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The
Mammoth Book Of Best New SF # 16 edited by Gardner Dozois check out website: www.constablerobinson.com
The volume begins, as ever, with Gardner Dozois' comprehensive summary of the year. Short fiction markets, successful novels, awards, films, comics and manga are all covered. Suffice to say, if it happened in late-2002 to mid-2003 and involved Science Fiction, it's in here. The essential guide. The fiction begins strongly, with Ian MacLeod's 'Nebula' nominated novella, Breathmoss. A young girl grows up in a world populated almost entirely by women, except one of her close friends. A charming tale, that feels like an excerpt from real life, only in a strange and inviting new milieu. Excellent stories from Paul J. McAuley and Nancy Kress keep up the quality of the early material.
However, the next lot of stories show the true difference between fantasy and Science Fiction. It is not in the quality of the ideas and stories, but in the level of readability. A number of the harder Science Fiction stories in the middle of this anthology are brilliantly thought out, but are thick and difficult to enjoy reading. It's not until stalwart Bruce Sterling's delightful little tale 'In Paradise' that the stories can be read with enjoyment as well as respect. In John Kessel's 'Stories For Men', another female-ruled society is threatened by the rebellion of activist 'Tyler Durden' and fellow male concubine Erno has to decide whether to follow Durden and create an equal world for men and women or stick with the rules and comfort of the existing society. A thought-provoking yet exciting novelette. Steven Popkes also does himself credit with the story 'Winters Are Hard' about a man who genetically alters himself to live with wolves...and the news reporter that ruins his peaceful existence. The collection ends as strongly as it begins, as big guns Greg Egan and Michael Swanwick make their claim for story of the year. Egan's generation-spanning 'Singleton' is possibly the pick of the entire volume as a married couple of scientists create a child of their own - from a quantum computer. James van Pelt and Alexander Irvine's contributions are also worthy of note. The last story, Alastair Reynolds' novella 'Turquoise Days' uncovers a wonderful setting, hinted at in his recent novels, in which scientists dive into a living sea of alien 'Jugglers' which can absorb the bodies of those who conform too easily too its weird depths... There's some fantastic stories in Gardner Dozois' latest anthology, but having also recently read the fantasy alternative, it's easy to see why that genre is currently more popular. A large chunk of the stories in 'The Year's Best SF' are written in dense, tricky styles and so it is difficult to enjoy them even when the premise and plot are intriguing. It's a shame because when both style and story are right, some of these Science Fiction stories are truly sublime. The current crop of fantasy is marginally better, but don't let that stop you sampling the delights on this side of the genre. 'The Year's Best SF' is still an essential part of any speculative fiction bookshelf. Tomas L. Martin
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OTHER REVIEWS - February 2004
BOOKS The Outstretched Shadow by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory Diplomatic Immunity by Lois McMaster Bujold The Separation by Christopher Priest First Meetings In The Enderverse by Orson Scott Card Dragon Venom by Lawrence Watt-Evans The Dolphins Of Pern by Anne McCaffrey Reach For Tomorrow by Arthur C Clarke The Mammoth Book Of Best New SF # 16 edited by Gardner Dozois 1610: A Sundial In A Grave by Mary Gentle Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynn Truss Trading In Danger by Elizabeth Moon Richard Matheson: Collected Stories Vol. 1 edited by Stanley Wiater The Gates To Witchworld by Andre Norton Star Trek Deep Space Nine: Mission Gamma: Lesser Evil by Robert Simpson The Killing Of Worlds by Scott Westerfeld Star Trek: The Original Series: Gemini by Mike W. Barr MUSIC COMPUTER GAMES Wallace and Gromit - Project Zoo RPGs & WARGAMES MAGAZINES On Spec: The Canadian Magazine
Of The Fantastic vol 15 no. 2 & 3
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Having also recently reviewed Ellen Datlow
and Terri Windling's assessment of this 
The
next story is a true highlight of the year. Charles Coleman Finlay's
'The Political Officer', a space opera on board a Russian spacecraft
as it stalks its prey. Finlay transposes the structure and feel
of Russian submarine crews into the future well, his prose is sure
and enjoyable.
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