The James Tiptree Award Anthology 2: Sex, the Future, & Chocolate Chip Cookies (The James Tiptree Award Anthology series) (No. 2) [Paperback]

Karen Joy Fowler (Editor), Pat Murphy (Editor), Debbie Notkin (Editor), Jeffrey D. Smith (Editor)

Book Description

Series: The James Tiptree Award Anthology series | Publication Date: November 28, 2005

Following the successful debut of the series, this second serving of innovative storytelling continues to celebrate thought-provoking and provocative speculative fiction. Touching on the most fundamental of human desires—sex, love, and the need for acceptance—Tiptree Award–winning authors continually challenge and redefine social identities, simultaneously exploring and expanding gender. James Tiptree, Jr. was the pseudonym of Alice Bradley Sheldon, whose lasting contributions to the genre are honored every year with the award. This collection gathers short fiction and essays that were chosen by the Tiptree Award judges in 2004, as well as additional selections from previous years. Contributors include Raphael Carter, L. Timmel Duchamp, Carol Emshwiller, Eileen Gunn, Joe Haldeman, Nalo Hopkinson, Gwyneth Jones, Jaye Lawrence, Ursula K. Le Guin, Jonathan Lethem, Debbie Notkin, Julie Phillips, Johanna Sinsalo, and Leslie What.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

James Tiptree was the pseudonym of the late Alice Sheldon, who during a 20-year career of writing gender-bending sf concealed her true identity. The award bearing her name appropriately honors works of fiction that "explore and expand gender." Unlike other major sf awards, conferred by fans and writers' associations, the Tiptrees are bestowed by a small jury of peers, and the actual prize is something edible, "usually chocolate." The second annual collection of winners includes stories, novel excerpts, and essays as well as a sampler of Tiptree's correspondence. The outstanding novel excerpt comes from Joe Haldeman's Camouflage (2004), about an immortal, shape-shifting alien who alternates between male and female identities, human and animal. Other very noteworthy pieces include Ursula K. Le Guin's examination of a family unit of two men and two women, and Gwyneth Jones' essay on why sex and gender create so much confusion. An excellent volume of superior prose that is both intellectually and morally challenging. Carl Hays
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"Stereotype-busting stories and gender-bending romances."  —SciFi.com

"Both dark and sparkling, topical and timeless, these stories wrap around us."  —Jewelle Gomez, author, The Gilda Stories

"Each work in this recommended collection is paradoxically both entertaining and instructive."  —BookLoons

"The Tiptree Award anthology series is a great idea, well executed."  —Lady Churchill's Rosebud online journal

"A trove of fascinating thought."  —Locus Magazine

"The contributions demonstrate a rare gift for interpreting an issue in new and surprising ways. Recommended for most libraries."  —Library Journal

"Top-shelf storytelling that deserves appreciation far beyond science fiction fans."   —Time Out Chicago 

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: Tachyon Publications; First edition (November 28, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1892391317
• ISBN-13: 978-1892391315
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,120,502 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars issues of gender roles, August 4, 2006

By 

W Boudville (Terra, Sol 3) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The James Tiptree Award Anthology 2: Sex, the Future, & Chocolate Chip Cookies (The James Tiptree Award Anthology series) (No. 2) (Paperback)

It's not your typical science fiction anthology. Rather, you might treat it as sitting on the fringes between SF and maybe sociology. The book is inspired by Tiptree's memorable fiction of the 70s and 80s. It looks at issues of gender roles and the expectations of these by a society.

Several of the contributors are very prominent, like Ursula le Guin, and Joe Haldemann. The editors' choice of Haldemann's work as the best is probably correct. But guess what? You of course should then read his full story, and not confine yourself to the excerpt in this anthology.