ARC Review: The Year’s Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2016

By Pamelascott
THE YEAR'S BEST SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY 2016BOOK PAGE (PUBLISHER'S WEBSITE) I was given an ARC by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
PRIME BOOKS, KINDLE EDITION, EXPECTED PUBLICATION 7 JUNEEXTRACT From Mutability by Ray Nayler
WHAT I THOUGHT 576 PAGES

This eighth volume of the year's best science fiction and fantasy features over thirty stories by some of the genre s greatest authors, including John Barnes, Elizabeth Bear, C.C. Finlay, Yoon Ha Lee, Kelly Link, Ian McDonald, Seanan McGuire, Vonda N. McIntyre, Geoff Ryman, Catherynne M. Valente, Genevieve Valentine, and many others. Selecting the best fiction from Analog, Asimov s, Clarkesworld, Lightspeed, Meeting Infinity, and other top venues, The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy is your guide to magical realms and worlds beyond tomorrow.

Stories included:

  • The Daughters of John Demetrius by Joe Pitkin
  • Endless Forms Most Beautiful by Alvaro Zinos-Amaro
  • Twelve and Tag by Gregory Norman Bossert
  • Mutability by Ray Nayler
  • Acres of Perhaps by Will Ludwigsen
  • Unearthly Landscape by a Lady by Rebecca Campbell
  • The King in the Cathedral by Rich Larson
  • Little Sisters by Vonda M. McIntyre
  • The Long Goodnight of Violet Wild by Catherynne M. Valente
  • Asymptotic by Andy Dudak
  • Cat Pictures Please by Naomi Kritzer
  • Today I Am Paul by Martin Shoemaker
  • The Deepwater Bride by Tamysn
  • The Two Paupers by C.S.E. Cooney
  • Hello Hello by Seanan McGuire
  • The Astrakhan, the Homburg, and the Red, Red Coal by Chaz Brenchley
  • Time Bomb Time by C.C. Finlay
  • And You Shall Know Her by the Trail of Dead by Brooke Bolander
  • The Karen Joy Fowler Book Club by Nike Sulway
  • My Last Bringback by John Barnes
  • Drones by Simon Ings
  • The Heart's Filthy Lesson by Elizabeth Bear
  • Botanica Veneris: Thirteen Papercuts by Idea Countness Rathagan by Ian McDonald
  • The Graphology of Haemorrhage by Yoon Ha Lee
  • Capitalism in the 22nd Century by Geoff Ryman
  • The Game of Smash and Recovery by Kelly Link
  • This Evening's Performance by Genevieve Valentine
  • Please Undo This Hurt by Seth Dickinson
  • Consolation by John Kessel
  • Folding Beijing by Hao Jingfang

It was an almost perfect café'.

The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy 2016 is a pretty decent, diverse collection of fiction. I preferred the fantasy stories to the science fiction ones. I didn't enjoy every story which is only to be expected in such a massive collection. There are only a handful of authors I'm familiar with including Elizabeth Bear and Catherynne M. Valente. Most of the authors are new to me so it's always fun to find new authors. My favourite stories include Mutability by Ray Nayler, The Long Goodnight of Violet Wild by Catherynne M. Valente, And You Shall Know Her by the Trail of Dead by Brooke Bolander, The Karen Joy Fowler Book Club by Nike Sulway and P lease Undo This Hurt by Seth Dickinson. This is the perfect collection for science fiction and fantasy fans who want the cream of the crop.