Book Review: The Locus Awards : Thirty Years of the Best in Science Fiction and Fantasy

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

The Locus Awards : Thirty Years of the Best in Science Fiction and Fantasy     Amazon US PB Amazon Canada PB
Charles N. Brown , Jonathan Strahan
Class/Genre:   Science Fiction   Fantasy   [Short Stories]
Eos, Jul 2004, $15.95, 528 pp.

This strong tome provides readers with a delightful sampling of some of the winning shorts and novellas over the last thirty years. The collection is balanced as four entries represent the 1970s; six from the 1980s; five from the 1990s; and three from the 2000s. The contributors are a who’s who of the two genres (not surprising since this prestigious award is selected by a vote of Locus magazine readers) to include greats like Harlan Ellison, George R.R. Martin, Neil Gaiman, Gene Wolfe and Ursula K. Le Guin, etc. Each selection is well written, but some of the tales, surprisingly especially from the 1990s, feel dated; incredibly, the seventies and eighties hold up quite well and besides a bit of nostalgia remain terrific entries. Readers, especially those of the magazine, will appreciate the eighteen selections that make up “thirty years of the best in science fiction and fantasy”.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner