Customer Reviews

Science Fiction: The Best of the Year, 2006 Edition (Science Fiction: The Best of ... (Quality))

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

 

 

An odd mixture of Science Fiction and semi Fantasy.
Science Fiction: The Best of the Year 2006 edition is perhaps a great collection of everything Sci-Fi. But much of it is what the editors and critics name it page fillers.
All right, there are a few of these Page-Fillers but some of these stories are great. This is a huge accomplishment for Audio-realms and there is no reason why they partnership with Wild-side Press with the huge array of sci-fi stories. Audio Realms usually has contracts with Horror including the large collection of The Dark Worlds of H. P. Lovecraft all read by Wayne June and a few Fantasy tales.

Of course there are rumors that the operators of Audio-realms is planning to do another Science fiction collection in a later date, perhaps 2007 edition or 2008 edition will be put in the aisles of Amazon in the future. This has 10 CDs with some of the best narrators of the field. Readers such as Audio Realms veteran Brian Holsopple, famous Nature and other documentary narrator Bob Souer to Stephanie Riggio and Kitzie Stern.

Recorded in state-of-the-art sound system.

THE BEST:
Triceratops Summer by Michael Swanwick: Amazing Story
The Edge of Nowhere by James Patrick Kelly: Weird, Tragic and A Total Art for the abstract telling of the story.
Bliss by Leah Bobet
The Inn at Mount Either by James van Pelt: A Great Story
The Jenna Set by Daniel Kaysen
Understanding Time and Space by Alastair Reynolds

THE OK's:
Heartwired by Joe Haldeman
The Fate of Mice by Susan Palwick
The Policeman's Daughter by Wil McCarthy
Search Engine by Mary Rosenblum

THE WEIRD or just A PAGE-FILLER:
Bank Run by Tom Purdom: Note, there is no intro of the Title of the story or the Arthur.
A Coffee Cup/Alien Invasion Story by Douglas Lain
The King of Where-I-Go by Howard Waldrop
Finished by Robert Reed
You, by Anonymous by Stephen Leigh

Now you might like some of the Ok's or The Weird and just Page-Fillers. But I would press you that you might get Science Fiction album that all of the CDs in it are completely blank. We had a few reports of customers and sci-fi fans getting the bad copies. Keep the receipt and not order a second, put a letter in the return box and explain the problem so the people of Amazon would have to shipped it to Audio Realms.

Overall, I was satisfied with the selection and range of stories in this year's collection. You will recognize a number of stories if you read Asimov's SF or other leading SF magazines. My problem with this collection, and I know it's minor, is that there were a number of editorial errors. Dropped words were most noticable. I appreciate the need to get the book on the shelves, but sloppy publishing is never the answer.

I love literature of all types and have found myself being drawn to SF in the past few years. This series, and this issue more than any other I've read, proves that SF isn't frivolous. In this anthology, issues important to humanity are explored in fantastic setting. The writing is convincing, not fantastic. That is the beauty of great science fiction. It explores the nature of humanity in a highly creative and believable way. I won't go into the specifics of each story. Every one was a delightful romp through speculation, possibility and discovery. If you love SF, or are just curious about it, read this. Books like this prove that Science Fiction is a vital and important genre.

Received first copy of this CD and had to return it because the CD was Blank.
Like a fool ask for a replacement, rather then a refund, and received "another" blank CD.
Only title side was printed the play side Blank. This was less then one star, it was a zero experience.

An anthology that goes for the bookend approach, the best stories first and last. That makes complete sense to me. Only one story I didn't like at all, they can keep their dodgy coffee cups in New York, and away from the rest of us, I think. Or get rid of this pair with a UFO death ray.

Thank being said, I think this is quite a bit better than the 2007 volume (3.84 compared to 3.67) and a rather fine effort.

Horton also gives you a brief couple of page overview of his thoughts on SF short stories for the year.


SF Best of the Year 2006 : Triceratops Summer - Michael Swanwick
SF Best of the Year 2006 : Bank Run - Tom Purdom
SF Best of the Year 2006 : A Coffee Cup/Alien Invasion Story - Douglas Lain
SF Best of the Year 2006 : The Edge of Nowhere - James Patrick Kelly
SF Best of the Year 2006 : Heartwired - Joe Haldeman
SF Best of the Year 2006 : The Fate of Mice - Susan Palwick
SF Best of the Year 2006 : The King of Where-I-Go - Howard Waldrop
SF Best of the Year 2006 : The Policeman's Daughter - Wil McCarthy
SF Best of the Year 2006 : Bliss - Leah Bobet
SF Best of the Year 2006 : Finished - Robert Reed
SF Best of the Year 2006 : The Inn at Mount Either - James Van Pelt
SF Best of the Year 2006 : Search Engine - Mary Rosenblum
SF Best of the Year 2006 : You - Anonymous - Stephen Leigh
SF Best of the Year 2006 : The Jenna Set - Daniel Kaysen
SF Best of the Year 2006 : Understanding Space and Time - Alastair Reynolds


Time loop holiday.

4.5 out of 5


The economic outlook is conflict, with some pussyfooting around.

4 out of 5


Unidentified flaming object of story.

2.5 out of 5


Bad dogs and old stories.

4 out of 5


Double love overdose?

3.5 out of 5


Scary escape plan.

4 out of 5


First she bashes me in the head. Then she gets psionic time control powers to do it again. Or, cure is fishing atrophied.

4 out of 5


Old copy murder try.

4 out of 5


Chemical emotion.

3.5 out of 5


Just a robogigolo.

4 out of 5


Easy to get lost at big interdimensional hotel.

3 out of 5


Data debris discovery drug deal decimation detection drawdown drilling departure.

4.5 out of 5




4.5 out of 5


Elephant self-involvement.

3.5 out of 5


Palavatar content monitor space.

4 out of 5


Martian sole survivor's Elton imaginary friend accidental endings gets machine man revival upgrade cosmological study session black hole comeback.

4.5 out of 5




4.5 out of 5