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juniper77's review against another edition
I didn't realize short, cryptic stories would be so frustrating to read. There's probably lots of symbolism and stuff in these stories, but I'm not looking for that rn. Just when you're starting to get into it, it ends.
leeaeverett's review against another edition
4.0
I hadn't read any of the stories before, although I am familiar with some of the authors. The collection of stories in this anthology span science fiction, speculative fiction, and fantasy, written by a diverse cast of authors. But despite such variety, the stories are ordered so that they flow in view point and narrative style, each different enough so that they don't blend together, but not jarring in transition. Several of the stories did not personally suit me or were written in a style I did not particularly enjoy, but overall I found most of them different and delightful.
My two favorite stories in this collection are “Ten Rules for Being an Intergalactic Smuggler (The Successful Kind)”, by Holly Black, and “The LONG HAUL, from the ANNALS OF TRANSPORTATION, The Pacific Monthly, May 2009”, by Ken Liu.
I believe that these stories are a very strong representation of Science Fiction and Fantasy, and would recommend this anthology to anyone who enjoys this genre. I am going to make a point to read the previous volumes!
Disclaimer: I receieved an Advanced Reading Copy in exchange for an honest review.
My two favorite stories in this collection are “Ten Rules for Being an Intergalactic Smuggler (The Successful Kind)”, by Holly Black, and “The LONG HAUL, from the ANNALS OF TRANSPORTATION, The Pacific Monthly, May 2009”, by Ken Liu.
I believe that these stories are a very strong representation of Science Fiction and Fantasy, and would recommend this anthology to anyone who enjoys this genre. I am going to make a point to read the previous volumes!
Disclaimer: I receieved an Advanced Reading Copy in exchange for an honest review.
arkron's review against another edition
4.0
I outsourced short story reviews to my bookblog because GR doesn't handle shorter works well enough.
Merged review:
If you are curious reading a complete review of all contained stories in this anthology, go to my Blog, or simply follow the links below.
Summary: Strahan sets out for diversity, mixing different sub-genres. But he doesn't exactly reach this target: Many of the SF stories are near future, many of the authors seem to have a kind of subscription for appearance in his annual anthology. He could have chosen different authors from all over the world stretching the known comfort zone a bit.
On a personal note, I didn't like the inclusion of horror stories at all - I don't like them or even hate them. It would be fair at least to mark the story's genre such that I could simply skip them.
Having said that, there is something in it for everyone, and there are a couple of very good stories. Considering the overall quality of the selected stories, 2014 doesn't seem to have been one of the best years for SF&F.
My favourite ★★★★★ stories were
☆ or ★ (mostly because they are horror stories) for me were
Contents:
Merged review:
If you are curious reading a complete review of all contained stories in this anthology, go to my Blog, or simply follow the links below.
Summary: Strahan sets out for diversity, mixing different sub-genres. But he doesn't exactly reach this target: Many of the SF stories are near future, many of the authors seem to have a kind of subscription for appearance in his annual anthology. He could have chosen different authors from all over the world stretching the known comfort zone a bit.
On a personal note, I didn't like the inclusion of horror stories at all - I don't like them or even hate them. It would be fair at least to mark the story's genre such that I could simply skip them.
Having said that, there is something in it for everyone, and there are a couple of very good stories. Considering the overall quality of the selected stories, 2014 doesn't seem to have been one of the best years for SF&F.
My favourite ★★★★★ stories were
- Moriabe's Children by Paolo Bacigalupi
- Collateral by Peter Watts
☆ or ★ (mostly because they are horror stories) for me were
- Interstate Love Song (Murder Ballad No.8) by Caitlín R. Kiernan
- Mothers, Lock Up Your Daughters Because They are Terrifying by Alice Sola Kim
- Shay Corsham Worsted by Garth Nix
Contents:
- ★★★★1/2 • “Slipping” • near future SF short story by Lauren Beukes • prosthecis sports • review
- ★★★★★ • “Moriabe's Children” • weird short story by Paolo Bacigalupi • monsters in sea and shore • review
- ★★★★ • “The Vaporization Enthalpy of a Peculiar Pakistani Family” • weird SF short story by Usman T. Malik • clash of modernism, terrorism, and religion in Pakistan • review
- ★★★ • “The Lady and the Fox” • magical realism short story by Kelly Link • review
- ★★★ • “Ten Rules for Being an Intergalactic Smuggler (The Successful Kind)” • SF space opery novelette by Holly Black • review
- ★★★★ • “THE LONG HAUL from the Annals of Transportation, The Pacific Monthly, May 2009” • alternative history short story by Ken Liu • review
- ★★★★ • “Tough Times All Over” • fantasy novelette by Joe Abercrombie • hot-potatoed package • review
- ★★★ • “The Insects of Love” • weird novelette by Genevieve Valentine • review
- ★★★★ • “Cold Wind” • dark fantasy short story by Nicola Griffith • predator and prey in cold Seattle • review
- ★ • “Interstate Love Song (Murder Ballad No.8)” • horror story by Caitlín R. Kiernan • I can't stand horror stories; if this is your genre, this might be a very good one, literary writing style, good tension arc. But completely misplaced in a "Best of SF and Fantasy".
- ★★★ • “Shadow Flock” • near SF novelette by Greg Egan • heist thriller using drones • review
- ★★★ • “I Met a Man Who Wasn’t There” • fantasy short story by K. J. Parker • trickster learns magic • review
- ★★★★ • “Grand Jeté (The Great Leap)” • Rachel Swirsky • future golem incorporating the ego of a daughter • review
- ☆ • “Mothers, Lock Up Your Daughters Because They are Terrifying” • horror story by Alice Sola Kim • again a horror story which I dislike. This one I couldn't connect and I simply skipped pages. Not worth reading for people like me.
- ☆ • “Shay Corsham Worsted” • horror story by Garth Nix • horror story.
- ★★★ • “Kheldyu” • near SF novelette by Karl Schroeder • solar updraft tower in far Siberia • review
- ★★ • “Caligo Lane” • historical fantasy short story by Ellen Klages • magic origami mapfolder in San Francisco during WWII using fog to produce portals; didn't work for me.
- ★★ • “The Devil in America” • magical realism novelette by Kai Ashante Wilson • Civil War African magic turns bad • review
- ★★★★ • “Tawny Petticoats” • fantasy short story by Michael Swanwick • Darger and Surplus in zombied New Orleans • review
- ★★★1/2 • “The Fifth Dragon” • SF short story by Ian McDonald • love story between moon workers • review
- ★★1/2 • “The Truth About Owls” • fantasy short story by Amal El-Mohtar • Libanese immigrant relates to Scottish Owl Center • review
- ★★ • “Four Days of Christmas” • SF short story by Tim Maughan • four vignettes describing the lifecycle of a Christmas toy
- ★★★1/2 • “Covenant” • Near SF short story by Elizabeth Bear • neurological serial killer turned to be prey • review
- ★★★★ • “Cimmeria: From The Journal of Imaginary Anthropology” • fantasy short story by Theodora Goss • invented Cimmeria comes into existence • review
- ★★★★★ • “Collateral” • near future SF by Peter Watts • cyborg near future SF • review
- ★★ • “The Scrivener” • allegorial fairy tale by Eleanor Arnason • allegorial and a bit boring fairy tale about three daugthers Imagination, Ornamentation, and Plot who shall be authors.
- ★★★ • “Someday” • SF short story by James Patrick Kelly • human reproduction on a colonial planet • review
- ★★★ • “Amicae Aeternum” • near future SF short story by Ellen Klages • a charming story of a girl who will embark a generation space ship with her parents on the next day. She gathered a list of last things to do, most importantly remembering her friend for the generations to come.
wealhtheow's review against another edition
3.0
Mara is eleven, the child of talented immigrants, and quickly dying of cancer. Her father, a gifted engineer, has gotten access to a military prototype android. He begs her to let him copy her brainwaves onto it, to give her a version of herself that will be healthy and immortal. Mara is horrified at the idea of being replaced, but eventually gives in, wanting to give her father one last gift.
The android version of Mara is identical in every thought and memory, but she avoids the "black hole" of death that Mara is being sucked into. Beautifully told, and I liked the tension between human!Mara and android!Mara. There are other cool sf concepts in here, like "attic space," a virtual reality where Mara learns and talks to friends. I wasn't entirely clear on why there was so much backstory about Mara's great-grandparents--I think to give the impression that family can be both a balm and a pain at once?
The android version of Mara is identical in every thought and memory, but she avoids the "black hole" of death that Mara is being sucked into. Beautifully told, and I liked the tension between human!Mara and android!Mara. There are other cool sf concepts in here, like "attic space," a virtual reality where Mara learns and talks to friends. I wasn't entirely clear on why there was so much backstory about Mara's great-grandparents--I think to give the impression that family can be both a balm and a pain at once?
catapocalypse's review
5.0
This is a great collection from a diverse set of authors. All of the stories are worth reading, but my personal favorites were:
"THE LONG HAUL from the ANNALS OF TRANSPORTATION, The Pacific Monthly, May 2009" by Ken Liu, which is as sublime as any of his short work, and is a very human tale about freight dirigible life.
"The Lady and the Fox" by Kelly Link, a very sweet tale of friendship and love.
"The Truth About Owls" by Amal El-Mohtar, which has a very satisfying amount of owls and self-discovery.
"THE LONG HAUL from the ANNALS OF TRANSPORTATION, The Pacific Monthly, May 2009" by Ken Liu, which is as sublime as any of his short work, and is a very human tale about freight dirigible life.
"The Lady and the Fox" by Kelly Link, a very sweet tale of friendship and love.
"The Truth About Owls" by Amal El-Mohtar, which has a very satisfying amount of owls and self-discovery.
leeaeverett's review
4.0
I hadn't read any of the stories before, although I am familiar with some of the authors. The collection of stories in this anthology span science fiction, speculative fiction, and fantasy, written by a diverse cast of authors. But despite such variety, the stories are ordered so that they flow in view point and narrative style, each different enough so that they don't blend together, but not jarring in transition. Several of the stories did not personally suit me or were written in a style I did not particularly enjoy, but overall I found most of them different and delightful.
My two favorite stories in this collection are “Ten Rules for Being an Intergalactic Smuggler (The Successful Kind)”, by Holly Black, and “The LONG HAUL, from the ANNALS OF TRANSPORTATION, The Pacific Monthly, May 2009”, by Ken Liu.
I believe that these stories are a very strong representation of Science Fiction and Fantasy, and would recommend this anthology to anyone who enjoys this genre. I am going to make a point to read the previous volumes!
Disclaimer: I receieved an Advanced Reading Copy in exchange for an honest review.
My two favorite stories in this collection are “Ten Rules for Being an Intergalactic Smuggler (The Successful Kind)”, by Holly Black, and “The LONG HAUL, from the ANNALS OF TRANSPORTATION, The Pacific Monthly, May 2009”, by Ken Liu.
I believe that these stories are a very strong representation of Science Fiction and Fantasy, and would recommend this anthology to anyone who enjoys this genre. I am going to make a point to read the previous volumes!
Disclaimer: I receieved an Advanced Reading Copy in exchange for an honest review.
bibliotropic's review
4.0
As with any multi-author anthology, there are stories I enjoy more than others, stories where I feel the quality shines above the rest or where it just appeals to me more. I feel both that this should go without saying, and that I should mention it each time I review such a book, so that people don’t feel that I’m rating every single story 4/5 stars. Some are 5s, some are 3s. That’s the nature of the beast.
But I think it’s pretty safe for me to say that of all the SFF anthologies that I’ve read, this is the one I’ve enjoyed the most. In part because it seemed this collection really saw which way the winds were blowing and made a fantastic effort to include a huge amount of diversity in its writers and characters. That isn’t to say that there were no straight white males featured here. But there were a large number of stories with either authors or characters who were decidedly nonstraight, nonwhite, or nonmale. And it was wonderful to see, because with such a balance, you really start to get the feeling that fantasy and science fiction can and does encompass the vastness of human potential, and can be applied to and enjoyed by people who aren’t in the dominant social group in the West.
There were just so many amazing stories in here! Paolo Bacigalupi’s Moriabe’s Children is a creepy cautionary tale involving krakens and escaping from danger. I could read Kelly Link’s The Lady and the Fox half a dozen times over and love it every time. Holly Black’s Ten Rules for Being an Intergalactic Smuggler (The Successful Kind) was a wonderful exploration of expectations and surprise, and was really entertaining to watch the story unfold. Joe Abercrombie’s Tough Times All Over was fun, though the ending wasn’t that big a surprise once you got into the flow of the narrative. Greg Egan’s Shadow Flock was a technological thriller that I would really love to see expanded, because it was so tight and fast-paced and hinted at a lot going on in the background. Rachel Swirsky’s Grand Jete was a heartbreaking look at whether a transplanted personality is a whole new person or just a continuation of the original person, and at what point those two things differ. Kai Ashante Wilson’s The Devil in America was horrifying in more ways than one, with its take on racism and the price of magic. Michael Swanwick’s Tawny Petticoats was just hilarious, and gave me a few moments where I had to chuckle aloud while reading. And Theodora Goss’s Cimmeria: From the Journal of Imaginary Anthropology was insightful and full of thought-provoking content about creation and culture, as can be implied from the title.
And K J Parker’s I Met a Man Who Wasn’t There… My introduction to Parker’s work left me wondering what people saw in his writing, which was good but not so good that I figured it was worth the hype I’d seen it get. However, in his short stories, I’ve found some wonderful things, this most definitely being one of them (it was one of the major highlights of he anthology), and I think again that I really ought to give his novels another try, and that maybe I just started with one that really wasn’t as good as the others anyway.
Those are the best ones in the anthology, I think, and that’s well over half of them. The others were definitely good, too, but now and again there was just one that wasn’t to my taste, so my enjoy of them was an issue of personal preference rather than the quality of the content.
There’s straight-up science fiction, there’s urban fantasy, secondary-world fantasy, horror, just about everything a lover of speculative fiction could ask for in a Best Of anthology. It’s one to keep on the shelves, for sure, and one that I’ll likely revisit in the future so that I can dip my toes back into a dozen or more great stories and worlds. Strahan’s name tends to be associated with some of the best SFF anthologies, such as this one, so from the get-go you expect something that’s full of top-notch stories. He doesn’t fail to deliver on that promise. While I didn’t get introduced to as many new-to-me authors as I have in past anthologies, I have no doubt that I experienced some of the best of what genre fiction has to offer.
(Book received in exchange for an honest review.)
But I think it’s pretty safe for me to say that of all the SFF anthologies that I’ve read, this is the one I’ve enjoyed the most. In part because it seemed this collection really saw which way the winds were blowing and made a fantastic effort to include a huge amount of diversity in its writers and characters. That isn’t to say that there were no straight white males featured here. But there were a large number of stories with either authors or characters who were decidedly nonstraight, nonwhite, or nonmale. And it was wonderful to see, because with such a balance, you really start to get the feeling that fantasy and science fiction can and does encompass the vastness of human potential, and can be applied to and enjoyed by people who aren’t in the dominant social group in the West.
There were just so many amazing stories in here! Paolo Bacigalupi’s Moriabe’s Children is a creepy cautionary tale involving krakens and escaping from danger. I could read Kelly Link’s The Lady and the Fox half a dozen times over and love it every time. Holly Black’s Ten Rules for Being an Intergalactic Smuggler (The Successful Kind) was a wonderful exploration of expectations and surprise, and was really entertaining to watch the story unfold. Joe Abercrombie’s Tough Times All Over was fun, though the ending wasn’t that big a surprise once you got into the flow of the narrative. Greg Egan’s Shadow Flock was a technological thriller that I would really love to see expanded, because it was so tight and fast-paced and hinted at a lot going on in the background. Rachel Swirsky’s Grand Jete was a heartbreaking look at whether a transplanted personality is a whole new person or just a continuation of the original person, and at what point those two things differ. Kai Ashante Wilson’s The Devil in America was horrifying in more ways than one, with its take on racism and the price of magic. Michael Swanwick’s Tawny Petticoats was just hilarious, and gave me a few moments where I had to chuckle aloud while reading. And Theodora Goss’s Cimmeria: From the Journal of Imaginary Anthropology was insightful and full of thought-provoking content about creation and culture, as can be implied from the title.
And K J Parker’s I Met a Man Who Wasn’t There… My introduction to Parker’s work left me wondering what people saw in his writing, which was good but not so good that I figured it was worth the hype I’d seen it get. However, in his short stories, I’ve found some wonderful things, this most definitely being one of them (it was one of the major highlights of he anthology), and I think again that I really ought to give his novels another try, and that maybe I just started with one that really wasn’t as good as the others anyway.
Those are the best ones in the anthology, I think, and that’s well over half of them. The others were definitely good, too, but now and again there was just one that wasn’t to my taste, so my enjoy of them was an issue of personal preference rather than the quality of the content.
There’s straight-up science fiction, there’s urban fantasy, secondary-world fantasy, horror, just about everything a lover of speculative fiction could ask for in a Best Of anthology. It’s one to keep on the shelves, for sure, and one that I’ll likely revisit in the future so that I can dip my toes back into a dozen or more great stories and worlds. Strahan’s name tends to be associated with some of the best SFF anthologies, such as this one, so from the get-go you expect something that’s full of top-notch stories. He doesn’t fail to deliver on that promise. While I didn’t get introduced to as many new-to-me authors as I have in past anthologies, I have no doubt that I experienced some of the best of what genre fiction has to offer.
(Book received in exchange for an honest review.)
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