The Year's Best Science Fiction Twenty-Fourth Annual Collection (Year's Best Science Fiction)
by Gardner R. Dozois
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 66)
Read in May, 2008
recommends it for:
Sci Fi fans looking for a good bedside companion
As with many "Year's Best" type anthologies, it's difficult to evaluate the collection as a whole. Unlike a themed collection (e.g., Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse), you can't easily ask how each story is helping to advance or otherwise round-out the speculation or evaluation of that given theme. But that's OK; that's not why we pick up and read a collection like this. And it's a hazar...more
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I don't think that I will ever finish this book, but I'll deposit some half-considered opinions anyway, in part because they seem to be stemming from a different seed from most of the other reviews. The first story, "I, Row-Boat" by Cory Dctorow, more cleverly fits this generation of science fiction than any others I've yet come across (admittedly, still few). Like a thousand other stories, "I, Row-Boat" is full of ideas about emergent sentience in AI, a complex web-network...more
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Read in December, 2007
This anthology is a big improvement over those of recent years--a definite return to form. Either 2006 was an exceptional year for short fiction, or my tastes and Dozois's have come back into alignment. Whatever the reason, long may it last.
I'd select stories for particular mention, but that would be most of the book. I found Alistair Reynolds' Signal to Noise disappointing, but it was compensated for by his story Nightingale, which, despite a somewhat predictable ending, I ...more
I'd select stories for particular mention, but that would be most of the book. I found Alistair Reynolds' Signal to Noise disappointing, but it was compensated for by his story Nightingale, which, despite a somewhat predictable ending, I ...more
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Read in June, 2008
This collection of the "best" science fiction stories from 2006 is hit and miss. Some of the stories were fabulous, like "Where the Golden Apples Grow" by Kage Baker and "In the River" by Justin Stanchfield. "I, Row-Boat" by Cory Doctorow, the first story in this anthology, was a silly story that was mostly a sci-fi insider's joke. I couldn't even finish "Bow Shock" by Gregory Benford because it was boring. With the exception of the Benford s...more
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Read in March, 2008
recommends it for:
People who like books about space ships, aliens, and alternate histories.
After having skipped last year's best of collection, I was ready to jump head first into this tome. I'm glad I did ad this one was a but different than years past. I/m not sure if it was intentional, but this year's stories seemed a bit on the long side, which was nice. They were generally longer that a regular short story, but shorter that a novella. This allowed many of the authors to go into much more detail and provide a much fuller, more fleshed out story. However, I do feel that many ...more
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Read in January, 2008
It's a big book- 700 pages with about 28 stories. I enjoyed "The Djinn's Wife", "Good Mountain", "Nightingale" (Alastair Reynolds - can't say I enjoyed his other story here, "Signal to Noise"), and others.
I found many were a little too "real" - I think there's a resurgence in hard science fiction (and political science fiction, for want of a better phrase), and while I enjoy it, I still long for the more esoteric - especially in a collectio...more
I found many were a little too "real" - I think there's a resurgence in hard science fiction (and political science fiction, for want of a better phrase), and while I enjoy it, I still long for the more esoteric - especially in a collectio...more
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Read in May, 2008
recommends it for:
People who like short sci-fi books
Some of the stories were really great. Some were disturbing. That's what I like about short stories in collections like this. You get a bunch of lots of things. Many will stay with me. Some I wish didn't. But some will make me think. I hope some develop in to books. I will read these books.
Short stories are such an interesting medium. They are very fun to read from time to time.
Short stories are such an interesting medium. They are very fun to read from time to time.
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I bought this book because I thought it would be a good way to introduce myself to science fiction. I've mainly been reading fantasy and wanted to venture into sci-fi as well and thought trying out short stories would be a good way to get to know new authors. We'll see how it goes.
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Other reviewers have commented on the improved quality of this edition in comparison to recent years. I certainly agree. I think it's because this year's stories are less self-consciously trying to be "literary," and are more focused on a tight story.
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Read in August, 2007
This is one of the strongest collections to date. Every story in this volume is great. Usually I end up skipping several, but this book only had one that I skipped, and was full of stories I just fell in love with.
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As a librarian I would prefer to have only one entry for this yearly anthology by editorial grand master Gardner Dozois. His eye is unfailing and every year his "Years Best Science Fiction" is as promised.
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I can't get enough of Sci-Fi short stories and Mr. Dozois always picks gems. The stories run the gamut in style/scope and almost all left me with a satisfied smile.
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Read in December, 2007
A preoccupation with AI's and humanity living on networks, but some very good stories in this edition. There's even a Cory Doctorow story that I actually liked.
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Currently reading. The first story by Cory Doctorow was excellent! Just what I was looking for.
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Read in December, 2007
Some very good stories (details to follow) and some just too technical and far out for my taste.
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Read in January, 2008
recommends it for:
anybody who likes science-fiction
Some great stories, some not so great stories. Definitely required reading for Sci-fi fans.
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If you read one sci-fi book a year, this is the one. Always stories of high caliber with a few tossed in that will keep you thinking weeks later, not to mention the collection is a primer for what science and technology everyone will be talking about five to ten years from now.
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