The Mammoth Book of Best New Science Fiction

Every lover of science fiction will know of this invaluable series. As with the Mammoth Book of Horror sequence from the same company, these anthologies remain an annual must-buy for lovers of the genre, with the indefatigable Dozois making most other editors look like amateurs, so comprehensive in his reach. All the most imaginative names are here: Stephen Baxter, Greg Egan, Paul McAuley, M John Harrison and Michael Swansick, all on top form, along with contributions from three of the legendary names from Galaxy magazine, Frederick Pohl, Robert Silverberg and Hal Clement. The worlds we are taken to stretch from cyberspace to the outer reaches of the universe, and stand-out tales include McCauley's How We Lost The Moon, which is as striking a fable of cosmic catastrophe as one could wish for, shored up with the kind of persuasive hard silence also found in Stephen Baxter's People Came From Earth. And the review of the year in SF is quite as entertaining as any of the stories, painting a sanguine picture of the genre as it continues to colonize the cinema. Perhaps a few entries lack that final degree of imaginative dash, but its still a cherishable collection. (Kirkus UK)