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spikeanderson1's review against another edition
3.0
very good- as expected- with notable shorts by RC Wilson, Gene Wolfe, Peter Watts, Brian Stableford, Charles Obberndof The rest are decent to good, with a weak or so thrown in Worth the read and worth revisiting
sjstuart's review against another edition
4.0
I normally like The annual [a:Hartwell|13390|David G. Hartwell|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1247584058p2/13390.jpg] and [a:Cramer|237474|Kathryn Cramer|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66-4df4c878d4149c45fac159e88cb784ad.jpg] compilations, because of their focus on pure sci fi, without much intrusion from fantasy, horror, steampunk or other subgenres that don't feel compelled to include science in their fiction. As the editors say in the introduction, "this book is full of science fiction---every story in the book is fairly clearly that and not something else." Unfortunately, the editors failed to meet their own standards this time, and included several interlopers. These include "The Unstrung Zither", a smart fantasy story that is heavily imbued with Eastern symbolism, mysticism and even magic, but only lightly connected to reality. The editors' filter also let through a pair alternate-history stories ("Donovan Sent Us" and "This Peacable Land; or The Unbearable Vision of Harriet Beecher Stowe") that are merely historical fiction (post-Hitler and post-Lincoln), without even the slightest bit of science involved in their their deviation from reality. In "Edison's Frankenstein", the point of deviation from our world is made abundantly clear, but here it depends on the discovery of "prometheum", a fantastical substance that provides an unlimited source of free energy.
Alternate history stories are actually featured quite heavily in this volume, with six of 24 stories falling into this category. The other alternate history stories are good, though, and earn their place in a best-of science fiction anthology by using science and technology in clever ways to explain, justify and provide context to their alternate pasts and futures.
Among the remaining stories, [a:Peter Watts|27167|Peter Watts|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-M-50x66-f6689175dd57c0b1f6246d198a230cae.jpg]' "The Island" is superb, a story of interstellar exploration with a masterful blending of despair and wonder, tech toys and human elements, dense jargon and singing prose.
I also really enjoyed [a:Brian Stableford|6458461|Brian Stableford|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66-4df4c878d4149c45fac159e88cb784ad.jpg]'s "The Highway Code", an entertaining story that gave me an entirely different view of what the future might be like once Google's autonomous vehicles take over the roads.
"Attitude Adjustment", by [a:Eric James Stone|2851726|Eric James Stone|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1277141800p2/2851726.jpg], is a rare example of a style of Asimovian sci-fi story that is nearly extinct: the clever protagonist who uses her wits and physics to think her way out of a disastrous situation. We can always use more of this kind of story.
[a:Mary Robinette Kowal|2868678|Mary Robinette Kowal|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1272385963p2/2868678.jpg]'s "The Consciousness Problem" and [a:Charles Oberndorf|716549|Charles Oberndorf|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66-4df4c878d4149c45fac159e88cb784ad.jpg]'s "Another Life" both explore
the consequences of being able to wake up with your mind in a body different than the one it remembers. Oberndorf's story weaves these ideas together with themes of sex, gender identity, and love in a compactly multilayered story. I agree with the editors that it might be the best of the selection.
Alternate history stories are actually featured quite heavily in this volume, with six of 24 stories falling into this category. The other alternate history stories are good, though, and earn their place in a best-of science fiction anthology by using science and technology in clever ways to explain, justify and provide context to their alternate pasts and futures.
Among the remaining stories, [a:Peter Watts|27167|Peter Watts|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-M-50x66-f6689175dd57c0b1f6246d198a230cae.jpg]' "The Island" is superb, a story of interstellar exploration with a masterful blending of despair and wonder, tech toys and human elements, dense jargon and singing prose.
I also really enjoyed [a:Brian Stableford|6458461|Brian Stableford|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66-4df4c878d4149c45fac159e88cb784ad.jpg]'s "The Highway Code", an entertaining story that gave me an entirely different view of what the future might be like once Google's autonomous vehicles take over the roads.
"Attitude Adjustment", by [a:Eric James Stone|2851726|Eric James Stone|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1277141800p2/2851726.jpg], is a rare example of a style of Asimovian sci-fi story that is nearly extinct: the clever protagonist who uses her wits and physics to think her way out of a disastrous situation. We can always use more of this kind of story.
[a:Mary Robinette Kowal|2868678|Mary Robinette Kowal|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1272385963p2/2868678.jpg]'s "The Consciousness Problem" and [a:Charles Oberndorf|716549|Charles Oberndorf|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66-4df4c878d4149c45fac159e88cb784ad.jpg]'s "Another Life" both explore
the consequences of being able to wake up with your mind in a body different than the one it remembers. Oberndorf's story weaves these ideas together with themes of sex, gender identity, and love in a compactly multilayered story. I agree with the editors that it might be the best of the selection.
sbisson's review against another edition
4.0
Recent Reads: Year's Best SF 15. David Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer's 2010 anthology is an interesting tour through early short fiction from many of today's best known authors (as well as those who were at the peak of their careers at the time). An excellent collection of fiction.
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