The Mammoth Book of Best New Science Fiction 22nd Annual Collection Read online

  THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF

  BEST NEW

  SCIENCE FICTION

  Also available

  The Mammoth Book of 20th Century Science Fiction, vol. 2

  The Mammoth Book of Best British Mysteries

  The Mammoth Book of Best Horror Comics

  The Mammoth Book of Best of the Best New SF

  The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror 19

  The Mammoth Book of Best New Manga 3

  The Mammoth Book of Best New SF 21

  The Mammoth Book of Best War Comics

  The Mammoth Book of Book of Bikers

  The Mammoth Book of Boys’ Own Stuff

  The Mammoth Book of Brain Teasers

  The Mammoth Book of Brain Workouts

  The Mammoth Book of Comic Fantasy

  The Mammoth Book of Comic Quotes

  The Mammoth Book of Cover-Ups

  The Mammoth Book of Crime Comics

  The Mammoth Book of The Deep

  The Mammoth Book of Dickensian Whodunnits

  The Mammoth Book of Egyptian Whodunnits

  The Mammoth Book of Fast Puzzles

  The Mammoth Book of Funniest Cartoons of All Time

  The Mammoth Book of Great Inventions

  The Mammoth Book of Hard Men

  The Mammoth Book of Historical Whodunnits

  The Mammoth Book of How It Happened: In Britain

  The Mammoth Book of Illustrated True Crime

  The Mammoth Book of Inside the Elite Forces

  The Mammoth Book of Jacobean Whodunnits

  The Mammoth Book of King Arthur

  The Mammoth Book of Limericks

  The Mammoth Book of Martial Arts

  The Mammoth Book of Men O’War

  The Mammoth Book of Modern Battles

  The Mammoth Book of Modern Ghost Stories

  The Mammoth Book of Monsters

  The Mammoth Book of Mountain Disasters

  The Mammoth Book of New Sherlock Holmes

  The Mammoth Book of New Terror

  The Mammoth Book of On the Edge

  The Mammoth Book of On the Road

  The Mammoth Book of Pirates

  The Mammoth Book of Poker

  The Mammoth Book of Prophecies

  The Mammoth Book of Short Spy Novels

  The Mammoth Book of Sorcerers’ Tales

  The Mammoth Book of Tattoos

  The Mammoth Book of The Beatles

  The Mammoth Book of The Mafia

  The Mammoth Book of True Hauntings

  The Mammoth Book of True War Stories

  The Mammoth Book of Twenties Whodunnits

  The Mammoth Book of Unsolved Crimes

  The Mammoth Book of Vintage Whodunnits

  The Mammoth Book of Wild Journeys

  The Mammoth Book of Zombie Comics

  THE MAMMOTH BOOK

  OF BEST NEW

  SCIENCE FICTION

  22nd Annual Collection

  Edited by

  GARDNER DOZOIS

  ROBINSON

  London

  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 2009

  First published in the UK by Robinson,

  an imprint of Constable & Robinson, 2009

  Copyright © Gardner Dozois, 2009

  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

  UK ISBN 978-1-84529-930-9

  1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2

  Acknowledgment is made for permission to reprint the following materials:

  “Turing’s Apples”, by Stephen Baxter. Copyright © 2008 by Stephen Baxter. First published in Eclipse Two (Night Shade), edited by Jonathan Strahan. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “From Babel’s Fall’n Glory We Fled,” by Michael Swanwick. Copyright © 2008 by Dell Magazines. First published in Asimov’s Science Fiction, February 2008. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “The Gambler,” by Paolo Bacigalupi. Copyright © 2008 by Paolo Bacigalupi. First published in Fast Forward 2 (Pyr), edited by Lou Anders. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “Boojum,” by Elizabeth Bear and Sarah Monette. Copyright © 2008 by Elizabeth Bear and Sarah Monette. First published in Fast Ships, Black Sails (Night Shade), edited by Ann and Jeff VanderMeer. Reprinted by permission of the authors.

  “The Six Directions of Space,” by Alastair Reynolds. Copyright © 2008 by Alastair Reynolds. First published in Galactic Empires (Science Fiction Book Club), edited by Gardner Dozois. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “N-Words,” by Ted Kosmatka. Copyright © 2008 by Ted Kosmatka. First published in Seeds of Change (Prime), edited by J. J. Adams. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “An Eligible Boy,” by Ian McDonald. Copyright © 2008 by Ian McDonald. First published in Fast Forward 2 (Pyr), edited by Lou Anders. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “Shining Armour,” by Dominic Green. Copyright © 2008 by Dominic Green. First published in The Solaris Book of Science Fiction: Volume Two (Solaris), edited by George Mann. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “The Hero,” by Karl Schroeder. Copyright © 2008 by Karl Schroeder. First published in Eclipse Two (Night Shade), edited by Jonathan Strahan. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “Evil Robot Monkey,” by Mary Robinette Kowal. Copyright © 2008 by Mary Robinette Kowal. First published in The Solaris Book of Science Fiction: Volume Two (Solaris), edited by George Mann. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “Five Thrillers,” by Robert Reed. Copyright © 2008 by Spilogale, Inc. First published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, April 2008. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “The Sky That Wraps the World Round, Past the Blue and Into the Black,” by Jay Lake. Copyright © 2008 by Jay Lake. First published electronically online in Clarkesworld, March 2008. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “Incomers,” by Paul McAuley. Copyright © 2008 by Paul McAuley. First published in The Starry Rift (Viking), edited by Jonathan Strahan. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “Crystal Nights,” by Greg Egan. Copyright © 2008 by Interzone. First published in Interzone, April 2008. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “The Egg Man,” by Mary Rosenblum. Copyright © 2008 by Dell Magazines. First published in Asimov’s Science Fiction, February 2008. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “His Master’s Voice,” by Hannu Rajaniemi. Copyright © 2008 by Interzone. First published in Interzone, October 2008. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “The Political Prisoner,” by Charles Coleman Finlay. Copyright © 2008 by Spilogale, Inc. First published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, August 2008. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “Balancing Accounts,” by James L. Cambias. Copyright © 2008 by Spilogale, Inc. First published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, February 2008. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “Special Economics,” by Maureen F. McHugh. Copyright © 2008 by Maureen McHugh. First pub
lished in The Del Rey Book of Science Fiction and Fantasy (Del Rey), edited by Ellen Datlow. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “Days of Wonder,” by Geoff Ryman. Copyright © 2008 by Spilogale, Inc. First published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, October/November 2008. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “The City of the Dead,” by Paul McAuley. Copyright © 2008 by Paul McAuley. First published in Postscripts 15. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “The Voyage Out,” by Gwyneth Jones. Copyright © 2008 by Gwyneth Jones. First published in Periphery: Exotic Lesbian Futures (Lethe Press), edited by Lynne Jamneck. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “The Illustrated Biography of Lord Grimm,” by Daryl Gregory. Copyright © 2008 by Daryl Gregory. First published in Eclipse Two (Night Shade), edited by Jonathan Strahan. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “G-Men,” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. Copyright © 2008 by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. First published in Sideways in Crime (Solaris), edited by Lou Anders. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “The Erdmann Nexus,” by Nancy Kress. Copyright © 2008 by Dell Magazines. First published in Asimov’s Science Fiction, October/November 2008. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “Old Friends,” by Garth Nix. Copyright © 2008 by Garth Nix. First published in Dreaming Again (Eos), edited by Jack Dann. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “The Ray-Gun: A Love Story,” by James Alan Gardner. Copyright © 2008 by Dell Magazines. First published in Asimov’s Science Fiction, February 2008. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “Lester Young and the Jupiter’s Moons’ Blues,” by Gord Sellar. Copyright © 2008 by Dell Magazines. First published in Asimov’s Science Fiction, July 2008. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “Butterfly, Falling at Dawn,” by Aliette de Bodard. Copyright © 2008 by Interzone. First published in Interzone, December 2008. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  “The Tear,” by Ian McDonald. Copyright © 2008 by Ian McDonald. First published in Galactic Empires (Science Fiction Book Club), edited by Gardner Dozois. Reprinted by permission of the author.

  CONTENTS

  Acknowledgments

  Summation: 2008

  TURING’S APPLES• Stephen Baxter

  FROM BABEL’S FALL’N GLORY WE FLED • Michael Swanwick

  THE GAMBLER • Paolo Bacigalupi

  BOOJUM • Elizabeth Bear and Sarah Monette

  THE SIX DIRECTIONS OF SPACE • Alastair Reynolds

  N-WORDS • Ted Kosmatka

  AN ELIGIBLE BOY • Ian McDonald

  SHINING ARMOUR • Dominic Green

  THE HERO • Karl Schroeder

  EVIL ROBOT MONKEY • Mary Robinette Kowal

  FIVE THRILLERS • Robert Reed

  THE SKY THAT WRAPS THE WORLD ROUND, PAST THE BLUE AND INTO THE BLACK • Jay Lake

  INCOMERS • Paul J. McAuley

  CRYSTAL NIGHTS • Greg Egan

  THE EGG MAN • Mary Rosenblum

  HIS MASTER’S VOICE • Hannu Rajaniemi

  THE POLITICAL PRISONER • Charles Coleman Finlay

  BALANCING ACCOUNTS • James L. Cambias

  SPECIAL ECONOMICS • Maureen F. McHugh

  DAYS OF WONDER • Geoff Ryman

  CITY OF THE DEAD • Paul McAuley

  THE VOYAGE OUT • Gwyneth Jones

  THE ILLUSTRATED BIOGRAPHY OF LORD GRIMM •Daryl Gregory

  G-MEN • Kristine Kathryn Rusch

  THE ERDMANN NEXUS • Nancy Kress

  OLD FRIENDS • Garth Nix

  THE RAY-GUN: A LOVE STORY • James Alan Gardner

  LESTER YOUNG AND THE JUPITER’S MOONS’ BLUES •Gord Sellar

  BUTTERFLY, FALLING AT DOWN • Aliette de Bodard

  THE TEAR • Ian McDonald

  HONORABLE MENTIONS: 2008

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  The editor would like to thank the following people for their help and support: Susan Casper, Jonathan Strahan, Gordon Van Gelder, Ellen Datlow, Peter Crowther, Nicolas Gevers, Jack Dann, Mark Pontin, William Shaffer, Ian Whates, Mike Resnick, Andy Cox, Sean Wallace, Robert Wexler, Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Torie Atkinson, Jed Hartman, Eric T. Reynolds, George Mann, Jennifer Brehl, Peter Tennant, Susan Marie Groppi, Karen Meisner, John Joseph Adams, Wendy S. Delmater, Rich Horton, Mark R. Kelly, Andrew Wilson, Damien Broderick, Gary Turner, Lou Anders, Cory Doctorow, Patrick Swenson, Bridget McKenna, Marti McKenna, Jay Lake, Sheila Williams, Brian Bieniowski, Trevor Quachri, Alastair Reynolds, Michael Swanwick, Stephen Baxter, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Nancy Kress, Greg Egan, Ian McDonald, Paul McAuley, Ted Kosmatka, Paolo Bacigalupi, Elizabeth Bear, Robert Reed, Vandana Singh, Kathleen Ann Goonan, Daryl Gregory, James Alan Gardner, Maureen McHugh, L. Timmel Duchamp, Walter Jon Williams, Jeff VanderMeer, Gwyneth Jones, Dominic Green, William Sanders, Lawrence Watt-Evans, David D. Levine, Liz Williams, Geoff Ryman, Paul Brazier, Charles Coleman Finlay, Gord Sellar, Steven Utley, James L. Cambias, Garth Nix, David Hartwell, Ginjer Buchanan, Susan Allison, Shawna McCarthy, Kelly Link, Gavin Grant, John Klima, John O’Neill, Rodger Turner, Tyree Campbell, Stuart Mayne, John Kenny, Edmund Schubert, Tehani Wessely, Tehani Croft, Karl Johanson, Sally Beasley, Connor Cochran, Tony Lee, Joe Vas, John Pickrell, Ian Redman, Anne Zanoni, Kaolin Fire, Ralph Benko, Paul Graham Raven, Nick Wood, David Moles, Mike Allen, Jason Sizemore, Karl Johanson, Sue Miller, David Lee Summers, Christopher M. Cevasco, Tyree Campbell, Andrew Hook, Vaughne Lee Hansen, Mark Watson, Sarah Lumnah, 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. $60 in the United States for a one-year subscription [twelve issues] via second class; credit card orders 510-339-9198) was used as an invaluable reference source throughout the summation; Locus Online (locusmag.com), edited by Mark R. Kelly, has also become a key reference source.

  SUMMATION: 2007

  The publishing world proved not to be immune to the deepening recession, and the genre suffered several major losses in 2008. About the best spin that can be put on it is to say that things could have been worse. (And things may yet still get worse, of course. The rumoured possible bankruptcy of the Borders bookstore chain, which has been buzzed about for months now, would, if it happens, likely have an adverse effect on many publishers.)

  Much of 2008’s bad news was delivered on 3 December, what has come to be called Black Wednesday in the publishing industry, when Random House announced major restructuring and layoffs, making Bantam Dell part of Random House instead of an independent operation; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt saw resignations and firings even at the highest levels of the company (and caused a furore by announcing a “buying freeze” on new titles); and Simon & Schuster also announced significant staff cuts. Earlier, many people had been let go by Doubleday, and later there were huge layoffs at Macmillan, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, and elsewhere. Random House, the largest publisher in the United States, was the most strongly affected, undergoing sweeping changes, with many divisions being consolidated. The Random House Publishing Group swallowed the adult imprints of the Bantam Dell Publishing Group, including Bantam Spectra and Del Rey. The Knopf Publishing Group will absorb Doubleday as well as imprint Nan A. Talese. Senior Bantam Spectra editor Juliet Ulman was let go, as was Bantam Dell publisher Irwyn Applebaum and Doubleday publisher Steve Rubin; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt publisher and senior vice-president Rebecca Saletan resigned and executive editor Ann Patty was fired; Simon & Schuster Children’s president Rick Richter and senior vice-president and publisher Rubin Pfeffer; Farrar, Straus, and Giroux lost publisher Linda Rosenberg, the heads of production and sub rights, a senior editor, and several assistants---and scores of people in lesser positions lost their jobs throughout the industry. The slaughter continued into the early months of 2009, with Del Rey editor Liz Scheier and Ballantine editor Anika Streitfeld being fired, along with Pantheon Books publisher Janice Goldklang.

  German
media conglomerate Bertelsmann, which had bought BookSpan, publisher of numerous book clubs, including the Science Fiction Book Club, just last year, turned around and sold their Direct Group North America in 2008, including BookSpan, to private investment firm Najafi Companies. What effect this will ultimately have on the Science Fiction Book Club is as yet uncertain, although at the moment they seem to be continuing to function pretty much as normal. Small press Wheatland Press went on “hiatus”, usually a bad sign, as far as issuing new titles is concerned, and may or may not be back, although they’re continuing to make already-released titles available for order. Several other small presses are rumoured to be teetering on the edge (while others seem to be doing okay).

  Horrendous as all this is, it could have been worse. It was possible to see much of the restructuring of Random House coming a year or so back, even before the economic downturn had really taken hold, as a result of corporate mergers, and to date the party line is that Del Rey and Spectra will be kept as separate imprints. Most of the major SF lines are still in business, and a few, like the Hachette Book Group, which includes Orbit, even registered modest gains.

  Of course, as the recession continues to deepen, there may be – and probably will be – lots of hard times left ahead.

  Historically, books, magazines, and movies do well during recessions, as hard economic times make people search for cheap entertainment to distract themselves from their financial woes. The question for this particular recession is, Do books, magazines, and movies qualify as “cheap” entertainment anymore? These days, many hardcover books are in the $25 to $30 range, even a mass-market paperback can cost eight bucks, and in many places a single movie ticket can cost over $13 (for a family of five, once you throw in the eight-bucks-a-shot boxes of stale popcorn, you’re edging perilously close to having had to spend $100 to go to the movies). Even adjusting for inflation, it seems to me that this doesn’t really qualify as “cheap”. Ironically, the one form of entertainment in the genre that is still reasonably cheap, the digest-sized SF magazines, are being put out of business because they can no longer easily reach the customers; most people, even most regular SF readers, may go for years without ever laying eyes on an SF magazine, many don’t even know they exist, and even those who do may not be able to find one even if they go to a newsstand specifically searching for it. Perhaps the Kindle and the iPod and other similar text readers (and there are new and improved generations of them coming along all the time) will save the magazines by making them easily accessible to readers once again.