Starlight 1

I approached this book with caution. There are many annual anthologies of science fiction or fantasy that now appear. Unfortunately, the mediocre quality of many of these anthologies makes one wonder about the state of speculative fiction. Starlight I doesn't fall into the trap of being a thematic collection. What Nielsen has done instead, is provide us with a breadth of very good work that isn't tied to any theme. These stories are here because they are flat out good. This is a wide ranging collection that cannot be defined as science fiction or fantasy. I am appreciative of Hayden because of the fresh new voices that appear here. Yet none of these stories by unknown writers tries to be something it isn't. They each share an understated committment to good writing and simple but substantive language. I highly recommend this anthology for readers of science fiction and fantasy, but especially for readers who might have shied away from a science fiction or fantasy themed anthology because of preconceptions of ridiculous space wars or sword and sorcery images. This is exceptional reading and one that should have a wide audience.

Patrick Nielsen Hayden has selected a hugely entertaining collection of original short stories, impressive in their scope and the quality of their writing. If you like well-written literary science fiction and fantasy, this is the book to buy.

Two Hugo nominees out of twelve stories is not a bad percentagefor anoriginal anthology, and this anthology undoubtedly contributed to Nielsen Hayden's own Hugo nomination as Best Professional Editor. Plus it's not a theme anthology. This is not "Science Fiction Stories Set in the Interior of Stars" or "Fantasy Stories About Light." It's just good science fiction and fantasy, and a very auspicious start for the series. I won't list every story, but I will recommend that you go out and get this book and discover them for yourself. I'm looking forward to the second volume.