The Year's Best Science Fiction, Twentieth Annual Collection

Starred review from June 9, 2003
Drawing from his own magazine, Asimov's, as well as a wide range of other publications from the U.S., U.K. and Australia, Hugo-winner Dozois presents SF that is both provocative and literate in this respected annual anthology. In Michael Swanwick's powerful "Slow Life," alien life turns up where it's least expected. "The Political Officer" by Charles Coleman Finlay is a taut cloak-and-dagger tale of the search for a double agent aboard a military spaceship on a crucial mission. Richard Wadholm's "At the Money" extrapolates the wheeling and dealing of a distant future where ultradense elements manufactured in the heart of stars form the basis of an unpredictable interstellar economy. "The Old Cosmonaut and the Construction Worker Dream of Mars" by Ian McDonald is simultaneously an elegy for both manned space flight and the pristine worlds those astronauts dreamed of exploring. Back on Earth, "The Most Famous Little Girl in the World" by Nancy Kress shows how a single event can warp the fates of millions, while Maureen F. McHugh reminds us that the most advanced medical science may not be enough to restore true "Presence." Geoff Ryman's "V.A.O.," in which an elderly hacker takes on a criminally deficient health care system, offers a bit of black comedy. Exotic settings, memorable characters and challenging themes are par for the course here. Once again Dozois has gathered together a stunning array of the best in shorter SF.

Starred review from July 3, 1995
Dozois's Year's Best, like any successful representative of a large constituency, sometimes suffers from blandness and inconsistency. As usual, it's oversized--23 stories, nearly 600 pages--and includes a variety of types of SF as well as near-horror, fantasy and humor. Five of the stories are final nominees for Nebulas, and two new ``Hainish'' stories by Ursula LeGuin were nominated for Tiptree Awards; ``The Matter of Segrri'' won. No story here is less than competent and professional; but, with a few exceptions, there is a voiceless sameness in the writing, practically a house style, that over so many pages grows tedious. (Nearly half the stories, by page count, come from the Dozois-edited Asimov's Science Fiction.) A number are flawed (``hard'' SF stories about ``aliens'' that think just like humans) or unremarkable, but these are outweighed by many fine pieces and by standouts such as LeGuin's ``Forgiveness Day,'' perhaps the best story in the book; Eliot Fintushel's ``New Wave''-like ``Ylem''; William Sanders's ``Going After Old Man Alabama'' and Terry Bisson's ``The Hole in the Hole,'' both of which are winning and funny; Katherine Kerr's chilling ``Asylum''; and Michael Bishop's grand and humane ``Cri de Coeur.'' Dozois's intelligently and ably put-together anthology does its stated job as well as any one book or editor could. Even with competition, it would still be the best of the Best.

May 15, 2003
From Ian MacLeod's powerful far-future story of a young girl's path to adulthood ("Breathmoss") to Alastair Reynolds's eerie tale of a dark secret in the depths of a seemingly idyllic planet ("Turquoise"), the 25 tales in this collection highlight the best short sf published in 2002. Featuring stories by numerous sf veterans, including Gregory Benford, Nancy Kress, and Ian McDonald, as well as newcomers Charles Coleman Finlay and Richard Wadholm, this volume continues the high standards of its predecessors and belongs in most sf collections.

Copyright 2003 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2003
Stalwart sf fans will most likely find Dozois' twentieth stout annual anthology as satisfying as any of its predecessors. The authors represented in it range from multiple-award winners Gregory Benford, Nancy Kress, and John Kessel to skilled newcomers Molly Gloss and Chris Beckett. In-betweeners in terms of prize winning and output include Ian MacLeod, Ian McDonald, Bruce Sterling, and Eleanor Arnason, who should write much more. Dozois has again cast his net widely, drawing Geoff Ryman's entry from a chapbook and Walter Jon Williams' from the electronic media. As usual, sf magazines are leading resources, with "Asimov's" and "Fantasy and Science Fiction" leading the pack in total contributions and "Inter"zone coming in third. Selections from original anthologies are fewer this year, though. As long as the short story remains an important form for sf, Dozois' anthologies will be required reading for the genre's fans. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)