Fantasy Annual 3

by Terry Carr

ix • Introduction • essay by Terry Carr
1 • The Crate • (1979) • Stephen King
33 • Collaborating • (1978) • Michael Bishop
53 • Fate's Purse • (1979) • Russell Kirk
75 • The Things That Are Gods • (1979) • John Brunner
115 • Flop Sweat • (1979) • Harlan Ellison
131 • Rent Control • (1979) • Walter Tevis
143 • The Button Molder • (1979) • Fritz Leiber
179 • The Extraordinary Voyages of Amélie Bertrand • (1979) • Joanna Russ
195 • Eumenides in the Fourth-Floor Lavatory • (1979) • Orson Scott Card
213 • The White Horse Child • (1979) • Greg Bear
233 • Trill Coster's Burden • (1979) • Manly Wade Wellman
245 • Pie Row Joe • (1978) • Kevin McKay
257 • The Ancient Mind at Work • (1979) • Suzy McKee Charnas

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Short Stories, Anthologies

304 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1981

About the author

Carr was born in Grants Pass, Oregon. He attended the City College of San Francisco and the University of California, Berkeley from 1954 to 1959.

Carr discovered science fiction fandom in 1949, where he became an enthusiastic publisher of fanzines, which later helped open his way into the commercial publishing world. (He was one of the two fans responsible for the hoax fan 'Carl Brandon' after whom the Carl Brandon Society takes its name.) Despite a long career as a science fiction professional, he continued to participate as a fan until his death. He was nominated five times for Hugos for Best Fanzine (1959–1961, 1967–1968), winning in 1959, was nominated three times for Best Fan Writer (1971–1973), winning in 1973, and was Fan Guest of Honor at ConFederation in 1986.

Though he published some fiction in the early 1960s, Carr concentrated on editing. He first worked at Ace Books, establishing the Ace Science Fiction Specials series which published, among other novels, The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin and Rite of Passage by Alexei Panshin.

After conflicts with Ace head Donald A. Wollheim, he worked as a freelancer. He edited an original story anthology series called Universe, and a popular series of The Best Science Fiction of the Year anthologies that ran from 1972 until his death in 1987. He also edited numerous one-off anthologies over the same time span. He was nominated for the Hugo for Best Editor thirteen times (1973–1975, 1977–1979, 1981–1987), winning twice (1985 and 1987). His win in 1985 was the first time a freelance editor had won.

Carr taught at the Clarion Workshop at Michigan State University in 1978, where his students included Richard Kadrey and Pat Murphy.

Reviews

[Norman Howe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very strange anthology by modern standards. It's not "themed," except as fantasy. Aside from a "Traveler in Black" story by John Brunner, none of the tales belong to a series. It took me a lon time to finish this, as the print was small. It's been a while since I've opened a paperback.

Maybe I need to upgrade my reading glasses.

[Galadriel Swan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked it up at a used bookstore and was thrilled to watch as my expectations were so gracefully exceeded. My personal favourites were The Button Masher, Amélie Bertrand, The White Horse Child, and Trill Coster's Burden. That said, not a single story misses.

[Kristine Muslim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This anthology is top-billed by King's story, but the strongest piece is Walter Tevis's "Rent Control" -- where time stops for everybody in the world except for the main characters.