A review by johnayliff
Her Smoke Rose Up Forever by James Tiptree Jr.

5.0

I think this is the best single-author collection of sf short stories I have read. Tiptree has a masterful ability to adapt her writing style to the needs of each story, and each one is saying something; none of these stories is just another Tiptree story. There are themes that run through the volume - love, sex, and death - but they are explored in different ways each time. The stories are sometimes shocking or challenging, but more often sad and beautiful. None of them could be described as really happy; the closest she gets to a happy ending is a bittersweet one. They are sometimes exhausting to read, demanding the reader's full attention and striking deep at their emotions, but I can think of no sf story collection more rewarding.