Paul Di Filippo. I’ll Follow the Sun. (Fantasy and Science Fiction Nov/Dec 2014)
I always found Doctor Strange just a little dubious – having what I would probably identify now as a rather camp theatricality about him
Reviewing short SF since 2000
I always found Doctor Strange just a little dubious – having what I would probably identify now as a rather camp theatricality about him
An alternate history that doesn’t quite do it for me.
Only a few pages long, but PDF crams in a lot, as is his wont, in a neat treat of a story.
I and I enjoyed this dread tale, ‘gnarly transrealism’, as it is described in the introduction.
The First Men in the Moon from an Italian perpective, which of course involves beautiful scenery, food, and a molto bella lady with attitude (this latter being a Filippian requisito).
Two years since it was published, but, by diggedy, worth the wait.
Reassuring to find that my sense of humour and outlook on life is remaining closely in tune with Di Filippo as the years progress.
I’m not finding as many di Filippo stories to read as I would like, which is a shame, but it’s nice to be welcomed by an opening paragraph that tells you that your going to get his slightly-gonzo world view
Good to see a Di Filippo story again, they are way too few and far between these days.
As you would expect from Di Filippo, a somewhat lighter touch than most of the stories in the book, in his inimitable gonzo style.
A drily written story by Di Filippo, and my only concern is that the author is perhaps succumbing to middle age…
Nicely complements the Strahan/Dozois New Space Opera anthology series, starting with several stories of the contemporary, speculative type.
Another piece of classy slightly skew-whiff gonzo world creation from Di Filippo.
Paul di Filippo. The Furthest Schorr : 32 Fugues on the Paintings of Todd Schorr.
A full-colour, handsome issue #201 sees Interzone draw level with New Worlds as Britain’s longest
Jason Stoddard. Winning Mars. The Stoddard story is illustrated on the cover of this issue
With this issue Interzone moves to a bi-monthly publication. Irritatingly for the anally bibliographical amongst
Paul Di Filippo. Bare Market. A Charles Stross story from early 2000 (‘Bear Trap’) had
A 20th Anniversary issue, with Guest Editors Nick Gevers and Keith Brooke of the InfinityPlus
Babylon Sisters. Paul Di Filippo. Classy stuff from Di Filippo in a well written (as
Catch the Sleep Ship: the first science-fiction story of the century. George Zebrowski. Complements the
H.M.S. Habbakuk. Eugene Byrne. Alternate History, with an aircraft carrier made of ‘pykrete’ turning the
Cadre Siblings. Stephen Baxter. Baxter packs a lot into a short space: a post-invasion Earth,
Paul Di Filippo. The Secret Sutras of Sally Strumpet. Similar in style to PDF’s humourous
I read this some weeks ago, but managed to mislay the copy before writing the
Paul Di Filippo. The Short Ashy Afterlife of Hiram P. Dottle. The bookish Dottle finds
Doing the Unstuck. Paul Di Filippo. The angst of teen Goth Erin is painfully observed,
Charles Stross. Survivor. The penultimate Accelerando series, in which Manfred Mancx finally makes a corporeal
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.
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.
Daw and Crowther provide the goods once again, in a pocket-sized collection that manages to 15 almost invariably top quality stories.
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
Sixteen stories, of which I’d say 8 hit the mark. It’s a collection of fairly traditional SF, eschewing the new speculative, as perhaps might be expected with the authors for the most being well established. The majority of the stories could have been written anytime during the 1990s, making it a good, if safe collection, and a solid start.
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’.
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 : 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 : Charles Stross, Dominic Green, Geoff Ryman, Geoffrey A. Landis, Harry Turtledove, Howard Waldrop, Jack Skillingstead, James Van Pelt, John C. Wright, John Kessel, John Varley, Judith Moffett, Kage Baker, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, M. Shayne Bell, Michael Swanwick, Nancy Kress, Nick DiChario, Paolo Bacigalupi, Paul Di Filippo, Paul Melko, Robert Reed, Steven Popkes, Terry Bisson, Terry Dowling, Vernor Vinge, Walter Jon Williams, William Barton, William Shunn.
Stories by : Alastair Reynolds, Allen M. Steele, Andy Duncan, Brenda W. Clough, Carolyn Ives Gilman, Charles Stross, Chris Beckett, Dan Simmons, Eleanor Arnason, Geoff Ryman, Howard Waldrop and Leigh Kennedy, Ian R. Macleod, James Kelly, Jim Grimsley, Ken MacLeod, Michael Blumlein, Michael Cassutt, Michael Swanwick, Nancy Kress, Paul Di Filippo, Paul McAuley, Robert Reed, Simon Ings, William Sanders.
Stories by : Connie Willis, Gregory Benford, James Morrow, Kim Stanley Robinson, Michael Bishop, Nancy Kress, Pamela Sargent, Paul Di Filippo, S.N. Dyer
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!).
All in all, an interesting varied collection, and well worth the shelf-space.
You won’t find many volumes this year with such a high quality. The first three stories are all set in vividly described cities, giving a solid theme to the collection. But once again, Gollancz and PS Publishing showcase the best in British SF/fantasy. More!
One of the more prolific, and in my opinion, the most inventive of short SF
Di Filippo is one of the foremost short story writers in SF, and has to
There is more invention in this short story than I have come across in a long, long time. A shoo-in for the next Year’s Best collections.
F&SF have been producing anthologies since 1952 – annual anthologies for the first quarter century,