The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2015

September 14, 2015
This first SF and fantasy volume of the venerable Best American annuals collects work published in 2014 by authors residing in the U.S. and Canada. Series editor John Joseph Adams and his team selected 80 stories (18 of which came from publications Adams edited) and anonymized them for Hill, who picked 20 to reprint; the rest received honorable mentions. The overall quality of the work is very high, with standouts including Nathan Ballingrud’s creepy-cute “Skullpocket,” about the fair a ghoul holds annually for his town’s children; Neil Gaiman’s “How the Marquis Got His Coat Back,” a charming return to his Neverwhere universe; and Karen Russell’s “The Bad Graft,” in which a woman picks up the spirit of a Joshua tree as a hitchhiker. T.C. Boyle’s “The Relive Box” is the lowest point, as its depiction of a man ensnared by a machine that can let him relive his best moments forever is the presentation of a scenario rather than a story, but Boyle’s technical skill holds the piece together. A certain similarity in tone creeps in after a while, but it’s fortunately broken up often enough for the book to keep the reader’s interest.

Starred review from September 15, 2015

As this volume reveals, 2014 was an outstanding year for stellar short speculative fiction. Edited by master anthologist Adams and award-winning horror author Hill, this collection features a number of stories previously published elsewhere, but their high quality makes them worth revisiting. Readers will particularly enjoy Seanan McGuire's take on mermaids in "Each to Each" and Neil Gaiman fans will relish a visit to London Below in "The Marquis of Carabas." One of the very best pieces is from the only author to have two stories selected for this volume, newcomer Sofia Samatar. "How To Get Back to the Forest" is a haunting tale of the near future that will leave readers wanting more of her lyrical writing. VERDICT An illuminating anthology for genre devotees and curious readers interested in exploring sf/fantasy without committing to a full novel or series.--JM

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