Starlight 2 (Starlight (Tor Paperback)) [Hardcover]

Patrick Nielsen Hayden (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Starlight (Tor Paperback) | Publication Date: October 15, 1998

Since its debut in 1996, Starlight has been recognized as the leading SF and Fantasy original anthology series in the world. Stories from Starlight have won the Nebula Award, the Theodore Sturgeon Award, and the Tiptree Award, and have been repeatedly honored by all of the field's "best of the year" collections. In Starlight 2, award-winning editor Patrick Nielsen Hayden offers a serving of powerful, original fiction, from SF writers such as Jonathan Lethem, Ellen Kushner, David Langford, Susanna Clarke, Esther M. Friesner, and Ted Chiang.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This is the second volume in a relatively new original anthology series from longtime Tor Books editor Patrick Nielsen Hayden. Nielsen Hayden has exceptional--and somewhat eccentric--tastes when it comes to selecting science fiction and fantasy, something that's clearly evident in this book. The 13 stories presented here include works from established pros such as Ursula K. Le Guin and Geoffrey A. Landis, as well as pieces from some not so familiar names such as Ted Chiang. (Chiang's work "The Story of Your Life" is only his fourth published story, although his first earned him a Nebula Award.) The literary styles vary as widely as the authors, and in some respects the only thing they have in common is their overriding quality. But this volume definitely has something for everyone and is an excellent source for some terrific reading. --Craig E. Engler

From Publishers Weekly

Rare's the sequel that matches its predecessor, especially when the original is as acclaimed as Starlight 1, which won the World Fantasy Award for best anthology. This diverse compilation of SF and fantasy, however, seems to live up to the expectations set, offering 13 original and powerful stories with an overall darker, grimmer cast than the ones that came before. M. Shayne Bell's protagonists travel time to revise the nation's history by attempting to correct the humiliations suffered by the black singer Marian Anderson in Jim Crow America ("Lock Down"). Geoffrey A. Landis introduces a physicist whose brilliance rivals Einstein's, but whose status as a homeless, unmarried mother forces theories about three-dimensional space to the back burner ("Snow"). The rich in Jonathan Lethem's dystopic "Access Fantasy" rape and kill the disenfranchised poor before retreating behind their "One-Way Permeable Barrier." "The Death of the Duke," Ellen Kushner's adults-only fairy tale, eroticizes the moment of death when the Duke is pierced by his male lover's sword. Strong and varied, this anthology has gathered some gems of the genre.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; 1st edition (October 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312861842
• ISBN-13: 978-0312861841
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,938,590 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars SF&F anthology with vices & virtues of "literary" fiction., January 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Starlight 2 (Starlight (Tor Paperback)) (Hardcover)

In my experience "literary" fiction is often too remote or confusing to enjoy. Most of these stories have that fault. A curious exception is the Argentine translation which seemed like a relatively straightforward (compared to the others) fantasy about a young prince. I normally don't like fantasy, but it was of the made up kingdom variety & I can tolerate that. For an example of too remote there's "Lock Down" which might have been good if I had any reason to care about the characters. For too confusing there's "The Amount to Carry" which is so weird I think I blocked it out. There are some good stories here though. "Divided by Infinity" is a disturbing "Twilight Zonish" type story. Rapharel Carter's is kind of funny & I could've believed it was nonfiction if I didn't know better. Ted Chiang has won all sorts of awards even though he's published only 4 stories. His story was intriguing if sometimes hard to follow. I'd almost call it hard sf about grammar. Chiang's, Wilson's & maybe Carter's have a shot at making it to Dozois' year's best. In conclusion though I feel like I should warn you that these stories aren't entertaining or fun & that reading them has been a somewhat unpleasant experience for me. Despite being intellectually stimulating & addicting. I'd like to be for supporting original sf&f anthologies, but be forewarned. Note also that if you're the type who likes Kafka or subscribes to Crank! you'll probably like it.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Stunner, October 9, 2001

By 

Lydia Nickerson (Minneapolis, MN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Starlight 2 (Paperback)

Starlight 2 is another stunning collection of original short stories. Starlight 2 is a reminder that the short story form isn't dead, it isn't even sleeping. The worst story in the collection is good, the the best will leave you breathless. There is something about the order in which the stories are put that comprises a dramatic arc, though I can't analyze it. Nevertheless, unlike many anthologies, Starlight 2 is a cover-to-cover read, with resonances between the stories even though they are otherwise unlinked. That touch of artistry alone sets this anthology above most others.

2 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Yawn -- Nothing stellar about it, September 29, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Starlight 2 (Paperback)

I didn't care about the characters. An overall flatness of the collection indicates it's not so much the writers, but that the life has been edited out of these stories by the editor. If you just need something to pass the time, or need a cure for insomnia, read this book. There is nothing stellar about it.