Table of Contents: The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year: Volume 5

Over on his blog, Jonathan Strahan has the scoop on Night Shade Books' fifth volume of "The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year" including the cover (above) and the full table of contents (below). As the anthology editor, he's probably a reliable source. Without sugarcoating it:

• Introduction, Jonathan Strahan
• “Elegy for a Young Elk" -  Hannu Rajaniemi
• “The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains” -  Neil Gaiman
• “Seven Sexy Cowboy Robots” -  Sandra McDonald
• “The Spy Who Never Grew Up” -  Sarah Rees Brennan
• “The Aarne-Thompson Classification Revue” -  Holly Black
• “Under the Moons of Venus” -  Damien Broderick
• “The Fool Jobs” -  Joe Abercrombie
• “Alone” -  Robert Reed
• “Names for Water” -  Kij Johnson
• “Fair Ladies” -  Theodora Goss
• “Plus or Minus” -  James P. Kelly
• “The Man With the Knives” -  Ellen Kushner
• “The Jammie Dodgers and the Adventure of the Leicester Square Screening” -  Cory Doctorow
• “The Maiden Flight of McAuley’s Bellerophon” -  Elizabeth Hand
• “The Miracle Aquilina” -  Margo Lanagan
• “The Taste of Night” -  Pat Cadigan
• “The Exterminator’s Want-Ad” -  Bruce Sterling
• “Map of Seventeen” -  Christopher Barzak
• “The Naturalist” -  Maureen McHugh
• “Sins of the Father” -  Sara Genge
• “The Sultan of the Clouds” -  Geoffrey A. Landis
• “Iteration” -  John Kessel
• “The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn” -  Diana Peterfreund
• “The Night Train” -  Lavie Tidhar
• “Still Life (A Sexagesimal Fairy Tale)” -  Ian Tregillis
• “Amor Vincit Omnia” -  K.J. Parker
• “The Things” -  Peter Watts
• “The Zeppelin Conductors’ Society Annual Gentlemen’s Ball” -  Genevieve Valentine
• “The Lady Who Plucked Red Flowers Beneath the Queen’s Window” -  Rachel Swirsky

Checking in at 29 stories, the anthology boasts a stellar (and diverse...don't ask) assortment of authors, most of whom I've sampled. I think I've read something by everyone but seven or so. I also see that several of the writers are ones I identified as Authors Worth Watching [Rachel Swirsky, Ian Tregillis, Lavie Tidhar, Christopher Barzak, Theodora Goss, Hannu Rajaniemi]. My congratulations to them and all the others in the collection.

I would argue that Strahan's "Best of the Year" anthology series is quickly establishing itself as the premiere SFF collection. I'm sure a lot of people feel that Dozois's anthology is still king because of the seniority factor (26 volumes and counting) but Strahan selects fewer stories from a larger pool (including both SF and Fantasy). I'd rather read 25 great stories than 20 great stories, 20 good stories, and 10 okay ones. I've got plenty to read, keep it to the must-reads as much as possible.

Not to mention I love the Strahan anthology covers. What can I say? I'm a sucker for generic spacescapes.

The Best Science Fiction & Fantasy of the Year Volume 5 will hit bookshelves March 15th, 2011.

And as a parting topic for discussion, what's your favorite title? I'm leaning toward Peterfreund's “The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn” although Doctorow's“The Jammie Dodgers and the Adventure of the Leicester Square Screening” has a certain charm. Unfortunately, sexagesimal isn't as dirty as it sounds.