The 1982 Annual World's Best SF. edited by Donald A. Wollheim
The 1982 Annual World’s Best SF.
Rated 85% Positive. Story Score 3.9 OF 5
10 Stories : 2 great / 6 good / 1 average / 1 poor / 0 DNF
It is interesting to see in Wollheim’s introduction many of the same worries that are currently being discussed on the social media pages of today. Young Women are reading too much ‘sweet romantic fantasy” or as publishing calls it - “Romantasy.” Will our technology save us or lead to our complete destruction. Why in this world of myriad wonders, do we focus on the petty squabbles of politics.
Science Fiction is the literature of change, but it is interesting how much human beings don’t.
I’m glad that the quality doesn’t change much either. These brief anthologies of only 10 stories always make for a good reading experience.
World’s Best Science Fiction - Donald A. Wollheim (and sometimes Terry Carr)
Two Stories Join the All-Time Great List:
Polyphemus • (1981) • novella by Michael Shea. Great. An intensely detailed and well thought out adventure story. Scientists battle a giant orb of an animal. About the size of a stadium with “sharks” and “squids” that operate as sensory organs. This is one of the most detailed and scientifically rich stories of xenobiology ever! It is also quite thrilling.
Through All Your Houses Wandering • (1981) • novella by Ted Reynolds
Great. A wildly inventive and occasionally terrifying look into how truly alien other people are. A man is dragged into the mind and body of various alien beings with only short moments back as himself. Each experience is vivid and enthralling. Then he discovers something inhuman and evil is playing with him.
The 1982 Annual World’s Best SF is rated 85% positive
10 Stories : 2 great / 6 good / 1 average / 1 poor / 0 DNF
Blind Spot • (1981) • short story by Jayge Carr
Average. A celebrated alien sculptor is going blind, but refuses all the medical tech possible in this sophisticated empire. A doctor travels with her to a world of giant trees and discovers his own ‘blind spot.’
Highliner • (1981) • novelette by C. J. Cherryh
Good. This is a riveting story with a rushed ending. In a future metropolis with skyscrapers beyond the current imagination, our protagonist is part of a team that works on the outsides of these buildings. He gets drawn into some corporate political intrigue that threatens his life. Beautiful opening prose to set the scene. Riveting suspense as our protagonist fights for life on the outside of the skyscraper. And an ending that is too fast and too pat. But strong stuff overall.
The Pusher • (1981) • short story by John Varley
Good. A disturbing story of an alien man who targets a young girl on a playground to tell her a story that will change her future. It is too subtle and it is easy to miss why this isn’t the ‘grooming’ of a child, but I can’t tell you why without spoiling it.
Polyphemus • (1981) • novella by Michael Shea
Great. An intensely detailed and well thought out adventure story. Scientists battle a giant orb of an animal. About the size of a stadium with “sharks” and “squids” that operate as sensory organs. This is one of the most detailed and scientifically rich stories of xenobiology ever! It is also quite thrilling.
Absent Thee from Felicity Awhile ... • (1981) • short story by S. P. Somtow [as by Somtow Sucharitkul]
Good. A theater actor is forced to relive the same day over and over for the benefit of a powerful alien race. Unfortunately, every day starts with his girlfriend breaking up with him.
Out of the Everywhere • (1981) • novelette by James Tiptree, Jr.
Good. An alien is reborn as a human girl to him from the being that is hunting them. The young girl is precocious, intelligent, and manipulative. Even the to point of starting a sexual relationship with her father and leading his company.
Slac// • (1981) • novelette by Michael P. Kube-McDowell
Good. First contact goes awry when linguistic misunderstandings seem to imply that humanity has decided to make contact with the wrong race. The race thought to be intelligent might be simplistic and the race thought to be animalistic might be intelligent.
The Cyphertone • (1981) • short story by S. C. Sykes
Good. A child gets a new toy, full of beeps, lights, and complex patterns. It is insanely addicting and might even be programming the children for first contact with aliens.
Through All Your Houses Wandering • (1981) • novella by Ted Reynolds
Great. A wildly inventive and occasionally terrifying look into how truly alien other people are. A man is dragged into the mind and body of various alien beings with only short moments back as himself. Each experience is vivid and enthralling. Then he discovers something inhuman and evil is playing with him.
The Last Day of Christmas • (1981) • novelette by David J. Lake
Poor. A company that is a front for aliens uses a perfume to spike human sex drive and causes the human race to go extinct.
