, Steven Popkes, Walter Jon Williams
Year’s Best Science Fiction, 18th Annual Collection. Gardner Dozois. 2001
Stories by : Alastair Reynolds, Albert E Cowdrey, Brian Stableford, Charles Stross, Eliot Fintushel., Greg Egan, Ian McDonald, John Kessel, Lucius Shepard, M. Shayne Bell, Michael Swanwick, Nancy Kress, Paul J. McAuley, Peter F. Hamilton, Rick Cook and Ernest Hogan, Robert Charles Wilson, Severna Park, Stephen Baxter, Steven Utley, Susan Palwick, Tananarive Due, Ursula K. Le Guin.
Years Best Science Fiction 16th Annual Collection. Gardner Dozois 1999
Stories by : Bruce Sterling, Cherry Wilder, Chris Lawson, Cory Doctorow, Geoffrey A. Landis, Greg Egan, Gwyneth Jones, Howard Waldrop, Ian McDonald, Ian R. Macleod, Jim Grimsley, Liz Williams, Michael Swanwick, Paul J. McAuley, Rob Chilson, Robert Charles Wilson, Robert Reed, Stephen Baxter, Tanith Lee, Ted Chiang, Tony Daniel, Ursula K. Le Guin, William Barton, William Browning Spencer
Year’s Best Science Fiction, 15th Annual Collection. Gardner Dozois. St Martins Griffin. 1998
Stories by : Bill Johnson, Brian Stableford, Carolyn Ives Gilman, David Marusek, G. David Nordley, Geoffrey A. Landis, Greg Egan, Gregory Benford and Elisabeth Malartre, Gwyneth Jones, Howard Waldrop, Ian McDonald, Ian R. Macleod, James Patrick Kelly, John Kessel, Michael Swanwick, Nancy Kress, Paul J. McAuley, Peter F. Hamilton, Robert Reed, Robert Silverberg, Sean Williams and Simon Brown, Simon Ings, Stephen Baxter, Walter Jon Williams, William Sanders.
Year’s Best Science Fiction, 14th Annual Collection. Gardner Dozois. 1997
Stories by : Bruce Sterling, Bud Sparhawk, Charles Sheffield, Cherry Wilder, Damian Broderick, Gene Wolfe., Gregory Benford, Gregory Feeley, Gwyneth Jones, Ian McDonald, James P Blaylock, Jim Cowan, John Kessel, Jonathan Lethem, Maureen F. McHugh, Michael Cassutt, Michael Swanwick, Mike Resnick, Nancy Kress, Paul Park, Robert Reed, Robert Silverberg, Stephen Baxter, Steven Utley, Tony Daniel, Walter Jon Williams, William Barton.
Year’s Best Science Fiction, 10th Annual Collection. Gardner Dozois. 1993
Stories by : Arthur C. Clarke, Bradley Denton, Connie Willis, Frederik Pohl, Greg Egan, Ian McDonald, Ian R. Macleod, Ian Watson, Joe Haldeman, Jonathon Lethem, Kate Wilhelm, Kathe Koja, L. Sprague de Camp, Lukas Jaeger, Maureen F. McHugh, Michael Swanwick, Nancy Kress, Neal Barrett Jr, Pat Cadigan, Robert Reed, Robert Silverberg, Steven Utley, Terry Bisson, Tom Maddox.
Year’s Best Science Fiction, 9th Annual Collection. Gardner Dozois. 1992
Stories by : Alexander Jablokov, Brian W. Aldiss, Chris Beckett, Connie Willis, Geoffrey A. Landis, Greg Egan, Gregory Benford, Ian McDonald, Ian R. Macleod, Jack Dann, James Patrick Kelly, Karen Joy Fowler, Kathe Koja, Kim Newman, Kim Stanley Robinson, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Lois Tilton, Mark L, Mike Resnick, Nancy Kress, Pat Cadigan, Paul J. McAuley, Rick Shelley, Robert Reed, Robert Silverberg, Walter Jon Williams, William Gibson
Year’s Best Science Fiction, 8th Annual Collection. Gardner Dozois. 1991
Stories by : Alexander Jablokov, Bruce Sterling, Charles Sheffield, Connie Willis, Greg Egan, Ian McDonald, Ian R. Macleod, James Patrick Kelly, Joe Haldeman, John Brunner, John Kessel, Jonathan Lethem, Kate Wilhelm, Lewis Shiner, Lucius Shepard, Michael Moorcock, Molly Gloss, Mr. Skunk, Nancy Kress, Pat Murphy, Robert Frazier, Robert Silverberg, Ted Chiang, Terry Bisson, Ursula K. Le Guin.
Ian McDonald. Tendeleo’s Story. PS Publishing, 2003.
The ending sees her and her lover facing up to the alien challenge and in fact embracing it, and from their own strength rebuilding that which had been taken from them, building a new, very new!, future for themselves and for humanity.