The Best Science Fiction of the Year · #2

The Best Science Fiction of the Year: Volume Two

Name: The Best Science Fiction of the Year: Volume Two
Author: Neil Clarke

The second volume of a new best-of-the-year science fiction short story anthology edited by Hugo Award-winning editor Neil Clarke

To keep up-to-date with the most buzzworthy and cutting-edge science fiction requires sifting through countless magazines, e-zines, websites, blogs, original anthologies, single-author collections, and more — a task accomplishable by only the most determined and voracious readers. For everyone else, Night Shade Books is proud to introduce the latest volume of The Best Science Fiction of the Year, a new yearly anthology compiled by Hugo and World Fantasy award-winning editor Neil Clarke, collecting the finest that the genre has to offer, from the biggest names in the field to the most exciting new writers.

The best science fiction scrutinizes our culture and politics, examines the limits of the human condition, and zooms across galaxies at faster-than-light speeds, moving from the very near future to the far-flung worlds of tomorrow in the space of a single sentence. Clarke, publisher and editor in chief of the acclaimed and award-winning magazine Clarkesworld, has selected the short science fiction (and only science fiction) best representing the previous year’s writing, showcasing the talent, variety, and awesome “sensawunda” that the genre has to offer.

Contents:

“The Visitor from Taured” by Ian R. MacLeod (Asimov’s, September 2016)
“Extraction Request” by Rich Larson (Clarkesworld, January 2016)
“A Good Home” by Karin Lowachee (Lightspeed, June 2016)
“Prodigal” by Gord Sellar (Analog, December 2016)
“Ten Days” by Nina Allan (Now We Are Ten, edited by Ian Whates)
“Terminal” by Lavie Tidhar (Tor.com, April 2016)
“Panic City” by Madeline Ashby (CyberWorld, edited by Jason Heller and Joshua Viola)
“Last Gods” by Sam J. Miller (Drowned Worlds, edited by Jonathana Strahan)
“HigherWorks” by Gregory Norman Bossert (Asimov’s, December 2016)
“A Strange Loop” by T.R. Napper (Interzone, January/February 2016)
“Night Journey of the Dragon-Horse” by Xia Jia (Invisible Planets, edited by Ken Liu)
“Pearl” by Aliette de Bodard (The Starlit Wood, edited by Dominik Parisien and Navah Wolfe)
“The Metal Demimonde” by Nick Wolven (Analog, June 2016)
“The Iron Tactician” by Alastair Reynolds (Newcon Press)
“The Mighty Slinger” by Tobias S. Buckell and Karen Lord (Bridging Infinity, edited by Jonathana Strahan)
“They All Have One Breath” by Karl Bunker (Asimov’s, December 2016)
“Sooner or Later Everything Falls Into the Sea” by Sarah Pinsker (Lightspeed, February 2016)
“And Then, One Day, the Air was Full of Voices” by Margaret Ronald (Clarkesworld, June 2016)
“The Three Lives of Sonata James” by Lettie Prell (Tor.com, October 2016)
“The Charge and the Storm” by An Owomoyela (Asimov’s, February 2016)
“Parables of Infinity” by Robert Reed (Bridging Infinity, edited by Jonathana Strahan)
“Ten Poems for the Mossums, One for the Man” by Suzanne Palmer (Asimov’s, July 2016)
“You Make Pattaya” by Rich Larson (Interzone, November/December 2016)
“Number Nine Moon” by Alex Irvine (F&SF, January/February 2016)
“Things with Beards” by Sam J. Miller (Clarkesworld, June 2016)
“Dispatches from the Cradle: The Hermit—Forty-Eight Hours in the Sea of Massachusetts” by Ken Liu (Drowned Worlds, edited by Jonathana Strahan)
“Touring with the Alien” by Carolyn Ives Gilman (Clarkesworld, April 2016)

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Published: April 4, 2017

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The Best Science Fiction of the Year

The series

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The Best Science Fiction of the Year series, curated and edited by Neil Clarke, offers a sweeping collection of the most thought-provoking and boundary-pushing stories from the world of speculative fiction. Each annual volume acts as a time capsule, capturing the essence of the genre's evolution, highlighting both established voices and fresh talent, and presenting a diverse range of stories that tackle the most pressing questions of our time, all through the lens of the extraordinary and the impossible.

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What sets The Best Science Fiction of the Year apart is its ability to blend the familiar with the unknown. From dystopian futures to mind-bending explorations of technology and the human condition, the anthology pushes the boundaries of what science fiction can achieve. The carefully selected stories within each volume explore deeply human emotions—love, loss, hope, fear—while also navigating the vast, uncharted territories of space, artificial intelligence, and alternative realities. This series isn’t just about grand, far-flung adventures; it’s about examining the very essence of what it means to be human, often through the most unexpected of lenses.

Clarke’s deft editing ensures that every story within The Best Science Fiction of the Year resonates with the reader, weaving together intricate plots, nuanced characters, and speculative concepts in a way that feels both fresh and familiar. Whether delving into ethical quandaries of advanced technology, exploring the limits of consciousness, or presenting new takes on familiar tropes, each entry challenges readers to think, feel, and question the world they know. The collection has earned its reputation as a high-water mark for contemporary science fiction, offering readers both a window into the genre’s future and a mirror reflecting today’s complex realities.

Beyond the individual stories themselves, the series captures a moment in time—offering insight into the evolving voices, concerns, and trends that are shaping the genre. From climate change to artificial intelligence, from societal collapse to the exploration of alien worlds, The Best Science Fiction of the Year is not only a collection of extraordinary tales but a reflection of the world in which we live. Each volume invites readers to consider how speculative fiction serves as a mirror to our world, offering a glimpse of potential futures while also confronting the challenges we face in the present.

With its keen eye for both the literary and the fantastical, The Best Science Fiction of the Year stands as a testament to the power of speculative fiction to reflect, critique, and inspire. Perfect for both long-time fans of the genre and newcomers eager to dive into the forefront of science fiction, this anthology series is a celebration of storytelling at its most imaginative and its most profound.