As a collection, there isn't anything that stands out. Most of the stories are average, with a few below average. I skipped the articles with reviews of movies and books.

We Love Lydia Love - Bradley Denton. A cute story about a star Country Music Singer, and what the company will do to get her to cut a record. Good, but nothing special. I thought it went on too long.

A Cat Horror Story - Gardner Dozois. Meh. As a cat lover, I found the story to be a bit dated. Or maybe I didn't like the loving cat owner was depicted... I didn't like it.

Small Change - Parke Godwin. A typical deal with the devil yields unexpected results. This time, with loose change. Cute, nothing special.

Herding Instinct - Susan Dexter. A sorcerer takes in a worthless puppy, much to his dismay. But, the puppy is something special. A cute story.

A Beltaine and Suspenders - Esther M. Friesner). It took too long to get to the point, but once it did, it was a fun read.

Sensible City - Harlan Ellison. This is more a horror story, than anything else. I thought it was too gimmicky without a lot of substance.

The Arificial Body - Bruce Sterling. I briefly paged through it.

White Walls - Stephen Kraus. Um... its a story that has a lot of promise, but doesn't come through. Its a world of a dystopian earth, with corporations owning towns, and conscripting people if they happen to be in the wrong place. Its also a story about being afraid of germs gone awry.

Giant Step - Ray Vukcevich. This story didn't make a lot of sense - homeless people are put in space suits? I didn't get it.

The Shape of Everything - Robert Reed. The old man who discovered that life didn't start randomly reminisces on a memory. Another meh story.

Seven Views of Olduvai Gorge - Mike Resnick. This one was bittersweet, I liked it on face value, but the negative undercurrent of this story kind of ruined it for me. Its a depressing story. It also feels dated, not technology wise, but culture wise. The story of the last Maasai was heartbreaking. I think with a bit more background on why the human empire died, would have been helpful. ( )