Usual broad and wonderfully considered selection of the years short science fiction. ( )

Another great anthology highlighted by Marusek's "We Were Out of Our Minds With Joy". ( )

Another solid collection from editor Gardner Dozois, this one covering short fiction initially published in 1995. I found my responses to the individual stories pretty well split, although I can say that even in some of the stories that didn't really work for me I could acknowledge the author's efforts to take on an interesting, or intriguing or novel topic. I found it interesting that many of these stories were about artists of the future.

My favorites included "Starship Day" by Ian MacLeod, a story which had me quite skeptical until everything clicked together near the end; "Death in the Promised Land" by Pat Cadigan, a fairly average little detective story set within one of the more compelling VR descriptions I can remember reading; "The Death of Captain Future" by Allen Steele, a story that offered plenty of adventure and humor, with a little dollop of unexpected pathos at the end; "Radio Waves" by Michael Swanwick, a very original story about the hereafter; and my personal favorite "Looking for Kelly Dahl" by Dan Simmons.

The biggest disappointment was Greg Egan’s “Luminous,” where I found both the basic premise, and how people responded thereto, not to be even slightly credible. There were quite a few stories that I rated as only “average,” including Maureen McHugh's Hugo winning "The Lincoln Train." ( )

Book Description: New York, NY, U.S.A.: St. Martin's Griffin, 1996. Soft Cover. Very Good. 1st Edition 2nd Prtg. 8vo - over 7�" - 9¾" tall. Large Trade PB, VG, 592 pp.,