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A review by aphelia88
Year's Best Fantasy: 2 by David G. Hartwell
4.0
#28 in my #20for2020tbrchallenge, to read 20 TBR books this year
I'm not sure why the co-editor [a:Kathryn Cramer|237474|Kathryn Cramer|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1401831537p2/237474.jpg] is listed on the inside but not on the cover or the spine?
A collection of 22 reprints, all Fantasy, originally published in 2001. Many of the authors were new to me. Great collection!
Quick Breakdown:
5⭐ = 7
4⭐ = 7
3⭐ = 1
3⭐ = 2
1⭐ =3
DNR (Did Not Read): 2
1. "The Finder", Ursula K. LeGuin (Earthsea novella); 4⭐
Story of the founding of the wizard school on Roke and how the doorkeeper came to be.
2. "Senator Bilbo", Andy Duncan; 1⭐
Weird. Places a real life racist senator in Middle Earth; comeuppance by Orc.
3. "Big City Littles", Charles de Lint; 5⭐
A children's book author is petitioned for help by her own creations.
4. "What the Tyger Told Her", Kage Baker; 5⭐ (read before)
Disturbing morality play.
5. "In the Shadow of Her Wings", Ashok Baker; 4⭐
An assassin sent to quell a women-only resistance movement finds the goddess Kali more real and terrible than he believed.
6. "The Heart of the Hill", Marion Zimmer Bradley and Diana L. Paxson; DNR
I am no longer reading MZB, due to accusations of extensive abuse.
7. "Queen", Gene Wolfe; 1⭐
Bizarre and cryptic. Very short.
8. "The Black Heart", Patrick O'Leary; 4⭐
A man stranded at an airport is a destroyer of worlds - until challenged by a fortune teller.
9. "On the Wall", Jo Walton; 3⭐
Too bad it isn't longer, it had great protentional. How the enchanted mirror from Snow White came to be.
10. "Hell is the Absence of God", Ted Chiang; 4⭐
What is the merciless, implacable, cruel and capricious Old Testament God is real and still intervening in human affairs?
11. "The Man Who Stole the Moon", Tanith Lee (The Flat Earth); 5⭐
A clever thief must steal the moon to save his life. Plus, a flying carpet!
12. "Firebird", R. Garcia Y Robertson; 5⭐
Excellent. A witch's girl and an errant knight.
13. "My Case for Retributive Action:, Thomas Ligotti; DNR
Something to do with spiders. NOPE.
14. "The Shadow", Thomas M. Disch; 1⭐
Horror. Shadows taking over people, causing Alzheimer's. Doesn't belong in this anthology.
15. "Stitchery", Devon Monk, 4⭐ (seems to be inspiration for her House Immortal series)
A patchwork girl tries to save her two-headed lover with magic stitches but he thinks it's unnatural.
16. "The Others We Know Not Of", Kate Riedel; 4⭐
A nurse remembers a young boyfriend who had an unusual talent.
17. "The Lady of the Winds", Poul Anderson (Cappen Varra); 4⭐
A comically verbose lover-boy thief is run out of town but must appeal to a goddess for fair weather while travelling. He strikes a bargain and writes her the song she wants - which is Gilbert & Sullivan tune from another world. Highly enjoyable, but the G&S joke went over my head.
18. "His Own Back Yard", James P. Blaylock; 5⭐
A man goes back to his boyhood. Nostalgic.
19. "A Place to Begin", Richard Parks; 5⭐
Sorcerer's Apprentice retelling, set in China. A young girl is apprenticed to an elderly witch and faces a test of will.
20. "Nucleon", David D. Levine; 5⭐
An artist befriends the owner of a very unique junkyard.
21. "My Stolen Sabre", Uncle River, 2⭐
Weird, jokey story (tall tale?) about Power Beings.
22. "Apologue", James Morro; 2⭐
Short piece about mythical monsters returning to New York to help out after 9/11.
I'm not sure why the co-editor [a:Kathryn Cramer|237474|Kathryn Cramer|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1401831537p2/237474.jpg] is listed on the inside but not on the cover or the spine?
A collection of 22 reprints, all Fantasy, originally published in 2001. Many of the authors were new to me. Great collection!
Quick Breakdown:
5⭐ = 7
4⭐ = 7
3⭐ = 1
3⭐ = 2
1⭐ =3
DNR (Did Not Read): 2
1. "The Finder", Ursula K. LeGuin (Earthsea novella); 4⭐
Story of the founding of the wizard school on Roke and how the doorkeeper came to be.
2. "Senator Bilbo", Andy Duncan; 1⭐
Weird. Places a real life racist senator in Middle Earth; comeuppance by Orc.
3. "Big City Littles", Charles de Lint; 5⭐
A children's book author is petitioned for help by her own creations.
4. "What the Tyger Told Her", Kage Baker; 5⭐ (read before)
Disturbing morality play.
5. "In the Shadow of Her Wings", Ashok Baker; 4⭐
An assassin sent to quell a women-only resistance movement finds the goddess Kali more real and terrible than he believed.
6. "The Heart of the Hill", Marion Zimmer Bradley and Diana L. Paxson; DNR
I am no longer reading MZB, due to accusations of extensive abuse.
7. "Queen", Gene Wolfe; 1⭐
Bizarre and cryptic. Very short.
8. "The Black Heart", Patrick O'Leary; 4⭐
A man stranded at an airport is a destroyer of worlds - until challenged by a fortune teller.
9. "On the Wall", Jo Walton; 3⭐
Too bad it isn't longer, it had great protentional. How the enchanted mirror from Snow White came to be.
10. "Hell is the Absence of God", Ted Chiang; 4⭐
What is the merciless, implacable, cruel and capricious Old Testament God is real and still intervening in human affairs?
11. "The Man Who Stole the Moon", Tanith Lee (The Flat Earth); 5⭐
A clever thief must steal the moon to save his life. Plus, a flying carpet!
12. "Firebird", R. Garcia Y Robertson; 5⭐
Excellent. A witch's girl and an errant knight.
13. "My Case for Retributive Action:, Thomas Ligotti; DNR
Something to do with spiders. NOPE.
14. "The Shadow", Thomas M. Disch; 1⭐
Horror. Shadows taking over people, causing Alzheimer's. Doesn't belong in this anthology.
15. "Stitchery", Devon Monk, 4⭐ (seems to be inspiration for her House Immortal series)
A patchwork girl tries to save her two-headed lover with magic stitches but he thinks it's unnatural.
16. "The Others We Know Not Of", Kate Riedel; 4⭐
A nurse remembers a young boyfriend who had an unusual talent.
17. "The Lady of the Winds", Poul Anderson (Cappen Varra); 4⭐
A comically verbose lover-boy thief is run out of town but must appeal to a goddess for fair weather while travelling. He strikes a bargain and writes her the song she wants - which is Gilbert & Sullivan tune from another world. Highly enjoyable, but the G&S joke went over my head.
18. "His Own Back Yard", James P. Blaylock; 5⭐
A man goes back to his boyhood. Nostalgic.
19. "A Place to Begin", Richard Parks; 5⭐
Sorcerer's Apprentice retelling, set in China. A young girl is apprenticed to an elderly witch and faces a test of will.
20. "Nucleon", David D. Levine; 5⭐
An artist befriends the owner of a very unique junkyard.
21. "My Stolen Sabre", Uncle River, 2⭐
Weird, jokey story (tall tale?) about Power Beings.
22. "Apologue", James Morro; 2⭐
Short piece about mythical monsters returning to New York to help out after 9/11.