The Best of the Best

“History of Death” is a long story, but well worth the read, and is easily one of the most interesting pieces of fiction I have ever read. I highly recommend others to read this story. The story details Mortimer Gray's journey of writing about death, and the fascination people have with it, once people become essentially immortal. The story's author works on a number of volumes in the History, which takes 174 years to complete. Battling several close calls with death himself, Mortimer Gray is an intriguing and highly flawed character, who is a joy to read about.

“The Undiscovered” by William Sanders - Another ‘alternate history' story, “The Undiscovered” ponders what Williams Shakespeare might have accomplished, were his audience completely different than the ones he wrote for. The story details how ‘Spearshaker' puts on a play with native-americans, after being stranded in the new-world, rather than writing his plays back in England. It's an interesting twist for a story to ponder, but Sanders does an admirable job.

“Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang - Though not a highly prolific author, I cannot help feeling like I've been missing something. “Story of Your Life” was arguably the best story in the book, and grabbed my attention more than any story I can remember. Another longer piece, “Story or Your Life” is both a flashback, and a flash-forward–sort of. Aliens at last visit us, but we find it more difficult to communicate than imagination could provide. Using ‘semagrams', the main character learns not only how to communicate with the aliens', but also how to think like them–to unusual results. It's one of the best-written stories I've ever encountered, and should be required reading for any science fiction fan.

“10-16 to 1” by James Patrick Kelly - This is actually a story I had run across before, in a science fiction magazine. A time-traveler enlists the help of a young boy, to change the course of history for all life on Earth–if the boy completes his task properly. Set during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the tension of the story is a character in itself, and helps set the tone for the world that the boy lives in. Add the dysfunctional family, in a time where families weren't supposed to be dysfunctional, and the reality of the situation sets even further. With an interesting premise, and an even more interesting ending, this story is an enjoyable, and thought-provoking read.

“Lobsters” by Charles Stross - Another author whose work I've never delved into, Stross does a superb job portraying the future of the ‘internet-age' in a believable, and somewhat terrifying manner. The technical portions of this story are what made me take notice, describing how even a Windows NT server from Russia can survive into the future, and become a character worth interacting with. Stross has become an author I will be looking for now, in order to see if his other stories are as technically rich. If so, I have a new favorite.

“Lambing Season” by Molly Gloss - Another story that I'd read in a magazine, “Lambing Season” is another fantastically understated work. Portraying an encounter with aliens, who look nothing like we'd expect, this story is leisurely and relaxed, and makes the reader feel comfortable with the idea that it's okay not to report the contact. I've not seen a lot of work by this author, but look forward to finding more.

Though these are not all of the great stories in the book, these were just my favorites, or the ones that made me notice the authors for the first time. All of the stories in the collection are amazing, as they should be for this book, and all could be recommended easily. For any science-fiction fan who wants to get a sample from many good authors, they should pick up this book. It's also an example of what great science fiction looks like, and would-be authors should take notice.