The Best American Science Fiction And Fantasy 2024 edited by Hugh Howey and John Joseph Adams (book review).
‘The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy’ anthology has been running since 2015. The series editor, John Joseph Adams, selects a large number of stories, from which the annual guest editor, in this case Hugh Howey, makes the final selection. Here are some stories I liked.
‘How It Unfolds’ by James S.A. Corey. Somehow, with slow light, Earth transmits copies of people to distant planets. Similar copies of the originals can send data packets to other planets, spreading humans across the galaxy. Roy Court is scanned and transmitted, and the new Roy wakes up on another planet with companions and sets about the work of colonisation. What are the effects of having multiple copies of yourself in the galaxy—some in the past, and more to come in the future?
Rebecca Roanhorse wrote ‘Eye & Tooth’. Atticus and Zelda are monster hunters dealing with haints, spirits, poltergeists, and others. Atticus has the Eye and can see into the other world, which makes him absent-minded in this one. Zelda is the truth. Ms. Washington summons them to a big ol’ house in cow country near Fort Worth, Texas, because something out in the cornfield is killing birds, then a cat. What next? This is a captivating fantasy/horror tale that employs clever misdirection.
‘Zeta Epsilon’ by Isabel J. Kim. Zeta San Tano is a man with a receiver in his brain since infancy that connects him to Epsilon, a humming black sphere the size of a bedroom and the AI controlling a spaceship. He’s the pilot in a perfect merger of the human brain and computer logic. The military, from the outset, pays for, owns, and runs this lovely relationship according to their own rules.
The book ‘Window Boy’ was written by Thomas Ha. Jakey is a lovely lad and quite privileged in a world where others need food and shelter. His father has a steady job with a company. Jakey lowers the house shields sometimes to put out a sandwich for a vagabond he calls Window Boy, who might even be a friend. This provides a realistic perspective on the impact of inequality on both the benevolent and the impoverished.
‘Disassembling Light’ by Kel Coleman. This narrative embodies the essence of the arts and crafts movement. Factories make utilitarian things, but craftsmen make assemblages that are intricate and graceful. Cinerous, a young lady, applies to a master craftsman named Terse to be his apprentice and shows him some of her work. It provides an uncomfortable glimpse into the process of creating art. This approach may seem unconventional, yet it proved to be effective.
‘John Hollowback And The Witch’ by Amal El-Mohtar. A year ago, as he was about to propose to Lydia, a hole appeared in John’s back. He was a woodworker and travelled with a small theatre company, making their sets and other odd jobs. Lydia was a singer in the group, and he loved her. In this clever fantasy, he visits an old witch to fix his hollow back and learns valuable lessons about personal relationships.
I thoroughly enjoyed ‘Form 8774-D’ by Alex Irvine, which tells the story of an ordinary mortal dealing with superheroes. Leelee Remsburg works in the Bureau of Metahuman, Mutant, and Occult Affairs, where her job is to take in applicants’ form 8774-D’ and make sure they have filled it in correctly. Some are inclined to exaggerate. The next step for the client will be an appointment in six to eight weeks to demonstrate their abilities. Like any able employee in a customer-facing role, Leelee is excellent at dealing with a variety of people, including the silly, the arrogant, and the bullies. There are super security guards on standby, just in case. Stories in which ordinary people work to make a living are rare and lovely. This also makes the point that bureaucrats and villains today do necessary work, and your path through their organisation will go smoother if you treat them respectfully.
‘Ankle Snatcher’, a bogeyman story by Grady Hendrix, is one of my favourites. Marcus is a charming chap who works on a Samaritans helpline with Tess and has progressed to a second date with her. It all goes wrong. This stands out due to the inclusion of a backstory, a lengthy coda to the main event, and a detailed portrayal of Marcus. As with the best horror, you almost believe in it, at least while reading. The author is well-versed in the history of paperback horror fiction.
For the first few pages, I was unimpressed with ‘Once Upon A Time At The Oakmont’ by P.A. Cornell because nothing much seemed to be happening. The Oakmont is an apartment building in New York where people from different eras cohabit but with strict rules about what they can tell each other. Sarah is from our time and falls in love with Roger from 1942. She knows how the war will turn out but can’t tell him. This was classed as science fiction but seemed more like a fantasy. Perhaps all time travel stories are fantasy. In any case, it was a heartwarming little gem, and I enjoyed it.
“How to Raise a Kraken in Your Bathtub” by P. Djèlí Clark is a sort of steampunk fantasy set at the end of the nineteenth century. Captain Nobody is harassing shipping on the high seas, and conquered Mermen are available for hire as cheap labour in London. Trevor Hemley, an ambitious clerk, answers an advert in a penny dreadful and raises a Kraken in his bathtub. This is great fun and perhaps an homage to Bradbury’s ‘Boys! Raise Giant Mushrooms In Your Cellar,’ though the background is different.
These stood out for me. The collection shows what is being published in the field presently and what kinds of stories you should produce to please the editors in charge of the top magazines, so it’s useful for writers.
Eamonn Murphy
February 2025
(pub: Mariner Books/Harper Collins, 2024. 384 page enlarged paperback. Price: $18.99 (US), £12.97 (UK). ISBN: 978-0-06331-578-5. eBook: $12.99 (US), £ 7.99 (UK)
check out website: www.harpercollins.com/products/the-best-american-science-fiction-and-fantasy-2024-hugh-howeyjohn-joseph-adams?variant=41471184764962
