Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Harcourt (1993), Edition: First Edition, Paperback, 331 pages
Description
The best science fiction stories of 1991, including a series of tributes to Isaac Asimov.
User reviews
LibraryThing member juniperSun
Variable quality, but I can forgive a lot because of Nancy Kress's novella (precursor to the book by the same name) 'Beggars In Spain'. She imagines how genetic modification might actually work, given our human emotions and prejudices. I finished the store feeling like she was another Ursula
"Standing in Line with Mr Jimmy" by James Patrick Kelly could still have been written today. A society where everyone is hooked into their apps and don't think a thing that isn't guided by their AI.
"Ma Qui" by Alan Brennert was a good tale of Vietnam War era, from the point of view of the dead, just not powerfully outstanding.
As far as the rest of the stories: some were meant for fans, hyping events in the science fiction writing world. I basically skipped those. Three poems, two were interesting but not great. The selection of 3 vignettes from a full length novel did not tempt me to seek it out ('Stations of the Tide' by Michael Swanwick). 'Buffalo' (about Buffalo, NY) was interesting, but more a thought piece than new creativity. Get Real, about temporary workers, used the assumption that temps are unimportant cogs to develop a story from their point of view. Reminds me of how often pink collar workers are ignored, treated as unseen presences. "The Dark" by Karen Joy Fowler made good use of medical history to imagine a takeover by fleas...I'm glad it wasn't cockroaches. "Guide Dog" by Mike Connor was kind of boring 'what-if' humans were treated as guide dogs by another species.
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LeGuin."Standing in Line with Mr Jimmy" by James Patrick Kelly could still have been written today. A society where everyone is hooked into their apps and don't think a thing that isn't guided by their AI.
"Ma Qui" by Alan Brennert was a good tale of Vietnam War era, from the point of view of the dead, just not powerfully outstanding.
As far as the rest of the stories: some were meant for fans, hyping events in the science fiction writing world. I basically skipped those. Three poems, two were interesting but not great. The selection of 3 vignettes from a full length novel did not tempt me to seek it out ('Stations of the Tide' by Michael Swanwick). 'Buffalo' (about Buffalo, NY) was interesting, but more a thought piece than new creativity. Get Real, about temporary workers, used the assumption that temps are unimportant cogs to develop a story from their point of view. Reminds me of how often pink collar workers are ignored, treated as unseen presences. "The Dark" by Karen Joy Fowler made good use of medical history to imagine a takeover by fleas...I'm glad it wasn't cockroaches. "Guide Dog" by Mike Connor was kind of boring 'what-if' humans were treated as guide dogs by another species.
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Language
Original publication date
1983
Physical description
331 p.; 8.2 inches
ISBN
0156654717 / 9780156654715