Wollheim's World's Best Science Fiction, 1989

Perfect in one respect, not an average story to be seen in this book. Also in another, in that a 4.00 average is as good as you can reasonably hope to get for an anthology. So, absolute top marks here. There are three standouts, with one headliner. If a story every deserved the word madcap, it is Steven Gould's 'Peaches for Mad Molly'. There's also an introduction by Isaac Asimov, that gives a bio of the editor, who was apparently in hospital at the time. Donald Wollheim 18 : The Giving Plague - David Brin Donald Wollheim 18 : Peaches for Mad Molly - Steven Gould Donald Wollheim 18 : Shaman - John Shirley Donald Wollheim 18 : Schrodinger's Kitten - George Alec Effinger Donald Wollheim 18 : The Flies of Memory - Ian Watson Donald Wollheim 18 : Skin Deep - Kristine Kathryn Rusch Donald Wollheim 18 : A Madonna of the Machine - Tanith Lee Donald Wollheim 18 : Waiting for the Olympians - Frederik Pohl Donald Wollheim 18 : Ain't Nothin' but a Hound Dog - B. W. Clough Donald Wollheim 18 : Adrift Among the Ghosts - Jack L. Chalker Donald Wollheim 18 : Ripples in the Dirac Sea - Geoffrey A. Landis Altruism virus messiah. 4 out of 5 Falling off a 700 story building without a parachute is a real Howler. 5 out of 5 Cyberpunk mythology particle prison raid. 4 out of 5 Budayeen physicist choices. 4 out of 5 Para-gland capacity, understand. 3.5 out of 5 Bloody shedding alien shapeshifters. 4.5 out of 5 Regulated dream life. 3.5 out of 5 Alternate history could be big. 3.5 out of 5 This story had me in a millisecond : "My first order from Mt. Adelaide was for the Modesty Blaise poster." is the opener. A new and big spending customer's identity is rather surprising, for a woman that sells comics and collectibles. "I felt so shook, I went downstairs and skimmed a couple issues of Action Comics, to see how Superman might handle it." 4.5 out of 5 Murderer media collector. 3.5 out of 5 Don't let the past catch up to you. 4 out of 5