The Best Science Fiction of the Year: Volume Three

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Description

Third volume of a best-of-the-year science fiction short story anthology edited by Hugo Award-winning editor Neil Clarke.

To keep up-to-date with the most buzzworthy and cutting-edge science fiction requires sifting through countless magazines, e-zines, websites, blogs, original anthologies, single-author collections, and morea task accomplishable by only the most determined and voracious readers. For everyone else, Night Shade Books is proud to introduce the latest volume of The Best Science Fiction of the Year, a new yearly anthology compiled by Hugo and World Fantasy awardwinning editor Neil Clarke, collecting the finest that the genre has to offer, from the biggest names in the field to the most exciting new writers.

The best science fiction scrutinizes our culture and politics, examines the limits of the human condition, and zooms across galaxies at faster-than-light speeds, moving from the very near future to the far-flung worlds of tomorrow in the space of a single sentence. Clarke, publisher and editor in chief of the acclaimed and award-winning magazine Clarkesworld, has selected the short science fiction (and only science fiction) best representing the previous year's writing, showcasing the talent, variety, and awesome "sensawunda" that the genre has to offer.

Reviews

Praise forThe Best Science Fiction of the Year, Volume Three

Well-positioned to take on the mantle of most important sci-fi anthology . . . Clarkes skill at selecting a variety of compelling science fiction tales shines in this excellent collection. Theres something for everyone here and very few weak entries a highly recommended series.Recursor

For the third edition of his annual anthology series from Night Shade Books, he has once again assembled an impressive lineup of stories pulled across the genre publishing world. Among the more than 25 stories on offer are new classics . . . If youre looking to discover new SFF authors, or simply seeking a sampler of the past years short fiction, this book is a good bet.B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog, The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Books of April 2018

Praise for Neil Clarkes Anthologies with Night Shade Books

Readers should savor the storiesa few at a time to get the most out of Clarkessuperior selections. . . but there areno inferior pieces here. This isa fine, thoughtful book.
Publishers Weekly,starred review for Not One of Us

Well-known SF authors grace this . . . top-notch selection of imaginative and thought-provoking stories.
Kirkus Reviews, starred review for More Human Than Human

Clarkesstellar reprint anthologyexplores the expansive variety of space exploration stories. . . .Outstanding worksin which extreme environments bring out the best and worst of human nature.
Publishers Weekly,Starred Review for The Final Frontier

Twenty one fascinating tales from some of science fictions new stars.The reprint collection is multicultural and diverse, with tales of all kinds and from some unusual places. . . .Many standouts in this one and likely something here for all sorts of different kinds of folks.
Manhattan Book Review,4.5/5 Stars for The Final Frontier

This hefty anthology of imperial SF covers great space battles, small dramas within an empire, hopeless bureaucracy, and even living space stations, zooming in and out to capture every nuance . . . The diverse array of stories ensures that theres plenty of interest for any fan of large-scale SF.
Publishers Weekly on Galactic Empires

Masterful editor Neil Clarke has assembled an exotic, bountiful treasure chest of reprint tales dedicated to that mode of SF that can arguably be said to constitute the very core of the field, the space opera.
Asimovs on Galactic Empires

Clarke has assembled a wide range of authors from old masters like Robert Silverberg to more recent talents such as Aliette De Bodard each offering a different take on the central premise. . . There isnt a bad piece amongst them . . . the Galaxy really is there for the taking.
Starburst on Galactic Empires, reviewed by Alister Davison

As editor Clarke points out in his introduction, when most people hear the term galactic empire, they immediately picture Darth Vader and Star Wars. But there is a long history of star-faring empires in the genre, with stories that imagine our human tendencies to explore and conquer among the stars. . . . The stories gathered here, all of which have appeared elsewhere, show the huge range of possibilities of the chosen theme.
Library Journal on Galactic Empires

The first must-read anthology of the year, no question, is Neil ClarkesGalactic Empires, an ambitious (read: huge) collection of SF tales featuring far-flung confederations in the stars. The TOC is a whos-who of virtually everyone doing important work at short length in science fiction.
John ONeil,Black Gate on Galactic Empires

Brings together some of the best voices writing in the genre today. . . . a stunning collection of short fiction.
WorldsInInk on Galactic Empires

Well-positioned to take on the mantle of most important sci-fi anthology . . . Clarkes skill at selecting a variety of compelling science fiction tales shines in this excellent collection. Theres something for everyone here and very few weak entries a highly recommended series.Recursor

For the third edition of his annual anthology series from Night Shade Books, he has once again assembled an impressive lineup of stories pulled across the genre publishing world. Among the more than 25 stories on offer are new classics . . . If youre looking to discover new SFF authors, or simply seeking a sampler of the past years short fiction, this book is a good bet.B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog, The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Books of April 2018

Author Bio

Neil Clarke is the editor of Clarkesworld and Forever Magazine; owner of Wyrm Publishing; and a five-time Hugo Award Nominee for Best Editor (short form). He currently lives in New Jersey with his wife and two children.