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michael5000's review
Abandoned (twice!) not because there was any problem with the short stories; I'm just not a big fan of the short story form.
jsilber42's review
4.0
These collections are always worth a read. This one is about a decade old, but holds up pretty well, with the exception of some predictions about the future of the internet that feel a bit dated. In fact, the future of the information superhighway and information tech is a recurring theme in this collection (at least 4 stories focus on it). Oddly, I noticed an abundance of sexual content in the stories (sometimes graphic), which I don't recall being the case in the other collections I've read in the past. My main complaint about this collection is that, while most of the stories were very well-written, in general they tended to lack really breathtaking new ideas. Additionally, a lot of the same authors tend to get selected year after year, so you're not exposed to new talent as often as you might hope. Fortunately, a lot of the authors are really good, so you are happy to see them recur!
A few of my favorites in this collection were "Computer Virus" by Nancy Kress (think Panic Room but with the house's AI as the intruder), "The Dog Said Bow-Wow" by Michael Swanwick (bizarre far-future con caper with a talking dog), "Neutrino Drag" by Paul Di Filippo (drag racing with a crazy alien), and "The Chief Designer" by Andy Duncan (historical novella that takes you inside the Soviet space program).
This collection has been unusual in that I haven't found a single story I hated! The stories that don't wow you with ideas or pacing or fun tend to be emotionally-moving character pieces that impress you by the time they are done. The only story that really failed to draw me in was "One-Horse Town" by Howard Waldrop and Leigh Kennedy, which is a 3-timeline story about Homer and the writing of the Illiad. I was also underwhelmed by Michael Blumlein's "Know How, Can Do" story of a worm given human intelligence (ala Flowers for Algernon) which I found to be too short and too blunt.
As always, your mileage will vary.
A few of my favorites in this collection were "Computer Virus" by Nancy Kress (think Panic Room but with the house's AI as the intruder), "The Dog Said Bow-Wow" by Michael Swanwick (bizarre far-future con caper with a talking dog), "Neutrino Drag" by Paul Di Filippo (drag racing with a crazy alien), and "The Chief Designer" by Andy Duncan (historical novella that takes you inside the Soviet space program).
This collection has been unusual in that I haven't found a single story I hated! The stories that don't wow you with ideas or pacing or fun tend to be emotionally-moving character pieces that impress you by the time they are done. The only story that really failed to draw me in was "One-Horse Town" by Howard Waldrop and Leigh Kennedy, which is a 3-timeline story about Homer and the writing of the Illiad. I was also underwhelmed by Michael Blumlein's "Know How, Can Do" story of a worm given human intelligence (ala Flowers for Algernon) which I found to be too short and too blunt.
As always, your mileage will vary.
richh's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
spygrl1's review
2.0
My favorite story in the collection is the one I've read three or four times before: "The Dog Said Bow-Wow" by Michael Swanwick. The collection also includes a story I have read before and still, on second reading, actively dislike: "Lobsters" by Charles Stross.
There were a few other stories that combined length with not being my cup of tea, which made this 780-page volume a slow read.
Other than the Swanwick, my favorites were:
"Interview: On Any Given Day" by Maureen McHugh (rejuvenation technology means the elderly have a second chance to screw up as teen-agers)
"Know How, Can Do" by Michael Blumlein ("Flowers for Algernon" with a worm ... and a goat)
Quotes
"Information production and information delivery are two completely different jobs now--and I'm telling you, honey, all the money an security is in delivery. ... The public needs the truth but doesn't want it. The money's all in what they want but don't need."
There were a few other stories that combined length with not being my cup of tea, which made this 780-page volume a slow read.
Other than the Swanwick, my favorites were:
"Interview: On Any Given Day" by Maureen McHugh (rejuvenation technology means the elderly have a second chance to screw up as teen-agers)
"Know How, Can Do" by Michael Blumlein ("Flowers for Algernon" with a worm ... and a goat)
Quotes
"Information production and information delivery are two completely different jobs now--and I'm telling you, honey, all the money an security is in delivery. ... The public needs the truth but doesn't want it. The money's all in what they want but don't need."
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