This is the next in the series of “Year’s Best SF”. I was so much more impressed with this one than with the previous one! It has the same editor, David G. Hartwell, who once again points out that these are all examples of “Hard Science Fiction”, and who writes each little blurb about individual authors before their stories appear. Some of the authors in this one are the same as in the last one, and some are new. This book contains the Best Science Fiction Short Stories published in the year 2001. Its a much better read than Year’s Best SF 6 for a few reasons. One, each story in this book seems to be finished, which was nice. No more one or two pages of ideas presented as a whole story! Two, each story had an idea that made me think about the implications of it long after I had finished the story. Its good when books make you wonder about things! Made the stories that much more enjoyable for me. And three, each story was “full” enough to be extended into a book, if the author wanted to do so. Very good read!
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This one is slightly out of date. I think they may be on “Best SF 11″, or something close to that by now. Anyway, this book contains the best Science Fiction short stories published in the year 2000. The editor, David G. Hartwell, selects them all, puts a little blurb about each author before their story, and wrote the introduction.

The introduction is rather interesting. Hartwell comments on how the year 2000 is a BIG year for science fiction, and makes references to many of the famous stories that take place on or around that year. (Such as Arthur C. Clarke’s 2001, and Edward Bellamy’s Looking Backward). Hartwell also emphasizes, emphatically, and repeatedly, that these stories are all examples of “hard Science Fiction”. I have never heard that term before I picked up this book.

Anyway, these were the best Science Fiction short stories published in 2000, (at least, according to Hartwell, and whoever he confers with, if anyone). I found that I was not really interested in many of them, which was a disapointment. Maybe I’m just not that into “Hard Science Fiction”? I don’t really know. Some stories were just too technical, and didn’t seem to really go anywhere. Others presented a very interesting concept, but, then abruptly ended, sometimes after just a page or two. It would have been nice to have some of those stories expanded upon.
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