The Year’s Best
Fantasy and Horror
Edited By Ellen
Datlow and Terri Windling
St Martin’s
Griffin
Fantasy Anthology
Trade
2003
564 pages
$19.95 USD
ISBN: 0-312-31425-6
Despite what you may think, reviewing something like this isn’t easy. How do you summarize a feast like this into a few simple paragraphs? One thing that bears saying: this 16th edition of the best of the fantasy and horror covers the whole spectrum of these twin genres, from the brightest and purest to the darkest and bleakest. If you want to know what’s going on in this world, this is the book to buy. These ladies read all year long, picking the best stories. These anthologies have won awards for a very good reason, and this book is filled with unforgettable, strong stories.
But stories aren’t all they offer. To support my “if you want to know what's going on in these industries” sentence, there are several summations, clever essays about trends and happenings in different areas. Windling covers fantasy, of course, just as Datlow covers the year in horror...which makes sense, since those are the areas they concentrate on for the anthology. Edward Bryant tells us about “The Year in Media of the Fantastic:2002,” giving us a brightly written run down about the happenings in movies and TV. It was worth reading because he points out a lot of interesting indy movies that I missed, and now want to look up. Charles Vess, whose lovely ability to draw the lands and creatures of Faery has long captivated my dreams, gives us a nifty view of horror and fantasy in western comics, while SF writer Joan D. Vinge tackles Manga and Anime (Japanese comics and graphic novels). One of the highlights of Vinge’s piece is the list of terms used in Manga and anime. I’ve long enjoyed these comics, but never knew, I am ashamed to say, the terms. James Frenkel takes the saddest burden of all...naming the people these genres have lost.
Kelly Link’s “Lull” kicks off the anthology. It’s a story I enjoyed before...I never thought anyone could make a story work so well, telling it backwards. It is a story about the nature of story, in many ways...which is why it’s a perfect fit here.
There are fifty stories and poems in this book...and it’s hard to pick out the ones that I want to mention, because they’re all worthy of it. I’m not saying that I loved...or even liked...each story. You wouldn’t believe me if I said I had...but each one is very well written, and it deserves its place. Neil Gaiman’s in here, twice, once with “Feeders and Eaters,” an extremely creepy story that was horrifying as a comic book, and somehow just as horrifying re-written as prose. The second is, oddly enough, a story from a Tori Amos Tour Book...a nifty, odd story that most people would never have gotten to read, otherwise.
OK. So you’re skeptical, because you know I’d never say anything bad about Neil Gaiman. So, how about Ramsey Campbell, who’s “No End of Fun” may be one of the creepiest things I’ve ever read. Margaret Lloyd weaves some beautiful Arthurian inspired poems...lovely imagery. Robin McKinley’s “A Pool in the Desert” revisits a favorite world (from The Hero and The Crown and The Blue Sword) and Haruki Murakami gives us a quiet, beautiful story in “Thailand.”
I also enjoyed stories by Kim Newman, China Miéville, Nan Fry and Jeffrey Ford.
I read this book in chunks...usually I love to read these stories to clean the palate of the mind between bigger books, to take me on small journeys of an hour. To review this book, I read it, then chose what I mentioned at random...so there is a lot more in here than I’ve pointed out. It’s well worth the look...if you like short stories, there is no better anthology to get into than this. Next year Kelly Link and Gavin Grant will take over Terri Windling’s duties on the anthology...I’ll miss her, and I look forward to seeing what they choose.
5 out of 5 wings
Cindy Lynn Speer, GWN Reviewer