The Best of Jim Baen's Universe II (v. 2) [Paperback]

Eric Flint (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2008

The online magazine, "Jim Baen's Universe," now in its second successful year, and fans of science fiction and fantasy agree that it's the place on the internet to find great reading by both top-selling established writers and talented new arrivals. Once again, site editor Eric Flint, creator of the "New York Times" best-selling "Ring of Fire" series, picks the cream of the crop from stories that have appeared in the magazine.

Flint himself, with his frequent collaborator Dave Freer, return to their popular series that began with "Rats, Bats & Vats" in a story set on a hollow asteroid which is under siege by the alien enemy. Someone is killing women of the oldest profession. Captain Rebecca Wuollet has been given the job of catching the killer and, to do it, she'll need the help of a pair of rats who have been artificially given human-level intelligence. Mike Resnick, Hugo-winner and "New York Times" best-selling author, tells what happens when a pro basketball team gets the best player that money can buy--or that science can manufacture. Hugo Award and World Fantasy Award winner Kristine Kathryn Rusch takes us to World War II Paris, where a child of faerie finds a way to survive the Nazi occupation. Hugo and Nebula winner Nancy Kress looks at the aftermath of World War "III," and the aliens who have arrived, but not to help the human survivors--they're only interested in Man's Best Friend.

Also on board: Award-winning writer Elizabeth Bear; another award-winner and "New York Times" best-selling writer, Garth Nix; a third award-winner, Laura Resnick; and much more in a generous serving of the best SF and fantasy being written today.

Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Baen (July 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416555706
• ISBN-13: 978-1416555704
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,252,480 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More From the Universe, November 8, 2009

By 

Arthur W. Jordin (Smyrna, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Best of Jim Baen's Universe II (v. 2) (Paperback)

The Best of Jim Baen's Universe #2 (2008) is the second speculative fiction anthology in this series, following The Best of Jim Baen's Universe. It contains twenty-two stories. The Preface comments on the successes of this online magazine, points out that certain "impossible" accomplishments were achieved, and promises to produce much more of the same.

Science Fiction Stories

- Crawlspace by Erik Flint and Dave Freer is a mystery from the Rats and Bats universe. Joy girls are vanishing from the Last Chance Saloon and then found in the tunnels.

- The Big Guy by Mike Resnick introduces an android prototype who plays center with the Montana Buttes basketball team.

- Murphy's Law by James P. Hogan considers the possible consequences of automating ballistic missile launch systems.

- Laws of Survival by Nancy Kress tells of aliens that want an armageddon survivor to train some dogs.

- War Stories by Elizabeth Bear involves a combat veteran and the boy that she finds in a shellhole.

- A Stranger in Paradise by Edward M. Lerner examines the findings of a belter and a biologist searching for a lost Firster colony.

- NEWTS by Kevin J. Anderson presents a neutered male in a religious colony with the evils of secular civilization.

- An Ocean is a Snowflake, Four Billion Miles Away by John Barnes divulges the thoughts of a media journalist who likes big bangs.

- Dark Corners by Kristine Kathryn Rusch concerns an elf who is hiding his family from the Nazis. This tale seems to belong in the fantasy section.

- The Ten Thousand Things by Marl L. Van Name exposes a Japanese business man to the thoughts of his deceased father.

- A Better Sense of Direction by Mike Wood postulates that a sense of direction would be quite different in outer space.

- Tweak by Jack McDevitt describes the new attitude that arises after a civilization reaches maturity.

- Squish by S. E. Ward depicts an entomologist who lost her love of bugs and became an exterminator.

Fantasy Stories

- Touching the Dead by J. Kathleen Cheney discloses the secrets of a child who communes with the dead.

- The Spiral Road by Louise Marley shows the meeting of a man and a woman from opposite sides of a war who meet with the aid of a mystic and a ghost.

- Sir Hereford and Mister Fitz Go to War Again by Garth Nix explains the mission of an animated puppet and an artillerist in the temple of a malicious god.

- Creation: The Launch! by Laura Resnick addresses the real story of creation, as told by the consultant.

- Midnight at the Quantum Cafe by K. D. Wentworth confronts a man with his duplicates in a tavern that exists in many places.

- Swing Time by Carrie Vaughn brings a timetraveling woman to the attention of the temporal authorities.

- The Lord-Protector's Daughter by L. E. Modesitt, Jr. reveals the talents of a descendant of the first Protector. It is the first part of the novel of the same name.

- Palm Sunday by Ian Watson examines the power of palmistry within the life of a neglected woman.

- The Necromancer in Love by Wil McCarthy displays the illicit ways of medical techs who witness the death of their sweethearts.

These stories cover a range of themes by some of the best authors in SF and fantasy. Naturally, they are the best of the online magazine, but these tales may well catch your interest enough to subscribe. Read and enjoy!

Highly recommended for fans of Baen Books and anyone else who enjoys fanciful tales of adventure, action and relationships.

-Arthur W. Jordin

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very highly recommended for any discriminating science fiction library, November 16, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Best of Jim Baen's Universe II (v. 2) (Paperback)

The online magazine JIM BAEN'S UNIVERSE is in its third year and the book The Best of Jim Baen's Universe #2 gathers the best under one cover, presenting on- and off-line readers with a synthesis of top names and stories. These are a diverse presentation of plots and sagas, offering a wide range blending all kinds of science fiction. And the authors Nancy Kress, Kevin Anderson, Elizabeth Bear can't be beat. Very highly recommended for any discriminating science fiction library.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

0 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Better Idea????, October 6, 2008

By 

Richard F. Grantges "truth maven" (MN North Woods) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Best of Jim Baen's Universe II (v. 2) (Paperback)

I had hoped that Baen had learned to issue their good books in Hard Cover first instead of later, but it seems they have an even better idea: Issue a paperback and charge the hard cover price for it. This is obviously the best of all possible worlds - for them,
Unfortunately, I won't bite.