Year's Best SF 2

by David G. Hartwell (Editor, Contributor)

Building on the unprecedented success of last season's Year's Best, award-winning editor David G. Hartwell has once again scoured the magazines and anthologies to bring together the very best of today's edgy, audacious, and innovative SF. Here are machines that dream and stars that sing; tales from notable pros and heretofore unknowns;wondrously diverse stories that share the sense of wonder that is the mark of great science fiction. " Includes stories

Gregory Benford, Terry Bisson, James Patrick Kelly, Damon Knight, Joanna Russ, Bruce Sterling, Connie Willis, and many others!

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Anthologies, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Collections, Short Story Collection

468 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 1997

About the author

David Geddes Hartwell was an American editor of science fiction and fantasy. He worked for Signet (1971-1973), Berkley Putnam (1973-1978), Pocket (where he founded the Timescape imprint, 1978-1983, and created the Pocket Books Star Trek publishing line), and Tor (where he spearheaded Tor's Canadian publishing initiative, and was also influential in bringing many Australian writers to the US market, 1984-date), and has published numerous anthologies. He chaired the board of directors of the World Fantasy Convention and, with Gordon Van Gelder, was the administrator of the Philip K. Dick Award. He held a Ph.D. in comparative medieval literature.

He lived in Pleasantville, New York with his wife Kathryn Cramer and their two children.

Reviews

[Hank Hoeft · Rating 3 out of 5]

Year’s Best SF 2 is a collection of stories from 1996. What I appreciate about Hartwell's “Year’s Best” anthologies is that they are all science fiction—not the broader field of “speculative fiction.” But of course, as with most anthologies of this type (an exception being The Science Fiction Hall of Fame) I didn’t enjoy all stories equally. Some I loved, some I didn't care for, and frankly, even though I may be revealing my own lack of perception or vision, some I just didn't “get.” But the stories that left me flat won’t dissuade me from going on to read Year's Best SF 3.

As for personal favorites, the story I enjoyed the most was “Invasion,” probably because I'm a parent and grandparent--I don't know if non-parents would be able to identify with the humans’ predicament as much. “After a Lean Winter” read, at least to me, like a science fiction story written by Stephen King (and I mean that as a good thing). I'm a Bruce Sterling fan, and a fan of cyberpunk, so I enjoyed “Bicycle Repairman” a lot. “Tobacco Words” was fascinating because of the basic premise. I love sf stories that present me with an idea I hadn't encountered before, and this story's basic premise is a danger of space travel that was new to me. Likewise, “First Tuesday” presents an application of technology to politics that was interesting and thought-provoking.

[Jeppe Larsen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit of a letdown for me. The stories are generally not bad but only a few I would consider "best of the year" material. More like decent stories in a magazine. The best stories were by Bruce Sterling and Robert Reed.

[Linus Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, I will review each story on its own merits. But first, I want to talk about the anthology. I've now had the pleasure of reading two anthologies of "The year's best Sci-Fi", one edited by Gardner Dozois, and one by David Hartwell. The two editorial styles could not be more different, and few authors on one list end up on the other in a given year. I grew up reading the Dozois-edited Year's Bests, and I generally gravitate to them, but the Hartwell anthology had more true hard sci-fi and less fantasy/near future sci fi. It's a different feel, but a quite welcome one.

And now, to the stories.

1. "After a Lean Winter"--Dave Wolverton. A Jack London story about Alaska, mixed with H.G. Wells' "War of the worlds. Fun, but nothing special. 7/10

2. "In the upper room"--Terry Bisson. A story about love transcending the border of reality and virtual reality. It builds to a fantastic conclusion, though at times seems to move a little too quickly. 9/10

3. "Thinkertoy"--John Brunner. Sometimes children's toys are not what they seem to be at first glance. 9/10 for an unexpected twist.

4. "Zoomers"--Gregory Benford. I didn't particularly like this one--too abstract yet filled with detail. 4/10.

5. "Out of the mouths"--Sheila Finch. A fantastic story about xenolinguistics, and the gaps in communication that can occur when two species can't understand each others' language and, more importantly, culture. 10/10

6. "Breakaway, Backdown"--James Patrick Kelly. A story about living in space, told as a one-sided conversation with a curious shop owner. Well written and very fun to read. 8/10

7. "Tobacco Words"--Yves Meynard. When spaceflight has a cost, and that cost is picking up the sins of previous spacer crews and being physically, literally, tormented by them until they are exorcised, an industry of confessional/exorcism springs up. A mute protagonist helps sell this story extremely well. 10/10.

8. "Invasion"--Joanna Russ. Invasion of the Gremlins! Unfortunately, the mid-story perspective shift does the story no favors. 6/10.

9. "The House of Mourning"--Brian Stableford. Mental illness, body modification, and prostitution all rolled up into one very sad story. 9/10.

10. "Life Edit"--Damon Knight. 3 pages long and I thought it would be good. The ending slips, unfortunately. 6/10.

11. "First Tuesday"--Robert Reed. A president of the US in every house, thanks to the magic of virtual reality and projection. Talk about getting to know your constituents. A fun read. 8/10.

12. "The Spear of the Sun"--David Langford. An overly hyperbolic and heavy-handed spaceship murder mystery. It may have been made this way intentionally, but this made me roll my eyes. 5/10

13. "Counting cats in Zanzibar"--Gene Wolfe. There is no counting of cats, and precious little Zanzibar in this story. There is, however, an abundance of questions at the end. The world seems interesting, but this little snapshot of it leaves the reader wanting more. 7/10.

14. "Bicycle Repairman"--Bruce Sterling. 100% pure cyberpunk, all the way through. AKatnd I love it. It also has one of the quotes that completely describes our political situation in the year 2017. 10/10

15. "Red Sonja and Lessingham in Dreamland"--Gwyneth Jones. Exploring sexuality through virtual reality. It seems virtual reality was the hot thing to write about in 1996. The story is not bad, but I'm unsure what point the author was trying to prove. 8/10

16. "Doblin's Lecture"--Allen Steele. If only viewing public executions actually lowered the crime rate. A disturbing read, but 9.5/10

17. "The bride of Elvis"--Kathleen Ann Goonan. Elvis as alien. Interesting, but weird. 7/10

18. "Forget Luck"--Kate Wilhelm. What if luck were genetically encoded, like every other trait? A thoughtful read. 8/10

19."Nonstop to Portales"--Connie Willis. I just now got that Portales might be the home of a time portal. Derp. 6/10

20. "Columbiad"--Stephen Baxter. Interplanetary travel by means of a very very big gun. We begin this volume with an H.G. Wells inspired story and we end this volume with an H.G. Wells inspired story.

[Austin Beeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second collection of Year’s Best SF from David G Hartwell is not as consistently excellent as the first volume, but the average quality of stories rating ‘good’ is higher. It also contains a great deal more stories - twenty vs the previous volume’s fourteen - with less novellas and more true short stories. Some weren’t quite up to snuff.

There was also an abundance of stories that worked around themes. Four included stories were tributes to other writers: Jack London, HG Wells, Jack Williamson, GK Chesterton. Cyberpunk and VR also were major parts of this collection.

Definitely worth the read, especially for the stories by Dave Wolverton, Shelia Finch, Gene Wolfe, and Bruce Sterling.

Year’s Best SF 2 is rated 78%.

13 good / 5 average / 2 poor.


After a Lean Winter by Dave Wolverton

Good. After the Martian invasion of HG Wells, survivors meet in icy Alaska for a respite. One of them has an idea … and a Martian. Brutal, atmospheric, and full of suspense. Really enjoyed it.

In the Upper Room by Terry Bisson

Good. A fun adventure in Virtual Reality. Pleasant but not memorable

Thinkertoy by John Brunner

Good. A father buys his disturbed son a high tech toy in this cold little nasty story.

Zoomers by Gregory Benford

Average. High powered ‘day-traders’ zoom around virtual reality in competition with each other. A little confusing with its whiz-bang tech.

Out of the Mouths by Sheila Finch

Great. This is an excellent story full great ideas and completely realized characters. A retired Xenolinguist is brought back to deal with his biggest shame. An attempt to end a bloody war by teaching language to children. This is superb.

Breakaway, Backdown by James Patrick Kelly

Good. Reads like a one woman play about the real human costs of space exploration. Great style and thoughtful.

Tobacco Words by Yves Meynard

Good. A space station exists to remove the ‘sins’ collected by space travelers. Wild and unpredictable with some very unique ideas of the costs of space travel.

Invasion by Joanna Russ

Average. Little mischievous aliens pop aboard a space ship and cause humorous trouble.

The House of Mourning by Brian Stableford

Good. Very good and very nasty tale of the brutal price paid for hormonally enhanced prostitution. Intense and well written.

Life Edit by Damon Knight

Average. Very short story working briefly in the same vein as the film “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.”

First Tuesday by Robert Reed

Good. Future technology allows the President to join every family for dinner on the same night.

The Spear of the Sun by David Langford

Good. Breaks the 4th-Wall with a CK Chesterton SciFi Murder Mystery.

Counting Cats in Zanzibar by Gene Wolfe

Good. A dark and nuanced take on Asimov’s Susan Calvin. A woman who tried to prevent the creation of humanoid robots is tracked down by one. They have a meal together.

Bicycle Repairman by Bruce Sterling

Good. A nice cyberpunk-esque tale of an off-the-grid bicycle repairman who is drawn into corporate intrigue.

Red Sonja and Lessingham in Dreamland by Gwyneth Jones

Poor. VR allows characters into a fantasy world where they can work out their sexual issues.

Doblin’s Lecture by Allen Steele

Good. Readable tale of a murderer who gives a brutal lecture to college students.

The Bride of Elvis by Kathleen Ann Goonan

Poor. A Bride of the Elvis religion discovers that his body is missing.

Forget Luck by Kate Wilhelm

Average. A meeting with a crazy scientist opens up a man’s life to a possibility.

Nonstop to Portales by Connie Willis

Good. A salesman finds himself with a day alone on Portales and runs into a group of tourists with a fascination for Jack Williamson.

Columbiad by Stephen Baxter

Average. HG Wells travels to Florida to verify the existence of a rocket to the Moon and Mars that was designed by Jules Verne

[Roddy Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection features several tribute stories, notably Jack Williamson, but also HG Wells, Jack London, Jules Verne and GK Chesterton. Postmodern pastiche seems the zeitgeist of 1997.
Outstanding stories from Dave Wolverton, Sheila Finch and Yves Meynard. Nice to see a healthy representation of female authors also, but one would have been happier to see newer names here.



After a Lean Winter - Dave Wolverton (F&SF, 1996)

HG Wells' 'War of The Worlds' told from the perspective of Jack London, in a Victorian Alaska. A very well-crafted atmospheric piece, which brings us a little closer to the Martians than Wells did.


In The Upper Room - Terry Bisson (Playboy 1996)

A young man, living with his mother following the break-up of his relationship, enrols on an erotic VR holiday in 'Victoria's Palace' and ends up having more of an adventure than he may have originally imagined.


Thinkertoy - John Brunner (The Williamson Effect, 1996)

A tribute to Jack Williamson, this was maybe Brunner's last short story as he died in 1995 at the Worldcon in Glasgow. Written in a suitably retro style it carries a nasty sting in its tail.


Gregory Benford: "Zoomers" (Future Net, 1996)

A hard SF vision of a future where prospecters trawl virtual space for information to sell.


Sheila Finch: "Out of the Mouths" (F&SF, 1996)

A high quality tale from Finch (who is a linguist) of a highly unethical experiment in linguistics which the originator justifies because it may help to stop an interstellar war. Very beautifully written, this is reminiscent of the best of Connie Willis' early work, and to a certain extent Russell's 'The Sparrow'. Finch certainly deserves wider exposure.


James Patrick Kelly: "Breakaway, Backdown" (Asimov's, 1996)

A very stylistic tale, told in the voice of the narrator; a recruiter interviewing an applicant for service in low-g.


Yves Meynard: "Tobacco Words" (Tomorrow, 1995)

A marvellous and engrossing piece featuring a disabled boy with a crippled tongue. His sister works at removing sins from humans arriving on her world who have picked up the sins of others while travelling through space. Full of detail and beautiful pieces of unexplained randomness. One of my favourite stories in this volume.


Joanna Russ: "Invasion" (Asimov's, 1996)

A story that is interesting and well-written but reads as being somewhat dated. Had it been written in the Seventies it would not have raised any eyebrows. A ship encounters a distress signal and is forced to evacuate a horde of troublesome alien children with telekinetic abilities.
Mayhem ensues.


Brian Stableford: "The House of Mourning" (Off Limits: Tales of Alien Sex, 1996)

Stableford seems at his best with exploring the possible uses or misuses of genetic engineering. Here, we follow the victim of one such procedure and slowly uncover the tragedy of her life.


Damon Knight: "Life Edit" (Science Fiction Age, 1996)

A neat little gem which examines the consequences of us being able to edit our lives and change things, thus creating a new timeline. Knight takes this in a direction one might not have expected.


Robert Reed: "First Tuesday" (F&SF, 1996)

By hooking himself into a computer interface, the US President is able to visit every house independently, and answer questions.


David Langford: "The Spear of the Sun" (Interzone, 1996)

Langford postulates a world in which GK Chesterton, rather than HG Wells was the greatest influence on European Science Fiction, and here presents one of his Father Brown stories; in this instance, the murder of a pagan acolyte aboard a space liner.


Gene Wolfe: "Counting Cats in Zanzibar" (Asimov's, 1996)

The mother of Artificial Intelligence meets one of her children on a boat at sea, and amidst literary allusions and references, they play an intellectual game of cat and mouse.


Bruce Sterling: "Bicycle Repairman" (Intersections: The Sycamore Hill Anthology, 1996)

A lovely cyberpunk tale of a bicycle repairman living in a barter society who receives a piece of equipment that others are keen to retrieve. Packed with character and wee thinky bits.


Gwyneth Jones: "Red Sonja and Lessingham in Dreamland" (Off Limits: Tales of Alien Sex, 1996)

Set in a time when therapists are using VR immersion sex programmes for treatment and analysis, this is a short study of sexuality, domination, control and sexual identity. One has to ask though, whether it adds anything new to any debate.


Allen Steele: "Doblin's Lecture" (Pirate Writings, 1996)

Steele, who was once a hard nosed journalist, brings us a quite chilling story of convicted criminals brought to campus to be interviewed as part of their course work by students. The lesson, however, doesn't end with a mere question and answer session.


Kathleen Ann Goonan: "The Bride of Elvis" (Science Fiction Age, 1996)

A very entertaining story in which Elvis turns out to be a humanoid alien, stranded on Earth with his harem. When he goes missing from his tomb, one of the brides becomes concerned.


Kate Wilhelm: "Forget Luck" (F&SF, 1996)

Not a new idea (that 'luck' in terms of avoiding death has a genetic basis) but one that is skilfully handled here by Wilhelm.


Connie Willis: "Nonstop to Portales" (The Williamson Effect, 1996)

A lovely tribute to Jack Williamson by Connie Willis in which a man arriving in Williamson's home town finds himself on a sightseeing coach from the future.


Stephen Baxter: "Columbiad" (Science Fiction Age, 1996)

A sequel to Verne's 'From The Earth to The Moon' in which HG Wells discovers that Verne was describing an actual journey in his novel.

[Andrew Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of higher than average quality Science Fiction. Anyone interested in exploring science fiction would do well to start out with an eclectic mix of short stories, and this is a better than average mix

[Earl Truss · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to reduce my rating because some of the stories were disappointing and a few I would not even call science fiction.

[George Berguño · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1931 the psychiatrist Winthrop Niles Kellogg, aided by his wife, paired their 10-month-old baby boy, named Donald, with a 9-month-old female chimpanzee named Gua. The human infant and the chimp were treated identically, that is, Gua was treated as a human infant and part of the family. The Kelloggs were curious to know whether Gua would develop language. Though Gua failed to learn human language, she did develop at a much faster rate than other chimps of a comparable age. Indeed, she developed physically at a much faster rate than Donald. Gua would open doors, stand upright like a human, and learned to use human tools, such as a glass and a spoon. The experiment – if one can call this study an experiment – was discontinued when the Kelloggs realised that Donald was lagging behind in human development. Indeed, not only was Donald not acquiring human language; instead, he was imitating Gua’s chimp expressions and sounds.

I mention this true historical event because my guess is that it was the inspiration for one of the outstanding stories in David Hartwell’s anthology Year’s Best SF 2. Sheila Finch’s Out of the Mouths features Magister Heron, a linguist who pairs his adopted baby daughter with an infant from an extremely violent alien race, the Venatixi. Earth is at war with the Venatixi, but humans have not as yet been able to decipher the Venatixi language. If only humans could learn the alien language, they would understand the Venatixi mind. When the war ends for no apparent reason, Magister Heron is in a position to discontinue the experiment. However, his own scientific curiosity gets the better of him, and so (unlike the Kelloggs) he does not separate the two children. The consequences of his decision are far-reaching and disastrous, especially as the Venatixi word for ‘love’ is the same for ‘death’. I was profoundly moved by this story; a story which is beautifully written and presents the reader with the kind of ethical dilemma that only science fiction can conjure.

Though Year’s Best SF 2 features stories by well known writers such as John Brunner, Gregory Benford, Brian Stableford and Gene Wolfe, I thought the most exciting stories came from the lesser known authors (of 1997). Dave Wolverton’s After a Lean Winter, for example, is an extraordinarily powerful tale of an encounter with a Martian. Set in the period of H. G. Wells War of the Worlds, Dave Wolverton’s tale is set in Jack London’s Alaska, using Jack London’s characters and written in Jack London’s style! Another noteworthy tale is Yves Meynard’s Tobacco Words, a strange tale with some rather surprising imagery. Indeed, the story is so strange and so haunting; I cannot compare it to any contemporary writing. The nearest parallel I can come up with is to say it is reminiscent of Cordwainer Smith at his best. Finally, there are entertainments by Terry Bison, Connie Willis and Stephen Baxter. I especially enjoyed Connie Willis’ Nonstop to Portales, a humorous story and a lovely tribute to Jack Williamson. I thought the story was so good, I was surprised to discover it had not been included in the more recent collection The Best of Connie Willis.

In terms of quality, David Hartwell’s Year’ Best SF 2 succeeds in collecting stories that are comparable to Year’s Best SF 1; that is, they are all very good to excellent. But in terms of quantity, SF 2 has more to offer. SF 1 collected fourteen stories; but SF 2 has gathered twenty.

[Eero · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me a while to get through this anthology, due to external distractions, so I have already forgotten some stories. Looking at the list of stories, I have no recollection whatsoever of the Joanna Russ story, but of the others I have at least some idea what they were about. I had already come across a couple of them, even translated one for a small fanzine.

The Kate Wilhelm story gives genes a kind of supernatural agency, which is a funny coincidence because I was just reading the debate around the David Dobbs article "Die, selfish gene, die!", particularly the sharp critique by Jerry Coyne. While I think Dobbs is wrong, this is the kind of story that would make one wonder whether genes are a little bit overplayed in the public consciousness. (Also, I am in the middle of rewatching Farscape on Netflix, and in one episode the "space cockroaches" were able to duplicate not only people but also their clothes and weaponry based on a DNA sample. But then, Farscape is more fantasy than SF. And really off topic here.)

What else? Connie Willis offers a sweet homage to Jack Williamson. At first I was not sure where the story was headed, like the protagonist, but as I caught on I could appreciate the sentiment. I confess I did not understand the point of Damon Knight's "Life Edit". Maybe it just zoomed over my head. The Allen Steele story was pretty gross; I guessed early on where it was headed. In summary, there seemed to be more stories I did not like than in the first anthology, so 3 stars, but still definitely worth reading.

[Xkander · Rating 2 out of 5]

16/20
Gregory BENFORD, Cacciatori di investimenti ★☆☆☆☆ (23/11/2017)
Dave WOLVERTON, Dopo un duro inverno ★★★★☆ (26/11/2017)
Terry BISSON, Nell'ultima stanza ★★★☆☆ (01/02/2018)
John BRUNNER, Giocattoli pensanti ★★★☆☆ (02/02/2018)
Sheila FINCH Di bocca in bocca ★★☆☆☆ (10/05/2018)
James Patrick KELLY Permanenti, provvisori ★★☆☆☆ (11/05/2018)
Yves MEYNARD Parole di fumo ★★☆☆☆ (11/07/2018)
Johanna RUSS Invasione ★☆☆☆☆ (03/08/2018)
Brian Michael STABLEFORD La casa del lutto ★★☆☆☆ (22/11/2018)
Damon KNIGHT Il revisore ★★☆☆☆ (22/11/2018)
David LANGFORD La lancia del sole ★★★☆☆ (23/11/2018)
Gene WOLFE - Contando gatti a Zanzibar ★★☆☆☆ (--/11/2018)
Bruce STERLING - Il riparatore di biciclette ★★☆☆☆ (--/11/2018)
Gwyneth JONES - Sonja e Lessingham nella terra dei sogni ★★★☆☆ (--/12/2018)
Allen Mulherrin STEELE La conferenza di Doblin ★★★☆☆ (05/12/2018)
Kathleen Ann GOONAN - La sposa di Elvis (The Bride of Elvis, 1996)
Kate WILHELM - Non chiamarla fortuna (Forget Luck, 1996)
Connie WILLIS - Portales non stop (Non Stop to Portales, 1996)
Stephen BAXTER - Il Columbiade (Columbiad, 1996)

[David Nichols · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat weaker than its predecessor, this second volume of Hartwell's annual SF review includes two first-rate stories: Dave Wolverton's "After a Lean Winter," about the impact of H.G. Wells's Martian invasion on Jack London's Alaska, and James Patrick Kelly's thoughtful monological tale of postmodern space colonists, "Breakaway, Backdown."

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal favorites:
"After a Lean Winter"/Dave Wolverton.
"Out of the Mouths"/Sheila Finch.
"Tobacco Words"/Yvres Meynard.
"The Spear of the Sun"/David Langford.
"Red Sonja and Lessingham in Dreamland"/ Gwyneth Jones.
"Doblin's Lecture"/Allen Steele.
"Columbiad"/Stephen Baxter.

[Bill Borre]

"Thinkertoy" by John Brunner - Paul is driving a car when an accident kills Rick and Kelly's mom. Paul buys Rick a Thinkertoy and his friend Carlos learns the devices were originally designed for sabotage. Rick disables the security hoping to murder his father with the device.

"Columbiad" by Stephen Baxter - wc

[Peter Tillman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highlights:
Breakaway, Backdown • (1996) • short story by James Patrick Kelly
*** Bicycle Repairman • [Chattanooga] • (1996) • novelette by Bruce Sterling
* Red Sonja and Lessingham in Dreamland • (1996) • short story by Gwyneth Jones

[Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this annual anthology is a tradition for me to keep up with the science fiction genre. This particular one has some interesting stories.

[Kris Russel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some stories in here are amazing, some okay and others just plain boring or confusing. If you're a science fiction fan, you'll appreciate this book. If you're not, don't bother reading it.

[Ed]

ISFDB 55709. OCLC 36974228.

[Allan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.7

[A~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt this one was better selected than the freshman collection.
The artist seems to be a bit full of himself but it was a rather good book.

[Deborah Replogle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good stories. All seemed to be tied to reference classic science fiction authors.

[Stephanie Foust · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent Science fiction short story collection