Customer Reviews

The Locus Awards: Thirty Years of the Best in Science Fiction and Fantasy

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Another of those big fat fun science fiction anthologies. The editors try and choose a slightly different batch of stories to get some that are not published as often, in general, and seem to do a pretty good job. The intro about the start of Locus is interesting, but fairly brief.

Bears Discover Fire, Border Guards, and others can be found here. Multiple 5 star stories here, but also a couple of duds, that drag it down a bit.

Neil Gaiman with so many fans in different media and genres could probably publish a tricked out shopping list and get an award.

The Death of Doctor Island by Gene Wolfe
The Day before the Revolution by Ursula K. Le Guin
Jeffy is Five by Harlan Ellison
The Persistence of Vision by John Varley
The Way of Cross and Dragon by George R.R. Martin
Souls by Joanna Russ
Bloodchild by Octavia E. Butler
The Only Neat Thing to Do by James Tiptree Jr.
Rachel in Love by Pat Murphy
The Scalehunter's Beautiful Daughter by Lucius Shepard
Bears Discover Fire by Terry Bisson
Buffalo by John Kessel
Even the Queen by Connie Willis
Gone by John Crowley
Maneki Neko by Bruce Sterling
Border Guards by Gred Egan
Hell Is the Absence of God by Ted Chiang
October in the Chair by Neil Gaiman


Isolated mental adjustment.

3.5 out of 5


Political extroversion is tiring.

4 out of 5


Parents eventual terminal lack of patience with kid with the brilliant new old stuff.

5 out of 5


Communication fuller but lots weirder with fewer senses.

4.5 out of 5


Judas Star Knights.

3.5 out of 5


Nun of that Viking stuff here.

4.5 out of 5


Parasite pregnancy punishing for people.

3 out of 5


Far Traveller broken by bitty brainbiter, makes combo decision to go out in early Pink Floyd style.

5 out of 5


The life of a superintelligent chimp, the result of scientific experimentation into sign language. She is helped by some humans.

3.5 out of 5


Rape escapee dragon prisoner junkie.

3.5 out of 5


Hibernatin's a big ol' waste of time.

4 out of 5


H.G's yankeeland tour shows he is no fan of E.R.B. but pleased with the average Jack thinking about the future.

4 out of 5


Angels are uninsurable, and the Underworld lacks all the really cool torments.

3.5 out of 5


The bleeding right to live how you like, mate.

4 out of 5


Alien dishwasher's other use.

3 out of 5


Network of favors.

4 out of 5


It is about human immortals, and how they deal with people and society when living so long. One man joins back into life, and meets the best quantum soccer player going around, and loses a friend.

The discovery is made is that she is one of the earliest immortals, instrumental in posthuman travel to other planets, and knows what death is actually like, and has to work out how to relate to the new people.

Now, I can't get this story out of my head, like happens with songs sometimes, so, I am upgrading this, 5 stars, given I reread it recently and hadn't read it for quite a wihle.

And, as far as Australian goes, as far as pixel-stained technopeasant wretches, well, I'd hate to be caught paraphasing the Devil Went Down to Georgia, but, he's the best there's even been.

5 out of 5


Monthly avatar stories that most of them don't even like.

2 out of 5

This is a great collection of SciFi and Fantasy Stories -- BUT.... some of the stories written in the 1970s and 1980s have a nostalgic quality about them...

The great thing about new SciFi stories are the fact that the stories have improved leaps and bounds as each year goes by... The sensibilities of stories change, and so does the sensibilities of the science behind them. Styles of writing changes too -- think about the style of writing as the years have progressed: Isaac Asimov's writing, Philip K. Dick's writing, Orson Scott Card's writing, Tad Williams' writing, Ted Chiang's writing etc. -- all have progressed in terms of their prose and sensibility behind the stories.

Personally, I think some of the earlier stories are a bit dated. They're good... but nothing to tell your friends about.

Buy it if you're curious about which stories won the awards....

Very good science fiction tales except the editor has a soft spot for anti-religious (or anti-God, anti-Christian stories, no anti-Islam stories here). But I've found them rather superficial, and not really thought-provoking. But other stories are excellent examples of the field.

This strong tome provides readers with a delightful sampling of some of the winning shorts and novellas over the last thirty years. The collection is balanced as four entries represent the 1970s; six from the 1980s; five from the 1990s; and three from the 2000s. The contributors are a who's who of the two genres (not surprising since this prestigious award is selected by a vote of Locus magazine readers) to include greats like Harlan Ellison, George R.R. Martin, Neil Gaiman, Gene Wolfe and Ursula K. Le Guin, etc. Each selection is well written, but some of the tales, surprisingly especially from the 1990s, feel dated; incredibly, the seventies and eighties hold up quite well and besides a bit of nostalgia remain terrific entries. Readers, especially those of the magazine, will appreciate the eighteen selections that make up "thirty years of the best in science fiction and fantasy".

Harriet Klausner

I don't advise you to buy this collection. What we have here is one or two gems thrown in with a bunch of sub-par politically correct/feminist 'stories' which are thinly veiled propoganda and nothing more. Gene Wolfe's brilliant "The Death of Dr Island" is the highlight, but you can find that in Gene Wolfe's collections, where you won't be bludgeoned with political agendas masquerading as award winning science fiction. A truly sad spectacle, this collection, and a sign of our times.