Anthologies are the under-appreciated heroes of fiction. In an increasingly time-poor world, short stories are something you can start while at the bus stop, lose yourself in during the trip to work, and hit that gut-wrenching concluding twist before you’re in the door.
The following are five books that convinced me anthologies have a special place in speculative fiction. They made me put down other novels and discover new worlds or revisit old favourites from new angles. Each of the following fantastic anthologies has influenced Grimdark Magazine’s Kickstarter project—in one way or another.
So, set aside that door-stopper threatening to plunder weeks of your undivided commute attention, and pick up one of these brilliant anthologies!
Blackguards: Tales of Assassins, Mercenaries, and Rogues, edited by J.M. Martin
For me, the Reddit Stabby Award-winning Blackguards started my love of the Kickstarter anthology. The cheeky Kickstarter marketing campaign grabbed my attention, and who doesn’t love discovering new grimdark worlds, cunning anti-heroes, and gripping stories?
From the foreward by Glen Cook to the last page, Blackguards is spectacular, hitting every sonorous grimdark note from the blackest humor to the downright horrible. Peter Orullian’s A Length of Cherrywood was the pick of the bunch for me. It was dark, brutal, horrible, but had that little ray of light in it to keep you reading.
Soon after reviewing Blackguards on the GdM blog, I began planning how my team and I could put together something just as magnificently sinister.
Dangerous Women, edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois
If Blackguards kick-started my love of the SFF anthology, Dangerous Women sent it into overdrive. George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois have edited nine anthologies together and as you might expect, they do a damned good job of it. Dangerous Women provided an adjustment to my perception of the genre and broadened my own personal horizons—there are a stack of bad-arse women in there!
Joe Abercrombie’s short story Some Desperado hit the ball out of the park, with Red Country protagonist Shy South featuring as a woman on the run. It’s gritty, full of action and delivered with Abercrombie’s trademark wit and dark humour.
Dangerous Women is filled with brilliant authors writing about powerful heroines and absolutely nailing it—a synergy of compelling feminine fiction.
Rogues, edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois
I’ll be honest—Rogues had me at “a brand new A Game of Thrones tale.” I’d just caught up on the series and was thirsting for more. That it featured a full cast of fantasy all-stars was an added bonus. The sheer ability Martin and Dozios have to involve top-of-the-line authors is amazing. Call it cachet.
Rogues was nominated for the World Fantasy Award in 2015 and like Dangerous Women, it’s a prime example of an anthology done perfectly. In addition to bringing life to new worlds and characters, these 21 original stories revisit a variety of familiar, beloved characters like Bast from Patrick Rothfuss’s immensely popular Kingkiller Chronicle and the Marquis de Carabas from Neil Gaiman’s incredibly successful debut novel Neverwhere in addition to a new Game of Thrones story. Similar to Blackguards, the stories all focus on morally grey characters treading the fine line between heroism and villainy, just like the knaves we love at Grimdark Magazine. Did I mention the new Game of Thrones story?
Unfettered: Tales by Masters of Fantasy, edited by Shawn Speakman
Unfettered is a favorite of mine both for the incredible list of authors Shawn managed to cram into this anthology and for the reason behind its existence. Shawn was diagnosed in 2011 with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, racking up an incredible amount of debt very quickly. He needed help, so his mate, Terry Brooks, donated a short story for Shawn to sell to start mitigating that debt. Shawn asked the same of his other writer friends, and Unfettered was born, featuring stories by some of the biggest names in SFF.
At a hefty 518-pages of top shelf short fiction spanning a wide variety of fantasy subgenres, Unfettered is an anthology that should not be missed. Carrie Vaughan’s Game of Chance stayed with me from Unfettered—a sad tale of finding happiness in focussing on the small details while others bash their heads against the large.
His medical debt now paid, Shawn will donate the proceeds from Unfettered and its follow up—Unfettered II is due in November 2016—to his new charity, Grim Oak Shield, which helps other writers and artists in similar situations to his own. Unfettered is a feel-good anthology: I felt good buying it, reading it, and now recommending it. You will, too.
The Best Horror of the Year – Volume Eight, edited by Ellen Datlow
“Best of” anthologies are absolute gems for new and established readers in any genre. There are plenty of them out there compiled by some incredible editors, so you’re certainly spoilt for choice. In my opinion, though, you just can’t have a list of recommended speculative anthologies without including an Ellen Datlow anthology. It’s. Not. Possible.
The line-up in The Best Horror of the Year–Volume Eight is absolutely stupendous, featuring the most frighteningly talented authors in horror fiction. Datlow has trawled through hundreds of submissions by publishers and authors in the darkest depths of the genre and picked the gold standard. This one’s only just come out, so to be completely honest I’m taking a bit of a punt on it, but even if you’re not a horror fan, with the quality of authors in The Best Horror of the Year – Volume Eight, you’re bound to find something you like, and, as an editor, there are few better to look up to than Datlow. I expect this volume will leave you dying for more.
Now that I’ve spilled my guts about my favourites, which anthologies really gripped you by the throat and wouldn’t let go?
Adrian Collins is the Sydney based founder of Grimdark Magazine. He loves reading about anti-heroes and seeing a story from the perspective of the villain across all genres, especially SFF. Grimdark Magazine’s Kickstarter, Evil is a Matter of Perspective: An Anthology of Antagonists, is currently live. Say g’day over on Twitter @AdrianGdMag and Facebook.
Jonathan Strahan’s name is at the top of the list of original anthology editors whose work I look out for: his work includes the Eclipse series (which mixes SF and fantasy in varying proportions) and the ongoing hard SF Infinity series.
Five I have fond memories of:
Peter Hainings trilogy of comic anthologies in the 90s – Wizards of Odd, the Flying Sorcerors and Knights of Madness.
The original Legends epic fantasy anthology compiled by Robert Silverberg.
Martin Greenberg’s After the King – stories in honour of J.R.R. Tolkein.
Snow White, Blood Red by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling. Gloriously dark twists on well known fairy tales.
Songs of the Dying Earth – a tribute to Jack Vance. Gardner Dozois and G.R.R.Martin. A bit overlong, but the quality is high.
I would go a bit ‘old school’ and point out Dark Forces (Viking, 1980) edited by Kirby McCauley and The Dark Descent (Tor, 1987) edited by David Hartwell as seminal horror anthologies. Alas, both seem to be out of print, though the 25th Anniversary edition of Dark Forces was available as an e-book from Cemetery Dance.
I really loved The Weird and The New Weird by Ann and Jeff Vandermeer. I’m looking forward to their Big Book of Science Fiction, which comes out next week, I think. I also need to read Rogues — not sure why I haven’t yet.
Nice to see Rogues and Dangerous Women here. I thoroughly enjoyed both TPATQ and TRP.
I also fondly remember the old ‘Legends’ anthology (the first appearance of New Spring!) but probably the most memorable anthology I recall is one I read in my college Science and Literature class (back in 2002 or thereabouts) called Dark Matter, which was an anthology of black science fiction. I’m not African American or really closely connected that culture, but it introduced me to a lot of stories I probably would never have had exposure to. For whatever reason the story that sticks out to me the most was one where aliens come to earth and demand all of America’s black people. No reason is given for this or any hint of their intentions, and the story is basically about the debate that undergoes on if we should do it or not and the aftermath.
I still have the anthology – it’s one of the college books I didn’t sell back.
It’s my view that the ground-breaking Dangerous Visions, edited by Harlan Ellison, was THE seminal anthology of SFF and the best one ever put together. The array of writers included is astonishing. To name but a few of the hall of fame level writers who had stories in it: Harlan Ellison, Roger Zelazny, Poul Anderson, Philip K. Dick, Fritz Leiber (his novelette won a Hugo and a Nebula), Frederik Pohl, Larry Niven, R.A. Lafferty, Robert Silverberg, Norman Spinrad, Brian W. Aldiss, Samuel R. Delany (his story won a Nebula), J.G. Ballard, Theodore Sturgeon, Philip José Farmer (his novella won a Hugo), Robert Bloch, John Brunner, Lester del Rey, Damon Knight—and this is only a little more than half of the authors.
It’s an incredible anthology that lives up to its grim title. I doubt we’d have the kind of mature, darksome speculative fiction that exists currently were it not for Harlan and his contributors having the vision to see into the blackness. I remember reading this anthology as an almost-adult in the year of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (another formative influence on my artistic tastes) and thinking this is the way science fiction (meaning then what we call “speculative fiction” now) needs to grow. It set the tone for what I like to read today, for which I shan’t ever atone.
Anthologies introduced me to a lot of great authors back in the day. A couple of personal favorites were Lin Carter’s Kingdoms of Sorcery & Realms of Wizardry, which were my first encounters with H. Rider Haggard and A. Merritt, amongst others; to say nothing of the anthologies he put together for the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series back in the late 1960s/early 1970s.
And last summer I read Hartwell & Cramer’s Space Opera Renaissance, which was massive.
Lisamarie@6 – I think the short story your referencing is “The Space Traders” by Derrick Bell. I originally read it in Bell’s “Faces at the Bottom of the Well”. I believe the story has been reprinted multiple times and HBO even made a short film based on the story.
Wow. Once again, the readers (and writers) at Tor know everything. KiManiak, I saw that show on HBO and missed the information on who had written the story. I’ve never forgotten it, all those years later. Thanks to you, I was able to read it online.
@@.-@ Yes, definitely The Weird edited by the VanderMeers. I also really loved the recent (like, yesterday) winner of the Shirly Jackson Award Aickman’s Heirs edited by Simon Stranzas. Simon also edits Shadows & Tall Trees – perfect for lovers of sharp dark fiction. Any anthology from Ellen Datlow is reliably wonderful. I enjoyed The Doll Collection.
The Weird was excellent, huge. The New Weird also awesome. The VanderMeers do great work.
Probably should just say ALL of the Best Horror of the Years, edited by Ellen Datlow. Must read annuals. Her recent anthology, The Doll Collection, was also excellent.
There are two great literary anthologies that I suggest to my students, The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Short Stories, edited by Tobias Wolff, and The Anchor Book of New American Short Stories, edited by Ben Marcus.
On a more personal note, I’ve edited four anthologies, and several were up for Bram Stoker and Shirley Jackson Awards—The New Black, Exigencies, Burnt Tongues (with Chuck Palahniuk), and The Lineup: 20 Provocative Women Writers.
Two recent project I’ve had stories in as well, were Chiral Mad 3, edited by Michael Bailey and Gutted: Beautiful Horror Stories—excellent editors with those books as well. Include stories by Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, Clive Barker, and Jack Ketchum, with many other talented authors.
So many books, so little time.
Ghosts by Gaslight is great. My friend Terry Dowling is in there along with a cast of top-line spec-fic authors. The New Granta Book of the American Short Story rules the roost for 20th century literary fiction in my book: Flannery O’Connor, Grace Paley, Tommy Franklin, etc. Lots of good Southern fiction. The Book of Cthulhu is awesome. I’ve also got a special soft spot for Gardner Dozois’s Year’s Best SF 25th collection. I bought it in the States during Clarion and nothing beats reading Ted Chiang in the California sunshine.
My first thought is all of the Dangerous Visions anthologies. They really expanded my insight into possibilities in experimental but pretty short sci-fi. For example, Vonnegut’s “Big Space F*ck” for the win!
My second and third are the two Legends anthologies curated by Silverberg. So much strong work by so many great authors.
Another great Five Books About…entry. I’m looking forward to Evil is a Matter of Perspective: An Anthology of Antagonists and I’m a kIckstarter backer for it.
I got your anthology right here:
https://www.amazon.com/Big-Book-Science-Fiction-ebook/dp/B01CWZH7C4/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1468335242&sr=8-1
I also keep thinking I should make my way through all volumes of the Science Fiction Hall of Fame. Someday …
Marla J@10 – I’m glad you were able to compare/contrast the HBO short and the original text. It’s been awhile since I’ve read/seen either, but I believe the HBO short did a few tweaks (it was an adaptation, after all) that looked at prejudices from both an interracial and even an intraracial perspective (I believe they literally had one guy present the “paper bag test” as a measure of determining who would stay and who would go).
As I recall, I still preferred the written version but found the HBO short effective enough. I may have to reread that short story; like Lisamarie this is one college book I kept, even to this day.
Anthologies introduced me to the works of Robin Hobb (Legends II), Neil Gaiman (ditto), and Mike Resnick (I forget what collection), inspiring me to seek out their novels. Rogues inspired me to seek out more Garth Nix books, years after I finished the extant Abhorsen ones, leading to my Keys to the Kingdom obsession. Risky reads.
I will pretty much read any anthology with Ellen Datlow’s name attached to it and I have read and liked her most recent “Best Horror” anthology.
@eugene: I have read and enjoyed much of “Dark Forces,” but a lot of the stories don’t hold up for me in terms of race and gender issues. These include Bradbury’s “A Touch of Petulance” and Bloch’s “The Night Before Christmas.” T.E.D. Klein’s “Children of the Kingdom” is especially cringe-inducing for me, especially because I’m a New Yorker. Don’t get me wrong; all of these are very well-written, but I think they’re aa product of their time and maybe also their author’s prejudices (conscious or unconsious).
I have recently read and really enjoyed “Mermaids and Other Mysteries” edited by Paula Guran, which is fairly recent (2015). I also liked “Once Upon a Curse” edited by Anna Kashina (2012). It’s in the same tradition as Datlow’s adult faerytale anthologies. The “Heiresses of Russ” and the “Wilde Stories” serial anthologies present a good cross-section of Queer-themed Speculative Fiction.
There are two I’ve never forgotten: _Mother Was A Lovely Beast_, Philip José Farmer’s feral child anthology and _Tomorrow’s Children_, Asimov’s anthology in which I first discovered Clifford Simak, Robert Sheckley, James Schmitz, Lewis Padgett, Fritz Leiber, Marak Clifton, Jerome Bixby, and Zenna Henderson.
Dark Faith from Apex Publishing hit all the right notes for me. “Zen and the Art of Gordon Dratch’s Damnation” by Douglas F. Warrick blew my mind. I have convinced people to buy the antho on the strength of this story alone.
I love a good theme anthology! Here are some of my favorites: the Man-Kzin Wars (shared world), War of the Worlds: Global Dispatches (fiction and non -fiction characters), Don’t Forget Your Spacesuit, Dear (mother-themed), Space Inc. (careers in space), Catfantastic, Chicks in Chainmail,
I’ve always been a big fan of SF anthologies. I’ll second Jonathan Strahan and the Vandermeers for being excellent purveyors of some fantastic fiction. I’m looking forward to The Big Book of SF very much. Totally a desert island book! I’ve been reading the year’s best anthologies recently to keep up with what people are writing, and have really enjoyed the Best American Science Fiction & Fantasy anthology. I like the guest editor idea, and I’ve long been a reader of the Best American Short Stories and BA Essays collections, so it’s nice to see this being extended to SF & Fantasy. I was pleased also to see The Year’s Best SF & Fantasy Novellas emerge as a new collection last year. There seems to be a novella renaissance and it’s great to have a collection of these.
What about the “Shadows Beneath”? (In addition to the wonderful ones already mentioned)
I think Space Opera, edited by the late Anne Mccaffrey and Elizabeth Ann Scarborough belongs on any list of favored anthologies…though it you want a truly unforgettable set of them, I’d recommend the old Thieve’s World anthologies!
I don’t know guys. In my experience, Martin and Duzois put together pretty average anthologies; I find at least half of the stories in these books to be completely forgettable. I read a lot of anthologies, and if you want every story to be of the highest quality, I recommend anything edited by Sean Wallace. His Mammoth Book of Steampunk (2012) and Japanese Dreams (2009) are consistently excellent.
My favorite anthology of recent times is Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells: An Anthology of Gaslamp Fantasy. It’s edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling. I seldom read an anthology from cover to cover, but the stories in this book were exceptional. I discovered quite a few authors whose works I have followed up on (particularly Elizabeth Wein).
I’ve read all those listed here but Best Horror, and I wholeheartedly agree. It’s also a great way to get to know new authors without the full (and time-consuming) commitment to a novel or a series. I was last introduced to the magnificent Carol Berg this way.
I would add the Unbound anthology, edited by Shawn Speakman, to the list, and I’m eagerly looking forward to the recently kickstarter-funded Evil is a Matter of Perspective anthology edited by Adrian Collins.