Fantasy: The Best of the Year, 2006 Edition (Fantasy: The Best of ... (Quality)) (Paperback)

~ Rich Horton (Author)
Key Phrases: small folk, waking world, fantasy magazine, Rich Horton, The Best of the Year, Henry Lee (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. The 19 mostly excellent short stories in this latest addition to the growing field of annual "best of" fantasy anthologies include works by established stars like Pat Cadigan (the delightful, wry "Is There Life After Rehab?") and Peter S. Beagle ("Two Hearts," a deceptively simple tale about love, loyalty and magic, the short story sequel to his 1968 novel, The Last Unicorn). In a nod to the "mainstream acceptance" of fantasy, Horton reprints George Saunders's twisted, satirical "CommComm," which originally appeared in the New Yorker. Distinguishing this anthology are many stories that first appeared in small press venues , including Samantha Henderson's "Five Ways Jane Austen Never Died" and Theodora Goss's haunting "Pip and the Fairies." Horton has gathered a diverse mix of styles and themes that illustrate the depth and breadth of fantasy writing today. (Sept.)
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From Booklist

An aging, costumed crime fighter wants to trade his cape for the mayor's mantle, while his still-virgin lover wants out of her star-reporter gig. An old acquaintance solicits a 100-year-old ex-vampire to run a probable scam on other ex-vamps who want to suck blood again. A computer-bound trade-mag drudge throws over promotion to editor in chief to find the girl he has fallen in love with, though she lives in an online micronation. A professional discriminator (a what?) has to employ all his interdimensional contact skills to neutralize a client who takes him captive. Such TV Guide-ish capsule summaries don't begin to suggest the fascinations of the stories by, respectively, Michael Canfield, Pat Cadigan, Paul Di Filippo, and Matthew Hughes. Horton's dazzling selection contains 15 more as good or better, by both genre stars (Neil Gaiman, Peter S. Beagle, Gene Wolfe) and newcomers (Holly Phillips, Elizabeth Bear, Theodora Goss). Pick of the pack? Maybe Steve Rasnic Tem's deeply affecting "Invisible," a parable for our times if ever there was one. Ray Olson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Prime Books (June 20, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0809556502
• ISBN-13: 978-0809556502
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,549,587 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars False advertising??, June 29, 2007

By	Jeff Hotchkiss (State College, PA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Fantasy: The Best of the Year 2007 (Mass Market Paperback)

I haven't even read one word in this book and I'm already disappointed. You're probably thinking I'm an idiot for saying that; however, I can justify my disappointment. When the cover of the book has Neil Gaiman's and Gene Wolfe's names on it, you'd expect there to be stories by those authors in the damn book. Yes, that's right, their names are on the cover and they aren't even in the book. What the hell? I would have purchased the book regardless of who's in it, but seriously, if their names are on the cover (as they are obviously a marketing tool to get people to buy the book) they should have stories in it.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not Free SF Reader, January 26, 2008

By	Blue Tyson "- http://freesf.blogspot.com" - See all my reviews

I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I pretty much know I am not going to like experimental plotless pieces, and in fantasy anthologies like this there is a fair chance there will be some, as some people like 'em, so broad selecting Super Editors should pick them for those people.

Such is the case here, but there are more 4 star stories than I thought I would find, too, so good stuff. In fact, it averages 3.55, above the good line, as such. To shamelessly steal his own phraseology, there was good work here from Wolfe, Bear, Di Filippo, Gaiman, Taafe, Cadigan, Parks and Hughes, with the standout piece being Beagle's.

The editor also says not much 'Heroic' fantasy to be found in general, so not much here, and by this I presume he is using it as an umbrella term for High Fantasy, Low Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery and other such secondary world type offerings, in general.

Which is interesting, as I had been wondering if there are enough good fantasy stories in a year to fill such a volume of more mainstream fantasy adventure type stories that are more in the vein of what Lin Carter might have chosen, or Silveberg's Legends anthology, compared to what Kelly Link or her predecessors prefer.

The only annoying thing now is no electronic versio of the 2007 book, whereas there is for the 2006.

Fantasy Best of the Year 2006 : Pip and the Fairies - Theodora Goss
Fantasy Best of the Year 2006 : Comber - Gene Wolfe
Fantasy Best of the Year 2006 : Three Urban Folk Tales - Eric Schaller
Fantasy Best of the Year 2006 : Wax - Elizabeth Bear
Fantasy Best of the Year 2006 : The Emperor of Gondwanaland - Paul Di Filippo
Fantasy Best of the Year 2006 : CommComm - George Saunders
Fantasy Best of the Year 2006 : Five Ways Jane Austen Never Died - Samantha Henderson
Fantasy Best of the Year 2006 : Fancy Bread - Gregory Feeley
Fantasy Best of the Year 2006 : Sunbird - Neil Gaiman
Fantasy Best of the Year 2006 : The Secret of Broken Tickers - Joe Murphy
Fantasy Best of the Year 2006 : On the Blindside - Sonya Taaffe
Fantasy Best of the Year 2006 : Jane - Marc Laidlaw
Fantasy Best of the Year 2006 : Is There Life After Rehab? - Pat Cadigan
Fantasy Best of the Year 2006 : Two Hearts - Peter S. Beagle
Fantasy Best of the Year 2006 : Super-Villains - Michael Canfield
Fantasy Best of the Year 2006 : Empty Places - Richard Parks
Fantasy Best of the Year 2006 : Invisible - Steve Rasnic Tem
Fantasy Best of the Year 2006 : By the Light of Tomorrow's Sun - Holly Phillips
Fantasy Best of the Year 2006 : The Gist Hunter - Matthew Hughes

Obit teaparty flashback.

2.5 out of 5


Swiftly tilting city.

4 out of 5


Love to go postal, you rat.

2.5 out of 5


Forensic sorcery monster murder triangle.

4 out of 5


Online getaway hookup.

4 out of 5


Dead can be quite smelly.

3 out of 5


Possibly better story topics.

3 out of 5


Pommie snacks.

3.5 out of 5


"I have a presentiment of doom upon me," ..."And I fear it shall come to us with barbecue sauce."

4 out of 5


Blockhead storm.

3 out of 5


Crossover promises.

4 out of 5


One glove is all you get.

3.5 out of 5


Maybe undead again.

4 out of 5


Griffin snacking leads to senile sovereign's swan song.

4.5 out of 5


An aging hero has run out of enemies to fight, and he has always used his crusade to prevent him coming to close to the woman he desires.

An old foe of his is released from prison and said woman decides to do something about it, accompanying the villain to an exhibition where the Venus diamond is on display, a stone with reputedly magical properties.

When Ginny gets the diamond, a new super villain is born, Fevre, and the Wing again has an opponent to chase.

3.5 out of 5


"Just what is Timon the Black's arrangement with those men?"

"A simple one: They don't interfere with my business and I don't rip the flesh from their bones. You'd be surprised at how reasonable men can be, when the alternative is explained to them."

4 out of 5


Spontaneous Human Invisibility.

3 out of 5


Not a Peachy finish.

3.5 out of 5


Discriminating integration opposition intercession accomodation.

4 out of 5