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quippeThe Blurb On The Back:
Once again, the year's finest flights of speculative imagination are gathered in one extraordinary volume, compiled by acclaimed editor and anthologist David G. Hartwell. From some of the most renowned visionaries of contemporary SF - as well as new writers who are already making an indelible mark - comes an all-new compendium of unparalleld tales of the possible that will enthrall, astonish, terrify, and elate. Stories of strange worlds and mind-boggling futures, of awesome discoveries and apocalyptic disasters, of universes light years distant and deep within the human consciousness, are collected here as SF's brightest lights shine more radiantly than ever before.
I bought this because, as someone who has always enjoyed science fiction, I wanted to get exposure to as many writers and sub-genres within the genre as possible. On this basis, this anthology does not disappoint. Hartwell has compiled a fine mixture of hard and character-driven science fiction (set on planets and in colonies and on space craft and a host of other locations), together with some brain bending experimental SF that plays with typography and story telling techniques. As such, there should be something for everyone who professes an interest in the genre.
Of the 19 writers, I confess that I was only familiar with the names Ursula Le Guin, Brian W. Aldiss and James Morrow before this collection, but I have certainly come away keen to find more work by Terry Bisson (whose contribution to this anthology, 'Charlie's Angels' is a wonderful mix of SF and noir told in the first person by a hard-bitten Supernatural Peivate Eye called Jack Villon and a complete joy to read) and Michael Swanwick (whose 'Under's Game' is a sly, short parody of Orson Scott Card's 'Ender's Game' that's told with a deft touch).
Of the other writers, I will say that I didn't enjoy either of the two more experimental SF stories. Firstly, 'The Cat's Pajamas' by James Morrow is actually three different stories, so you get the beginning of one story, the middle of another and the conclusion of a third. I know some people really get off on this way of playing with the story telling form, and Morrow is a skilled writer who does it better than most, but I'm a traditionalist and I like to have one story with a beginning, a middle and an end that follows the same characters or plot line. Secondly, whilst 'Undone' by James Patrick Kelly does follow the traditionalist story telling mode of beginning, middle and end, it also uses different type faces with some small sections of the plot told in concurrent columns. Again, Kelly is a skillful writer and he does it well, but for me it's always going to be a distraction and I didn't feel that it really added anything.
If I had one criticism to make of the anthology, it would be that in my opinion, Hartwell would have done better to open with the Terry Bisson story (which actually comes second). There is nothing wrong with the actual opening story ('Computer Viru's by Nancy Kress) which is an interesting spin on the idea of a sentient computer programme taking hostages, but it felt a little too pedestrian to hook the reader's audience and it had none of the aplomb and charm that Bisson's story had. But this is a small gripe and comes from my fangirling of that particular story.
The Verdict:
Interesting and thought-provoking anthology that's worth a read if you're into science fiction in general.
Once again, the year's finest flights of speculative imagination are gathered in one extraordinary volume, compiled by acclaimed editor and anthologist David G. Hartwell. From some of the most renowned visionaries of contemporary SF - as well as new writers who are already making an indelible mark - comes an all-new compendium of unparalleld tales of the possible that will enthrall, astonish, terrify, and elate. Stories of strange worlds and mind-boggling futures, of awesome discoveries and apocalyptic disasters, of universes light years distant and deep within the human consciousness, are collected here as SF's brightest lights shine more radiantly than ever before.
I bought this because, as someone who has always enjoyed science fiction, I wanted to get exposure to as many writers and sub-genres within the genre as possible. On this basis, this anthology does not disappoint. Hartwell has compiled a fine mixture of hard and character-driven science fiction (set on planets and in colonies and on space craft and a host of other locations), together with some brain bending experimental SF that plays with typography and story telling techniques. As such, there should be something for everyone who professes an interest in the genre.
Of the 19 writers, I confess that I was only familiar with the names Ursula Le Guin, Brian W. Aldiss and James Morrow before this collection, but I have certainly come away keen to find more work by Terry Bisson (whose contribution to this anthology, 'Charlie's Angels' is a wonderful mix of SF and noir told in the first person by a hard-bitten Supernatural Peivate Eye called Jack Villon and a complete joy to read) and Michael Swanwick (whose 'Under's Game' is a sly, short parody of Orson Scott Card's 'Ender's Game' that's told with a deft touch).
Of the other writers, I will say that I didn't enjoy either of the two more experimental SF stories. Firstly, 'The Cat's Pajamas' by James Morrow is actually three different stories, so you get the beginning of one story, the middle of another and the conclusion of a third. I know some people really get off on this way of playing with the story telling form, and Morrow is a skilled writer who does it better than most, but I'm a traditionalist and I like to have one story with a beginning, a middle and an end that follows the same characters or plot line. Secondly, whilst 'Undone' by James Patrick Kelly does follow the traditionalist story telling mode of beginning, middle and end, it also uses different type faces with some small sections of the plot told in concurrent columns. Again, Kelly is a skillful writer and he does it well, but for me it's always going to be a distraction and I didn't feel that it really added anything.
If I had one criticism to make of the anthology, it would be that in my opinion, Hartwell would have done better to open with the Terry Bisson story (which actually comes second). There is nothing wrong with the actual opening story ('Computer Viru's by Nancy Kress) which is an interesting spin on the idea of a sentient computer programme taking hostages, but it felt a little too pedestrian to hook the reader's audience and it had none of the aplomb and charm that Bisson's story had. But this is a small gripe and comes from my fangirling of that particular story.
The Verdict:
Interesting and thought-provoking anthology that's worth a read if you're into science fiction in general.
