Far Horizons

Reading this for me was time traveling. A collection published in 1999 of revisits to worlds originally imagined from 1966 to 1998. The original worlds, where I did visit them, where around the year of publication, so everyone was fresh to me at the time and my reaction was time bound or time reflective. I am not now who I was then. Having said that I found my responses to these re-visits to old landscapes interesting.
Le Guin's “Ecumen” is like visiting a different part of a continent, through a tale from an out of the way region that adds some illumination to the whole.
Haldeman “Forever war” read this serialized in Analog before its publication in 1974. Not the same I think as the final print version, which causes me to think worth a re-read particularly as I enjoyed this side story with its happy ever after ending, which I suspect suggesting the sequels are worth a read worth a read.

Orsen Scot Card “Ender” Again read Enders Game as a short story in Analog 1977. Fun space opera, nice moralizing twist. Read the book when published years later and each sequel as published. [Enders Game 1985, Speaker for the dead 1986, Xenocide 1991, Children of the Mind 1996. Why I kept with the series was the development of Ender as a character and the plot development and the fact that Card is a good writer. Have to add I oppose just about everything he stands for in real life so that I like is writing is a surprise to me. The universe is huge with parallel stories of Bean and others [Shadow series which I've also read]. This short story fits in the chronology nicely, simple sweet plot, but Jane does appear like magic which is a bit flimsy.

David Brin “Uplift Universe” The 80's was the Brin decade for me. Read everything I could get my hands on. Uplift series was stellar! I'm still waiting for more and this the last published story was supposed to herald another novel and 1 suspect there are enough plot ideas for a trilogy.

Robert Silverberg “Roma Eterna”. Never read any of this series although Silverberg is an undoubted SF master. An alternative history. This novella reads Ok, pleasant enough and intriguing
if one knows enough history to make links. But not enough to compel me to want to read anymore.
Why as editor he added this is a mystery to me, suspect he had it hanging around as opposed to writing it specifically for this compilation.

Dan Simmons “Hyperion”. Started this but truth to tell I don't remember finishing it. Enjoyed the novella here, in and of itself. Nothing to tempt me back to the series. Some authors just don't work for me theme-wise. possibly its the underlying potential for horror his writing has but is absent here.

Nancy Kress “Sleepless” Read “Beggers in Spain” as a novella in a “Best of” Hugo or Nebula Awards. Enjoyed was Ok, interesting ideas but I never followed up. The synopsis before “sleeping Dogs” interests me and I may make a point of going back to read. Otherwise this again was just an Ok story.

Frederik Pohl “Heechee” Read as they were published. First two excellent but tailed off “Boy” a return to the writing strength of Gateway.

Gregory Benford “Galactic Center” Like Brin an essential 80's read. This novella adds to the understanding of the “Mantis” as a key plot character and allows for some speculation on what it means to be human.

Anne McCaffrey “The Ship” A YA author at best and she often is. Never read this series other than the original short story in an anthology I think. Nice story.

Greg Bear “Way” I like Bear but he often leaves me behind trying to understand the background plot. Remember struggling through Eon and Eternity and only retain a basic memory of the story. Playing with time will do that to one. This novella may draw me back to a re-read.

Overall an essential anthology for me and perhaps a gateway for those new to the genre to pick up a taste for some of the great SF of the recent past.