Call number
Genres
Publication
St Martins Pr (1999), 16th, Paperback
Pages
lix; 608
Description
The 21st edition of the award-winning annual compilation of the year's best science fiction stories.
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1999
Physical description
lix, 608 p.; 9.2 inches
ISBN
0312204450 / 9780312204457
Similar in this library
User reviews
LibraryThing member TheDivineOomba
This is one the best "Years Best Science Fiction" I've read so far, and I've read most of the ones from the 90's and 00's. I finished every story, most of them kept me interested. So, without much more about the anthology, I'll go onto the individual reviews.
Oceanic - Greg Eagan. A coming of age
Approaching Perimelasma - Geoffrey Landis. Interesting story about exploration and learning about oneself.
Craphound - Corey Doctorow. Alien likes human kitsch. The question is why?
Jedella Ghost - Tanith Lee. This story I don't think belongs in this anthology, but its a beautiful story about what innocence, aging, and understanding what is human.
Taklamakan - Bruch Sterling. This I think is one of the weaker stories in the collection - I finished it, but it wasn't to my style. It follows two intrepid spies as they descend into a world of madness - darwinian machines, wild experiments of space colonization, and Survival.
The Island of the Immortals - Ursula K. Le Guin. Another story that could either be science fiction or fantasy. Its well written and explores the other side of immortality.
Sea Change, With Monsters - Paul McAuley. A bit of thriller, with a mystery. A gengineered dragon appears, A killer of monsters is called, and finds a misantropic group of monks with a secret.
Divided by Infinity - Robert Charles Wilson. Its an odd story. Of alternate realities, immortality (of a sort) and aliens.
Us - Howard Waldrop. This takes different views of Charles Lindberg Jr. First story, he's the first man on the moon. Second story, Charles JR is a child actor, than a famous artist. Story three - Charles a Korean War Vet, takes up a natural life.
Epilogue, how it actually ended.
The Days of Soloman Gursky - Ian McDonald. A retelling of the genesis story, and true love. A very lovely story.
The Cuckoo's Boys - Robert Reed. Cloning gone wrong, good intentions and everything. Another story focusing on an aspect of humanity.
The Halfway House at the Heart of Darkness - William Browning Spencer. What happens when the cigarette companies win.
The Very Pulse of the Machine - Michael Swanwick. Accident on a distant moon brings an unexpected discovery. Also requires self sacrifice.
Story of Your Life - Ted Chiang. This one sticks with me. Instead of understanding things as a series of random events, you see it as a whole. Its a difficult story. Its hard to wrap a brain around the premise of this story, but well worth the reward once you do.
Voivodoi - Liz Williams. This is a sad story about mutation - and maybe freedom. Its quite haunting.
Saddlepoint: Roughneck - Stephen Baxter. Big dreams create big rewards, or big problems. Its a well written story, but it didn't hold my attention.
This Side of Independence - Rob Chilson. I found this story both very sad, but heartwarming at the same time. Its the story of the last of the earth people, as the earth is being taken apart by the very space stations it gave birth to. Plus it has a kitten it :)
Unborn Again - Chris Lawson. Questionable ethical practices requires drastic actions.
Grist - Tony Daniel. This is a long story. I don't remember the story, maybe because I'm not really sure what it is about. Its about love, about becoming bigger, about freedom.
La Cenerentola - Gwyneth Jones. A twist on the Cinderella story. Its a difficult to explain. Its an odd story, asking what is real, what is unreal.
Down in the Dark - William Barton. Two species, one on the verge of extinction, one just lost, need to work together, but alieness might make it impossible.
Free in Asveroth - Jim Grimsley. A once proud race beaten to subservience. A last run for freedom. Stories are made. Its a sad story.
The Dancing Floor - Cherry WIlder. An alien artifact on a deserted world holds surprises. Another good story in this collection.
The Summer of Isles - Ian R. MacLeod. An alternate world story of the Germans winning WWII
Oceanic - Greg Eagan. A coming of age
Show More
story set in a foreign world, questions God's existanceApproaching Perimelasma - Geoffrey Landis. Interesting story about exploration and learning about oneself.
Craphound - Corey Doctorow. Alien likes human kitsch. The question is why?
Jedella Ghost - Tanith Lee. This story I don't think belongs in this anthology, but its a beautiful story about what innocence, aging, and understanding what is human.
Taklamakan - Bruch Sterling. This I think is one of the weaker stories in the collection - I finished it, but it wasn't to my style. It follows two intrepid spies as they descend into a world of madness - darwinian machines, wild experiments of space colonization, and Survival.
The Island of the Immortals - Ursula K. Le Guin. Another story that could either be science fiction or fantasy. Its well written and explores the other side of immortality.
Sea Change, With Monsters - Paul McAuley. A bit of thriller, with a mystery. A gengineered dragon appears, A killer of monsters is called, and finds a misantropic group of monks with a secret.
Divided by Infinity - Robert Charles Wilson. Its an odd story. Of alternate realities, immortality (of a sort) and aliens.
Us - Howard Waldrop. This takes different views of Charles Lindberg Jr. First story, he's the first man on the moon. Second story, Charles JR is a child actor, than a famous artist. Story three - Charles a Korean War Vet, takes up a natural life.
Epilogue, how it actually ended.
The Days of Soloman Gursky - Ian McDonald. A retelling of the genesis story, and true love. A very lovely story.
The Cuckoo's Boys - Robert Reed. Cloning gone wrong, good intentions and everything. Another story focusing on an aspect of humanity.
The Halfway House at the Heart of Darkness - William Browning Spencer. What happens when the cigarette companies win.
The Very Pulse of the Machine - Michael Swanwick. Accident on a distant moon brings an unexpected discovery. Also requires self sacrifice.
Story of Your Life - Ted Chiang. This one sticks with me. Instead of understanding things as a series of random events, you see it as a whole. Its a difficult story. Its hard to wrap a brain around the premise of this story, but well worth the reward once you do.
Voivodoi - Liz Williams. This is a sad story about mutation - and maybe freedom. Its quite haunting.
Saddlepoint: Roughneck - Stephen Baxter. Big dreams create big rewards, or big problems. Its a well written story, but it didn't hold my attention.
This Side of Independence - Rob Chilson. I found this story both very sad, but heartwarming at the same time. Its the story of the last of the earth people, as the earth is being taken apart by the very space stations it gave birth to. Plus it has a kitten it :)
Unborn Again - Chris Lawson. Questionable ethical practices requires drastic actions.
Grist - Tony Daniel. This is a long story. I don't remember the story, maybe because I'm not really sure what it is about. Its about love, about becoming bigger, about freedom.
La Cenerentola - Gwyneth Jones. A twist on the Cinderella story. Its a difficult to explain. Its an odd story, asking what is real, what is unreal.
Down in the Dark - William Barton. Two species, one on the verge of extinction, one just lost, need to work together, but alieness might make it impossible.
Free in Asveroth - Jim Grimsley. A once proud race beaten to subservience. A last run for freedom. Stories are made. Its a sad story.
The Dancing Floor - Cherry WIlder. An alien artifact on a deserted world holds surprises. Another good story in this collection.
The Summer of Isles - Ian R. MacLeod. An alternate world story of the Germans winning WWII
Show Less