4.0 out of 5 stars
excellent anthology, July 15 2004
By A Customer
This review is from: Science Fiction : The Best of 2003 (Mass Market Paperback)
Science Fiction: The Best of 2003 is an excellent anthology with most of the stories of above average quality. The best include "A Study in Emerald" by Neil Gaiman, a clever pastiche of both Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and H.P. Lovecraft, "The Empire of Ice Cream" by Jeffrey Ford about a man suffering from the strange disease synesthesia and "The Cookie Monster" by Vernor Vinge about new hires at a large technology firm who realize there's more to their jobs than meets the eye. The collection also features good stories by David D. Levine, James Patrick Kelly and Michael Swanwick. The stories are written in a wide variety of styles with diverse themes. Science fiction fans should find several stories that they will enjoy.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Mostly good stories., May 23 2004
This review is from: Science Fiction : The Best of 2003 (Mass Market Paperback)
The book contains several stories. Rated in the Amazon system of stars (from one to five: "I hate it", "I don't like it", "It's ok", "I like it" and "I love it").
A Study in Emerald, by Neil Gaiman: A clever Victorian era detective follows a criminal mind that matches his own. ****.
Flowers from Alice, by Cory Doctorow and Charles Stross: Inviting his first love to his weeding brings several headaches to a man. **.
The tale of the Golden Eagle, by David D. Levine: What was once the brain of a starship becomes a legend. ****
Bernardo's house, by James Patrick Kelly: A very special house longes for his owner to return. ****
Confusions of Uñi, by Ursula K. Le Guin: A visit to Uñi takes unexpected twists for a very cautious man. ***
Jon, by George Saunders: A boy is torn between his home and his beloved. **
The Cookie Monster, by Vernor Vinge: A girl looking for a mail abuser finds discovers her world is not what it seems. *****
Legions in Time, by Michael Swanwick: Wishing to get even with her commanding employer, a woman places herself in an evolutionary war. *****
The Chop Line, Stephen Baxter: A young woman has to confront her older self on a battle for the future of mankind. ****
Calling your name, Howard Waldrop: After an electrical shock, a man tries to understand a world that is not what he recalls. ***
The Empire of Ice Cream, by Jeffrey Ford: A gifted boy finds a friend in bowl of ice cream. *****
Bumship, by Susan Mosser: A disgruntled employee gives an interview to an influential reporter. ****
Only Partly Here, by Lucius Shepard: A worker at ground-zero tries to make sense of what the wreckage is about. **
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Stories that stick in your mind, April 2 2004
This review is from: Science Fiction : The Best of 2003 (Mass Market Paperback)
I usually find that I have one or two favourites out of an anthology but this was different - I liked most of the stories in this book.
The subjects range from time travel to space opera to cyberpunk, sort of, but they are all the kind that you will remember for a long while.
Be prepared for bittersweet endings.
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