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Author Topic: Best Anthologies?
docmagik
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Okay, is it just me, or is the annual Gardner Dozois Year's Best SF getting wayyyyyy to literary highbrow for public consumption?

Is this because SF in general is gettng more traditionally literary, or is that just reflective of his taste?

I much prefer the David Hartwell anthologies, and wish the Robert Silverberg anthologies would have lasted.

So does anybody else actually give a whoop about this issue, and are there any other good current anthologies you reccomend?

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Noemon
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I haven't read his latest anthology, but in general I *love* Dozois' "Year's Best" anthologies. Do you generally find them unplesantly highbrow, or is the newest one an exception?
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Morbo
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Hartwell edits a great yearly anthology. I need to get some of the early ones
Dozois also has edited well, but I don't have any past 1999 so he may have changed.

[ August 01, 2003, 09:58 AM: Message edited by: Morbo ]

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Noemon
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Dangerous Visions and Again Dangerous Visions are both classics, of course. Some of the material in them may be a bit dated now, but a lot of it is great.

The Norton Anthology of Science Fiction, which is edited by Ursula K Leguin is pretty good, as are the three volumes of James Gunn's mammoth The Road to Science Fiction anthology that I've read (I've read From Gilgamesh to Wells, From Wells to Heinlein, and From Heinlein to Here).

As a completely unrelated side note, when I talked to him in about 1991 or so (he was a professor at KU at the time, and I was a student who stopped by his office, since I was unable to get into his class and figured that it would probably be my only chance to actually meet someone who was involved in the golden age of SF) he had never heard of OSC, and scoffed at my mentioning that I saw Paul Atrides as an Oedipus figure (his exact words were "I'm sure that Paul was fond of his mother, but I think you're taking things a bit far",). The Oedipus thing, although fairly obvious to me now, was a brand new revelation that I'd only had a few days before I went in to talk to him, so I was pretty excited about it, and felt pretty dejected at his dismissal of it. He struck me as someone who was a bit bitter about not being better known for his work, and he definitely resented that Sagan's Contact was more successful than his similar, earlier The Listeners.

Anyway, back to anthologies. Robert Silverberg's Legends is definitely worth reading. Of Urusla K Leguin's short story collections, my favorite is probably The Compass Rose, and I can't recommend Custer's Last Jump, an anthology of collaborations between Howard Waldrop and various other authors, including George R. R. Martin (isn't it cool when you discover that two of your favorite authors are actually friends from way back?) highly enough. William Sanders has recently come out with a collection called Are We Having Fun Yet. I haven't actually gotten the collection yet, but I've read a lot of the stories that are in it, and they've ranged from "pretty damned good" to "absolutely amazing".

All of Theodore Sturgeon's short stuff is being released in a many volumed collection, and isn't to be missed.

Oh, Octavia Butler's collection Bloodchild and Other Stories is incredible.

There are a few upcoming short SF collections that I'm looking forward to getting. I'm practically drooling at the prospect of getting my hands on George R.R. Martin: A Retrospective, and Maureen McHugh supposedly has an upcoming collection called The Lincoln Train. It's been in the works for years, though, so while I'll snap it up the second I see it, I'm not holding my breath.

[Edited to add the words "highly enough", without which one of my statements above was the exact opposite of what I intended to say]

[ August 01, 2003, 10:52 AM: Message edited by: Noemon ]

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Noemon
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Why do I feel like I just gave you a little more information than you wanted to know? [Smile]
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Chris Bridges
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Not at all, I was happy to hear about the Sturgeon collections.
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Noemon
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Good to know! When the subject turns to recommending books, sometimes I get a bit effusive, and when I get effusive I tend to get a little wordy.
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Morbo
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All of Theodore Sturgeon's short stuff is being released in a many volumed collection, and isn't to be missed

Amen and word. I have Vol. 1 or 2 and it's amazing. I'm going to get all the volumes someday.

For best cyberpunk anthology, there's only Mirror Shades.
One of the best anthologies I have ever read. [Hail]

[ August 01, 2003, 12:39 PM: Message edited by: Morbo ]

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eslaine
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I, as well, enjoyed Mirror Shades . You beat me to that one, Morbo! Future on Fire was pretty good.

Looking through my library, however, I find most of my anthologies are those of an individual author, of which Burning Chrome comes to mind.

I also loved the P. K. Dick collections which came out a few years ago.

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Noemon
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Yeah eslaine, I thought about mentioning the Philip K Dick collection.

Has anyone looked at the SF classics type anthology that OSC edited? I'm talking about the one that we had the opportunity to make suggestions for a year or two back (or was it longer ago than that?). I haven't gotten it, because I've got most of the stories in it in once collection or another, but if OSC or the original authors provide introductions or afterwords to the stories it would be worth it to me to get it.

You know, surprisingly, I've never read Future on Fire. I've read Future on Ice a couple of times, and have thoroughly appreciated it, but somehow I've never gotten around to Future on Fire. I'll have to do that.

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eslaine
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There's a Future on Ice ?

Boy, am I out of it.

[ August 01, 2003, 01:45 PM: Message edited by: eslaine ]

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Noemon
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It's a pretty good anthology. It's got a great George R.R. Martin short story. If the rest of the book were utter crap (and it's not), it would be worth the cost of the book for that story alone.
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eslaine
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Just relieved it's not a new SF Ice Capades show!

But, seriously, who are the other authors?

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Noemon
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It's been awhile since I've read it, so I don't remember off hand. I'll take a look when I get home and post a list of the authors and their stories tomorrow or the next day. Feel free to remind me if I forget.

Who is in Future on Fire?

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Amka
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I need to start reading Asimov's and Analog more, but at least MF&SF is getting more literary. A few of the stories I love, and others I just screw my face up and wonder what I just read. The last one was some bit of feminist tripe that involved a woodpecker making love to a woman and some shoes with red tassles.

Ugh.

I've been reading lots of sci fi and fantasy that was 'literary' lately, where there was more wierdness than plot. It is kind of sad.

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eslaine
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My copy is in storage. My life is in storage. It's hell to be away from your reference material!

And I'd like to re-read Red Mars before the miniseries comes out! [Grumble]

(okay, so I stooped to a smiley....)

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Noemon
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Yeah Amka, I really don't go in for that sort of thing either.

Since docmagic has apparently vanished, never to respond to my question, does anybody else have an opinion on Dozois' "Year's Best" anthologies? I remember someone else here complaining that they hated they a year or so ago--Maybe Irami? Maybe Squick?--and I seem to remember that the complaint was that the stories were too lit-fi. Since I have no love for lit-fi whatsoever, but have generally enjoyed Dozois' anthologies, that was a bit of a surprise for me.

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Noemon
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I know what you mean about your life being in storage. 95%--no, make that 99%--of my library is boxed up in my parents' attic, 600 some miles away. It's been there for years. I don't want to move my collection until I actually own a house; currently I seem to move at least every two years, and that is far too often to move that many books.
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Fitz
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quote:
And I'd like to re-read Red Mars before the miniseries comes out!
They're making a miniseries?!?
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Fitz
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I just read some information on it. Gregory Widen, who wrote highlander, will be writing the miniseries. It won't come out until late 2004 they say, so it looks like you'll have a lot of time to reread Red Mars.
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eslaine
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Yep Fitz, on Sci-Fi! I just bought the Children of Dune miniseries on DVD, due to the overwhelming critical approval.

I'm sure they'll do a great job, it's already got rumors flying about it. George Clooney as Frank Chalmers?

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Fitz
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I could see that. I would choose Ed Harris to play Frank.
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eslaine
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Let's get out of this thread for this discussion,
I like the direction that it was taking anyway!

Here is the thread: Casting Red Mars

(Sorry Doc, here's your thread back!)

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AndrewR
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I personally think that "Empire of Dreams and Miracles" is one of the best anthologies ever published--for obvious reasons. [Big Grin]
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Noemon
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Are you in it Andrew? I've been thinking about getting it. Which story is yours?
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docmagik
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quote:
Since docmagic has apparently vanished, never to respond to my question,
[ROFL]

Sorry, Noemon. If you notice, all my posts usually happen around midnight. I don't generally get to do the almost-realtime-conversation that is daytime Hatracking. (This generally means I post, everybody comes in and tears my arguements apart in the morning, the thread dissapears into oblivion by evening, and I have to decide whether to tick everybody off by ressurecting the thread in the middle of the night. You can see why my post count is so low, despite my age and how many people know me.)

I enjoyed a lot of the earlier anthologies--in fact, two of my "Killer Openings" submissions were from my Dozois Year's Best archives.

But it seems like lately, I don't know. I can't even get more than two pages into many of the stories. Just off-putting.

So I was wondering if most SF is getting that way, or if his tastes are. I worry, but then a story like "Different Kinds of Darkness" comes along and wins the Hugo, and my faith in the SF community is restored.

quote:
I need to start reading Asimov's and Analog more, but at least MF&SF is getting more literary. A few of the stories I love, and others I just screw my face up and wonder what I just read. The last one was some bit of feminist tripe that involved a woodpecker making love to a woman and some shoes with red tassles.
[Dont Know]

Yeah, see. This is exactly the problem. My only guess is that editors are hoping that by appealing to the literary establishment they can de marginalize SF, little realizing that the literary establishment is way more marginalized than the SF audience.

quote:
Who is in Future on Fire?
Michael Bishop's excellent "A Gift From the Graylanders" is in there, as is Ursula K LeGuin's "Buffalo Gals Won't You Come Out Tonight."

I think I enjoyed "Future on Ice" more, mostly for "Blood Music," "Speech Sounds," and the absolutely fantastic "Snow."

But the best thing about Future on Fire is that OSC includes long, insightful introductions, which actually become interesting essays on topics that may or may not be related directly to the story. Most are in-depth histories and criticisms of the remainder of the authors' body of work.

I missed that in Future on Ice.

He also mentions in Future on Ice that he has another anthology he'd like to do called Future on Hold. It would be humourous SF from the 80's. He says he doesn't think he'll ever get to do it, and I openly weep at that. [Cry]

Doc

(Who is trying to get the new smilies out of his system in one post.)

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AndrewR
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"Who Lived in a Shoe" was the story my wife and I came up with. (Unfortunately, she was supposed to have been a co-author of the story. I'm still picking off fleas because of that. [Embarrassed] )
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docmagik
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Here are the contents lists, from locus Magazine, of:

Future on Fire

Future on Ice

and

Masterpieces: The Best Science Fiction of the Century

As you can see, there is some overlap. And the introductions get briefer and stuffier in each volume. (Screw the critics, Uncle Orson! Let the intros be longer than the stories!)

But there's no denying these are great picks.

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ae
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Are all the sf fans here so anti-"literary"? I'm disappointed.

Personally, I'm glad to see sf becoming more literary. This is exactly the sort of thing Harlan Ellison was moving towards with Dangerous Visions and Again, Dangerous Visions, and I find it strange that the same people who're jumping on this new-fangled littritcha hogwash seem to have no problems with these two collections.

Anyway: anthologies? I haven't been reading many of those lately, but Nemonymous, a small press sort-of-anthology of anonymously published fiction, has been pretty solid, despite including a few noticable clunkers. Breaking Windows, which I didn't buy but read online (it's an anthology of material previously published on Fantastic Metropolis), is good, too. Can't say I'd recommend either to anti-lit-fi people, but oh well.

Also, I hear that Trampoline (ed. Kelly Link) is not to be missed. The Thackery T. Lambshead Gudie to Eccentric & Discredited Diseases (ed. Jeff Vandermeer and Mark Roberts), too.

[ August 03, 2003, 03:26 AM: Message edited by: ae ]

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