The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Fourteenth Annual Collection

by Gardner Dozois

  * * *

  In the heart of the great horseshoe twist of the Olympic Peninsula, in the heart of the mountains themselves, there lives a monster, a giant, who some say is also a god. A ranger, hunting in some hidden dale, or along the banks of a nameless rivulet flowing from the snow’s spring runoff, will feel the presence of another, watching. The ranger will turn, and catch—what?—the flash of tarnished metal, the glint of wan sun off a glassy eye? Then the spirit, the presence, will be gone from the ranger’s senses, and he will question whether he felt anything at all. Such sightings happen only once or twice in a fortnight of years.

  But there is a rock, black and tall, in the deepest, oldest wood, up a secret tributary of the Elwha River, where young rangers, seeking their visions, will deliberately go. Some do not return from that high valley. Others come back reporting a strange and wonderful thing: On a particular night in October, when the moon is new and all the land is shrouded, they say the monster emerges from a hole in the mountains—but never the same hole—and closes the way behind. The monster travels to the rock on the Lillian.

  The earth rumbles like distant thunder, and trees are gently bent out of the monster’s way as if they were thin branches. And at that rock on the Lillian River, the monster stays for a time, shining darkly under the stars. The monster stays and is utterly silent. The reasons why are lost to legend, but at that time young rangers with strong and empty hearts are given waking dreams and prophesies to fill them.

  Then, not long before sunrise, the monster moves, pivots on its great bulk, and returns from whence it came. There are those who follow, who are called to track the monster back to its lair. These are seldom the strongest or the bravest, and they are not particularly missed. Some say the monster eats them or tortures them in fires of liquid stone. But others say that the monster leads them to a new land, wider and deeper than any humans can conceive, under the mountain, that the earth is bigger on the inside than on the outside. No one knows. No one knows, because they do not return to tell the tale, and the world falls further into ruin, and the monster—or god—no longer speaks.

  HONORABLE MENTIONS: 1996

  Brian W. Aldiss, “The Law Against Trivia,” New Worlds 50.

  Karen Jordan Allen, “Blue Rain,” Century 4.

  Poul Anderson, “Inside Passage,” The Williamson Effect.

  Eleanor Arnason, “The Dog’s Story,” Asimov’s, May.

  ———, “The Small Black Box of Morality,” Tales of the Unanticipated #16.

  Pauline Ashwell, “Boneheads,” Analog, July.

  Eric T. Baker, “Live from the Occupation,” Asimov’s, January.

  J. G. Ballard, “The Dying Fall,” Interzone, April.

  William Barton, “Age of Aquarius,” Asimov’s, May.

  Stephen Baxter, “Columbiad,” SF Age, May.

  ———, “Saddle Point Dreamtime,” SF Age, November.

  ———, “The Saddle Point Sequence,” SF Age, July.

  ———, & Simon Bradshaw, “Prospero One,” Interzone, October

  ———, & Eric Brown, “The Spacetime Pit,” Interzone, May.

  Barrington J. Bayley, “The Crear,” Interzone, August.

  Peter S. Beagle, “The Last Song of Sirit Byar,” Space Opera.

  M. Shayne Bell, “To See the World End,” War of the Worlds: Global Dispatches.

  Michael Bishop, “Allegra’s Hand,” Asimov’s, June.

  Terry Bisson, “The Edge of the Universe,” Asimov’s, August.

  ———, “In the Upper Room,” Playboy, April.

  Ben Bova, “Appointment in Sinai,” Analog, June.

  ———, “The Great Moon Hoax or A Princess of Mars,” F&SF, September.

  Scott Bradfield, “The Queen of the Apocalypse,” Off Limits.

  Keith Brooke & Eric Brown, “Appassionata,” Interzone, July.

  John Brunner, “Amends,” Asimov’s, March.

  ———, “The Drummer and the Skins,” Interzone, January.

  ———, “Thinkertoy,” The Williamson Effect.

  Edward Bryant, “Calling Lightning by Name,” High Fantastic.

  Max Burbank, “The Dink Transcendent,” Tomorrow, April.

  Richard Butner, “Horses Blow Up Dog City,” Intersections.

  Eugene Byrne, “Alfred’s Imaginary Pestilence,” Interzone, July.

  Jack Cady, “The Bride,” Century 4.

  Amy Sterling Casil, “Jonny Punkinhead,” F&SF, June.

  Michael Cassutt, “Generation Zero,” Asimov’s, Oct./Nov.

  Suzy McKee Charnas, “Beauty and the Opéra or The Phantom Beast,” Asimov’s, March.

  Rob Chilson, “Teddy,” Analog, January.

  Eric Choi, “From a Stone,” SF Age, September.

  Susanna Clarke, “The Ladies of Grace Adieu,” Starlight 1.

  Sarah Clemens, “I Gatti di Roma,” Twists of the Tale.

  John Crowley, “Gone,” F&SF, September.

  Tony Daniel, “The Joy of the Sidereal Long Distance Runner,” Asimov’s, March.

  Jack Dann, “Blind Eye,” Eidolon 22/23.

  Avram Davidson, “Sacrifice,” F&SF, February.

  ———, & Ethan Davidson, “Sambo,” Eidolon 21.

  Stephen Dedman, “Never Seen by Waking Eyes,” F&SF, August.

  ———, “Tourist Trade,” SF Age, September.

  Joseph H. Delaney, “Partners,” Analog, July.

  Charles de Lint, “Saskia,” Space Opera.

  A. M. Dellamonica, “Homage,” Crank! #7.

  Paul Di Filippo, “And Them, Too, I Hope,” Pirate Writings #11.

  Sara Douglass, “Of Fingers and Foreskins,” Eidolon 21.

  Terry Dowling, “Beckoning Nightmare,” Eidolon 22/23.

  ———, “The Ichneumon and the Dormeuse,” Interzone, April.

  Gardner Dozois, “Community,” Asimov’s, September.

  L. Timmel Duchamp, “Bettina’s Bet,” Asimov’s, January.

  ———, “Welcome, Kid, to the Real World,” Tales of the Unanticipated #16.

  Andy Duncan, “Liza and the Crazy Water Man,” Starlight 1.

  S. N. Dyer, “Gifts,” Asimov’s, December.

  ———, “Knight Squadron,” Castle Fantastic.

  ———, “Mortal Clay,” Asimov’s, April.

  George Alec Effinger, “Mars: The Home Front,” War of the Worlds: Global Dispatches.

  ———, “Maureen Birnbaum on a Hot Tin Roof,” F&SF, August.

  Suzette Haden Elgin, “Soulfedge Rock,” Space Opera.

  Harlan Ellison, “Chatting with Anubis,” F&SF, July.

  ———, “The Museum on Cyclops Avenue,” Omni Online, June.

  George M. Ewing, “Pyros,” Asimov’s, January.

  Gregory Feeley, “The Drowning Cell,” The Shimmering Door.

  Sheila Finch, “Out of the Mouths,” F&SF, December.

  Eliot Fintushel, “Izzy at the Lucky Three,” Asimov’s, June.

  ———, “Popeye and Pops Watch the Evening World Report,” Asimov’s, April.

  ———, “Shell Game,” Tomorrow, August.

  John M. Ford, “Erase/Record/Play: A Drama for Print,” Starlight 1.

  Karen Joy Fowler, “The Elizabeth Complex,” Crank! #6.

  ———, “The Marianas Islands,” Intersections.

  Esther M. Friesner, “Tea,” The Shimmering Door.

  Gregory Frost, “That Blissful Height,” Intersections.

  Thomas E. Fuller & Brad Strickland, “The God at Midnight,” Realms of Fantasy, June.

  R. Garcia y Robertson, “The Moon Maid,” F&SF, July.

  Peter T. Garratt, “The Hooded Man,” Interzone, February.

  John K. Gibbons, “Voice of the People,” Analog, May.

  Kathleen Ann Goonan, “Advance Notice,” Asimov’s, April.

  ———, “Klein Time,” Century 4.

  ———, “Solitare,” Omni Online.

  Ed Gorman, “Survival,” Diagnosis: Terminal.

&n
bsp; ———, “Yesterday’s Dreams,” F&SF, December.

  Peni R. Griffin, “Goldfish,” Realms of Fantasy, August.

  James Gunn, “The Day the Magic Came Back,” SF Age, January.

  Joe Haldeman & Jane Yolen, “Sextraterrestrials,” Off Limits.

  M. John Harrison, “The East,” Interzone, December.

  ———, “Seven Guesses of the Heart,” The Shimmering Door.

  Nina Kiriki Hoffman, “Airborn,” F&SF, May.

  ———, “Here We Come A-Wandering,” F&SF, January.

  ———, “Incidental Cats,” Twists of the Tale.

  Robert J. Howe, “Tectonic Jane Theory,” Buried Treasures.

  Simon Ings & M. John Harrison, “The Rio Brain,” Interzone, February.

  Alexander Jablokov, “The Fury at Colonus,” Intersections.

  Harvey Jacobs, “Thank You for That,” Twists of the Tale.

  ———, “The Mad Bomber Upstairs,” New Worlds 50.

  Phillip C. Jennings, “The Road to Reality,” Asimov’s, March.

  Bill Johnson, “Motivational Engineers,” Analog, January.

  Kij Johnson, “What Dogs Hunt in Their Dreams,” Buried Treasures.

  Astrid Julian, “Blowup,” F&SF, May.

  Michael Kandel, “Neanderthals All Along,” Crank! #6

  James Patrick Kelly, “Breakaway, Backdown,” Asimov’s, June.

  ———, “The First Law of Thermodynamics,” Intersections.

  Garry Kilworth, “The Council of Beasts,” Interzone, September.

  Damon Knight, “Life Edit,” SF Age, September.

  Jeffery D. Kooistra, “Fluffy,” Analog, June.

  Mark Kreighbaum, “I Remember Angels,” Starlight 1.

  Nancy Kress, “Marigold Outlet,” Twists of the Tale.

  ———, “Sex Education,” Intersections.

  R. A. Lafferty, “Goldfish,” Crank! #7

  Marc Laidlaw, “Mad Wind,” Century 4.

  Geoffrey A. Landis, “Farthest Horizons,” SF Age, May.

  ———, “Hot Death on Wheels,” Realms of Fantasy, October.

  ———, “The Last Sunset,” Asimov’s, February.

  ———, “The Melancholy of Infinite Space,” Absolute Magnitude, Fall.

  David Langford, “The Spear of the Sun,” Interzone, October.

  Tanith Lee, “Death Loves Me,” Realms of Fantasy, August.

  ———, “The Reason for Not Going to the Ball,” F&SF, Oct./Nov.

  ———, “The Werewolf,” Worlds of Fantasy & Horror, Summer.

  Ursula K. Le Guin, “Mountain Ways,” Asimov’s, August.

  Jonathan Lethem, “Holidays,” Crank! #6.

  Tom Ligon, “Amateurs,” Analog, July.

  Kelly Link, “Flying Lessons,” Asimov’s, Oct./Nov.

  ———, “Vanishing Act,” Realms of Fantasy, June.

  Karawynn Long, “Discovering Water,” Century 4.

  Sonia Orin Lyris, “The Angels’ Share,” Asimov’s, December.

  Bruce McAllister, “Captain China,” Off Limits.

  Paul J. McAuley, “The Temptation of Dr Stein,” Asimov’s, January.

  Jack McDevitt, “Holding Pattern,” Realms of Fantasy, December.

  ———, “Time Travelers Never Die,” Asimov’s, May.

  Ian McDonald, “The Further Adventures of Baron Munchausen: The Gulf War,” Interzone, July.

  Terry McGarry, “Syrinx,” Aboriginal SF, Spring.

  Maureen F. McHugh, “Homesick,” Intersections.

  ———, “Strings,” SF Age, November.

  Ian R. MacLeod, “Swimmers Beneath the Skin,” Asimov’s, Oct./Nov.

  ———, “Verglas,” F&SF, Oct./Nov.

  Daniel Marcus, “Blue Period,” War of the Worlds: Global Dispatches.

  ———, “Those Are Pearls that Were His Eyes,” Asimov’s, July.

  George R. R. Martin, “Blood of the Dragon,” Asimov’s, July.

  Michael A. Martin, “Spelunking at the Cavern,” F&SF, June.

  John Meaney, “A Bitter Shade of Blindsight,” Interzone, August.

  Daniel Keys Moran, “On Sequoia Time,” Asimov’s, September.

  ———, & Jodi Moran, “Roughing It During the Martian Invasion,” War of the Worlds: Global Dispatches.

  Pat Murphy, “Iris Versus the Black Knight,” F&SF, Oct./Nov.

  Pati Nagle, “Emancipation,” The Williamson Effect.

  R. Neube, “Son of the Road,” Asimov’s, July.

  G. David Nordley, “Fugue on a Sunken Continent,” Analog, November.

  ———, “Martin Valkyrie,” Analog, January.

  Charles Oberndorf, “Oracle,” Asimov’s, September.

  Jerry Oltion, “Abandon in Place,” F&SF, December.

  Susan Palwick, “GI Jesus,” Starlight 1.

  Richard Parks, “A Time for Heroes,” The Shimmering Door.

  Frederik Pohl, “The Mayor of Mare Tranq,” The Williamson Effect.

  Tom Purdom, “Cider,” Asimov’s, January.

  Kit Reed, “Whoever,” Asimov’s, December.

  Robert Reed, “The Apollo Man,” Asimov’s, February.

  ———, “Decency,” Asimov’s, June.

  ———, “First Tuesday,” F&SF, February.

  ———, “Killing the Morrow,” Starlight 1.

  ———, “Once Green,” Tomorrow, August.

  ———, “334 Manchester Lane,” SF Age, July.

  ———, “Water Colors,” Tomorrow, April.

  Mike Resnick, “Darker Than You Wrote,” The Williamson Effect.

  ———, “The Roosevelt Dispatches,” War of the Worlds: Global Dispatches.

  ———, & Linda Dunn, “Merdinus,” Castle Fantastic.

  Alastair Reynolds, “Spirey and the Queen,” Interzone, June.

  Spider Robinson, “Orphans of Eden,” Analog, August.

  Michaela Roessner, “The Escape Artist,” Intersections.

  Mary Rosenblum, “Gas Fish,” Asimov’s, February.

  ———, “Yesterdays,” Asimov’s, December.

  Joanna Russ, “Invasion,” Asimov’s, January.

  Jessica Amanda Salmonson, “Ghoul John and the Corpse,” Asimov’s, July.

  ———, “Olin and Niln,” Pirate Writings #9.

  ———, “The Uselessness of Senses,” Century 4.

  Robert Sampson, “The Narrow House,” Worlds of Fantasy & Horror, Summer.

  Pamela Sargent, “Collectors,” Castle Fantastic.

  Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, “Scarborough Fair,” Space Opera.

  Carter Scholz, “Mengele’s Jew,” Starlight 1.

  Charles Sheffield, “Cloud Cuckoo,” Asimov’s, July.

  ———, “The Lady Vanishes,” SF Age, November.

  ———, “The Peacock Throne,” Asimov’s, February.

  Rick Shelley, “The Shaper,” Analog, December.

  Susan Shwartz, “Hunters,” The Shimmering Door.

  Robert Silverberg, “Diana of the Hundred Breasts,” Realms of Fantasy, February.

  ———, “The Martian Invasion Journals of Henry James,” War of the Worlds: Global Dispatches.

  ———, “The Tree That Fell From the Sky,” SF Age, September.

  Leah Silverman, “The Last Run of the Donovan’s Folly,” On Spec, Spring.

  Martha Soukup, “Fetish,” Off Limits.

  ———, “Waking Beauty,” Starlight 1.

  Nancy Springer, “Chasing Butterfly Shadow,” F&SF, May.

  Brian Stableford, “The House of Mourning,” Off Limits.

  Allen Steele, “Doblin’s Lecture,” Pirate Writings #10.

  ———, “Kronos,” SF Age, January.

  Bruce Sterling, “The Littlest Jackal,” F&SF, March.

  Sue Storm, “A Century of Tears,” Pirate Writings #12.

  Dirk Strasser, “Watching the Soldiers,” Aurealis 17.

  Charles Stross, “Dechlorinating the Moderator,” Interzone, March.

>   Lucy Sussex, “The Ghost of Mrs. Rochester,” Eidolon 21.

  Paul Theroux, “Warm Dogs,” The New Yorker, September 11.

  W. R. Thompson, “Out of the Waste Land,” Analog, March.

  Mark W. Tiedemann, “Resurrection,” War of the Worlds: Global Dispatches.

  ———, “The Age of Mud and Slime,” Asimov’s, March.

  Steven Utley, “A Silurian Tale,” Asimov’s, May.

  Ray Vukcevich, “White Guys in Space,” F&SF, August.

  Susan Wade, “The Tattooist,” Off Limits.

  ———, “White Rook, Black Pawn,” Twists of the Tale.

  Karl Edward Wagner, “Final Cut,” Diagnosis: Terminal.

  Howard Waldrop, “Flatfeet!” Asimov’s, February.

  Ian Watson, “Early, in the Evening,” Asimov’s, April.

  ———, “Ferryman,” SF Age, March.

  ———, “How to be a Fictionaut: Chapter 19,” Interzone, April.

  ———, “The Tragedy of Solveig,” Asimov’s, December.

  Lawrence Watt-Evans, “Beth’s Unicorn,” Realms of Fantasy, June.

  Don Webb, “The Gold of the Vulgar,” High Fantastic.

  John Webster, “The Three Labors of Bubba,” Analog, June.

  K. D. Wentworth, “Burning Bright,” Aboriginal SF, Summer.

  Leslie What, “The Goddess is Alive and, Well, Living in New York City,” Asimov’s, May.

  ———, “Uncle Gorby and the Baggage Ghost,” F&SF, March.

  Deborah Wheeler, “Javier, Dying in the Land of Flowers,” F&SF, January.

  Andrew Whitmore, “Illium,” Eidolon 22/23.

  Kate Wilhelm, “Forget Luck,” F&SF, April.

  ———, “The Haunting House,” Buried Treasures.

  Sean Williams, “Dissolution Days,” Eidolon 21.

  Jack Williamson, “The Death of a Star,” SF Age, July.

  Connie Willis, “Nonstop to Portales,” The Williamson Effect.

  ———, “The Soul Selects Her Own Society: Invasion and Repulsion: A Chronological Reinterpretation of Two of Emily Dickinson’s Poems: A Wellsian Perspective,” War of the Worlds: Global Dispatches.

  F. Paul Wilson, “Offshore,” Diagnosis: Terminal.

  Robin Wilson, “The Retired Men’s Social Club & Ladies’ Auxiliary,” F&SF, February.

  Gene Wolfe, “Bluesberry Jam,” Space Opera.

  ———, “The Man in the Pepper Mill,” F&SF, Oct./Nov.

  ———, “Try and Kill It,” Asimov’s, Oct./Nov.

  Dave Wolverton, “After a Lean Winter,” War of the Worlds: Global Dispatches.