The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
In print and on-line, science fiction and fantasy is thriving as never before. A multitude of astonishingly creative and gifted writers are boldly exploring the mythic past, the paranormal present, and the promises and perils of myriad alternate worlds and futures. There are almost too many new and intriguing stories published every year for any reader to be able to experience them all. So how to make sure you haven’t missed any future classics?
Award-winning editor and anthologist Jonathan Strahan has surveyed the expanding universes of modern sf and fantasy to find the brightest stars in today’s dazzling literary firmament. From the latest masterworks by the acknowledged titans of the field to fresh visions from exciting new talents, this outstanding collection is a comprehensive showcase for the current state of the art in both science fiction and fantasy. Anyone who wants to know where the future of imaginative short fiction is going, and treat themselves to dozens of unforgettable stories, will find this year’s edition of Best Science Fiction and Fantasy to be just what they’re looking for!
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Strahan s introduction calls 2008 a good but not exceptional year for short fiction, and in accurate reflection, all 29 stories collected here are good, but few are great. The standouts are memorable in a variety of ways: for sheer power of narrative voice, Pat Cadigan s Truth and Bone ; for human connections to inscrutable aliens, Damien Broderick s This Wind Blowing, and This Tide ; for humor amid life-and-death peril, Sarah Monette and Elizabeth Bear s Mongoose. Hard SF fans should seek out the imperiled far future Earth of Stephen Baxter s Formidable Caress, while a sense of wonder and menace permeates Peter Watts s The Island. A few stories don t feel as strong as they might have been, but there are no real wrong turns.
