The Year's Best Science Fiction: Volume 7

An interesting introduction. Harrison talks about the problems of defining SF, then gets a little mathematical, or at least a younger relative does (maybe he was a pure mathematician, not so much KISS here).

Anyway, Venn Diagram - L = Literature, F = Fantasy a subset of L, and S = SF a subset of F.

Then his Science Fiction Quotient.

SFQ = (F L 6)/S

Now, why you would want to inflict a formula that has to deal with limits of undefined quantities when S = 0 on the average reader, I have no idea. Some liking for a bizarre Fibonacciesque looking set of numbers.

For example, he uses a Van Vogt story as F = 0, L = 0. So SFQ = 1. The Hobbit, F= 6, L = 0, S = 0, but he calls this SFQ = 12. That makes little sense either of course, logically, the SFQ of The Hobbit is 12 times that of the Van Vogt story. Golf fans, or some other backwards scoring game?

Could have just said, rate them 1-6, or 0-5 even. Whacky, entertaining. Actually, doing this for current Year's Best Series might be interesting, for those that don't like the fairy pollution or mainstream spacewasters, or whatever. Or half of Strahan's, anyway, as 50% is a pretty big handicap.

There are definitely some S = 0 or close to stories in this book.

Harrison also says the final yea or nay on stories is his. Ok then, he's to blame for this volume mostly. It is a motley crew, and not very good. Including a not very good entry by one of the editors. In fact, the photo of Harrison and Aldiss on the dustjacket, Harry could step straight into Mythbusters from there by the looks, if you gave him a dodgy beret.

The afterword is by Aldiss, rambling about C. S. Lewis, Wizards, Plumbers, and his favorite artist, space which could have been put to better use most definitely.

A book closer to 2.75 than 3, with Harrison, Haldeman and Harrison intro saving it a bit, anything where you find a 5 has some worth, of course.

Harrison Aldiss 07 : Roller Ball Murder - William Harrison
Harrison Aldiss 07 : Mason's Life - Kingsley Amis
Harrison Aldiss 07 : Welcome to the Standard Nightmare - Robert Sheckley
Harrison Aldiss 07 : Serpent Burning on an Altar - Brian W. Aldiss
Harrison Aldiss 07 : We Are Very Happy Here - Joe Haldeman
Harrison Aldiss 07 : The Birds - Thomas M. Disch
Harrison Aldiss 07 : The Wind and the Rain - Robert Silverberg
Harrison Aldiss 07 : Ten Years Ago - Max Beerbohm
Harrison Aldiss 07 : Parthen - R. A. Lafferty
Harrison Aldiss 07 : The Man Who Collected the First of September 1973 - Tor Åge Bringsvaerd
Harrison Aldiss 07 : Captain Nemo's Last Adventure - Josef Nesvadba
Harrison Aldiss 07 : La Befana - Gene Wolfe
Harrison Aldiss 07 : The Windows in Dante's Hell - Michael Bishop
Harrison Aldiss 07 : Sister Francetta and Pig Baby - Kenneth Bernard
Harrison Aldiss 07 : Escape - Ilya Varshavsky
Harrison Aldiss 07 : Early Bird - Theodore L. Thomas and Theodore R. Cogswell

The rules keep getting changed in a violent spectator sport as a popular player gains a following that threatens the c0rp0rate overlords.

4.5 out of 5

Dream? Yikes!

3 out of 5

One barbarian overlord right here.

4 out of 5

Magician groper.

2.5 out of 5

Stuck in an interstellar war for a bloody long time, lying bastard Army.

5 out of 5

Duck Dodgers not so good.

3 out of 5

Really rooted this place up.

4 out of 5

If an author has written a completely irrelevant note short short piece about what he thought a painting might be AND hidden it behind the painting so no-one can find it, why the hell would you publish something that irrelevant in a Year's Best Science Fiction? Too much of that dust jacket plonk?

1 out of 5

Happy without us, girls?

3 out of 5

Offsite backups, dude.

3 out of 5

Robot spacemen better.

3 out of 5

Jesus, Bananas, what a witch.

3 out of 5

Beating up your younger self.

3 out of 5

Ugly kid, works ok though.

2.5 out of 5

Psi-test stress.

3.5 out of 5

Big sperm powerup.

3.5 out of 5

http://notfreesf.blogspot.com/2008/05/best-sf-1973-harry-harrison-and-brian.html
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