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A review by marmarta
Year's Best SF by Nancy Kress, Joan Slonczewski, Ursula K. Le Guin, David G. Hartwell, Robert Sheckley, William Barton, Gregory Benford, Patricia A. McKillip, Gene Wolfe, Stephen Baxter, Robert Silverberg, Roger Zelazny, Joe Haldeman, James Patrick Kelly, William Browning Spencer
adventurous
3.0
It's an anthology, so my rating is an average.
James Patrick Kelly, think like a dinosaur : somewhat creepy in a "wow men were creeps back then" way, but a decent story and a nice horror piece, an exploration of the creepier implications of teleportation 4/5
Patricia A. McKillip, Wonders of the Invisible World: fine, but too short. Time travelling academics trying to support themselves. Connie Willis did it better. 2/5
Robert Silberberg, Hot Times in Magma City. Decent but misogynistic and not that interesting to a non American. California is burning? So I've heard. 2/5
Stephen Baxter, Gossamer. A really good one, in the tradition of "people land in a weird place and find aliens". 4/5
Gregory Benfore, A Worm in the Well. Really nice piece of hard sf. You are tempted to calculate stuff yourself. 5/5
William Browning Spencer, Downloading Midnight. Also really misogynist at times (women are objects and not subject s), but engrossing at least. 3/5
Joe Haldemann, For White Hill. Really, really good. See? You can be an old dude writer and not be misogynist! Melancholy and interesting look at art. 5/5
William Barton, In Saturn Time. American masturbatory fantasy of the possible greatness of that country. 1/5
Ursula K. Le Guin, Coming of Age in Karhide. Good genderfuckery. Less revolutionary now than in 1996, but still great 5/5
Roger Żelazny, The Three Descents of Jeremy Baker. Classical sf. Nice and fun
4/5
Nancy Kress, Evolution. A story about pandemics and diseases. Hits different than in 1996, but good. 5/5
Robert Sheckley, The Day the Aliens Came. A bit of SF absurdism. Fine. 3/5
Joan Slonczewski, microbe. Amazing bio SF. Small but punchy. 5/5
Gene Wolfe, The Ziggurat. Boring drivel of a frustrated dude (probably divorce) who things women are animals and wants his own small (and weak) waifu to control. 0/5
James Patrick Kelly, think like a dinosaur : somewhat creepy in a "wow men were creeps back then" way, but a decent story and a nice horror piece, an exploration of the creepier implications of teleportation 4/5
Patricia A. McKillip, Wonders of the Invisible World: fine, but too short. Time travelling academics trying to support themselves. Connie Willis did it better. 2/5
Robert Silberberg, Hot Times in Magma City. Decent but misogynistic and not that interesting to a non American. California is burning? So I've heard. 2/5
Stephen Baxter, Gossamer. A really good one, in the tradition of "people land in a weird place and find aliens". 4/5
Gregory Benfore, A Worm in the Well. Really nice piece of hard sf. You are tempted to calculate stuff yourself. 5/5
William Browning Spencer, Downloading Midnight. Also really misogynist at times (women are objects and not subject s), but engrossing at least. 3/5
Joe Haldemann, For White Hill. Really, really good. See? You can be an old dude writer and not be misogynist! Melancholy and interesting look at art. 5/5
William Barton, In Saturn Time. American masturbatory fantasy of the possible greatness of that country. 1/5
Ursula K. Le Guin, Coming of Age in Karhide. Good genderfuckery. Less revolutionary now than in 1996, but still great 5/5
Roger Żelazny, The Three Descents of Jeremy Baker. Classical sf. Nice and fun
4/5
Nancy Kress, Evolution. A story about pandemics and diseases. Hits different than in 1996, but good. 5/5
Robert Sheckley, The Day the Aliens Came. A bit of SF absurdism. Fine. 3/5
Joan Slonczewski, microbe. Amazing bio SF. Small but punchy. 5/5
Gene Wolfe, The Ziggurat. Boring drivel of a frustrated dude (probably divorce) who things women are animals and wants his own small (and weak) waifu to control. 0/5