The 2005 Dozois Megathology

The Year's Best Science Fiction, Twenty-Third Annual Collection; edited by Gardner Dozois (St. Martin's Griffin, ISBN 0-312-35334-0).

Summation: 2005 (Gardner Dozois): As usual, it is worth it to get the book just so you can read the introduction. Dozois looks at the year in books, shorts and more in enough detail to make a MBA candidate weep with joy. Is SF dying? Growing? Here's the straight poop.

The Little Goddess (Ian McDonald): McDonald joins Alan Dean Foster with this short story and his novel River of Gods in looking at India as a subject for science fiction. I don't know if this tale is part of the larger work, but it was good enough for me to go out and buy River of Gods in hardcover. It is on Mount Toberead, near the top. Excellent tale of a devi, something that sounds like it ought to be fantasy or science fiction, but isn't!

The Calorie Man (Paolo Bacigalupi): This tale by Bacigalupi is good, but depressing. It reminded me of a lot of the science fiction that we waded through in the 1970's (pollution will kill us, overpopulation will kill us, etc.). SF can be used to illuminate, to teach caution, but too much writing without hope makes the genre a dull field.

The Canadian Who Came Almost All the Way Back from the Stars (Jay Lake and Ruth Nestvold): My first encounter with Lake that I'm aware of; I bought the recent Mainspring based on this tale (yes, another contribution to Mount Toberead). I didn't really buy the science in this one, or the motivations of the one character's employers, but it is a great story with two great characters.

Triceratops Summer (Michael Swanwick): An accident at a local physics lab causing a rift in time. A herd of triceratops appears in the present and the main characters learn that the universe as they experience it will soon end. How would you react? Swanwick provides a very nice low-key tale (and yes, if you've read it, I know that isn't exactly what is going on, but one needs to balance revelation with keeping some suspense going).

Camouflage (Robert Reed): Part of Reed's long-running series about an immense ship that is circling our galaxy. A former captain (who has moved far underground) must solve a series of strange murders. Makes me want to seek out the novels set in the series.

The Blemmye's Strategem (Bruce Sterling): An alternate history (or fantasy?) story set in the time of the Crusades. So-so.

Amba (William Sanders): Post-climate change story. Along with endless transhuman tales, is this the rut SF will be stuck in?

Search Engine (Mary Rosenblum): George Orwell did it better.

Piccadilly Circus (Chris Beckett): Another transhuman tale, about the last few non-singularity humans in England.

In the Quake Zone (David Gerrold):

La Malcontenta (Liz Williams):

The Children of Time (Stephen Baxter):

Little Faces (Vonda M. McIntyre):

Comber (Gene Wolfe):

Audubon in Atlanta (Harry Turtledove):

The Great Caruso (Steven Popkes):

Softly Spoke the Gabbleduck (Neal Asher):

Zima Blue (Alastair Reynolds):

Planet of the Amazon Women (David Moles):

The Clockwork Atom Bomb (Dominic Green):

Cold Mountain (Chris Roberson):

The Fulcrum (Gwyneth Jones):

Mayfly (Peter Watts and Derryl Murphy):

Two Dreams on Trains (Elizabeth Bear):

Burn (James Patrick Kelly):

Honorable Mentions: 2005 (Gardner Dozois): Not an essay, just an extensive list of those stories that almost made it. Thank you mr. Dozois for "vetting" these tales. I don't think I'd have the time to read everything on the list!

Made up of: Summation: 2005 (Gardner Dozois); The Little Goddess (Ian McDonald); The Calorie Man (Paolo Bacigalupi); The Canadian Who Came Almost All the Way Back from the Stars (Jay Lake and Ruth Nestvold); Triceratops Summer (Michael Swanwick); Camouflage (Robert Reed); The Blemmye's Strategem (Bruce Sterling); Amba (William Sanders); Search Engine (Mary Rosenblum); Piccadilly Circus (Chris Beckett); In the Quake Zone (David Gerrold); La Malcontenta (Liz Williams); The Children of Time (Stephen Baxter); Little Faces (Vonda M. McIntyre); Comber (Gene Wolfe); Audubon in Atlanta (Harry Turtledove); The Great Caruso (Steven Popkes); Softly Spoke the Gabbleduck (Neal Asher); Zima Blue (Alastair Reynolds); Planet of the Amazon Women (David Moles); The Clockwork Atom Bomb (Dominic Green); Cold Mountain (Chris Roberson); The Fulcrum (Gwyneth Jones); Mayfly (Peter Watts and Derryl Murphy); Two Dreams on Trains (Elizabeth Bear); Burn (James Patrick Kelly); Honorable Mentions: 2005 (Gardner Dozois).

The following stories had been previously read and reviewed, so will not be counted again: Second Person, Present Tense (Daryl Gregory); Angel of Light (Joe Haldeman); A Case of Consilience (Ken MacLeod); Deus Ex Homine (Hannu Rajaniemi); Beyond the Aquila Rift (Alastair Reynolds).

Counts as six entries in the 2006 Short Story Project.

Counts as five entries in the 2007 Short Story Project.

Part of the 2008 Year in Shorts.