From Publishers Weekly
This weighty collection brings together stories, poems, novellas and essays of the high quality that has come to be associated with the Nebula Awards. The range is wide as these authors show the maturing strides that science fiction and fantasy writing have been taking lately. Among the highlights are Allan Brennert's story about an American soldier killed in Vietnam who finds himself inhabiting the spirit-world afterlife of indigenous Vietnamese culture; Brennert's descriptions of that grotesque world are haunting. Karen Fowler's story also takes up the theme of Vietnam, this time through a frightening tale of bubonic plague spread by the U.S. military. Perhaps the best story is Nancy Kress's, about people who are genetically engineered to need no sleep. This small group, with a third more time to learn and do, achieve more than anyone else and eventually become the targets of bigoted fear from those who need shut-eye. Essays on fantasy films of 1991 and an SF reaction to postmodern literary criticism add a nice touch, as does the poetry. Fans will particularly appreciate a series of tributes to Isaac Asimov, who died in 1992. Morrow wrote Only Begotten Daughter.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Kirkus Reviews
Morrow returns as editor of the Nebula anthology for 1991. In addition to the award winners, he includes a sample of other finalists in the short-fiction categories, overviews of the year's fiction and film, a critical essay, and four tributes to the late Isaac Asimov. The fiction here is first-rate, especially the winners: ``Beggars in Spain'' is Nancy Kress's exploration of the unsettling social implications of genetic engineering; Mike Conner's ``Guide Dog'' asks how human beings might relate to a superior intelligence; and Alan Brennert's ``Ma Qui'' sends the ghost of an American soldier to a Vietnamese afterlife. Michael Swanwick's Stations of the Tide is represented by three excerpts- -a choice that might not work for every novel, but that captures Swanwick's hallucinatory future to good effect. Terry Bisson's bare-bones comic dialogue ``They're Made Out of Meat'' and Gregory Stewart's long poem ``the button, and what you know'' effectively illustrate the unusually wide variety of approaches- -and general excellence--of the rest. Bill Warren's summary of the year in film is knowledgeable, and Bruce Sterling's attempt to foresee the fictional shape of the 90's is suitably provocative. For many readers, the lists of other recommended books and stories will be the most valuable feature here. An excellent way for the occasional reader to get a sample of the current trends in sf, especially since only two entries here are in other ``best-of-the-year'' collections for 1991. --
Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
