James Patrick Kelly. Oneness : a triptych. (Fantasy and Science Fiction, July-August 2015)
After a gentle story in the issue about love (and loss) taken forward by dialogue, Kelly provides three short vignettes on lust and sex.
Reviewing short SF since 2000
After a gentle story in the issue about love (and loss) taken forward by dialogue, Kelly provides three short vignettes on lust and sex.
A short two-sider from Kelly, the kind of story Isaac Asimov would be writing if he were still alive and mining the robotics milieu.
Choosing the father of your child can be slightly less tricky when you can combine the DNA of three of them, and you don’t have to look far if you can choose your brother…
A group of teens are doing home work – rewriting the American Declaration of Independence, as they are in the mood for revolution, but will it be just a virtual one?
‘Every age gets the chair that it deserves’ is the key sentence to the story, I reckon. Although working out where the key goes is another matter.
A lengthy novella with a bold premise that ultimately doesn’t quite deliver – bearing in mind that this is Best SF and not Reasonably Good SF.
Some ramblings and reminiscences on 45rpm, punk, e-publishing, time slippage, and a couple of good SF stories.
Kelly in good form in a short about a couple trying to recapture their youthful love for each other by returning to the cottage in the country where it all started.
A sequel to ‘Going Deep’ which appeared in the June 2009 issue of Asimovs.
A Best SF Review-LiteTM, on account of my having read this issue about a month
A strong collection, with the Purdom story somewhat of a struggle.
Nancy Kress. Call Back Yesterday. Ahh, a copy of Asimovs which opens with a Nancy
Harry Turtledove. News From the Front. Alternate History relating the role played by FD Roosevelt
Rucker, Reed, Skillingstead and Kelly do it for me. Carter, Johnson, Creasey and Bernobich don’t, which makes it a 50/50 split, whereas I tend to get a 75/25 or 80/20 from Asimovs.
Ian McDonald. Little Goddess. The (PDF) issue gets off to a strong start with the
Nancy Kress. My Mother Dancing. Originally published in 2000 in ‘Destination 3001’, published by Flammarion.
A hefty double-issue with pretty much something to please everyone.
A strong collection of stories by Cory Doctorow, Daniel Abraham and Susan Fry, David Marusek, Jack Skillingstead, James Patrick Kelly, John Varley, Lawrence Person, Tom Purdom.
Asimov’s ‘Special Holiday Issue’ – presumably referring to Thankgsiving, on the basis of the dates
Having had to hand back my PDA upon leaving my last employer, I had gone
Has there been a better issue of Asimovs in recent years?
Robert Silverberg’s editorial ‘Reflections: The Evaporation of Reputations’ ponders the nature of fame and reputation,
Feel the Zaz. James Patrick Kelly. Jim Kelly takes us to a near-future in which
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.
It is a properly multi-dimensional story, and it may be this complexity that is unsettling as it is not that common in a lot of SF. Kelly weaves these elements together to good effect.
Stories by : Carter Scholz, Harry Turtledove, Ian Watson, James Patrick Kelly, John Varley, Judith Moffett, Kim Stanley Robinson, Lucius Shepard, Orson Scott Card, Richard Kearns, Robert Silverberg
Stories by : Dean Ing, Donald Kingsbury, Fritz Leiber, Gordun Eklund, Gregory Benford and Marc Laidlaw, Harlan Ellison, Hilbert Schenck, Ian Watson, James Patrick Kelly, Joan D. Vinge, John Varley, Thomas M. Disch.
Stories by : Carol Emshwiller, Charles Stross, Christopher Rowe, Gene Wolfe., James Patrick Kelly, Jeff VanderMeer, Joe Haldeman, M. John Harrison, Nancy Kress, Paolo Bacigalupi, Robert Reed, Stephen Baxter, Walter Jon Williams.
Stories by : Cory Doctorow and Charles Stross, David D. Levine, George Saunders, Howard Waldrop, James Patrick Kelly, Jeffrey Ford, Lucius Shepard, Michael Swanwick, Neil Gaiman, Paolo Bacigalupi, Stephen Baxter, Susan Mosser, Ursula K. Le Guin, Vernor Vinge.
Stories by : Dan Simmons, Gregory Benford, Ian Watson, James Patrick Kelly, Jim Grimsley, Michael Blumlein, Michael Swanwick, Nancy Kress, Richard Wadholm, Robin Wayne Bailey, Stephen Baxter.
Stories by : Bradley Denton, Charles Stross, Daniel Abraham, Eleanor Arnason, Gardner Dozois, George RR Martin, Gregory Feeley, Ian McDowell, James Patrick Kelly, Judith Berman, Patricia A. McKillip, Stephen Baxter.
Stories by : Alastair Reynolds, Daniel Kaysen, Douglas Lain, Howard Waldrop, James Patrick Kelly, James Van Pelt, Joe Haldeman, Leah Bobet, Mary Rosenblum, Michael Swanwick, Robert Reed, Stephen Leigh, Susan Palwick, Tom Purdom, Wil McCarthy.
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 : Bradley Denton, Brenda Cooper, Charles Coleman Finlay, Gene Wolfe., Glenn Grant, Gregory Benford, Jack McDevitt, James Patrick Kelly, James Stoddard, James. L. Cambias, Janeen Webb, Jean-Claude Dunyach, Ken Liu, Liz Williams, matthew hughes, Neal Asher, Pamela Sargent, Ray Vukcevich, Robert Reed, Sean McMullen, Steve Tomasula, Steven Utley, Terry Bisson.
Stories by : Alastair Reynolds, Brian W. Aldiss, David Morrell, Edward M. Lerner, Gene Wolfe., Gregory Benford, James Morrow, James Patrick Kelly, Lisa Goldstein, Michael Swanwick, Nancy Kress, Richard Chwedyk, Simon Ings, Stephen Baxter, Terry Bisson, Terry Dowling, Thomas M. Disch, Ursula K. Le Guin.
Brian Stableford, Gene Wolfe., Geoffrey A. Landis, Greg Egan, Gregory Benford, Jack Williamson, James Patrick Kelly, John C. Wright, Katherine McLean, Kim Newman, Michael Moorcock, Michael Swanwick, Nancy Kress, Paul Levinson, R. Garcia y Robertson, Ray Bradbury, Robert Silverberg, S.N. Dyer, Terry Bisson, Tom Cool., Tom Purdom, William Gibson
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.
Stories by : Gene Wolfe, Gregory Benford, James Patrick Kelly, Joan Slonczewski, Joe Haldeman, Nancy Kress, Patricia A. McKillip, Robert Sheckley, Robert Silverberg, Roger Zelazny, Stephen Baxter, Ursula K. Le Guin, William Barton, William Browning Spencer
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 : Albert E Cowdrey, Benjamin Rosenbaum, Brendan Dubois, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Christopher Rowe, Colin P. Davies, Daniel Abraham, David Moles, Eleanor Arnason, James Patrick Kelly, James. L. Cambias, Kage Baker, M. John Harrison, Mary Rosenblum, Michael F. Flynn, Nancy Kress, Paolo Bacigalupi, Pat Murphy, Paul Di Filippo, Paul Melko, Peter F. Hamilton, Robert Reed, Stephen Baxter, Terry Bisson, Vandana Singh, Vernor Vinge, Walter Jon Williams, William Sanders.
Stories by : Alastair Reynolds, Ben Bova, Charles Sheffield, Chris Lawson, David Marusek, Eleanor Arnason, Frederik Pohl, Geoff Ryman, Greg Egan, Hal Clement, James Patrick Kelly, Kage Baker, Karl Schroder, Kim Stanley Robinson, M. John Harrison, Michael Swanwick, Mike Resnick, Paul J. McAuley, Richard Wadholm, Robert Grossbach, Robert Reed, Robert Silverberg, Sage Walker, Sean Williams, Stephen Baxter, Tanith Lee, Walter Jon Williams.
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.
Stories by : Allen M. Steele, Brian Stableford, Dan Simmons, David Marusek, Geoff Ryman, Greg Egan, Ian R. Macleod, James Patrick Kelly, Joe Haldeman, John Kessel, Mary Rosenblum, Maureen F. McHugh, Michael F. Flynn, Michael Swanwick, Nancy Kress, Pat Cadigan, Paul J. McAuley, Poul Anderson, Robert Reed, Terry Bisson, Ursula K. Le Guin, William Sanders.
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
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 : 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
There’s a lot in here, as usual, with the Kelly story giving lots of SF bang-for-buck : if you haven’t read ‘Burn’ yet, then this is your chance so to do, and get some other high quality reading, and the professional writer’s take on what the 3 years leading up to 2008 meant to them.
A must for anyone seriously into short SF, but if only the SFFWA could tighten up the rules to choose material from a given calendar year, and pick some more Science Fiction!
A handsome volume, but in terms of capturing the Year’s Best – not a patch on Dozois, Hartwell or Silverberg.
Stories by : Jane Yolen, James Patrick Kelly, Nancy Kress, Gregory Feeley, Nelson Bond, James Alan Gardner, Michael Swanwick, Karen Joy Fowler, Jerry Oltion.
Stories by : Dale Bailey, Elizabeth Hand, Esther M. Friesner, James Patrick Kelly, Kelley Eskridge, Lisa Goldstein, Maureen F. McHugh, Robert A Sawyer, Ursula K. Le Guin.
Stories by : Alan Brennert, James Patrick Kelly, John Kessel, Karen Joy Fowler, Mike Conner, Nancy Kress, Susan Shwartz, Terry Bisson, W. Gregory Stewart
A cracking little paperback, which every self-respecting SF reader should have at home. The pbk version I have also features a neat reflective pair of shades (which my scanner totally fails to scan!).