Customer Reviews

Nebula Awards Showcase 2007

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

 

 

This year's collection was OK, but too much of its length was taken up with 9 various articles on the state of SF, why Nebulas are still important, etc., and a long reprint of an old Harlan Ellison short novel from 1968 (the longest piece in the collection). I have every volume of the Nebula Award stories from the first, and I enjoyed them a lot more when they printed all of the nominated short stories plus the winning novella and novelette rather than articles on the future of Canadian SF, trends in publishing, etc. Still worth getting for the few stories Mike Resnick allows us to read, but could be improved.

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America--and the Nebula Award--have been around for more than four decades. The Nebula is awarded each year to honor the best of the best in a particular year's short stories, novellas, novels, poems, etc. It is the premier award given to authors of science fiction and fantasy. The winners are chosen by the members of the SFFWA and then published in that year's anthology.

In addition to the winners, this year's book includes essays written by some of the top SF&F writers about such subjects as the history and future of science fiction and fantasy, a round table discussion, and an essay on Canadian publishing.

Overall, like any anthology, I found stories I liked and others I didn't. Had I picked this off the shelf and looked at the first or second story, it would immediately have been put back, but then I would have missed the ones further in that I did enjoy. The first one made no sense to me, had multiple points of view, sometimes within the same paragraph, which made it difficult to follow. Whose head was I supposed to be in? Unfortunately, I've found this seems to becoming more and more popular in "modern" writing. Sorry, but I don't like it.

However, the later stories were more to my traditional liking, and I really did enjoy them, as well as the essays. Another feature is a listing at the back of the book that shows the Nebula winners from the 1965 to today, a list I find most helpful as I will search out some of the stories I've missed when I have time. I found the interspersion of fiction and non-fiction a nice blend that adds to the appeal of the collection.

Overall if you are a fan of science fiction and fantasy, then you should definitely pick up a copy of this book. After all, it is the best of the best for the past year. But as with any anthology, understand that there may be stories you like and others you do not. And that's okay. If we all had the same taste, what a boring world this would be.

Reviewed by Vicky Burkholder
08/14/2007

4.5-Books on WUAT = 5-Stars on Amazon

A good book for die hard fans. Fewer stories than I expected, but good stories. There's a lot in here about the authors themselves by the authors themselves. Where many ideas came from and how they've developed in writing sci-fi and fantasy. Discussions of different writers was helpful in finding those new and old I hadn't read.

The annual Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America selection of the best of the year's stories is always a fun book and the 2007 edition is no exception. The format does not change from year to year, but what is included of course is kept current. Several novellas and novelettes including the winners from each category ("Magic for Beginners" and the "Faery handbag" both by Kelly Link) are provided. An extract from the first place novel Camouflage by Joe Haldeman is also included. Other categories are Short Story (the selections are provided), Script, and the Andre Norton Award. All are fine entries, but this reviewer's favorite inclusion is the essays on the state of science fiction and fantasy. This year's commentary included a fascinating round table discussion on short fiction with famous editors of magazines/anthologies participating and an article on cover art by John Picacio. All in all as always a fine anthology that reminds fans what the authors considered the best of 2006.

Harriet Klausner