Customer Reviews

The Best of Isaac Asimovs SF Magazine

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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This is a collection of superlative stories from Asimov's Magazine. It's a good place to find stories that began careers. The stories are: Bloodchild by Octavia Butler, only her second story in Asimovs, it won both the Hugo and Nebula; Firewatch by Connie Willis that also won the Hugo and Nebula and started her career; Press Enter by John Varley that also won the Hugo and Nebula, Hardfought by Greg Bear that won a Nebula; The Peacemaker by Gardner Dozois that won a Nebula; Her Furry Face by Leigh Kennedy and my personal favorite, The End of Life As We Know It by Lucius Shepherd. It's a shame this anthology is out of print. All the stories are from the 1980s, but every one of them is still powerful and a good read.

The introduction by says this is a selection of best stories chosen from the magazine from around 1982-1985 with the odd exception.

The editor says that he had to be talked into including his own story 'The Peacemaker' by Isaac Asimov and other associated staff, because of the 'looks dodgy to put your own in' theory. It is a Nebula award winner and a Hugo award nominee for short story though, on checking.

The best story, easily, is John Varley's creepy PRESS ENTER. Hardfought, if I have to pick a second, I think.

Best of Asimov's : The End of Life As We Know It - Lucius Shepard
Best of Asimov's : The Peacemaker - Gardner R. Dozois
Best of Asimov's : Fire Watch - Connie Willis
Best of Asimov's : Her Furry Face - Leigh Kennedy
Best of Asimov's : Hardfought - Greg Bear
Best of Asimov's : PRESS ENTER - John Varley
Best of Asimov's : Bloodchild - Octavia E. Butler


Relationship visions.

3.5 out of 5


Time travel retrieval.

3 out of 5


Spacehawk history problems.

4 out of 5


Lady writer on the tv. Is an ape. Gives me the horn.

4 out of 5


Sea sacrifice.

3.5 out of 5


Electronic entity killer discovery.

4.5 out of 5


Parasite pregnancy punishing for people.

3 out of 5

A collection of punchy, enjoyable science-fiction stories from IAsfm's first decade and change, running the gambit from hard science to character-driven to simple dumb fun. Only further reason to believe that the Good Doctor was wise in putting his name on the magazine.