What a mixed bag of gems and pebbles this was! I had looked forward to diving into this anthology, especially with John Joseph Adams and Carmen Maria Machado at the editorial helm. And for the most part, it didn't disappoint. The stories were diverse, ranging from the strange and poetic to the utterly bizarre.

Let's talk about the standouts. "Six Hangings in the Land of Unkillable Women" by Theodore McCombs stuck with me long after I finished it. Then there was "Dead Air" by Nino Cipri, which was a fascinating dive into the complexities of human relationships, all wrapped up in a modern, tech-savvy package. But the crown jewel for me was "Nine Last Days on Planet Earth" by Daryl Gregory. This story spanned the entire life of its main character, from boyhood to old age, against the backdrop of an Earth slowly being overtaken by alien plants. The narrative wove together the protagonist's personal life—his marriage, kids, and grandkids—with this larger, almost apocalyptic, struggle. It was like watching a life unfold in fast-forward, with the stakes getting higher and higher. Just brilliant.

But not every story hit the mark for me. Some felt a bit too long, like they overstayed their welcome. And there were a few that I just couldn't connect with. Still, even the stories that weren't my cup of tea were interesting in their own right. They gave me a glimpse into what kinds of narratives different authors, coming from various backgrounds, chose to tell.

One of the best things about this anthology was discovering authors I hadn't read before. I've already added a few to my "must-read-more-of" list. So, while the collection had its highs and lows, it was definitely worth the read. It's not a perfect anthology, but it's one that has expanded my literary horizons, and for that, I'm grateful. ( )

I continue slowly making my way through this series. Eventually I may even finally catch up to the present year!

I've been pretty consistently impressed by these collections. The best stories in them are always incredible, and even the ones that don't 100% work for me are almost always still well-written and doing interesting and thought-provoking things. I do think this installment has a slightly higher percentage of that second kind than previous years', but that just means that it's "only" a highly worthwhile anthology, rather than a knock-your-socks off one.

It's also interesting how these volumes always seem to develop strong themes, reflecting both the concerns of the relevant year and the particular focus of that year's editor. Themes of power and marginalization and how humans perpetuate, suffer under, and respond to those dynamics are strongly present here, as they have been in previous years, but this one especially centers women and narratives that address violence against women. ( )

Another wonderful BASF&F. The stories collected here are wide-ranging; I didn't love every one of them, but the joy of a collection like this is that it lets you sample a wide swath of stories you might otherwise have missed out on. My favorite was THROUGH THE FLASH, by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, which I would do a disservice by trying to summarize, but I can't remember the last time a short story affected me so much. ( )