The year's best science fiction Book

Each year science fiction's premiere short fiction editor, Gardner Dozois, collects dozens of excellent stories in a chunky volume that is eagerly anticipated by readers and writers alike. The anthology also includes an invaluable summation about the state of the science fiction publishing field, and a list of honorable mentions (think of them as almost-made-its) for 1997. Contents xi • Summation: 1997 • essay by Gardner Dozois 1 • Beauty in the Night • (1997) • novelette by Robert Silverberg 30 • Second Skin • (1997) • shortstory by Paul J. McAuley 49 • Steamship Soldier on the Information Front • (1997) • novelette by Nancy Kress 69 • Reasons to Be Cheerful • (1997) • novelette by Greg Egan 95 • Moon Six • (1997) • novelette by Stephen Baxter 122 • We Will Drink a Fish Together . . . • (1997) • novelette by Bill Johnson 155 • Escape Route • [Confederation Universe Stories] • (1997) • novella by Peter F. Hamilton 197 • Itsy Bitsy Spider • (1997) • shortstory by James Patrick Kelly 207 • A Spy in Europa • [Revelation Space] • (1997) • shortstory by Alastair Reynolds 224 • The Undiscovered • (1997) • novelette by William Sanders 245 • Echoes • (1997) • novelette by Alan Brennert 267 • Getting to Know You • [North American future] • (1997) • novelette by David Marusek 288 • Balinese Dancer • (1997) • shortstory by Gwyneth Jones 306 • Marrow • [The Great Ship Universe] • (1997) • novella by Robert Reed 348 • Heart of Whitenesse • (1997) • shortstory by Howard Waldrop 364 • The Wisdom of Old Earth • (1997) • shortstory by Michael Swanwick 373 • The Pipes of Pan • (1997) • novelette by Brian Stableford 391 • Crossing Chao Meng Fu • (1997) • novelette by G. David Nordley 418 • Yeyuka • (1997) • shortstory by Greg Egan 432 • Frost Painting • (1997) • shortstory by Carolyn Ives Gilman 447 • Lethe • (1997) • novelette by Walter Jon Williams 474 • Winter Fire • (1997) • shortstory by Geoffrey A. Landis 488 • Nevermore • (1997) • novelette by Ian R. MacLeod 505 • Open Veins • (1997) • shortstory by Simon Ings 520 • After Kerry • (1997) • novelette by Ian McDonald 543 • The Masque of Agamemnon • [Troy Stories] • (1997) • novelette by Sean Williams and Simon Brown 565 • Gulliver at Home • (1997) • novelette by John Kessel 576 • A Cold Dry Cradle • (1997) • novella by Elisabeth Malartre and Gregory Benford 617 • Honorable Mentions: 1997 • essay by Gardner Dozois