Customer Reviews

The Year's Best Science Fiction: Eleventh Annual Collection

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

 

 

Another fine quality Year's Best anthology, a 3.80 story average, which is right on standard. I either didn't like a story, or they were decent or better. One of those I didn't like was one of those 'dirty fantasy' story low blows he slips in now and again. However, the second in that category, 'The Night We Buried Road Dog' is outstanding, so guess we can forgive the other one. Even though this 5 star ghost story isn't remotely SF.

I would have bet myself money that I wouldn't be too interested in a ballet tale, but Nancy Kress has come up with something excellent. She could possibly write about basket weaving or paint drying and do something good it seems. Add to that the best of Utley's Silurian sojourns I have seen, Sheffield's Analytical Engine hunt and some Cadigan hilarity on top of all the other good work, and we have yet another 5 star volume. Complete with the yearly overview, of course.

Year's Best Science Fiction 11 : Papa - Ian R. MacLeod
Year's Best Science Fiction 11 : Sacred Cow - Bruce Sterling
Year's Best Science Fiction 11 : Dancing on Air - Nancy Kress
Year's Best Science Fiction 11 : A Visit to the Farside - Don Webb
Year's Best Science Fiction 11 : Alien Bootlegger - Rebecca Ore
Year's Best Science Fiction 11 : Death on the Nile - Connie Willis
Year's Best Science Fiction 11 : Friendship Bridge - Brian W. Aldiss
Year's Best Science Fiction 11 : Into the Miranda Rift - G. David Nordley
Year's Best Science Fiction 11 : Mwalimu in the Squared Circle - Mike Resnick
Year's Best Science Fiction 11 : Guest of Honor - Robert Reed
Year's Best Science Fiction 11 : Love Toys of the Gods - Pat Cadigan
Year's Best Science Fiction 11 : Chaff - Greg Egan
Year's Best Science Fiction 11 : Georgia on My Mind - Charles Sheffield
Year's Best Science Fiction 11 : Cush - Neal Barrett
Year's Best Science Fiction 11 : On the Collection of Humans - Mark Rich
Year's Best Science Fiction 11 : There and Then - Steven Utley
Year's Best Science Fiction 11 : The Night We Buried Road Dog - Jack Cady
Year's Best Science Fiction 11 : Feedback - Joe Haldeman
Year's Best Science Fiction 11 : Lieserl - Stephen Baxter
Year's Best Science Fiction 11 : Flashback - Dan Simmons
Year's Best Science Fiction 11 : A Child's Christmas in Florida - William Browning Spencer
Year's Best Science Fiction 11 : Whispers - Maureen F. McHugh and David B. Kisor
Year's Best Science Fiction 11 : Wall Stone Craft - Walter Jon Williams


New tech generation gap.

3.5 out of 5


Filmwalla deal.

3.5 out of 5


Bioengineered ballet breakdown.

4.5 out of 5


Better to have transport in alternate universe, even if russkie.

3.5 out of 5


Redneck rampage revenge. With lawyers.

3.5 out of 5


Book of the Dead trip.

3.5 out of 5


Turkmenistan memories.

2.5 out of 5


Uranus shaky satellite science.

4 out of 5


Idi, Idi, Idi Amin
Take more than a 112 lb weakling President to get the win

4 out of 5


Average explorer losses.

3.5 out of 5


I had an alien baby Elvis.

4.5 out of 5


An agent is sent to kill a geneticist who is working in a druglord controlled stronghold in the jungles of Colombia, and working on important brain altering research.

3.5 out of 5


Analytical Engine kiwi discovery.

4.5 out of 5


Cursesucker.

2.5 out of 5


Grab the rich ones out of the tin cans, they the best.

4 out of 5


Corporate media exploitation and all that jazz in the Silurian.

4.5 out of 5


Ghost car twin graveyard.

5 out of 5


Artistic guidance death.

4 out of 5


Force grown sungirl intelligence.

3.5 out of 5


Really need to stop that killer.

4 out of 5


Christmas is really robbery.

3.5 out of 5


Shelley war effort.

4 out of 5

Dozois is, and has long been, one of the best editors and anthologizers in all of SF. The anthology ranges over the many different sub-genres of Science Fiction, and I therefore cannot say I enjoyed all of his stories; nevertheless, all were well-written, and some of the stories were among the best I've ever read. I strongly recommend this and any other of Dozois' "Year's Best..." series.

It's simple really, Dozois routinely edits the best anthology of the years short SF. Buy his first, others second.