The Del Rey Book of Science Fiction and Fantasy: Sixteen Original Works by Speculative Fiction's Finest Voices

THE DEL REY BOOK OF SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY edited by Ellen Datlow is a very different kind of speculative fiction anthology. As Ms. Datlow indicates in the preface, you won't find a lot of space opera or sword and sorcery in this book. It opens with a superb alternate history by Jason Stoddard. In "The Elephant Ironclads" two young friends, Niyol and Wallace, come across two men seeking plutonium, which is considered "the heart of the mountain" in Dinetah. In a short span of time, the boys learn that life is about tough choices, progress may also mean sacrifice, and being a hero requires more than either of them imagined. It's a story that questions the values of contemporary society: What if our cultural myths are true? How would we view our current lifestyles if directly faced with the values of the past? Lucy Sussex's "Ardent Clouds" is an interesting soft science fiction story about a young woman's self-destructive tendencies and thirst for adventure, and the repercussions of her disregard for her own safety. It comes across as a dramatic peek into the lives of volcanologists and adventurers. The characters are real, and the story ends with an expected dose of reality that seems to be a challenge to the standards of typical action/adventure stories. One of my favorite stories in the collection is "The Lagerstatte" by Laird Barron. It's a chilling, non-linear ghost story that starts off slowly, giving the reader some necessary background information. But there is a gradual pull as it begins to wrap the reader in a tight blanket of the main character's darkness and suffering. Danni is a woman on the edge after losing her husband and son to a tragic accident. Her best friend encourages her to seek help, first in the form of an anti-suicide twelve-step program, then in the form of one-on-one therapy. Neither seems to help, and when one of the women in her twelve-step program introduces her to mystical forces, she unlocks a door that she can't -- or won't -- close. The writing style is dense and allows you to feel how the character is steadily suffocating beneath the weight of guilt, grief, and the invitations of death. It's a powerful story, sure to please. "Special Economics" by Maureen F. McHugh is an engaging tale about two young women in China trying to make a living after the bird flu wipes out a large part of the population. Corporations like New Life exploit the situation and use people essentially as slaves, putting those that work for them in debt. The main character, Jieling, is savvy and finds a loophole in the rules. This is another soft science fiction/alternate history tale that deals with the politics of the day, and it's a very good read. There are also many other fine stories in the anthology. Jeffrey Ford's "Daltharee" deals with the familiar subject of the Scientist-as-God and the potential consequences. "Jimmy" by Pat Cadigan is an interesting coming-of-age fantasy/science fiction tale about what it's like for p

This short story collection is a treat for science fiction and fantasy fans alike (I must confess to a stronger pull to the latter, generally). The first four and final two stories particularly are incredibly engaging, enchanted tapestries that bespell the reader into turning the page again and again. "All Washed Up While Looking for a Better World" and "Special Economics" are the weakest stories, but still hold a fascination. The Lagetstatte was the most difficult to read due to its emotional storyline. Overall, a well-crafted anthology with the stories obviously ordered in a way that connects them without making them seem like they should be actual continuations of each other.

This sixteen story anthology runs the gamut of speculative fiction, which makes it in many ways a fresh throwback before themed restraints became the name of the short story game for especially fantasy and horror but to a lesser degree science fiction and alternate history too. The contributions are all well written with several spectacular entries. "Renaissance" readers will enjoy the compilation from the opening alternate history act (The Elephant Ironclads" by Jason Stoddard) to the closing collaboration "Prisoners of the Action" by McCauley and Newman and points in between. The tales include contemporary urban ("Ardent Clouds" by Lucy Sussex), fairy tale revision ("The Goosle" by Margo Langan), and an alternate historical fictional account of why "Sonny Liston Takes the Fall" in his bout with Ali then Clay by Elizabeth Bear. Sci fi is present with "Special Economics" in China by Maureen F. McHugh and changing urban geography too ("AKA St. Marks Place" by Richard Bowes). Barry Malzberg provides a change of pace with plenty of humor with his talking goat golem in "The Passion of Azrael". With supernatural entries ("Jimmy" by Pat Cadigan and "The Lagerstatte by Laird Barron)) to round out the anthology, this is a strong refreshing all over the place collection though a strong alternate history (to include "Shira" by Lavie Tidhar) presence is throughout. Harriet Klausner