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“Ellen Datlow is the queen of anthology editors in America.”–Peter StraubWith original stories by Jeffrey Ford, Pat Cadigan, Elizabeth Bear, Margo Lanagan, and othersFrom Del Rey Books and award-winning editor Ellen Datlow, two of the most respected names in science fiction and fantasy, comes a collection of fifteen all-new short stories, plus a science fiction novella, that could count as a virtual “best of the year” anthology. Here you will find slyly twisted alternate histories, fractured fairy tales, topical science fiction, and edgy urban fantasy. In “Daltharee,” World Fantasy Award-winning author Jeffrey Ford spins a chilling tale of a city in a bottle–and the demented genius who put it there. In “Sonny Liston Takes the Fall,” John W. Campbell Award-winning author Elizabeth Bear pens a poignant and eerie requiem for the heavyweight forever associated with his controversial loss to Cassius Clay. From hot new writer Margo Lanagan comes “The Goosle,” a dark, astonishing take on Hansel and Gretel. In the novella “Prisoners of the Action,” Paul MccAuley and Kim Newman take a trip down a rabbit hole that leads to a Guantanamo-like prison whose inmates are not just illegal but extraterrestrial. Many of the writers you’ll recognize. Others you may not. But one thing is certain: These stars of today and tomorrow demonstrate that the field of speculative fiction is not only alive and well–it’s better than ever.
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This book has been optimized for viewing at a monitor setting of 1024 x 768 pixels. THE OF DEL REY B00K SCIENCE FICTION A N D F A N TA S Y D BALLANTINE BOOKS NEW YORK THE OF DEL REY BOOK SCIENCE FICTION FA N TA S Y AND Sixteen Or iginal Wor ks by Speculative Fiction’s Finest Voices Edited by Ellen Datlow The stories contained in The Del Rey Book of Science Fiction and Fantasy are works of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the authors’ imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. A Del Rey Trade Paperback Original Compilation and preface copyright © 2008 by Ellen Datlow “The Elephant Ironclads” copyright © 2008 by Jason Stoddard “Ardent Clouds” copyright © 2008 by Lucy Sussex “Gather” copyright © 2008 by Christopher Rowe “Sonny Liston Takes the Fall” copyright © 2008 by Elizabeth Bear “North American Lake Monsters” copyright © 2008 by Nathan Ballingrud “All Washed Up While Looking for a Better World” copyright © 2008 by Carol Emshwiller “Special Economics” copyright © 2008 by Maureen McHugh “Aka Saint Mark’s Place” copyright © 2008 by Richard Bowes “The Goosle” copyright © 2008 by Margo Lanagan “Shira” copyright © 2008 by Lavie Tidhar “The Passion of Azazel” copyright © 2008 by Barry N. Malzberg “The Lagerstätte” copyright © 2008 by Laird Barron “Gladiolus Exposed” copyright © 2008 by Anna Tambour “Daltharee” copyright © 2008 by Jeffrey Ford “Jimmy” copyright © 2008 by Pat Cadigan “Prisoners of the Action” copyright © 2008 by Paul McAuley and Kim Newman All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Del Rey Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York. DEL REY is a registered trademark and the Del Rey colophon is a trademark of Random House, Inc. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data The Del Rey book of science fiction and fantasy : sixteen original works by speculative fiction’s finest voices / edited by Ellen Datlow. p. cm. eISBN: 978-0-345-50782-2 1. Science fiction, American. 2. Short stories, American. II. Title: Book of science fiction and fantasy. PS648.S3D45 2008 813'.0876208—dc22 I. Datlow, Ellen. 2008004948 www.delreybooks.com Text design by Karin Batten v1.0 P re f a c e