Bruce Sterling. Pictures from the Resurrection. (Meeting Infinity, 2015)
Dark, dark humour.
Reviewing short SF since 2000
Sterling looks at modernity and futurity in an altogether smart way.
A very subtle and sharp look at a near-future where pretty much everything has gone to wrack and ruin.
As ever, a strong collection of stories, albeit fairly ‘safe’ in terms of a relatively narrow range of sources.
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.
Will McIntosh. A Clown Escapes From Circus Town. When Beaners the Clown escapes the hell
Sean McMullen. The Art of the Dragon. Dryly satirical tale in which a gigantic dragon
Jeremy Minton. The Darkness Between. Subterranean horrors, as group of men, part of a Klondike-type
David Gerrold. A Quantum Bit Exists in Two States Simultaneously : On This issue is
Alex Irvine. The Lorelei. A nice piece of writing about the fin-de-siecle New York art
Robert Reed. The Majesty of Angels. Occasionally, very occasionally, you come across an SF short
Reflections. Robert Silverberg. Silverberg’s editorial wryly comments on poor grammar and on the latest haute
As has been the case with others in his take on the year’s best SF there is less I agree with than is the case with the other year’s best volumes.
Stories by : Ted Chiang, Peter S. Beagle, Charles Stross, Greg Egan, Daryl Gregory, Jeffrey Ford, Holly Black, Ted Kosmatka, Alex Irvine, Daniel Abraham, Nancy Kress, Bruce Sterling, Theodore Goss, Neil Gaiman, Stephen Baxter, Ken Macleod, Susan Palwick, Michael Swanwick, M. Rickert, Tony Daniel, Elizabeth Hand, Chris Roberson, Elizabeth Bear, Kelly Link.
Stories by : Robert Silverberg, Bruce Sterling, Joanna Russ, William Gibson, Frederik Pohl, Bill Johnson, Ursula K. Le Guin, Thomas M. Disch, Gregory Benford, Connie Willis, O. Niemand, Nancy Kress, Bruce McAllister.
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).
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.
Stories by : Adam Roberts, Alastair Reynolds, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Bruce Stirling, Bud Sparhawk, Cory Doctorow, Daryl Gregory, David Langford, Gardner R Dozois, Greg Bear, Gregory Benford, Hannu Rajaniemi, James Patrick Kelly, Joe Haldeman, Justina Robinson, Ken MacLeod, Larissa Lai, Lauren McLaughlin, Liz Williams, Matthew Jarpe, Michael Swanwick, Neal Asher, Oliver Morton, Paul McAuley, Peter F. Hamilton, R. Garcia y Robertson, Rudy Rucker, Stephen Baxter, Ted Chiang, Tobias S. Buckell, Vonda N McIntyre.
Stories by : A.M. Dellamonica, Bruce Sterling, Carol Emshwiller, Charles Sheffield, Charles Stross, Eleanor Arnason, Gene Wolfe., Geoffrey A. Landis, Greg Egan, J.R. Dunn, Jack Williamson, Ken Wharton, Michael Moorcock, Michael Swanwick, Nancy Kress, Neal Asher, Paul Di Filippo, Richard Chwedyk, Robert Onopa, Robert Reed, Robert Sheckley, Terry Bisson, Ursula K. Le Guin.
Stories by : Alexander Jablokov, Bruce Sterling, David Brin, David Langford, Dominic Green, Gregory Benford, Jean-Claude Dunyach, Mark S. Geston, Mary Rosenblum, Mary Soon Lee, Michael F. Flynn, Michael Skeet, Michael Swanwick, Nancy Kress, Norman Spinrad, Rob Chilson, Robert Reed, Ron Goulart, Stephen Baxter, Ted Chiang.
Stories by : Allen Steele, Brian Stableford, Bruce Sterling, Connie Willis, Damon Knight, Dave Wolverton, David Langford, Gene Wolfe., Gregory Benford, Gwyneth Jones, James Patrick Kelly, Joanna Russ, John Brunner, Kate Wilhelm, Kathleen Ann Goonan, Robert Reed, Sheila Finch, Stephen Baxter, Terry Bisson, Yves Meynard.
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
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
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
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
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.
Stories by : Brian W. Aldiss, Bruce Sterling, Charles Sheffield, Connie Willis, Dan Simmons, Don Webb, G. David Nordley, Greg Egan, Ian R. Macleod, Jack Cady, Joe Haldeman, Jr, Mark Rich, Maureen F. McHugh and David B. Kisor, Mike Resnick, Nancy Kress, Neal Barrett, Pat Cadigan, Rebecca Ore, Robert Reed, Stephen Baxter, Steven Utley, Walter Jon Williams, William Browning Spencer
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.
Stories by : Alan Brennert, Alexander Jablokov, Avram Davidson, Brian Stableford, Bruce Sterling, Charles Sheffield, Connie Willis, Gregory Benford, Janet Kagan, John Crowley, Judith Moffett, Kathe Koja, Lucius Shepard, Megan Lindholm, Michael Swanwick, Mike Resnick, Nancy Kress, Neal Barrett Jr, Robert Sampson, Robert Silverberg, S.P. Somtow, Steven Popkes, William King.
Stories by : Brian Stableford, Bruce McAllister, Bruce Sterling, Connie Willis, D. Alexander Smith, Eileen Gunn, George Alec Effinger, Harry Turtledove, Howard Waldrop, James Lawson, James Patrick Kelly, John Kessel, Judith Moffett, Kathe Koja, Kim Newman, Kim Stanley Robinson, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Lewis Shiner, Lucius Shepard, Michael Swanwick, Mike Resnick, Nancy Kress, Pat Cadigan, Robert Silverberg, Steven Gould, Steven Kraus, Walter Jon Williams.
Stories by : Alexander Jablokov, Bruce McAllister, Bruce Sterling, Dean Whitlock, Gene Wolfe., Howard Waldrop, Ian Watson, James Patrick Kelly, Joseph Manzione, Karen Joy Fowler, Kate Wilhelm, Kim Stanley Robinson, Lucius Shepard, Michael Bishop, Michael Flynn, Michael McDowell, Neal Barrett Jr, Octavia E. Butler, Orson Scott Card, Pat Cadigan, Pat Murphy, Paul J. McAuley, R. Garcia y Robertson, Robert Silverberg, Susan Palwick, Ursula K. Le Guin, Walter Jon Williams.
Stories by : Bruce Sterling, Connie Willis, Damon Knight, Greg Bear, Harry Turtledove, Howard Waldrop, Jack Dann, James Patrick Kelly, John Kessel, Judith Moffett, Karen Joy Fowler, Kim Stanley Robinson, Lewis Shiner, Lucius Shepard, Michael Swanwick, Neal Barrett Jr, Orson Scott Card, Pat Cadigan, Richard Keans, Robert Silverberg, Scott Baker, Somtow Sucharitkul, Tanith Lee, Tim Powers, Tom Maddox, Walter Jon Williams, William Gibson.
Stories by : Avram Davidson, Bruce Sterling, Frederik Pohl, George R. R. Martin, Howard Waldrop, James Patrick Kelly, James Tiptree Jr, Joe Haldeman, John Crowley, Karen Joy Fowler, Kim Stanley Robinson, Lewis Shiner, Lucius Shepard, Michael Swanwick and William Gibson, Nancy Kress, Orson Scott Card, Pat Cadigan, R.A. Lafferty, Robert Silverberg, S.C. Sykes, Walter Jon Williams
Bruce Sterling, Connie Willis, Elizabeth A. Lynn, Frederik Pohl, Gene Wolfe., Jack Dann, Jack McDevitt, James Patrick Kelly and John Kessel, John Varley, Kim Stanley Robinson, Lewis Shiner, Lucius Shepard, Michael Swanwick, Molly Gloss, Nancy Kress, Octavia E. Butler, Pat Cadigan, R.A. Lafferty, Rena Yount, Richard Cowper, Robert Silverberg, Tanith Lee, Ursula K. Le Guin, William Gibson
A strong selection of stories. Stories by : Bruce Sterling, Connie Willis, Gregory Benford, James Morrow, John Kessel, Kate Wilhelm, Kim Stanley Robinson, Lucius Shepard, Pat Cadigan, Pat Murphy, Walter Jon Williams
Stories by : Barry N. Malzberg, Bruce Sterling, Connie Willis, Joanna Russ, John Kessel, Robert Silverberg, William Gibson.
But, all in all, a bit of a curate’s egg. The early stories, and the final story, don’t quite fit IMHO. And with the lack of a ‘real’ introduction, and story intros, the extra size that this volume offers over ‘Mirrorshades’ hasn’t really be used to the full. A missed opportunity.
I am holding off on reading this volume, which I managed to get a copy of in 2002 on eBay. For the moment, here are the contents, and some story summaries for those stories read in other volumes.
F&SF have been producing anthologies since 1952 – annual anthologies for the first quarter century,