The Del Rey Book of Science Fiction and Fantasy: Sixteen Original Works by Speculative Fiction's Finest Voices

by Ellen Datlow (Editor), Jeffery Ford (Editor), Margo Lanagan (Contributor)

With original stories by Jeffrey Ford, Pat Cadigan, Elizabeth Bear, Margo Lanagan, and others

From Del Rey Books and award-winning editor Ellen Datlow, two of the most respected names in science fiction and fantasy, comes a collection of fifteen all-new short stories, plus a science fiction novella, that could count as a virtual “best of the year” anthology. Here you will find slyly twisted alternate histories, fractured fairy tales, topical science fiction, and edgy urban fantasy.

In “Daltharee,” World Fantasy Award-winning author Jeffrey Ford spins a chilling tale of a city in a bottle–and the demented genius who put it there. In “Sonny Liston Takes the Fall,” John W. Campbell Award-winning author Elizabeth Bear pens a poignant and eerie requiem for the heavyweight forever associated with his controversial loss to Cassius Clay. From hot new writer Margo Lanagan comes “The Goosle,” a dark, astonishing take on Hansel and Gretel. In the novella “Prisoners of the Action,” Paul MccAuley and Kim Newman take a trip down a rabbit hole that leads to a Guantanamo-like prison whose inmates are not just illegal but extraterrestrial.

Many of the writers you’ll recognize. Others you may not. But one thing is certain: These stars of today and tomorrow demonstrate that the field of speculative fiction is not only alive and well–it’s better than ever.

The Elephant Ironclads • shortfiction by Jason Stoddard
Ardent clouds • shortfiction by Lucy Sussex
Gather • shortfiction by Christopher Rowe
Sonny Liston Takes the Fall • shortfiction by Elizabeth Bear
North American Lake Monsters • shortfiction by Nathan Ballingrud
All Washed Up While Looking for a Better World • shortfiction by Carol Emshwiller
Special Economics • novelette by Maureen F. McHugh
Aka St. Mark's Place • shortfiction by Richard Bowes
The Goosle • shortfiction by Margo Lanagan
Shira • shortfiction by Lavie Tidhar
The Passion of Azazel • shortfiction by Barry N. Malzberg
The Lagerstätte • shortfiction by Laird Barron
Gladiolu Exposed • shortfiction by Anna Tambour
Daltharee • shortfiction by Jeffrey Ford
Jimmy • shortfiction by Pat Cadigan
Prisoners of the Action • shortfiction by Paul J. McAuley and Kim Newman [as by Paul McAuley and Kim Newman ]

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Science Fiction, Fiction, Anthologies, Speculative Fiction, Collections

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Ellen Datlow has been editing science fiction, fantasy, and horror short fiction for forty years as fiction editor of OMNI Magazine and editor of Event Horizon and SCIFICTION. She currently acquires short stories and novellas for Tor.com. In addition, she has edited about one hundred science fiction, fantasy, and horror anthologies, including the annual The Best Horror of the Year series, The Doll Collection, Mad Hatters and March Hares, The Devil and the Deep: Horror Stories of the Sea, Echoes: The Saga Anthology of Ghost Stories, Edited By, and Final Cuts: New Tales of Hollywood Horror and Other Spectacles.
She's won multiple World Fantasy Awards, Locus Awards, Hugo Awards, Bram Stoker Awards, International Horror Guild Awards, Shirley Jackson Awards, and the 2012 Il Posto Nero Black Spot Award for Excellence as Best Foreign Editor. Datlow was named recipient of the 2007 Karl Edward Wagner Award, given at the British Fantasy Convention for "outstanding contribution to the genre," was honored with the Life Achievement Award by the Horror Writers Association, in acknowledgment of superior achievement over an entire career, and honored with the World Fantasy Life Achievement Award at the 2014 World Fantasy Convention.

Reviews

[carol. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uneven collection--the three star rating is on writing skill alone. I myself rarely venture into horror fiction, so my personal taste is a two star "it was okay." If you are looking for true sci-fi/fantasy and dislike horror, this is probably not the best collection. "Speculative" is a much better description, since a couple of these stories have neither fantasy nor science fiction. One way unique aspect is that many take on issues of race/nationality, somewhat unusual in the alternative fiction fields. Most of the time the horror/discomfort is built slowly, building on an uncomfortable and eerie tone. A couple involve abuse and violence. It's clear why Ellen Datlow is a horror editor and that she is gifted at finding talented horror writers.

"The Elephant Ironclads" an interesting revision of American West history; it appears elephants have taken on the role of horses in opening the west.

"Ardent Clouds" pure fiction. Volcano chasing camerawoman flies to a vulcanists' conference.

"Gather" an alternative world fiction of a fundamentalist like society. The main character seems to be somewhat simple--a "Lennie" in Of Mice and Men.

"Sonny Liston Takes the Fall" an alternative re-imaging of a great boxing match. Again, not really fantasy or sci-fi, but it was a very interesting story. A rare focus on African-Americans.

"North American Lake Monsters" a troubled family goes on a vacation and discovers a carcass on the beach.

"All Washed Up While Looking For a Better World" a woman washes up an an island and hopes for rescue, but the island is populated by non-humans. Things change when a human man is marooned as well.

"Special Economics" a Chinese girl looks for a job in the big city. Unfortunately, the job she takes is in a factory where it's easier to become indentured than earn money.

"Aka St. Mark's Place" another odd one, with more of a horror twist. A street boy, a girl with protective parents and another runaway cross paths.

"The Goosle" a horrific re-imagining of Hansel and Gretel. Well done and creepy.

"Shira" a graduate student at the University of Damascus searches for works by a poet who described "The Small Holocaust" before it happened, and has an unusual encounter. Sweet and enjoyable.

"The Passion of Azazel" a golem comes to life. Layered with many Jewish and Kabbalist cultural and religious references that would resonate more if I understood them. Felt like I was missing a lot of this story.

"The Lagerstatte" another fiction/horror story about a woman who is forgetting.

"Gladiolus Exposed" interesting, subtle fiction that bridges on horror. Pure fiction. A urologist and his wife take a weekend retreat where he finds a gladiolus.

"Daltharee" a very interesting sci-fi tale about worlds created in bottles, and the scientists that develop them. One of the most interesting concepts of the bunch.

"Jimmy" reminded me a little of "All Summer In a Day;" an outcast boy goes missing, and the only one who seems to be able to find him is his only friend.

"Prisoners of the Action" Guantanamo Bay for a type of alien being post-"hostile action.". One of the central plot points of the story is ripped from real-life POW photos. A lawyer attempts to investigate.

[John E · Rating 1 out of 5]

It took me a long time to slog my way through these stories. While there was almost no science at all and very limited amounts of fantasy, horror was well represented. Maybe the definitions of science fiction and fantasy have changed, but I think that old Mr. Del Rey would be upset with the use of this name on this book. I know that the fad of open-ended stories has a place, but I'd like at least one story with some closure. It seems that open-endedness is just a cheap way to not wanting to write a conclusion or maybe the author couldn't figure one out. Deeply disapointing book.

[Dan Trefethen · Rating 4 out of 5]

When editor Ellen Datlow asks writers for a story, they know they have to step up their game.

This collection of original stories published in 2007 shows the range of science fiction, fantasy and horror that Datlow elicited from some of the top authors of the time, and some promising newcomers who have since become prominent (such as Elizabeth Bear and Lavie Tidhar).

This is not a themed anthology, and so we have grisly body horror (Lanagan's “The Goosle”), a humorous take on the shrinking man story (Ford's “Daltharee”) and a gonzo story about unexplainable aliens (McAuley and Newman's “Prisoners of the Action”).

What you have, mainly, are extremely well written short stories (OK, the McAuley and Newman is a novella). Many of these have not been reprinted, so this is your only source for most of these stories.

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't care for any of the stories in this anthology. The story that was supposed to be funny I found mildly insulting. I'm not entirely sure why at least one of the stories was labeled science fiction/fantasy. Basically, I didn't get the stories. None of them clicked. I was left feeling puzzled (but not in a good way). Not my cuppa tea.

[Tatiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read and rated only "The Goosle" by Margo Lanagan - a very gory version of "Hansel and Gretel" with a good dose of sexual abuse.

Audio: http://talestoterrify.com/tales-to-te...

[Kevin · Rating 2 out of 5]

The stories were just OK nothing here that will really hit you over the head and say "This is great stuff!"

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were only two stories I halfway liked, and at least one I'd like to erase from my brain forever. Meh.

[Eamonn Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

When ‘Uncle Geoff’ editor of sfcrowsnest issues the list of review books to choose from he writes a short description of the tome and for this one said something like ‘exactly what it says on the packet’.

I’m afraid he was wrong. It says Science Fiction on the packet in big letters but there is very little Science Fiction in the book and what there is mostly isn’t all that Science Fictional. ‘The Elephant Ironclads’ by Jason Stoddard is set in an alternate history where the Navajo Indians have retained an independent state and use airships rather than aeroplanes. ‘Ardent Clouds’ by Lucy Sussex is about volcanoes and features some science but it's set in the present day or the very near future and has no radical departures from what we know. ‘Special Economics’ by Maureen F. McHugh, about a young girl trying to make money, is set in near-future China and has her working in a biotechnology factory but again is very softcore SF. ‘Prisoners of the Action’ by Paul McAuley and Kim Newman is hard SF about captured aliens on a military base but it’s the only example here. Four out of sixteen tales that can be counted as Science Fiction.

All the above are good stories and probably my favourites in the book. The rest of the stuff is ever-so-slightly fantastic fantasy and usually set in the present day. They are all very nicely written - beautifully, elegantly written - and according to the biographical notes, many of the authors have either won or been runners up for various awards. But ‘Sonny Liston Takes the Fall’ by Elizabeth Bear, while it's an interesting text about old time boxing is barely a story at all, let alone a Science Fiction or Fantasy story. Nor is it alone in this. ‘The Lagerstatte’ by Laird Barron is about a grieving widow who keeps seeing her late husband and son inviting her to join them in death. There are fantasy elements but it is told from her point of view and she is seeing a psychiatrist so she may be mad. It's good but is it a fantasy? Or is it just that there is no market for short stories so the clever writers - and these are all clever writers - put a hint of fantasy in their touching tales and smuggle their pretty words in under the SF/Fantasy umbrella simply to get them published? If so then Editor Ellen Datlow is complicit in the conspiracy for such stories make up the bulk of the book. I have reviewed several magazines over the years for Crowsnest and there are always one or two examples of this sort of thing therein. That’s okay, we are a broad church, but here you have a concentration of them.

I will emphasize, strongly, that this is an excellent collection of stories but it says Science Fiction on the packet and you don’t get much of that. I’ll own up that my notion of Science Fiction is probably a bit old fashioned and consists of aliens, spaceships, strange new civilizations, shocking futures and so forth. There is fantasy here and some horror but there is mostly urbane, literary sophistication. So buy it if that’s what you want. If you want action, robots, aliens, heroes and spaceships look elsewhere for with the honourable exception of ‘Prisoners of the Action‘ there is none in this volume.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will be thinking about the last story in this anthology, "Prisoners of the Action" by Paul McAuley and Kim Newman, for a very long time.

[mad mags · Rating 5 out of 5]

You had me at “Maureen F. McHugh”!

I first picked up this book because it contains a piece by one of my favorite writers, Maureen F. McHugh – “Special Economics” which, as it just so happens, I’d already read (it appears in 2011’s After the Apocalypse: Stories ) – but ultimately enjoyed all but one of the sixteen essays in this diverse collection. With elements of horror, fantasy, post-apocalyptic fiction, alternate history, and the supernatural, The Del Rey Book of Science Fiction and Fantasy – masterfully curated by Ellen Datlow – has a little bit of something for everyone. Especially if you prefer your speculative fiction on the dark side.

In addition to Maureen McHugh’s “Special Economics,” an arguably feminist tale which takes place in a future China devastated by the bird flu, my favorites include:

* “Jimmy” (Pat Cadigan), whose eponymous (anti?-) hero is a young boy coming of age in the 1960s (the bulk of story takes place the day JFK was assassinated). Granted “enlightenment” by an alien species, Jimmy is shunned by those who can sense his difference – and want nothing to do with it. Ignorance is bliss, or so the saying goes.

* “The Passion of Azazel” (Barry N. Malzberg), a revenge story told from the point of view of a goat, sacrificed to the gods one long-ago Day of Atonement and then reincarnated as a (human) rabbinical student who fashions a golem who is quite possibly his long-dead brother goat.

* “The Goosle” (Margo Lanagan), a fittingly bleak retelling of/sequel to “Hansel and Gretal,” in which lone survivor Hansel escapes from the witch’s cage only to find a world more brutal than the one he left behind. (Strong trigger warning for rape.)

Some of the stories – most notably “The Passion of Azazel” – can be interpreted from an anti-oppressive vegan perspective, which I especially appreciate.

For what it’s worth, I just discovered Ellen Datlow’s adult fairy tale anthology series. Wishlist ALL the books!

http://www.easyvegan.info/2012/05/14/...

[Dave · Rating 2 out of 5]

Del Ray offers a decent collection of science fiction and fantasy tales in this book. The majority of the 16 stories collected herein were okay -- nothing truly memorable or entertaining. There are a few gems in the book, however. "Elephant Ironclads" envisions a 1950s America that shares its border with an independent American Indian nation, in which elephants are a mainstay of transportation. "Sonny Liston Takes the Fall" is a fascinating look at the "truth" behind his famous loss to Cassius Clay. "The Goosle" is a grotesque "sequel" to the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale. And "Prisoners of the Action" imagines what it would be like if the US Army held a group of extraterrestrials captive after a failed invasion of Earth. (Perhaps not surprisingly, three of the four stories I've mentioned are highlighted on the back of the book.) Overall "The Del Ray Book of Science Fiction and Fantasy" has its moments; unfortunately, there aren't many of them.

[Carole · Rating 2 out of 5]

An underwhelming collection, but I go to the library and get collections like this just to find a couple of interesting and unfamiliar authors, and I did find two. These are Lucy Sussex and Carol Emshwiller. Emshwiller's "All Washed Up While Looking for a Better World" was the must amusing story in the whole collection. Sussex's "Ardent Clouds" was the most surprising one. (Of course I also liked Maureen McHugh's "Special Economics", but since I already read this in her own collection (After the Apocalypse, it doesn't count as new and unfamiliar.) These three stories stood out, but I didn't care much for the others, hence the two stars.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've only read the first 2 stories so far. The first was definitely speculative/alternative history, so maybe fits into "fantasy". The second... was a nice story that my reading of "When Science Goes Wrong" tells me was probably inspired by a true story, but is neither sci-fi or fantasy imho.
Still an interesting read, but I'm waiting for the sci-fi/fantasy to start.
ETA: Ok, I finished finally. The last story was probably the best. Still had an ambiguous ending, but that seemed to be the type of story Datlow likes. It was at least sci-fi, and very interesting. Also had hints of current events mixed in.

[Gwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want to read science fiction or fantasy novels then Del Ray is the publisher to look at.
Most of the sixteen short stories carried within this book were science fiction so I didn't find them as compelling as if they were purely works of fantasy.
It did introduce authors I had never heard of before so I would tell you to check this out.

[Garrett Mccutcheon · Rating 2 out of 5]

As with most short story anthologies there are hits and there are misses. In my opinion, this collection was mostly misses. A number of the stories, while well written, didn't really capture my attention or make a whole lot of impact. Maybe I just didn't "get it" with those stories, but in the end it wasn't entirely enjoyable.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Returned this one to the library after reading Margo Lanagan's devastating Goosle. Tried to continue on several times with the other stories but none seemed to stick. Five stars for Margo alone though.

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This anthology is very uneven - some very good stories, particularly those by Lanagan & Bear, but some very average stories as well. The stories in the middle section, in particular, were quite weak. Overall, a bit disappointing. I'd hoped for more.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This collection was weird. It was as if the authors were told to write regular fiction - not F, SF, or SpecFic - and just throw a tiny bit of something off/odd in at random. That's it. A very unsatisfying, if not boring, collection.

The Goosle was the best one.

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good stories in here, most are either 3 or 4 stars. It's been nice to read this while I wait on Storm of Swords from the library (in transit finally!!). I think my favorite story was "Jimmy."

[Linsey]

Added to read: "Sonny Liston Takes the Fall" by Elizabeth Bear after this review by Chasing Ray

[Marc · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was not that good. A couple of O.K. stories but mostly strange, poorly written, poorly edited stories. Not good.

[Aryana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really excellent coagulation of ideas regarding the near term future of our species. A myriad of small details in stories which I will remember to re-read for years. Anthologically speaking, a gem.

[Stacy Charlesbois · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of the more uneven story collections I've read. Very little sf/f, all depressing. Would not recommend.

[Annabelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

An ordeal of a book. It's the Del Rey Book of SPECULATIVE FICTION masquerading as SCIENCE FICTION.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the collection but I wouldn't read it again.