Strahan has produce a stand out collection that should be of interest to any admirer of short fiction, regardless of genre

Science fiction and fantasy are among the few genres left with thriving short-fiction markets, with new and established writers publishing regularly in magazine and book form.

With so many fine authors currently active in this field it would be hard for editors such as Jonathan Strahan to put together a bad selection, but to produce one that stands out, as this one does, is more demanding than it might first seem. "Best" in this context is more than its constituent parts, it's a demonstration of all that can be found: diversity of voice, subject and form; balance between new and established voices; work from a good range of original sources. In his foreword Strahan says he explicitly set out to achieve this, aiming to compile a book that was broad and wide-ranging but never lost sight of its roots and history. Highlights include Ramez Naam's dizzying near-future world immersed in augmented reality, Sofia Samatar's fragmented and lyrical tale that could be read as metaphor for outsiders' love, and Ian McDonald's stirring homage to HG Wells's Mars. Books as good as this should be of interest to any admirer of short fiction, regardless of genre.

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