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elusivity's review against another edition
3.0
1. Beyond the Aquila Shift - Alastair Reynolds. A rendition of a lost-in-space story, told a la MEMENTO. Interesting, but ending very predictable by the half-way point. I also question the authenticity of the main character's reaction -- surely a space-travelling human should be more resilient than that? 2.5 STARS.
2. Second Person, Present Time - Daryl Gregory. Exploration of what happens when one's personality destructs, to be replaced by a naturally-occurring other, and whether and how to reform old relationships. 3 STARS.
3. The Canadian Who Came Almost all the Way Back from the Stars - Jay Lake & Ruth Nestvold. A very straightforward story of a woman waiting for her husband from his trip to Barnard's Star. The only item of interest is her Canadian-ness -- us Canucks so rarely appear in fiction, we must celebrate each occasion when we do. 2 STARS.
4. Tricerotops Summer - Michael Swanwick. What happens when something goes wrong and a herd of tricerotops were let loose into the world? A simple, whimsical and lyrical tale. 4 STARS.
5. Camouflage - Robert Reed. Read this in another anthology. A detective story set upon the Great Ship, with some interesting twist and turns. Throw-away clichéd ending, though. 3 STARS.
6. A Case of Consilience - Ken MacLeod. A Christian seeks to convert an utterly alien species, who had their own means of communication. Interesting germ of an idea, but un-involving. 2 STARS.
7. The Blemmye's Stratagem - Bruce Sterling. Re-imaging of the crusades and their semi-mystical players -- the Old Man of the Mountain, the Leper King -- as background characters to an alien Romeo & lethal Juliet. The tone is strongly that of T. H. White. Started off promising, but dragged on to the end. 2.5 STARS.
8. Amba - William Sanders. Global warming makes havoc of the entire world except Russia, turning it into the land of desperate opportunities, filled with corrupt and lawless men. 3 STARS.
9. Search Engine - Mary Rosenblum. What happens if every details of our lives can be discovered by tracking the things we buy and the paths we travel, and everything is trackable? This story reminds me of a futuristic Bladerunner. A believable projection of what already is. 4 STARS.
10. Piccadilly Circus - Chris Beckett. What happens if THE MATRIX were put into effect, but you were among those who refused to become a part of it? Age and sadness in a slowly-decaying London. 4 STARS.
11. In the Quake Zone - David Gerrold. An intense noir-ish time travelling story for 3/4 quarters, until it banged a 90-degree u-ie into a smug happy tone, where becoming a whore offering genuine love via pills is the ultimate good deed. I hate to harp on gender, but could not help but feel only a male author could sell the benefits of love as a collection of intense experiences that bonds people, therefore should be deliberately cultivated by brain chemicals for its ability to save others from suicide and despair. Interesting idea, but I really loathe the execution. 2 STARS.
12. La Malcontenta - Liz Williams. Set in women's country, and turns patriarchy upon its head --> that the "matriarchy" can be just as constricting and suppressing of a woman's yearning and search for freedom -- all in the trappings of a baroque fairytale. 4 STARS.
13. The Children of Time - Stephen Baxter. Man survives unchanged in post-disaster world for hundreds of millions of years. I see what he's doing, but it is done repetitively and pointlessly. I disagree with his ultimate point. 1 STAR.
14. Little Faces - Vonda N. McIntyre. Space fairy tale, female-only universe. Males reduced to tiny mindless creatures that attach to women's stomachs. Symbiotic relationship with hyper-intelligent space ships. Endless long lives. Lots of ideas here, but is there a point? 3 STARS.
15. Comber - Gene Wolfe. People live in giant plates floating upon the ocean, two plates on slow but sure collision course, and thus begins the coercive cover-up. 3 STARS.
16. Audubon in Atlantis - Harry Turtledove. Alternative history story: aging artist seeking to illustrate a near-extinct specimen in a still-wild, but fast-urbanizing, land. I was, unfortunately, bored out of my mind. 2 STARS.
17. Deux Ex Homine - Hannu Rajaniemi. AI plague that turns humans into gods, and how two people dealt with its aftermath. Inventive, poignant, deeply human, with a hopeful ending -- possibly the best story in this collection. 5 STARS.
18. The Great Caruso - Steven Popkes. Music, nano-mites, and an old woman deeply engaged with life. 4 STARS.
19. Softly Spoke the Gabbleduck - Neal Asher. Hunting trip gone wrong. A tense and suspenseful glimpse into a fascinating world. 4 STARS.
20. Zima Blue - Zlastair Reynolds. The significance of memory down the centuries, blurred lines between robot and humanity, and existential art. 3 STARS.
21. Planet of the Amazon Women - David Moles. A man travels into a planet carrying an casual anomaly wherein no masculine genetic material had ever existed. 3 STARS.
22. The Clockwork Atom Bomb - Dominic Green. A day in the life of a man whose job it is to disable ultra-lethal weapons. 3 STARS.
23. Gold Mountain - Chris Roberson. Alternate history reversing the role of Chinese coolies who built the railroad with "Vinlanders" (Americans) who build a celestial tower for the Chinese Empire, while facing rejection and discrimination. An old Vinlander recounts his story. 4 STARS.
24. The Fulcrum - Gwyneth Jones. A deep space noir story, with weird characters and twists aplenty. 3 STARS.
25. Mayfly - Peter Watts & Derryl Murphy. A scientist as monster gets his hand on a baby. High drama ensues. 3 STARS.
26. Two Dreams on Trains - Elizabeth Bear. Another tale of parental sacrifice for an "ungrateful" child. 3 STARS.
27. Angel of Light - Joe Haldeman. Post-cultural collapse and re-constructed into "Chrislam" -- fundamentalist (of course) and anti anything that is not religious. A simple and sweet story nevertheless. 3 STARS.
28. Burn - James Patrick Kelly. Interesting. 3 STARS.
2. Second Person, Present Time - Daryl Gregory. Exploration of what happens when one's personality destructs, to be replaced by a naturally-occurring other, and whether and how to reform old relationships. 3 STARS.
3. The Canadian Who Came Almost all the Way Back from the Stars - Jay Lake & Ruth Nestvold. A very straightforward story of a woman waiting for her husband from his trip to Barnard's Star. The only item of interest is her Canadian-ness -- us Canucks so rarely appear in fiction, we must celebrate each occasion when we do. 2 STARS.
4. Tricerotops Summer - Michael Swanwick. What happens when something goes wrong and a herd of tricerotops were let loose into the world? A simple, whimsical and lyrical tale. 4 STARS.
5. Camouflage - Robert Reed. Read this in another anthology. A detective story set upon the Great Ship, with some interesting twist and turns. Throw-away clichéd ending, though. 3 STARS.
6. A Case of Consilience - Ken MacLeod. A Christian seeks to convert an utterly alien species, who had their own means of communication. Interesting germ of an idea, but un-involving. 2 STARS.
7. The Blemmye's Stratagem - Bruce Sterling. Re-imaging of the crusades and their semi-mystical players -- the Old Man of the Mountain, the Leper King -- as background characters to an alien Romeo & lethal Juliet. The tone is strongly that of T. H. White. Started off promising, but dragged on to the end. 2.5 STARS.
8. Amba - William Sanders. Global warming makes havoc of the entire world except Russia, turning it into the land of desperate opportunities, filled with corrupt and lawless men. 3 STARS.
9. Search Engine - Mary Rosenblum. What happens if every details of our lives can be discovered by tracking the things we buy and the paths we travel, and everything is trackable? This story reminds me of a futuristic Bladerunner. A believable projection of what already is. 4 STARS.
10. Piccadilly Circus - Chris Beckett. What happens if THE MATRIX were put into effect, but you were among those who refused to become a part of it? Age and sadness in a slowly-decaying London. 4 STARS.
11. In the Quake Zone - David Gerrold. An intense noir-ish time travelling story for 3/4 quarters, until it banged a 90-degree u-ie into a smug happy tone, where becoming a whore offering genuine love via pills is the ultimate good deed. I hate to harp on gender, but could not help but feel only a male author could sell the benefits of love as a collection of intense experiences that bonds people, therefore should be deliberately cultivated by brain chemicals for its ability to save others from suicide and despair. Interesting idea, but I really loathe the execution. 2 STARS.
12. La Malcontenta - Liz Williams. Set in women's country, and turns patriarchy upon its head --> that the "matriarchy" can be just as constricting and suppressing of a woman's yearning and search for freedom -- all in the trappings of a baroque fairytale. 4 STARS.
13. The Children of Time - Stephen Baxter. Man survives unchanged in post-disaster world for hundreds of millions of years. I see what he's doing, but it is done repetitively and pointlessly. I disagree with his ultimate point. 1 STAR.
14. Little Faces - Vonda N. McIntyre. Space fairy tale, female-only universe. Males reduced to tiny mindless creatures that attach to women's stomachs. Symbiotic relationship with hyper-intelligent space ships. Endless long lives. Lots of ideas here, but is there a point? 3 STARS.
15. Comber - Gene Wolfe. People live in giant plates floating upon the ocean, two plates on slow but sure collision course, and thus begins the coercive cover-up. 3 STARS.
16. Audubon in Atlantis - Harry Turtledove. Alternative history story: aging artist seeking to illustrate a near-extinct specimen in a still-wild, but fast-urbanizing, land. I was, unfortunately, bored out of my mind. 2 STARS.
17. Deux Ex Homine - Hannu Rajaniemi. AI plague that turns humans into gods, and how two people dealt with its aftermath. Inventive, poignant, deeply human, with a hopeful ending -- possibly the best story in this collection. 5 STARS.
18. The Great Caruso - Steven Popkes. Music, nano-mites, and an old woman deeply engaged with life. 4 STARS.
19. Softly Spoke the Gabbleduck - Neal Asher. Hunting trip gone wrong. A tense and suspenseful glimpse into a fascinating world. 4 STARS.
20. Zima Blue - Zlastair Reynolds. The significance of memory down the centuries, blurred lines between robot and humanity, and existential art. 3 STARS.
21. Planet of the Amazon Women - David Moles. A man travels into a planet carrying an casual anomaly wherein no masculine genetic material had ever existed. 3 STARS.
22. The Clockwork Atom Bomb - Dominic Green. A day in the life of a man whose job it is to disable ultra-lethal weapons. 3 STARS.
23. Gold Mountain - Chris Roberson. Alternate history reversing the role of Chinese coolies who built the railroad with "Vinlanders" (Americans) who build a celestial tower for the Chinese Empire, while facing rejection and discrimination. An old Vinlander recounts his story. 4 STARS.
24. The Fulcrum - Gwyneth Jones. A deep space noir story, with weird characters and twists aplenty. 3 STARS.
25. Mayfly - Peter Watts & Derryl Murphy. A scientist as monster gets his hand on a baby. High drama ensues. 3 STARS.
26. Two Dreams on Trains - Elizabeth Bear. Another tale of parental sacrifice for an "ungrateful" child. 3 STARS.
27. Angel of Light - Joe Haldeman. Post-cultural collapse and re-constructed into "Chrislam" -- fundamentalist (of course) and anti anything that is not religious. A simple and sweet story nevertheless. 3 STARS.
28. Burn - James Patrick Kelly. Interesting. 3 STARS.
nwhyte's review against another edition
http://nhw.livejournal.com/724852.html[return][return]This is always the best value for money of the various best-sf-of-the-year collections, if also the most intimidating (I don't seem to have finished last year's). Plenty of stories that I had already read and enjoyed, and several that were new to me - note especially "The Canadian Who Came Almost All the Way Back from the Stars" by Jay Lake and Ruth Nestvold, "The Blemmye's Stratagem" by Bruce Sterling, "Audubon in Atlantis" by Harry Turtledove, "Softly Spoke the Gabbleduck" by Neal Asher, "Planet of the Amazon Women" by David Moles and "Gold Mountain" by Chris Roberson.
elusivity's review
3.0
1. Beyond the Aquila Shift - Alastair Reynolds. A rendition of a lost-in-space story, told a la MEMENTO. Interesting, but ending very predictable by the half-way point. I also question the authenticity of the main character's reaction -- surely a space-travelling human should be more resilient than that? 2.5 STARS.
2. Second Person, Present Time - Daryl Gregory. Exploration of what happens when one's personality destructs, to be replaced by a naturally-occurring other, and whether and how to reform old relationships. 3 STARS.
3. The Canadian Who Came Almost all the Way Back from the Stars - Jay Lake & Ruth Nestvold. A very straightforward story of a woman waiting for her husband from his trip to Barnard's Star. The only item of interest is her Canadian-ness -- us Canucks so rarely appear in fiction, we must celebrate each occasion when we do. 2 STARS.
4. Tricerotops Summer - Michael Swanwick. What happens when something goes wrong and a herd of tricerotops were let loose into the world? A simple, whimsical and lyrical tale. 4 STARS.
5. Camouflage - Robert Reed. Read this in another anthology. A detective story set upon the Great Ship, with some interesting twist and turns. Throw-away clichéd ending, though. 3 STARS.
6. A Case of Consilience - Ken MacLeod. A Christian seeks to convert an utterly alien species, who had their own means of communication. Interesting germ of an idea, but un-involving. 2 STARS.
7. The Blemmye's Stratagem - Bruce Sterling. Re-imaging of the crusades and their semi-mystical players -- the Old Man of the Mountain, the Leper King -- as background characters to an alien Romeo & lethal Juliet. The tone is strongly that of T. H. White. Started off promising, but dragged on to the end. 2.5 STARS.
8. Amba - William Sanders. Global warming makes havoc of the entire world except Russia, turning it into the land of desperate opportunities, filled with corrupt and lawless men. 3 STARS.
9. Search Engine - Mary Rosenblum. What happens if every details of our lives can be discovered by tracking the things we buy and the paths we travel, and everything is trackable? This story reminds me of a futuristic Bladerunner. A believable projection of what already is. 4 STARS.
10. Piccadilly Circus - Chris Beckett. What happens if THE MATRIX were put into effect, but you were among those who refused to become a part of it? Age and sadness in a slowly-decaying London. 4 STARS.
11. In the Quake Zone - David Gerrold. An intense noir-ish time travelling story for 3/4 quarters, until it banged a 90-degree u-ie into a smug happy tone, where becoming a whore offering genuine love via pills is the ultimate good deed. I hate to harp on gender, but could not help but feel only a male author could sell the benefits of love as a collection of intense experiences that bonds people, therefore should be deliberately cultivated by brain chemicals for its ability to save others from suicide and despair. Interesting idea, but I really loathe the execution. 2 STARS.
12. La Malcontenta - Liz Williams. Set in women's country, and turns patriarchy upon its head --> that the "matriarchy" can be just as constricting and suppressing of a woman's yearning and search for freedom -- all in the trappings of a baroque fairytale. 4 STARS.
13. The Children of Time - Stephen Baxter. Man survives unchanged in post-disaster world for hundreds of millions of years. I see what he's doing, but it is done repetitively and pointlessly. I disagree with his ultimate point. 1 STAR.
14. Little Faces - Vonda N. McIntyre. Space fairy tale, female-only universe. Males reduced to tiny mindless creatures that attach to women's stomachs. Symbiotic relationship with hyper-intelligent space ships. Endless long lives. Lots of ideas here, but is there a point? 3 STARS.
15. Comber - Gene Wolfe. People live in giant plates floating upon the ocean, two plates on slow but sure collision course, and thus begins the coercive cover-up. 3 STARS.
16. Audubon in Atlantis - Harry Turtledove. Alternative history story: aging artist seeking to illustrate a near-extinct specimen in a still-wild, but fast-urbanizing, land. I was, unfortunately, bored out of my mind. 2 STARS.
17. Deux Ex Homine - Hannu Rajaniemi. AI plague that turns humans into gods, and how two people dealt with its aftermath. Inventive, poignant, deeply human, with a hopeful ending -- possibly the best story in this collection. 5 STARS.
18. The Great Caruso - Steven Popkes. Music, nano-mites, and an old woman deeply engaged with life. 4 STARS.
19. Softly Spoke the Gabbleduck - Neal Asher. Hunting trip gone wrong. A tense and suspenseful glimpse into a fascinating world. 4 STARS.
20. Zima Blue - Zlastair Reynolds. The significance of memory down the centuries, blurred lines between robot and humanity, and existential art. 3 STARS.
21. Planet of the Amazon Women - David Moles. A man travels into a planet carrying an casual anomaly wherein no masculine genetic material had ever existed. 3 STARS.
22. The Clockwork Atom Bomb - Dominic Green. A day in the life of a man whose job it is to disable ultra-lethal weapons. 3 STARS.
23. Gold Mountain - Chris Roberson. Alternate history reversing the role of Chinese coolies who built the railroad with "Vinlanders" (Americans) who build a celestial tower for the Chinese Empire, while facing rejection and discrimination. An old Vinlander recounts his story. 4 STARS.
24. The Fulcrum - Gwyneth Jones. A deep space noir story, with weird characters and twists aplenty. 3 STARS.
25. Mayfly - Peter Watts & Derryl Murphy. A scientist as monster gets his hand on a baby. High drama ensues. 3 STARS.
26. Two Dreams on Trains - Elizabeth Bear. Another tale of parental sacrifice for an "ungrateful" child. 3 STARS.
27. Angel of Light - Joe Haldeman. Post-cultural collapse and re-constructed into "Chrislam" -- fundamentalist (of course) and anti anything that is not religious. A simple and sweet story nevertheless. 3 STARS.
28. Burn - James Patrick Kelly. Interesting. 3 STARS.
2. Second Person, Present Time - Daryl Gregory. Exploration of what happens when one's personality destructs, to be replaced by a naturally-occurring other, and whether and how to reform old relationships. 3 STARS.
3. The Canadian Who Came Almost all the Way Back from the Stars - Jay Lake & Ruth Nestvold. A very straightforward story of a woman waiting for her husband from his trip to Barnard's Star. The only item of interest is her Canadian-ness -- us Canucks so rarely appear in fiction, we must celebrate each occasion when we do. 2 STARS.
4. Tricerotops Summer - Michael Swanwick. What happens when something goes wrong and a herd of tricerotops were let loose into the world? A simple, whimsical and lyrical tale. 4 STARS.
5. Camouflage - Robert Reed. Read this in another anthology. A detective story set upon the Great Ship, with some interesting twist and turns. Throw-away clichéd ending, though. 3 STARS.
6. A Case of Consilience - Ken MacLeod. A Christian seeks to convert an utterly alien species, who had their own means of communication. Interesting germ of an idea, but un-involving. 2 STARS.
7. The Blemmye's Stratagem - Bruce Sterling. Re-imaging of the crusades and their semi-mystical players -- the Old Man of the Mountain, the Leper King -- as background characters to an alien Romeo & lethal Juliet. The tone is strongly that of T. H. White. Started off promising, but dragged on to the end. 2.5 STARS.
8. Amba - William Sanders. Global warming makes havoc of the entire world except Russia, turning it into the land of desperate opportunities, filled with corrupt and lawless men. 3 STARS.
9. Search Engine - Mary Rosenblum. What happens if every details of our lives can be discovered by tracking the things we buy and the paths we travel, and everything is trackable? This story reminds me of a futuristic Bladerunner. A believable projection of what already is. 4 STARS.
10. Piccadilly Circus - Chris Beckett. What happens if THE MATRIX were put into effect, but you were among those who refused to become a part of it? Age and sadness in a slowly-decaying London. 4 STARS.
11. In the Quake Zone - David Gerrold. An intense noir-ish time travelling story for 3/4 quarters, until it banged a 90-degree u-ie into a smug happy tone, where becoming a whore offering genuine love via pills is the ultimate good deed. I hate to harp on gender, but could not help but feel only a male author could sell the benefits of love as a collection of intense experiences that bonds people, therefore should be deliberately cultivated by brain chemicals for its ability to save others from suicide and despair. Interesting idea, but I really loathe the execution. 2 STARS.
12. La Malcontenta - Liz Williams. Set in women's country, and turns patriarchy upon its head --> that the "matriarchy" can be just as constricting and suppressing of a woman's yearning and search for freedom -- all in the trappings of a baroque fairytale. 4 STARS.
13. The Children of Time - Stephen Baxter. Man survives unchanged in post-disaster world for hundreds of millions of years. I see what he's doing, but it is done repetitively and pointlessly. I disagree with his ultimate point. 1 STAR.
14. Little Faces - Vonda N. McIntyre. Space fairy tale, female-only universe. Males reduced to tiny mindless creatures that attach to women's stomachs. Symbiotic relationship with hyper-intelligent space ships. Endless long lives. Lots of ideas here, but is there a point? 3 STARS.
15. Comber - Gene Wolfe. People live in giant plates floating upon the ocean, two plates on slow but sure collision course, and thus begins the coercive cover-up. 3 STARS.
16. Audubon in Atlantis - Harry Turtledove. Alternative history story: aging artist seeking to illustrate a near-extinct specimen in a still-wild, but fast-urbanizing, land. I was, unfortunately, bored out of my mind. 2 STARS.
17. Deux Ex Homine - Hannu Rajaniemi. AI plague that turns humans into gods, and how two people dealt with its aftermath. Inventive, poignant, deeply human, with a hopeful ending -- possibly the best story in this collection. 5 STARS.
18. The Great Caruso - Steven Popkes. Music, nano-mites, and an old woman deeply engaged with life. 4 STARS.
19. Softly Spoke the Gabbleduck - Neal Asher. Hunting trip gone wrong. A tense and suspenseful glimpse into a fascinating world. 4 STARS.
20. Zima Blue - Zlastair Reynolds. The significance of memory down the centuries, blurred lines between robot and humanity, and existential art. 3 STARS.
21. Planet of the Amazon Women - David Moles. A man travels into a planet carrying an casual anomaly wherein no masculine genetic material had ever existed. 3 STARS.
22. The Clockwork Atom Bomb - Dominic Green. A day in the life of a man whose job it is to disable ultra-lethal weapons. 3 STARS.
23. Gold Mountain - Chris Roberson. Alternate history reversing the role of Chinese coolies who built the railroad with "Vinlanders" (Americans) who build a celestial tower for the Chinese Empire, while facing rejection and discrimination. An old Vinlander recounts his story. 4 STARS.
24. The Fulcrum - Gwyneth Jones. A deep space noir story, with weird characters and twists aplenty. 3 STARS.
25. Mayfly - Peter Watts & Derryl Murphy. A scientist as monster gets his hand on a baby. High drama ensues. 3 STARS.
26. Two Dreams on Trains - Elizabeth Bear. Another tale of parental sacrifice for an "ungrateful" child. 3 STARS.
27. Angel of Light - Joe Haldeman. Post-cultural collapse and re-constructed into "Chrislam" -- fundamentalist (of course) and anti anything that is not religious. A simple and sweet story nevertheless. 3 STARS.
28. Burn - James Patrick Kelly. Interesting. 3 STARS.
nigellicus's review
5.0
This slab of a volume ate up a few days in an enjoyable fashion. The worst you can expect in a Dozois collection is worthy-but-dull-and-overlong. Outright bad is very rare; the stories are always sure to be well crafted and well-written. This edition is solid. Nothing boring, nothing spectacularly stand-out either. Memorable ones included Yellow Card Man and Nightingale, both rather nightmarish. Robbie The Row Boat was fun and clever. A good collection, overall.
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