...as we know it.

[threemonkeys]

The word for the day is Chronotopicality - the notion that writing reflects the time and place it is composed regardless of where it is set. I'm paraphrasing here. David Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer refer to this concept in the introduction to their Year's Best SF 12 compilation. They seem to be using it as justification for including a lot of stories dealing with catastrophic events or times. Luckily a few of the treatments are light hearted or it would be a very depressing volume. It is still pretty downbeat. bluetyson has commented recently about how downbeat other recent collections and the scene generally have been and on the evidence of this volume I'd have to agree. It really is a sign of the mood of the times.

Leaving that aside though, I found this collection a very satisfying read. There are a lot of good stories here. What is more, perhaps because of the prevalent catastrophe themes, it flows very well as a total volume. Making a collection work as a connected work has always been a particular strength of Hartwell's and this is a very fine example of that. Just look at the choice of Charlie Rosenkrantz's Preemption to finish the collection with. It touches on many of the elements in earlier stories and manages to cover both the seriousness and the humour shown in the preceding stories. Yet it finishes on an open and optimistic note for the future. It isn't necessarily the strongest story in the collection but it works as an end piece and the editors could see that. It is this type of judgement that makes the Hartwell & Kramer my personal best of the "best of" collections. It may not be as comprehensive as the Dozois one but every year, for me at least, it manages to produce the most readable and enjoyable product.

Comments

[bluetyson.livejournal.com]

I'd agree, this one is the strongest, this year, on average.

(although Strahan at a bit of a disadvantage as I don't rate fantasy stories as highly in general).

[gillpolack.livejournal.com]

I don't think the downbeat is a sign of the time: I think it's a sign of the editors :).