A review by cosmogyral
Some of the Best of Tor.com 2021 by

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced

3.0

5 stars: "Sand," Jasmin Kirkbride; "The Future Library," Peng Shepherd; "L'Espirit de L'Escalier," Catherynne M. Valente.

4 stars: "The Lay of Lilyfinger," G.V. Anderson; "The Red Mother," Elizabeth Bear; "A Better Way of Saying," Sarah Pinsker; "Judge Dee and the Three Deaths of Count Werdenfels," Lavie Tidhar; "An Easy Job," Carrie Vaughn.

3 stars: "Masquerade Season," 'Pemi Aguda; "The Wonderful Stag, or the Courtship of Red Elsie," Kathleen Jennings; "Blood in the Thread," Cheri Kamei; "Now We Paint Worlds," Matthew Kressel; "Aptitude," Cooper Shrivastava.

2 stars: "The Tinder Box," Kate Elliott; "Questions Asked in the Belly of the World," A.T. Greenblatt; "Let All the Children Boogie," Sam J. Miller; "#Spring Love #Pichal Pairi," Usman T. Malik; "The Far Side of the Universe," Noc.

1 star: "Black Leg," Glen Hirshberg; "#Selfcare," Annalee Newitz; "Baby Teeth," Daniel Polansky; "Small Monsters," Lily E. Yu.

Average score: exactly 3 stars, very tidy.