Four Year's Best anthologies; Hugo nominations are open

Here are the tables of contents for four forthcoming best of the year anthologies, summarizing short fiction excellence for work published in 2015.

The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy
of the Year, Vol. 10
Edited by Jonathan Strahan
Solaris Books, forthcoming May 2016

Table of contents:

1. “City of Ash” by Paolo Bacigalupi (Medium.com, read it here)
2. “The Heart’s Filthy Lesson” by Elizabeth Bear (Old Venus, edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois)
3. “The Machine Starts” by Greg Bear (Future Visions, edited by Microsoft & Melcher Media)
4. “The Winter Wraith” by Jeffrey Ford (F&SF, November/December 2015)
5. “Black Dog” by Neil Gaiman (Trigger Warnings)
6. “Jamaica Ginger” by Nalo Hopkinson & Nisi Shawl (Stories for Chip, edited by Nisi Shawl and Bill Campbell)
7. “Drones” by Simon Ings (Meeting Infinity, edited by Jonathana Strahan)
8. “Emergence” by Gwyneth Jones (Meeting Infinity, edited by Jonathana Strahan)
9. “Dancy vs. the Pterosaur” by Caitlin R. Kiernan (Sirenia Digest, April 2015)
10. “Another Word for World” by Anne Leckie (Future Visions, edited by Microsoft & Melcher Media)
11. “The Game of Smash and Recovery” by Kelly Link (Strange Horizons, October 2015, read it here)
12. “The Pauper Prince and the Eucalyptus Jinn” by Usman T. Mailk (Tor.com, April 2015, read it here)
13. “Botanica Veneris: Thirteen Papercuts by Ida Countess Rathangan” by Ian McDonald (Old Venus, edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois)
14. “Little Sisters” by Vonda McIntyre (Book View Café, May 2015)
15. “Calved” by Sam J. Miller (Asimov’s, September 2015)
16. “Ghosts of Home” by Sam J. Miller (Lightspeed, August 2015, read it here)
17. “The Deepwater Bride” by Tamsyn Muir (F&SF, July/August 2015)
18. “The Empress in Her Glory” by Robert Reed (Clarkesworld, April 2015, read it here)
19. “A Murmuration” by Alastair Reynolds (Interzone, March/April 2015)
20. “Oral Argument” by Kim Stanley Robinson (Tor.com, December 2015, read it here)
21. “Water of Versailles” by Kelly Robson (Tor.com, June 2015, read it here)
22. “Capitalism in the 22nd Century” by Geoff Ryman (Stories for Chip, edited by Nisi Shawl and Bill Campbell)
23. “The Karen Joy Fowler Book Club” by Nike Sulway (Lightspeed, October 2015, read it here)
24. “The Lily and the Horn” by Catherynne Valente (Fantasy Magazine, December 2015, read it here)
25. “Blood, Ash, Braids” by Genevieve Valentine (Operation Arcana, edited by John Joseph Adams)
26. “Kaiju maximus®: ‘So Various, So Beautiful, So New’” by Kai Ashante Wilson (Fantasy Magazine, December 2015, read it here)
27. “Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers” by Alyssa Wong (Nightmare Magazine, October 2015, read it here)

The Year’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy 2016
Edited by Rich Horton
Prime Books, forthcoming May 2016

Table of contents:

1. “The Daughters of John Demetrius” by Joe Pitkin (Analog, October 2015)
2. “Endless Forms Most Beautiful” by Alvaro Zinos-Amaro (Analog, September 2015)
3. “Twelve and Tag” by Gregory Norman Bossert (Asimov’s, March 2015)
4. “Mutability” by Ray Nayler (Asimov’s, June 2015)
5. “Acres of Perhaps” by Will Ludwigsen (Asimov’s, July 2015)
6. “Unearthly Landscape by a Lady” by Rebecca Campbell (Beneath Ceaseless Skies, October 2015, read it here)
7. “The King in the Cathedral” by Rich Larson (Beneath Ceaseless Skies, February 2015 read it here)
8. “Little Sisters” by Vonda N. McIntyre (Book View Cafe, May 2015)
9. “The Long Goodnight of Violet Wild” by Catherynne M. Valente (Clarkesworld, January 2015, read it here)
10. “Asymptotic” by Andy Dudak (Clarkesworld, June 2015, read it here)
11. “Cat Pictures Please” by Naomi Kritzer (Clarkesworld, January 2015, read it here)
12. “Today I Am Paul” by Martin L. Shoemaker (Clarkesworld, August 2015, read it here)
13. “The Deepwater Bride” by Tamysn Muir (F&SF, July/August 2015)
14. “The Two Paupers” by C.S.E. Cooney (Fairchild Books)
15. “Hello, Hello” by Seanan McGuire (Future Visions, edited by Microsoft & Melcher Media)
16. “The Astrakhan, the Homburg, and the Red, Red Coal” by Chaz Brenchley (Lightspeed, June 2015, read it here)
17. “Time Bomb Time” by C.C. Finlay (Lightspeed, May 2015, read it here)
18. “And You Shall Know Her by the Trail of Dead” by Brooke Bolander (Lightspeed, February 2015, read it here)
19. “The Karen Joy Fowler Book Club” by Nike Sulway (Lightspeed, October 2015, read it here)
20. “My Last Bringback” by John Barnes (Meeting Infinity, edited by Jonathana Strahan)
21. “Drones” by Simon Ings (Meeting Infinity, edited by Jonathana Strahan)
22. “The Heart’s Filthy Lesson” by Elizabeth Bear (Old Venus, edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois)
23. “Botanica Veneris: Thirteen Papercuts by Idea Countness Rathagan” by Ian McDonald (Old Venus, edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois)
24. “The Graphology of Hemorrhage” by Yoon Ha Lee (Operation Arcana, edited by John Joseph Adams)
25. “Capitalism in the 22nd Century” by Geoff Ryman (Stories for Chip, edited by Nisi Shawl and Bill Campbell)
26. “The Game of Smash and Recovery” by Kelly Link (Strange Horizons, October 2015, read it here)
27. “This Evening’s Performance” by Genevieve Valentine (The Mammoth Book of Dieselpunk)
28. “Please Undo This Hurt” by Seth Dickinson (Tor.com, September 2015, read it here)
29. “Consolation” by John Kessel (Twelve Tomorrows, edited by Bruce Sterling)
30. “Folding Beijing” by Hao Jingfang, translated by Ken Liu (Uncanny, January/February 2015, read it here)

The Best Science Fiction of the Year,
Vol. 1
Edited by Neil Clarke
Night Shade Books, forthcoming June 2016

Table of contents:

1. “A Murmuration” by Alastair Reynolds (Interzone, March/April 2015)
2. “In Blue Lily’s Wake” by Aliette de Bodard (Meeting Infinity, edited by Jonathana Strahan)
3. “Outsider” by An Owomeyla (Meeting Infinity, edited by Jonathana Strahan)
4. “Another Word for World” by Ann Leckie (Future Visions, edited by Microsoft & Melcher Media)
5. “Iron Pegasus” by Brenda Cooper (Mission: Tomorrow, edited by Bryan Thomas Schmidt)
6. “Seven Wonders of a Once and Future World” by Caroline M. Yoachim (Lightspeed, September 2015, read it here)
7. “Bannerless” by Carrie Vaughn (The End Has Come, edited by John Joseph Adams and Hugh Howey)
8. “Gypsy” by Carter Scholz (PM Press)
9. “The Smog Society” by Chen Qiufan, translated by Ken Liu and Carmen Yiling Yan (Lightspeed, August 2015, read it here)
10. “The Tumbledowns of Cleopatra Abyss” by David Brin (Old Venus, edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois)
11. “Damage” by David D. Levine (Tor.com, January 2015, read it here)
12. “Capitalism in the 22nd Century” by Geoff Ryman (Stories for Chip, edited by Nisi Shawl and Bill Campbell)
13. “Folding Beijing” by Hao Jingfang, translated by Ken Liu (Uncanny, January/February 2015, read it here)
14. “Botanica Veneris: Thirteen Papercuts by Ida Countess Rathangan” by Ian McDonald (Old Venus, edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois)
15. “Hold-Time Violations” by John Chu (Tor.com, October 2015, read it here)
16. “Two-Year Man” by Kelly Robson (Asimov’s, August 2015)
17. “The Gods Have Not Died in Vain” by Ken Liu (The End Has Come, edited by John Joseph Adams and Hugh Howey)
18. “Today I Am Paul” by Martin L. Shoemaker (Clarkesworld, August 2015, read it here)
19. “Cocoons” by Nancy Kress (Meeting Infinity, edited by Jonathana Strahan)
20. “Cat Pictures Please” by Naomi Kritzer (Clarkesworld, January 2015, read it here)
21. “So Much Cooking” by Naomi Kritzer (Clarkesworld, November 2015, read it here)
22. “No Placeholder for You, My Love” by Nick Wolven (Asimov’s, August 2015)
23. “Wild Honey” by Paul McAuley (Asimov’s, August 2015)
24. “Meshed” by Rich Larson (Clarkesworld, February 2015, read it here)
25. “Empty” by Robert Reed (Asimov’s, December 2015)
26. “Calved” by Sam J. Miller (Asimov’s, September 2015)
27. “The Audience” by Sean McMullen (Analog, June 2015)
28. “Hello, Hello” by Seanan McGuire (Future Visions, edited by Microsoft & Melcher Media)
29. “Three Bodies at Mitanni” by Seth Dickinson (Analog, June 2015)
30. “Violation of the TrueNet Security Act” by Taiyo Fujii, translated by Jim Hubbert (Lightspeed, July 2015, read it here)
31. “The Cold Inequalities” by Yoon Ha Lee (Meeting Infinity, edited by Jonathana Strahan)

The Year’s Best Science Fiction,
Thirty-third Annual Collection
Edited by Gardner Dozois 
St. Martin's Griffin, forthcoming July 2016

Table of contents:

1. “The Falls: A Luna Story” by Ian McDonald (Meeting Infinity, edited by Jonathana Strahan)
2. “Three Cups of Grief, By Starlight” by Aliette de Bodard (Clarkesworld, January 2015, read it here)
3. “Ruins” by Eleanor Arnason (Old Venus, edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois)
4. “Gypsy” by Carter Scholz (PM Press)
5. “Emergence” by Gwyneth Jones (Meeting Infinity, edited by Jonathana Strahan)
6. “Calved” by Sam J. Miller (Asimov’s, September 2015)
7. “Meshed” by Rich Larson (Clarkesworld, February 2015, read it here)
8. “Bannerless” by Carrie Vaughn (The End has Come, edited by John Joseph Adams and Hugh Howey)
9. “The Astrakhan, the Homberg, and the Red Red Coat” by Chaz Brenchley (Lightspeed, June 2015, read it here)
10. “Another Word for World” by Ann Leckie (Future Visions, edited by Microsoft & Melcher Media)
11. “City of Ash” by Paolo Bacigalupi (Medium.com, read it here)
12. “The Muses of Shuyedan-18” by Indrapramit Das (Asimov’s, June 2015)
13. “The Audience” by Sean McMullen (Analog, June 2015)
14. “Consolation” by John Kessel (Twelve Tomorrows, edited by Bruce Sterling)
15. “Botanica Veneris: Thirteen Papercuts by Idea Countness Rathagan” by Ian McDonald (Old Venus, edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois)
16. “Rates of Change” by James S.A. Corey (Meeting Infinity, edited by Jonathana Strahan)
17. “The Children of Gal” by Allen M. Steele (Asimov's, April/May 2015)
18. “Today I Am Paul” by Martin L. Shoemaker (Clarkesworld, August 2015, read it here)
19. “Trapping the Pleistecene” by James Sarafin (F&SF, May/June 2015)
20. “Machine Learning” by Nancy Kress (Future Visions, edited by Microsoft & Melcher Media)
21. “Silence Like Diamonds” by John Barnes (LightReading, July 2015, read it here)
22. “Inhuman Garbage” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (Asimov's, March 2015)
23. “Planet of Fear” by Paul McAuley (Old Venus, edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois)
24. “It Takes More Than Muscles to Frown” by Ned Beauman (Twelve Tomorrows, edited by Bruce Sterling)
25. “The Daughters of John Demetrius” by Joe Pitkin (Analog, October 2015)
26. “Hello, Hello” by Seanan McGuire (Future Visions, edited by Microsoft & Melcher Media)
27. “Capitalism in the 22nd Century” by Geoff Ryman (Stories for Chip, edited by Nisi Shawl and Bill Campbell)
28. “Ice” by Rich Larson (Clarkesworld, October 2015, read it here)
29. “The Three Resurrections of Jessica Churchill” by Kelly Robson (Clarkesworld, February 2015, read it here)
30. “In Panic Town, on the Backward Moon” by Michael F. Flynn (Mission: Tomorrow, edited by Bryan Thomas Schmidt)
31. “The First Gate of Logic” by Benjamin Rosenbaum (Stories for Chip, edited by Nisi Shawl and Bill Campbell)
32. “Billy Tumult” by Nick Harkaway (Stories for Chip, edited by Nisi Shawl and Bill Campbell)
33. “No Placeholder for You, My Love” by Nick Wolven (Asimov's, August 2015)
34. “The Game of Smash and Recovery” by Kelly Link (Strange Horizons, October 2015, read it here)
35. “A Stopped Clock” by Madeline Ashby (Atlantic Council's War Stories from the Future, read it here in PDF)
36. “Citadel of Weeping Pearls” by Aliette de Bodard (Asimov's, October/November 2015)

There's a lot that could be said about these lists: where they agree and disagree, which publications the editors found to have the best work, etc. For now I'll leave that as an exercise for the reader. I will mention that these lists make excellent preparation for people who vote for the Hugo Awards ...

The Hugo Award nominations are now open
Yes, from now until March 31, the Hugo nominations are open to members of the World Science Fiction Convention. In order to vote you need to be a member of last year's (Spokane), this year's (Kansas City), or next year's (Helsinki) convention.

Related link:
The Hugo Award nominations ballot

A Hartwell pick for 2016

Continuing yesterday's post: The 2016 book that David G. Hartwell was most emphatic about was Judenstaat by Simone Zelitch, due out in June 2016. He called it a masterpiece.

I didn't know Hartwell, except to say hello at an academic conference or science fiction convention, yet with his precision for language, I'm sure that he didn't use a term like "masterpiece" casually.

David G. Hartwell (1941-2016)

David G. Hartwell, 74, passed away after a fall that resulted in a brain injury. I had the privilege of participating in a small group "literary beer" at the Worldcon in Spokane in 2015 (pictured) where Hartwell held forth on some of the authors whose books he has edited -- Gene Wolfe and Philip K. Dick were mentioned -- and he spoke enthusiastically about books he had acquired for publication in 2016.

To quote the Encyclopedia of Science Fiction: "He was perhaps the single most influential book editor of the past forty years in the American sf publishing world." The only thing I would change in that sentence is the over-cautious "perhaps."

Related links:
Kathryn Cramer: Til Death Us Did Part
Locus Online: David G. Hartwell (1941-2016)
Encyclopedia of Science Fiction: David G. Hartwell

Four SF movies from 2015

Thumbnail reviews of four science fiction movies released in 2015.

The Martian
Update of "Robinson Crusoe on Mars" (1964) with some actual science and math and modern production values. Vistas of Mars are impressive, yet brief. Highly implausible at several crucial plot points.

Mad Max: Fury Road
Action, adventure. Franchise reboot. Recapitulates much of the plot of early movies.

Ex Machina
This gets my vote for the most interesting and intelligent science fiction movie that I saw in 2015. Considers the question of artificial intelligence in a way that is both immediate and visceral. Well-made on a modest budget. The ending is a big missed opportunity.
Hint: The ending should key on connectivity rather than isolation.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Action, adventure. Franchise reboot. Recapitulates much of the plot of early movies.

This Census-Taker

A short review of This Census-Taker by China Miéville

An immersive story of a boy's isolation, loneliness and terror. He's sure that his father had something to do with the disappearance of his mother, yet he is unable to convince the ineffectual authorities from the nearby town, which lies mostly in ruins. He is befriended by a small band of homeless children who live in the abandoned buildings of the town. Slowly we, the readers, gather clues about the world and the boy's father. A haunting story that retains a grip on the imagination long after the story is done.

I was provided with an advance reading copy.