Edited by Orson Scott Card
What an amazing collection of science fiction! As a relative newcomer to the genre, I cannot speak for this collection as definitive or even representative of the "best" science fiction (which always must be relative, anyway). What I can say is that every story brought something entirely new and fresh to the table and that each probes a different facet of the general science fiction label to high success. This collection highlights excellent writing and heart-wrenching and/or thought-provoking characters and themes that rival the very best in "mainstream" fiction. Very few stories were disappointing at all, and only one stood out to my mind as nearly incomprehensible. While it is true that I did not enjoy every story equally in this collection, I was incredibly pleased by the variety and quality of the stories herein, thoughtfully grouped by era and chronological appearance and tracing the general arc of science fiction through the late 20th century. I had already read several of these stories, and I found that although Ray Bradbury's "Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed" didn't work as well outside of the framing context of The Martian Chronicles, Isaac Asimov's "Robot Dreams" is an excellent and well-built exploration of what makes humanity...human. Arthur C. Clarke's "The Nine Billion Names of God" is stunning on re-read, despite its known ending, and it fully retains the awe it awakens in first time readers.
I was especially pleased by the stories that put a new spin on now-familiar scenarios. "The Tunnel under the World" by Frederik Pohl reminded me a bit of a Simpsons episode but combines social satire with a baffling scenario to keep readers engaged and, in doing so, creating an excellently constructed story that reveals its surprises only gradually, though it gets a bit expository at the end. Though both "Tunesmith" by Lloyd Biggle, Jr. and "A Work of Art" by James Blish look at the importance of music, and art in general, on society, each approached this theme in an extraordinary new way, forming together an interesting pair ruminating on the impact of creation in a more rigidly controlled culture. "All You Zombies--" by Robert Heinlein is absolutely hilarious despite its now-familiar punchline and creates a truly convoluted storyline that is fun to attempt to unravel. On the more serious side, Brian W. Aldiss and "Call Me Joe" both put forth almost-great attempts to further refine the definition of humanity, and in an entirely different way both from each other and from other works of fiction. "Sandkings" by George R.R. Martin and "Dogfight" by William Gibson and Michael Swanwick are almost incidentally science fiction as they explore the deeply important and universal themes of karma and isolation, respectively, and again are distinct from any other stories that touch upon those general themes.
My favorite stories in the collection are spread out across the eras defined by editor Orson Scott Card, but each leaped out quickly as relevant, original, and deeply moving. "Passengers" by Robert Silverberg is absolutely pitch-perfect, with a science fiction element that is so innovative I'd love to see it employed elsewhere or here at greater length but which belongs firmly in this story and, perhaps, this story alone. "The Road Not Taken" is a not-so-subtle jab at human militarism that is playful throughout but which takes a sharp turn in its final sentence, pivoting entirely and perfectly on a chosen moment to reveal issues not immediately apparent on a first reading. The story may be a bit on the didactic side, but its lesson is timely and is made in an incredibly original and friendly way. "A Clean Escape" is a psychological drama that can reach no true solution and which benefits greatly from the confusion at its ending. It is the perfect length to allow the reader to understand what is going on and its ending makes its point perfectly.
My favorite story in this book filled with gems, however, is "Inconstant Moon" by Larry Niven, which takes an apocalyptic scenario and explores human psychology within the framework of an incredibly moving love story. The story is perfectly narrated and captures the emotions that can both overtake and arise from stone-cold logic, as well as constructing a believable and immediate narrative world that envelops the reader entirely from start to finish; its ending is both unforeseeable and retroactively obvious. It, and so many stories in this collection, are wonderful testaments to the power of unlimited imagination and the power of literature to transcend genre and open readers' eyes to new ways of thinking and to stories that are buried deep within us. This collection embodies all that I love about literature, and in an oft-maligned genre nonetheless. This may not be a beginner's guide to science fiction, but it will delight fans of genre fiction and has the power to soften a few hearts to the skill and power with which science fiction can operate.
Grade: A
I was especially pleased by the stories that put a new spin on now-familiar scenarios. "The Tunnel under the World" by Frederik Pohl reminded me a bit of a Simpsons episode but combines social satire with a baffling scenario to keep readers engaged and, in doing so, creating an excellently constructed story that reveals its surprises only gradually, though it gets a bit expository at the end. Though both "Tunesmith" by Lloyd Biggle, Jr. and "A Work of Art" by James Blish look at the importance of music, and art in general, on society, each approached this theme in an extraordinary new way, forming together an interesting pair ruminating on the impact of creation in a more rigidly controlled culture. "All You Zombies--" by Robert Heinlein is absolutely hilarious despite its now-familiar punchline and creates a truly convoluted storyline that is fun to attempt to unravel. On the more serious side, Brian W. Aldiss and "Call Me Joe" both put forth almost-great attempts to further refine the definition of humanity, and in an entirely different way both from each other and from other works of fiction. "Sandkings" by George R.R. Martin and "Dogfight" by William Gibson and Michael Swanwick are almost incidentally science fiction as they explore the deeply important and universal themes of karma and isolation, respectively, and again are distinct from any other stories that touch upon those general themes.
My favorite stories in the collection are spread out across the eras defined by editor Orson Scott Card, but each leaped out quickly as relevant, original, and deeply moving. "Passengers" by Robert Silverberg is absolutely pitch-perfect, with a science fiction element that is so innovative I'd love to see it employed elsewhere or here at greater length but which belongs firmly in this story and, perhaps, this story alone. "The Road Not Taken" is a not-so-subtle jab at human militarism that is playful throughout but which takes a sharp turn in its final sentence, pivoting entirely and perfectly on a chosen moment to reveal issues not immediately apparent on a first reading. The story may be a bit on the didactic side, but its lesson is timely and is made in an incredibly original and friendly way. "A Clean Escape" is a psychological drama that can reach no true solution and which benefits greatly from the confusion at its ending. It is the perfect length to allow the reader to understand what is going on and its ending makes its point perfectly.
My favorite story in this book filled with gems, however, is "Inconstant Moon" by Larry Niven, which takes an apocalyptic scenario and explores human psychology within the framework of an incredibly moving love story. The story is perfectly narrated and captures the emotions that can both overtake and arise from stone-cold logic, as well as constructing a believable and immediate narrative world that envelops the reader entirely from start to finish; its ending is both unforeseeable and retroactively obvious. It, and so many stories in this collection, are wonderful testaments to the power of unlimited imagination and the power of literature to transcend genre and open readers' eyes to new ways of thinking and to stories that are buried deep within us. This collection embodies all that I love about literature, and in an oft-maligned genre nonetheless. This may not be a beginner's guide to science fiction, but it will delight fans of genre fiction and has the power to soften a few hearts to the skill and power with which science fiction can operate.
Grade: A
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