The Mammoth Book of Best New SF 17 Read online

  THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF

  BEST NEW

  SCIENCE FICTION

  Also available

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  The Mammoth Book of Awesome Comic Fantasy

  The Mammoth Book of Best New Erotica 3

  The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror 15

  The Mammoth Book of Best New Science Fiction 16

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  The Mammoth Book of How It Happened

  The Mammoth Book of How It Happened: America

  The Mammoth Book of How It Happened: Ancient Egypt

  The Mammoth Book of How It Happened: Ancient Rome

  The Mammoth Book of How It Happened: Battles

  The Mammoth Book of How It Happened In Britain

  The Mammoth Book of International Erotica

  The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper

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  The Mammoth Book of Mountain Disasters

  The Mammoth Book of Native Americans

  The Mammoth Book of Private Eye Stories

  The Mammoth Book of Prophecies

  The Mammoth Book of Pulp Action

  The Mammoth Book of Roaring Twenties Whodunnits

  The Mammoth Book of Roman Whodunnits

  The Mammoth Book of SAS & Elite Forces

  The Mammoth Book of Seriously Comic Fantasy

  The Mammoth Book of Sex, Drugs & Rock ’n’ Roll

  The Mammoth Book of Short Erotic Novels

  The Mammoth Book of Sword and Honour

  The Mammoth Book of The Edge

  The Mammoth Book of Travel in Dangerous Places

  The Mammoth Book of True War Stories

  The Mammoth Book of UFOs

  The Mammoth Book of Vampires

  The Mammoth Book of War Correspondents

  The Mammoth Book of Women Who Kill

  The Mammoth Encyclopedia of Extraterrestrial Encounters

  The Mammoth Encyclopedia of Modern Crime Fiction

  The Mammoth Encyclopedia of Unsolved Mysteries

  Constable & Robinson Ltd

  3 The Lanchesters

  162 Fulham Palace Road

  London W6 9ER

  www.constablerobinson.com

  First published in the USA by St. Martin’s Press 2004

  First published in the UK by Robinson,

  an imprint of Constable & Robinson Ltd 2004

  Copyright © Gardner Dozois 2004

  All rights reserved. This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  A copy of the British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data is available from the British Library.

  ISBN 1–84119–924–9

  eISBN 978-1-780-33265-9

  Printed and bound in the EU

  Acknowledgment is made for permission to print the following material:

  “Off on a Starship,” by William Barton. Copyright © 2003 by Dell Magazines. First published in Asimov’s Science Fiction, September 2003. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “It’s All True,” by John Kessel. Copyright © 2003 by SCIFI.COM. First published electronically on SCI FICTION, November 5, 2003. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “Rogue Farm,” by Charles Stross. Copyright © 2003 by Charles Stross. First published in Live Without a Net (Roc), edited by Lou Anders. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “The Ice,” by Steven Popkes. Copyright © 2003 by Dell Magazines. First published in Asimov’s Science Fiction, January 2003. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “Ej-es,” by Nancy Kress. Copyright © 2003 by Nancy Kress. First published in Stars: Original Stories Based on the Songs of Janis Ian (DAW), edited by Janis Ian and Mike Resnick. Reprinted by permission of the author. “Jesse,” words and music by Janis Ian, copyright © Tao Songs Two. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

  “The Bellman,” by John Varley. Copyright © 2003 by Dell Magazines. First published in Asimov’s Science Fiction, June 2003. Reprinted by permission of the author and the author’s agent, Kirby McCauley.

  “The Bear’s Baby,” by Judith Moffett. Copyright © 2003 by Spilogale, Inc. First published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, October/November 2003. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “Calling Your Name,” by Howard Waldrop. Copyright © 2003 by Howard Waldrop. First published in Stars: Original Stories Based on the Songs of Janis Ian (DAW), edited by Janis Ian and Mike Resnick. Reprinted by permission of the author. “Calling Your Name,” words and music by Janis Ian, copyright © Tao Songs Two. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

  “June Sixteenth at Anna’s,” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. Copyright © 2003 by Dell Magazines. First published in Asimov’s Science Fiction, April 2003. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “The Green Leopard Plague,” by Walter Jon Williams. Copyright © 2003 by Dell Magazines. First published in Asimov’s Science Fiction, October/November 2003. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “The Fluted Girl,” by Paolo Bacigalupi. Copyright © 2003 by Spilogale, Inc. First published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, June 2003. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “Dead Worlds,” by Jack Skillingstead. Copyright © 2003 by Dell Magazines. First published in Asimov’s Science Fiction, June 2003. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “King Dragon,” by Michael Swanwick. Copyright © 2003 by Michael Swanwick. First published in The Dragon Quintet (Science Fiction Book Club), edited by Marvin Kaye. Reprinted by permission of the author. “Singletons in Love,” by Paul Melko. Copyright © 2003 by Paul Melko. First published in Live Without a Net (Roc), edited by Lou Anders. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “Anomalous Structures of My Dreams,” by M. Shayne Bell. Copyright © 2003 by Spilogale, Inc. First published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, January 2003. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “The Cookie Monster,” by Vernor Vinge. Copyright © 2003 by Dell Magazines. First published in Analog Science Fiction and Fact, October 2003. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “Joe Steele,” by Harry Turtledove. Copyright © 2003 by Harry Turtledove. First published in Stars: Original Stories Based on the Songs of Janis Ian (DAW), edited by Janis Ian and Mike Resnick. Lyrics from the song “god and the fbi” by Janis Ian, copyright © 2000 by Rude Girl Music, Incorporated. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

  “Birth Days,” by Geoff Ryman. Copyright © 2003 by Interzone. First published in Interzone, April 2003. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “Awake in the Night,” by John C. Wright. Copyright © 2003 by John C. Wright. First published in William Hope Hodgson’s Night Lands, Volume 1: Eternal Love (Betancourt & Company), edited by Andy W. Robertson. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “The Long Way Home,” by James Van Pelt. Copyright © 2003 by Dell Magazines. First published in Asimov’s Science Fiction,
September 2003. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “The Eyes of America,” by Geoffrey A. Landis. Copyright © 2003 by SCIFI.COM. First published electronically on SCI FICTION, May 7, 2003. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “Welcome to Olympus, Mr. Hearst,” by Kage Baker. Copyright © 2003 by Dell Magazines. First published in Asimov’s Science Fiction, October/November 2003. Reprinted by permission of the author and the author’s agents, the Virginia Kidd Literary Agency.

  “Night of Time,” by Robert Reed. Copyright © 2003 by Robert Reed. First published in The Silver Gryphon (Golden Gryphon Press), edited by Gary Turner and Marty Halpern. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “Strong Medicine,” by William Shunn. Copyright © 2003 by William Shunn. First published electronically on SALON, November 11, 2003. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “Send Me a Mentagram,” by Dominic Green. Copyright © 2003 by Interzone. First published in Interzone, December 2003. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon,” by Paul Di Filippo. Copyright © 2003 by SCIFI.COM. First published electronically on SCI FICTION, November 19, 2003. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “Flashmen,” by Terry Dowling. Copyright © 2003 by Terry Dowling. First published electronically in Oceans of the Mind X. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “Dragonhead,” by Nick DiChario. Copyright © 2003 by Spilogale, Inc. First published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, July 2003. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “Dear Abbey,” by Terry Bisson. Copyright © 2003 by Terry Bisson. First published as a chapbook, Dear Abbey (PS Publishing). Reprinted by the author and the author’s agent, Susan Ann Protter.

  CONTENTS

  Acknowledgments

  Summation: 2003

  OFF ON A STARSHIP William Barton

  IT’S ALL TRUE John Kessel

  ROGUE FARM Charles Stross

  THE ICE Steven Popkes

  EJ-ES Nancy Kress

  THE BELLMAN John Varley

  THE BEAR’S BABY Judith Moffett

  CALLING YOUR NAME Howard Waldrop

  JUNE SIXTEENTH AT ANNA’S Kristine Kathryn Rusch

  THE GREEN LEOPARD PLAGUE Walter Jon Williams

  THE FLUTED GIRL Paolo Bacigalupi

  DEAD WORLDS Jack Skillingstead

  KING DRAGON Michael Swanwick

  SINGLETONS IN LOVE Paul Melko

  ANOMALOUS STRUCTURES OF MY DREAMS M. Shayne Bell

  THE COOKIE MONSTER Vernor Vinge

  JOE STEELE Harry Turtledove

  BIRTH DAYS Geoff Ryman

  AWAKE IN THE NIGHT John C. Wright

  THE LONG WAY HOME James Van Pelt

  THE EYES OF AMERICA Geoffrey A. Landis

  WELCOME TO OLYMPUS, MR. HEARST Kage Baker

  NIGHT OF TIME Robert Reed

  STRONG MEDICINE William Shunn

  SEND ME A MENTAGRAM Dominic Green

  AND THE DISH RAN AWAY WITH THE SPOON Paul Di Filippo

  FLASHMEN Terry Dowling

  DRAGONHEAD Nick DiChario

  DEAR ABBEY Terry Bisson

  HONOURABLE MENTIONS: 2003

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  The editor would like to thank the following people for their help and support: Susan Casper, Ellen Datlow, Gordon Van Gelder, Peter Crowther, David Pringle, Marty Halpern, Lou Anders, Eileen Gunn, Nisi Shawl, Mike Resnick, Janis Ian, Susan Marie Groppi, Karen Meisner, Jed Hartman, Richard Freeburn, Patrick Swenson, Sheila Williams, Brian Bieniowski, Trevor Quachri, Jayme Lynn Blascke, Andy Cox, David Hartwell, Warren Lapin, Darrell Schweitzer, Roelf Goudriaan, John O’Neill, Kelly Link, Gavin Grant, Christopher Rowe, Alan DeNiro, Gwenda Bond, Jeff VanderMeer, Chris Lawson, Ian Randal Strock, Gordon Lilnzer, Gerard Houarner, Karl Johanson, Kristin Livdahl, Orson Scott Card, Keith Olexa, Christian O’ Toole, David Lee Summers, Diane L. Walton, Keith Stevenson, Ian Redman, Monissa Whiteley, Mark Rudolph, Liz Holliday, Michael J. Jasper, Linn Prentis, Vaughne Lee Hansen, Shawna McCarthy, Mark R. Kelly, Jonathan Strahan, Jennifer A. Hall, Mark Watson, Michael Swanwick, and special thanks to my own editor, Marc Resnick.

  Thanks are also due to Charles N. Brown, whose magazine Locus (Locus Publications, P.O. Box 13305, Oakland, CA 94661. $52 for a one-year/twelve-issue subscription via second class; credit card orders (510) 339 9198) was used as an invaluable reference source throughout the Summation; Locus Online (www.locusmag.com), edited by Mark R. Kelly, has also become a key reference source. Thanks are also due to John Douglas and Warren Lapine of Science Fiction Chronicle (DNA Publications, Inc., P.O. box 2988, Radford, VA 24143-2988. $45 for a one-year/twelve-issue subscription via second class) which was also used as a reference source throughout.

  SUMMATION: 2003

  In spite of rough financial seas in the general economy, the genre publishing world remained not only afloat but relatively stable throughout 2003 – it took some hits, yes, as did most sectors of the economy, but, so far (knock wood), nothing catastrophic or crippling, nothing that would seem to indicate a depression or even a serious recession ahead.

  In fact, over the last couple of years, the science fiction and fantasy genres have been, for the most part, expanding rather than contracting. Yes, we lost the British SF line Earthlight in 2003, a casualty of the chaotic reorganization and global cutbacks going on within Simon & Schuster; Roc and Ace are merging their editorial staffs (while remaining separate imprints); Big Engine, one of the more ambitious new small presses, discovered that they had bitten off more than they could chew and went out of business; and several more SF-specialty bookshops closed their doors, unable to compete with the discounts offered by the chain bookstores and online bookstores. But, on the other hand, five new genre Young Adult lines were added to the field at the end of 2003 or the beginning of 2004: Dorchester Publishing is adding a new trade paperback fantasy imprint; Tor is adding a new “paranormal romance” line; Harlequin is adding a new “fantasy line with romantic elements”; Five Star Books is expanding this year to seventy-eight books per year (while changing its emphasis from short-story collections to novels), with twenty-six of those being SF or fantasy; Night Shade Books is expanding to twenty books, with an eventual goal of doing forty-eight titles annually; and Small Beer Press, Golden Gryphon Press, Subterranean Press, PS Publishing, and others are all expanding their lines and venturing into publishing novels in addition to their usual collections (in fact, the “minuscule press” – to use Charles N. Brown’s memorable phrase for publishers “a layer under the small press” – is booming like never before).

  I’ve said this before, but with all the “SF is dying” talk that still goes on at conventions and in online forums and bulletin boards, perhaps its worth saying again. For some historical perspective, the next time that you hear that the SF genre is “dying,” keep in mind that the number of original science fiction novels published in 2003 – 236, according to the newsmagazine Locus – is alone higher than the total number of original genre books, of any sort, published in 1972, which was 225. An article I saw online at the NYTimes.com site, by Dinitia Smith, had a similar perspective: The best-selling novel of 1975, according to Publisher’s Weekly’s annual fiction best-seller list, was E. L. Doctorow’s novel Ragtime, which sold 232,000 copies in hardcover; the best-selling novel of the year 2000 was John Grisham’s novel The Brethren, and it sold 2,875,000 copies, an increase of more than 1,000%! According to a new survey of a quarter-century of publishing, an estimated 114,487 different titles were published in 2001, compared with 39,000 titles in 1975, with more people buying them.

  So, there are more books being published than ever before, more people are buying them than ever before, and – thanks to online booksellers and, yes, the much-despised chain bookstores – more people have easier access to those books than ever before. Doesn’t sound like either the much-feared and much-warned-against Death of Literacy or the Death of Science Fiction to me. In fact, it sounds like a lot better w
orld than the one I was born into, where only a relatively small percentage of the population read with any regularity (especially pleasure reading), only a comparatively small number of titles of any sort were published every year (you were lucky if you could find three science fiction titles published per month, for example; sometimes there were none), and if you lived in a small town, as I did, you had to travel miles (twenty miles, in my case) to the nearest large city to find a proper bookstore – and even when you found one, there was no such thing as a science fiction section in it. Nor was there any Internet which you could employ to order books in a wide variety of formats with a few clicks of a button, which are subsequently sent direct to your door.

  So maybe the present isn’t as bad as we sometimes make it out to be. Which prompts me to hope that maybe the future won’t be as bad as we fear it will be either.

  It wasn’t all smooth sailing in the genre this year, of course. There were some shakeups. Anthony Cheetham, co-founder and CEO of Orion Publishing Group in the United Kingdom, was dismissed, being replaced as CEO by group Managing Director and co-founder Peter Roche; Malcolm Edwards will move into the newly created position of Deputy CEO and publisher, directing publishing policy for the entire Orion Publishing Group, including the SF line Gollancz. Laura Ann Gilman stepped down as Roc editor to pursue a freelance career, and it was announced that Roc is to merge with Ace on the editorial level; Roc will remain an NAL imprint, with separate publications, but editorial will be merged into Berkley’s Ace operations, under Berkley Executive Editor and Ace editor-in-chief, Susan Allison; while Ace personnel Ginjer Buchanan, John Morgan, and Anne Sowards have been made full editors and will work for both houses. Roc editor Jennifer Heddle subsequently left to become editor at Pocket Books, replaced at Roc by Elizabeth Scheier, hired as an NAL editor who will also work on Roc. And in early 2004, just before press time, it was announced that John Ordover, longtime editor of the Star Trek novel line at Pocket Books, has moved over to become editor-in-chief of the small press, Phobos Books.