The Best From Fantasy and Science Fiction: The Fiftieth Anniversary Anthology [Paperback, Deluxe Edition]

Edward L. Ferman (Editor), Gordon Van Gelder (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In 1949, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction was founded upon two radical principles: to publish SF and fantasy in one volume and to emphasize literary quality. Fifty years later, F&SF is still going strong--indeed, it is the most acclaimed of SF's longest-running magazines. In honor of this achievement, publisher Edward L. Ferman and editor Gordon Van Gelder have assembled many of F&SF's finest stories from the preceding five years for The Best from Fantasy & Science Fiction: The Fiftieth Anniversary Anthology.

In Hugo Award winner Bruce Sterling's droll "Maneki Neko," a U.S. agent battles a perplexing, worldwide Net conspiracy. In World Fantasy Award winner John Crowley's insightful "Gone," alien invaders present earth with a mysterious and compelling choice. In Maureen F. McHugh's thought-provoking, Hugo-winning alternate history, "The Lincoln Train," President Lincoln's survival begets a world in which white Southerners are exiled to a concentration camp in Indian territory. The anthology also includes Elizabeth Hand's Nebula and World Fantasy Award-winning "Last Summer at Mars Hill"; Gene Wolfe's allegorical science fantasy "No Planets Strike"; Bruce Holland Rogers's Nebula-winning "Lifeboat on a Burning Sea"; Harlan Ellison's angry "Sensible City"; Paul Di Filippo's satirical "Have Gun, Will Edit"; Ray Bradbury's affectionate Laurel and Hardy tribute, "Another Fine Mess"; and Ursula K. Le Guin's Nebula-winning "Solitude." --Cynthia Ward --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

Half a century old, the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction continues to impress. Editor Van Gelder and long-time publisher Ferman are, Van Gelder writes in the introduction to one story here, connoisseurs of "lyrical, character-driven human dramas." Among the 21 pieces collected here, all copyrighted between 1994 and 1998, are examples of that sort of drama by well-known authors like Ursula Le Guin, Tanith Lee and Terry Bisson, alongside entries from newer talents. At their best, the stories are strongly original, their humanity amplified by elements of scientific extrapolation or straight-out magic: the quotidian rendered fantastic and the fantastic, quotidian. Ray Bradbury's "Another Fine Mess," a whimsical L.A. ghost story, is so sweet as to make one laugh tears. John Crowley's "Gone" fascinates: alien "elmers" seed hope in a desperate world, with the point of view that of a woman whose survivalist ex has absconded with the children. Bruce Holland Rogers explores intricate borders of mind and machine in his Nebula-winning "Lifeboat on a Burning Sea." Information never crowds out the natural life of these tales (the old SF excess). Rather, they sin, when they do, by an excess of sentiment. The formidable Gene Wolfe washes out with "No Planets Strike," an offworld Christmas tale that reads like a draft, seeming to seek justification in its uplifting associations. Harlan Ellison delivers with his forceful prose and charming, tough dialogue a cookie-cutter story of Twilight Zone-ish comeuppance. In "Quinn's Way," fantasist Dale Bailey vividly captures joys and torments of childhood, but his prose periodically goes purple: e.g., he provides three introductions. Is the craft sufficient to carry its load of sentiment? Often, yes, though sometimes a reader's tears will abort in a squint and a cock of the head. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; 50th Anniversary edition edition (December 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312869746
• ISBN-13: 978-0312869748
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #622,372 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best of the Best, January 12, 2000

By	Jeff Ilseman "irisjeff" (Longmont, CO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Best From Fantasy and Science Fiction: The Fiftieth Anniversary Anthology (Hardcover)

Terry Bisson, Ray Bradbury, Paul di Filippo, Harlan Ellison, Esther Friesner, Elizabeth Hand, Tanith Lee, Ursula K. Le Guin, Robert Reed, Bruce Holland Rogers, Bruce Sterling, Kate Wilhelm, and Gene Wolf are all writers whose name alone would qualify at least serious consideration for buying an anthology. This has them all. F&SF has long been a testiment to the greatness of speculative fiction and these stories are the essence of what the editors strive for: unrealistic stories of the highest literary caliber. Give this book to any one who loves SF, for that matter give this to anyone who hates SF and see if they don't love these stories.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the strongest in this long-running "best-of" series, September 22, 2006

By	Peter D. Tillman (Taos, NM USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Best From Fantasy and Science Fiction: The Fiftieth Anniversary Anthology (Hardcover)

This is one of the strongest in the long-running "Best from F&SF" series. This one collects the editors' picks from 1994-1998, which was mostly the Kristine Kathryn Rusch era. The Table of Contents is above, just before the "Search inside this book" box. 21 stories, and hardly a weak one in the bunch. Six won major awards (Hugo, Nebula, and/or World Fantasy awards. My favorites include Bruce Sterling's wonderful Hugo winner "Maneki Neko"; Ursula Le Guin's great "Solitude", one of her very best Hainish stories; Bradley Denton's droll "We Love Lydia Love", about a unique Austin rocker; SN Dyer's pointed (and very funny) "Sins of the Mothers".... I could go on and on, but trust me, if you like good SF and fantasy shorts, this is an anthology to savor, and keep to reread your personal favorites. Highly recommended.

Happy reading--
Peter D. Tillman

7 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars What a disappointment..., July 9, 2001

By	rsvp "http://Scott-Paterson.com" (MENLO PARK, CA USA) - See all my reviews

I really enjoy sci-fi the likes of I Robot from Isaac Asimov and many many Joe Haldeman stories, but this particular collection is terrible. I'm about 8 stories in and there's not even one gem so far. I believe this book should be re-titled to - " The Ultra-Contemplative Super-Pseudo-Intellectual's Guide to Boring Science Fiction Stories. Sorry, it's just not a very good book.