Strahan’s tenth take on the best SF and F over the past year. Taken from a wide range of sources, the majority of which did not make their way to my eyeballs. (To browse contents and reviews of previous volumes click here).
I’m just reading the SF Year’s Best volumes of late, not the SF&F. So here are the contents, with links to those stories which I read elsewhere.
Neil Gaiman. Black Dog.
Originally in : Trigger Warning: Short Fiction and Disturbances.
Paolo Bacigalupi. City of Ash.
Originally in : Matter 27.
Nalo Hopkinson and Nisi Shawl. Jamaica Ginger.
Originally in : Stories for Chip: A Tribute to Samuel R. Delany.
Alastair Reynolds. A Murmuration.
Originally in : Interzone, March-April 2015
I read it last year, (review here), but it didn’t grab me that much.
Kai Ashante Wilson. Kaiju maximus(r): ‘So Various, So Beautiful, So New’
Originally in : Nightmare Magazine, October 2015
Kelly Robson. Water of Versailles.
Originally in : Tor.com, 10 June 2015
Geoff Ryman. Capitalism in the 22nd Century, or, A.I.R.
Originally in : Twelve Tomorrows
Gwyneth Jones. Emergence.
Originally in : Meeting Infinity
From Strahan’s own anthology and I felt the story had “A *lot* of ideas, but covered sketchily, and not particularly satisfactorily” (review here)
Tamsyn Muir. The Deepwater Bride.
Originally in : The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, July-August 2015
When I read it I noted “..well written…capturing the teen character and her aunt well..” (more details)
Caitlin R. Kiernan. Dancy vs. the Pterosaur.
Originall in Sirenia Digest #111
Sam J. Miller. Calved.
Originally in : Asimovs Science Fiction, September 2015
When I read it last year I noted “..the fourth really strong story from Miller I’ve read in the last 12 months or so..” (full review) and as you’ll see below there’s a second story from Miller in this volume
Elizabeth Bear. The Heart’s Filthy Lesson.
Originally in : Old Venus
Greg Bear. The Machine Starts.
Originally in : Future Visions, Original Science Fiction Inspired by Microsoft.
Genevieve Valentine. Blood, Ash, Braids.
Originally in : Operation Arcana
Alyssa Wong. Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers.
Originally in : Nightmare Magazine, October 2015
..plenty fine enough.. if you’re after a contemporary horror/vampire story, I noted in it’s appearance in the Nebula Awards volume.
Catherynne M. Valentine. The Lily and the Horn.
Originally in : Fantasy Magazine #59 December 2015
Robert Reed. The Empress in her Glory.
Originally in : Clarkesworld Magazine, April 2015
I enjoyed this big picture story – (full review)
Jeffrey Ford. The Winter Wraith.
Originally in : The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, November-December 2015
A nice enough Christmassy tale, and one whose appearance in a Year’s Best rather bemuses me – full review
Ian McDonald. Botanica Veneris : Thirteen Papercuts by Ida Countess Ranganathan.
Originally in : Old Venus
Vonda N. McIntyre. Little Sisters.
Originally published by Book View Cafe
Sam J. Miller. Ghosts of Home.
Originally in : Lightspeed Magazine, August 2015
Nike Sulway. The Karen Joy Fowler Book Club.
Originally in : Lightspeed Magazine, October 2015
Kim Stanley Robinson. Oral Argument.
Originally in : Tor.com, 7 December 2015
Simon Ings. Drones.
Originally in : Meeting Infinity
When I read it last year I noted : “..A disturbing, near-future story, starting with tousled-haired Mayor of London opening the new London airport..” and a story whose inclusion in this volume I would agree with (full review)
Usman T. Malik. The Pauper Prince and the Eucaplyptus Jinn.
Originally in : Tor.com, 22nd April 2015
Kelly Link. The Game of Smash and Recovery.
Originally in : Strange Horizons, 17 December 2015
Ann Leckie. Another Word for World.
Originally in: Future Visions : Original Science Fiction Inspired by Microsoft