''The Best Science Fiction of the Year #8'' is an

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically categ ...

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

short stories edited by

Terry Carr Terry Gene Carr (February 19, 1937 – April 7, 1987) was an American science fiction fan, author, editor, and writing instructor. Background and discovery of fandom Carr was born in Grants Pass, Oregon. He attended the City College of San ...

, the eighth volume in a

series Series may refer to: People with the name * Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series * George Series (1920–1995), English physicist Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Series, the ordered sets used i ...

of sixteen. It was first published in paperback by

Del Rey Books Del Rey Books is a branch of Ballantine Books, which is owned by Random House and, in turn, by Penguin Random House. It is a separate imprint established in 1977 under the editorship of author Lester del Rey and his wife Judy-Lynn del Rey. It ...

in July 1979, and in hardcover by the same publisher in conjunction with the

Science Fiction Book Club Bookspan LLC is a New York–based online Bookselling, bookseller, founded in 2000. Bookspan began as a joint endeavor by Bertelsmann and WarnerMedia, Time Warner. Bertelsmann took over control in 2007, and a year later, sold its interest to N ...

in August 1979. The first British edition was issued by Gollancz in the same year. The book collects twelve novelettes and short stories by various science fiction authors, with an introduction, notes and concluding essays by Carr and

Charles N. Brown Charles Nikki Brown (June 24, 1937 – July 12, 2009) was an American publishing editor, the co-founder and editor of ''Locus (magazine), Locus'', the long-running news and reviews magazine covering the genres of science fiction and fantasy litera ...

. The stories were previously published in 1978 in the magazines ''

Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine ''Asimov's Science Fiction'' is an American science fiction magazine which publishes science fiction and fantasy named after science fiction author Isaac Asimov. It is currently published by Penny Publications. From January 2017, the publication ...

'', '' Omni'', ''

Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact ''Analog Science Fiction and Fact'' is an American science fiction magazine published under various titles since 1930. Originally titled ''Astounding Stories of Super-Science'', the first issue was dated January 1930, published by William C ...

'', and ''

The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction ''The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction'' (usually referred to as ''F&SF'') is a U.S. fantasy and science fiction magazine first published in 1949 by Mystery House, a subsidiary of Lawrence Spivak's Mercury Press. Editors Anthony Boucher a ...

'', and the anthologies '' Andromeda 3'', ''Anticipations'', and ''

Universe 8 ''Universe 8'' is an anthology of original science fiction short stories edited by Terry Carr, the eighth volume in the seventeen-volume Universe (anthology series), Universe anthology series. It was first published in hardcover by Doubleday (publ ...

''.

*"Introduction" (

) *" The Barbie Murders" (

John Varley John Varley may refer to: * John Varley (canal engineer) (1740–1809), English canal engineer * John Varley (painter) (1778–1842), English painter and astrologer * John Varley (author) (born 1947), American science fiction author * John Silvest ...

) *"A Hiss of Dragon" (

Gregory Benford Gregory Benford (born January 30, 1941) is an American science fiction author and astrophysicist who is professor emeritus at the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of California, Irvine. He is a contributing editor of ''Reason ...

and

Marc Laidlaw Marc Laidlaw (born August 3, 1960) is an American writer of science fiction and horror, musician, and a former writer for the video game company Valve. He is most famous for working on Valve's ''Half-Life'' series. Biography Laidlaw was b ...

) *"Black Glass" (

Fritz Leiber Fritz Reuter Leiber Jr. ( ; December 24, 1910 – September 5, 1992) was an American writer of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He was also a poet, actor in theater and films, playwright, and chess expert. With writers such as Robert ...

) *"To Bring in the Steel" (

Donald Kingsbury Donald MacDonald Kingsbury (born 12 February 1929, in San Francisco) is an American–Canadian science fiction author. Kingsbury taught mathematics at McGill University, Montreal, from 1956 until his retirement in 1986. Bibliography Books ...

) *"The Very Slow Time Machine" ( Ian Watson) *" Devil You Don't Know" (

Dean Ing Dean Charles Ing (June 17, 1931 – July 21, 2020) was an American author, who usually wrote in the science fiction and techno-thriller genres. His novel ''The Ransom of Black Stealth One'' (1989) was a ''New York Times'' bestseller. He wrote ...

) *"Count the Clock That Tells the Time" (

Harlan Ellison Harlan Jay Ellison (May 27, 1934 – June 28, 2018) was an American writer, known for his prolific and influential work in New Wave speculative fiction and for his outspoken, combative personality. Robert Bloch, the author of '' Psycho'' ...

) *"View from a Height" (

Joan D. Vinge Joan D. Vinge (; born April 2, 1948 as Joan Carol Dennison) is an American science fiction author. She is known for such works as her Hugo Award–winning novel ''The Snow Queen'' and its sequels, her series about the telepath named Cat, and ...

) *" The Morphology of the Kirkham Wreck" (

Hilbert Schenck Hilbert van Nydeck Schenck, Jr. (February 12, 1926 – December 2, 2013) was an American science fiction writer and engineer. He taught at the University of Rhode Island. Several of his short fiction works were nominated for Hugo Award, Hugos ...

) *"Vermeer's Window" (

Gordon Eklund Gordon Eklund (born July 24, 1945 in Seattle, Washington) is an American science fiction author whose works include the "Lord Tedric" series and two of the earliest original novels based on the 1960s '' Star Trek'' TV series. He has written under ...

) *"

The Man Who Had No Idea "The Man Who Had No Idea" is a 1978 science fiction story by Thomas M. Disch. It was first published in ''The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction''. Plot summary In a world where licenses are required in order to participate in conversation, ...

" (

Thomas M. Disch Thomas Michael Disch (February 2, 1940 – July 4, 2008) was an American science fiction author and poet. He won the Hugo Award for Best Related Book – previously called "Best Non-Fiction Book" – in 1999, and he had two other Hugo nomination ...

) *"Death Therapy" (

James Patrick Kelly James Patrick Kelly (born April 11, 1951 in Mineola, New York) is an American science fiction author who has won both the Hugo Award and the Nebula Award. Biography Kelly made his first fiction sale in 1975. He graduated magna cum laude from ...

) *"Recommended Reading - 1978" (

) *"The Science Fiction Year" (

)

Awards

The anthology placed third in the 1980 Locus Poll Award for Best Anthology. "The Barbie Murders" was nominated for the 1979

Hugo Award for Best Novelette The Hugo Award for Best Novelette is one of the Hugo Awards given each year for science fiction or fantasy stories published or translated into English during the previous calendar year. The novelette award is available for works of fiction of ...

, placed first in the 1979 Locus Poll Award for Best Novelette, and won the 1995 James Tiptree, Jr. Award, Classics. "A Hiss of Dragon" placed fifth in the 1979 Locus Poll Award for Best Short Story. "Black Glass" placed eleventh in the 1979 Locus Poll Award for Best Novelette. "The Very Slow Time Machine" was nominated for the 1979

Hugo Award for Best Short Story The Hugo Award for Best Short Story is one of the Hugo Awards given each year for science fiction or fantasy stories published or translated into English during the previous calendar year. The short story award is available for works of fiction of ...

and placed eleventh in the 1979 Locus Poll Award for Best Short Story. "Devil You Don't Know" was nominated for the 1978

Nebula Award for Best Novelette The Nebula Award for Best Novelette is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) to a science fiction or fantasy Novella#Versus novelette, novelette. A work of fiction is defined by the organization as a novele ...

and the 1979

, and placed fifth in the 1979 Locus Poll Award for Best Novelette. "Count the Clock That Tells the Time" was nominated for the 1979

and placed first in the 1979 Locus Poll Award for Best Short Story. "View from a Height" was nominated for the 1979

and placed second in the 1979 Locus Poll Award for Best Short Story. "The Morphology of the Kirkham Wreck placed fourteenth in the 1979 Locus Poll Award for Best Novelette. "The Man Who Had No Idea" was nominated for the 1979

and placed eighth in the 1979 Locus Poll Award for Best Novelette.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Best Science Fiction of the Year 8, The 1979 anthologies Best Science Fiction of the Year 8, The Del Rey books

Contents

Awards

External links