Science Fiction: The Very Best of 2005

by Jonathan Strahan (Editor), Michael Swanwick, Vonda N. McIntyre

A herd of dinosaurs wander the fields of rural Vermont; a young girl discovers what happens when you're no longer a goddess in near-future India; Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics are put to the test as a family is split apart and then redefined; the last man in the universe, stranded on Mars, searches for meaning with a pop song; and an artificially intelligent turtle questions Intelligent Design and evolution. These are just some of the fourteen award-nominated stories that acclaimed anthologist Jonathan Strahan has assembled in his third annual survey of the best new science fiction stories of the year. Jonathan Strahan has edited eleven anthologies, including The Locus Awards and assorted year's best annuals, and is currently working on several new anthology projects. He has won the Ditmar, William J Atheling Jr, and Peter McNamara Awards for his editing, and is the Reviews Editor for Locus, the magazine of the science fiction and fantasy fields. He lives in Perth, Western Australia with his wife and two daughters.
Contents:
Triceratops summer / Michael Swanwick --
Little faces / Vonda N. McIntyre --
The second coming of Charles Darwin / James Morrow --
Is there life after rehad? / Pat Cadigan --
Understanding space and time / Alastair Reynolds --
The fulcrum / Gwyneth Jones --
The Blemmye's strategem / Bruce Sterling --
They will raise you in a box / Wil McCarthy --
Finished / Robert Reed --
The king of where-I-go / Howard Waldrop --
The calorie man / Paolo Bacigalupi --
The fate of mice / Susan Palwick --
I Robot / Cory Doctorow --
The litte goddess / Ian McDonald.

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories

340 pages, Paperback

First published July 15, 2006

Reviews

[Karen Eichler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love short stories, and this book had quite a few that have stuck with me, which I say is a good gauge of an effective collection. Definitely an adult collection, and darkly reflective of the times. These stories do a nice job of extrapolating into the future without being ham-handed, and some paint pictures in a very movie-like way. As a matter of fact, one of my favorites in this collection I want to turn into a movie. Which I would do, if I had the time. And money. And talent. And knew what I was doing.

This collection has 14 short stories, including "The Calorie Man" by Paolo Bacigalupi, which was the inspiration for The Windup Girl. "Finished" by Robert Reed is wonderfully disturbing. "Little Faces" by Vonda N. McIntyre, the second story in the collection, does a fabulous job of making VERY alien biology seem completely believable. "Understanding Space and Time" by Alastair Reynolds is my favorite, and if you don't turn it into a movie, I will!

[Natlyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm about halfway through and so far these stories leave me cold. I am neither emotionally nor intellectually engaged by them. By which I mean, I don't find the characters and their predicaments of interest and I don't find the stories thought provoking. I shall finish it (in a lackdaisical fashion) but I don't expect the last seven stories to be anymore to my taste than the first seven.

The last story, "The Little Goddess," is the best, but that isn't saying much.

[bluetyson]

Science Fiction: The Very Best of 2005 (2006)