From the Bookshelf of Spells, Space & Screams: Collections & Anthologies in Fantasy, Science Fiction, & Horror…

The Year's Top Hard Science Fiction Stories

Allan Kaster (Editor),

Gregory Benford

Start date: March 15, 2019

Finish date: April 14, 2019

Discussion: Previous Books of the Month

Discussion leader: Lena

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Previous Books of the Month

The Mammoth Book of Fantasy (April 2024)
By Lena , Of the Short Story Kingdom · 48 posts · 17 views

last updated Jan 03, 2025 08:12AM

Twenty-First Century Science Fiction: An Anthology (January 2024)
By Lena , Of the Short Story Kingdom · 72 posts · 15 views

last updated Dec 29, 2024 04:17PM

What Members Thought

Apr 04, 2019 Lena rated it liked it

Shelves: science-fiction, audio, anthology

Seven Birthdays by Ken Liu ★★★★☆
I do love when Science Fiction reaches far into the future; it makes the impossible possible. It reminds us that we went from horse drawn carriages to the moon in a hundred years. There’s nothing we couldn’t do with will and time.

Of the Beast in the Belly by C. W. Johnson ★★★★☆
A decade long quest for revenge hits a wall, I mean whale. Yes, whale. Technically an arcthant, an alien sea god with twelve stomaches.

This took some time to get into. I prefer my vengeanc ...more

5 likes · Like · see review

Jan 02, 2018 Peter Tillman rated it liked it

Shelves: short-fiction, science-fiction

The standout story is the first, by Ken Liu. It's available online. Three more good to excellent stories. The rest range from OK to unreadable. I didn't read the Gwyneth Jones, a gamer story. TOC and story blurbs: http://www.audiotexttapes.net/TopHard...

So: a decent SF anthology. If you read other Years Best anthologies, you don't really need this one? But it is all SF, no fantasy, of varying degrees of hardness.

Seven Birthdays by Ken Liu. A million or so years in the life of Mia and her Mom. Ke ...more

4 likes · Like · see review