The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Twenty-Third Annual Collection

THE TWENTY-NINE STORIES in this collection imaginatively take us far across the universe, into the very core of our beings, to the realm of the gods, and the moment just after now. Included here are the works of masters of the form and of bright new talents, including: Neal Asher, Paolo Bacigalupi, Stephen Baxter, Elizabeth Bear, Chris Beckett, David Gerrold, Dominic Green, Daryl Gregory, Joe Haldeman, Gwyneth Jones, james patrick Kelly, Jay Lake and Ruth Nestvold, Ken MacLeod, Ian McDonald, Vonda N. McIntyre, David Moles, Steven Popkes, Hannu Rajaniemi, Alastair Rynolds, Robert Reed, Christ Roberson, Mary Rosenblum, William Sanders, Bruce Sterling, Michael Swanwick, Harry Turtledove, Peter Watts and Derryl Murphy, Liz Williams, and Gene Wolfe.

Supplementing the stories are the editor’s insightful summation of the year’s events and list of honorable mentions, making this book both a valuable resource and the single best place in the universe to find stories that stir the imagination, and the heart.

Contents
xi • Acknowledgments (The Year’s Best Science Fiction Twenty-Third Annual Collection) • essay by Gardner Dozois
xiii • Summation: 2005 • essay by Gardner Dozois
1 • The Little Goddess • [India 2047] • (2005) • novella by Ian McDonald
32 • The Calorie Man • [The Windup Universe] • (2005) • novelette by Paolo Bacigalupi
55 • Beyond the Aquila Rift • (2005) • novelette by Alastair Reynolds
81 • Second Person, Present Tense • (2005) • novelette by Daryl Gregory
98 • The Canadian Who Came Almost All the Way Back From the Stars • (2005) • shortstory by Ruth Nestvold and Jay Lake (aka The Canadian Who Came Almost All the Way Home From the Stars)
115 • Triceratops Summer • (2005) • shortstory by Michael Swanwick
125 • Camouflage • [The Great Ship Universe] • (2005) • novella by Robert Reed
171 • A Case of Consilience • (2005) • shortstory by Ken MacLeod
181 • The Blemmye’s Strategem • (2005) • novelette by Bruce Sterling
205 • Amba • (2005) • novelette by William Sanders
229 • Search Engine • (2005) • novelette by Mary Rosenblum
244 • Piccadilly Circus • (2005) • shortstory by Chris Beckett
258 • In the Quake Zone • (2005) • novella by David Gerrold
331 • La Malcontenta • (2005) • shortstory by Liz Williams
338 • The Children of Time • (2005) • shortstory by Stephen Baxter
350 • Little Faces • (2005) • novelette by Vonda N. McIntyre
376 • Comber • (2005) • shortstory by Gene Wolfe
384 • Audubon in Atlantis • [Lost Continent of Atlantis] • (2005) • novella by Harry Turtledove
422 • Deus Ex Homine • (2005) • shortstory by Hannu Rajaniemi
433 • The Great Caruso • (2005) • shortstory by Steven Popkes
447 • Softly Spoke the Gabbleduck • [Polity Universe] • (2005) • novelette by Neal Asher
465 • Zima Blue • (2005) • shortstory by Alastair Reynolds
481 • Planet of the Amazon Women • (2005) • novelette by David Moles
503 • The Clockwork Atom Bomb • (2005) • shortstory by Dominic Green
518 • Gold Mountain • [Celestial Empire] • (2005) • shortstory by Chris Roberson
532 • The Fulcrum • (2005) • novelette by Gwyneth Jones
554 • Mayfly • (2005) • shortstory by Peter Watts and Derryl Murphy
565 • Two Dreams on Trains • (2005) • shortstory by Elizabeth Bear
571 • Angel of Light • (2005) • shortstory by Joe Haldeman
578 • Burn • (2005) • novella by James Patrick Kelly
651 • Honorable Mentions: 2005 • essay by Gardner Dozois