The Best of Michael Swanwick, 2008 Subterranean Press

The Short: I just reread “The Best of Michael Swanwick“, 2008 Subterranean, for the second time, and the first time since 2011. Wow. Just as amazing as I remembered. My overall average rating for the 21 stories is 3.98/5, or “Great”, and just barely missing “Superlative”. Strongly recommended!

The Long: I’ve been a fan of Michael Swanwick‘s fiction for a long time.

I am not sure what story or book with his fiction in it I read first. My records show that I read the Gardner Dozois “Best Science Fiction Stories of the Year: Tenth Annual Collection“, 1981 E. P. Dutton, back in the day, and it included “The Feast of Saint Janis“, a novelette of Swanwick’s, originally in “New Dimensions 11“, Marta Randall & Robert Silverberg editors, 1980 Pocket Books. That’s my best guess for the first fiction by Michael Swanwick I read.

I don’t own very much Michael Swanwick. I’ve read most of his material from the library.

In 2002, I used a Christmas present from my in-laws to buy the Swanwick 2000 collection, “Tales of Old Earth“, in the Frog trade paperback.

In 2008, I used another Christmas present to purchase “The Best of Michael Swanwick” in the Subterranean Press hardback edition. I started reading it soon thereafter, but I derailed myself and did not finish reading it the first time until 2011. My comments on it then were “Wow – amazing collection, finally got back to it”, rating it as “Superlative”, just below my highest ranking.

Since then, I’ve pulled it out occasionally when there was a specific story I wanted to read.

This past fall, our Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Short Fiction group on Facebook decided to read “The Best of Michael Swanwick”.

This was a great opportunity and excuse for me to read great short fiction by one of my favorite authors. “The Best of Michael Swanwick” includes a generous Introduction by Swanwick, which discusses the stories included. It features 21 stories with about 460 pages of fiction, mostly short stories and novelettes with one novella.

Upon checking, I had read 9 of the stories over the last few years for various reasons. This time around, I reread 19 of the 21 stories, as I had read two of them very recently and did not feel they needed a reread now.

I loved all of it. My ratings for all of the stories fell between “Great” at 3.8/5 to “Superlative” at 4.3/5. My overall average rating was 3.98/5, or “Great” and almost at “Superlative”. I did not read any of these stories and question why it was included, which is somewhat uncommon for me.

My favorite Swanwick story here is his 1989 short story “The Edge of the World“, which I rated at 4.3/5, or the upper end of my “Superlative” rating range.

Were there any Swanwick stories written by 2008 left out that I thought should have been included? I did not find out otherwise, so I assume Michael Swanwick picked these stories, and I respect his choices within the framework of what he and Subterranean felt was reasonable for an appropriate page count. Still, without doing an exhaustive reading of his oeuvre, here are several stories that I would have included:

1. “The Wisdom of Old Earth“, a short story, Asimov’s December 1997, rated 3.8/5, or “Great”.
2. “The Blind Minotaur“, a short story, Amazing Stories March 1985, rated 3.8/5, or “Great”.
3. “Under’s Game“, a The Periodic Table of Science Fiction short story, Sci Fiction website 2001, rated 3.9/5, or “Great”.

Other possible choices for Swanwick short fiction that I have not read but that have both award nominations and “Year’s Best” reprints include:

1. “Ancient Engines“, a short story, Asimov’s February 1999, which is included in “The Best of Michael Swanwick: Volume 2“, so I think Swanwick agrees.
2. “Lord Weary’s Empire“, a novella, Asimov’s December 2006.
3. “A Small Room in Koboldtown“, a short story, Asimov’s April/May 2007.

Still, this is minor niggling in the face of Swanwick’s brilliant choices here. With an overall average rating of 3.98/5, or “Great”, and almost at “Superlative”, and with all the stories at “Great” or above, I strongly recommend “The Best of Michael Swanwick“.

Now I need to think about reading “The Best of Michael Swanwick: Volume 2“, 2023 Subterranean, with stories from 1999 to 2022. I find the overlap interesting but perhaps an inevitable result of the typically high quality of his short fiction. I’ll consider that when I read it.

DETAILED REVIEWS/COMMENTS – SPOILERS LIVE HERE!

“The Feast of Saint Janis“, a novelette, from “New Dimensions 11“, Marta Randall & Robert Silverberg editors, 1980 Pocket Books. This is probably the first story published by Swanwick, in July 1980, and pretty amazing. This story could use a trigger warning. Post nuclear war, with the Northern Hemisphere much worse off. A young man from an important African trading company is sent to the US. Although devastated in most ways, the medical/genetic science training is still better in the US. Africa wants to secure better training for their doctors to help ensure the future health of people. He meets, or is induced to meet, a Janis Joplin impersonator, Maggie, who has been modified by the government for the role. Maggie dies in a horrible gang rape/sacrifice, the 23rd to do so in an annual event organized by the government, and the man is told by the head man to remember that the US has nothing left to lose. He goes home. I know I’ve read this at least twice before, in Swanwick’s 1991 collection “Gravity’s Angels” and “The Best of Michael Swanwick” (2008 Subterranean), but it’s great to read it again. Nebula finalist, and reprinted in “Best Science Fiction Stories of the Year: Tenth Annual Collection“, Gardner Dozois editor, 1981 E. P. Dutton. Other reprints include “Beyond Armageddon: Twenty-One Sermons to the Dead“, Martin H. Greenberg & Walter M. Miller, Jr. editors, 1985 Donald I (see my review), the Swanwick collection “Gravity’s Angels“, 1991 Arkham House, and “Rock on: The Greatest Hits of Science Fiction & Fantasy“, Paula Guran editor, 2012 Prime Books. Fine Rated 3.9/5, or “Great”. It’s worth noting that his second story published very soon after this one, and also very great for early work, is “Ginungagap“, published in TriQuarterly 49, fall 1980, by Northwestern University Press, also a Nebula finalist. This is always up for possibly contentious discussion, but I don’t know of a better pair of first two stories by an author of speculative fiction.

“Ginungagap“, a novelette, TriQuarterly 49 fall 1980, by Northwestern University Press. A woman “gravity bum”, a worker around the solar system, gets a chance to meet aliens and travel via wormholes as data, deconstructed and reconstructed. Her controllers edit her bones into an explosive when she is scanned and sent out, but the aliens find out and make her an offer. A classic SF story by one of my favorite writers, and perhaps Swanwick’s first great story. On reread, this is still an amazing story for one of Swanwick’s first two stories. Wow. Nebula Finalist, with other reprints including “The Best Science Fiction of the Year #10“, Terry Carr editor, 1981 Timescape/Pocket Books, “Nebula Award Stories Sixteen“, John F. Carr & Jerry Pournelle editors, 1982 Holt, Rinehart and Winston, the Swanwick collection “Gravity’s Angels“, 1991 Arkham House, “The Science Fiction Century“, David G. Hartwell editor, 1977 Tor/BOMC, and “Explorers: SF Adventures to Far Horizons“, Gardner Dozois editor, 2000 St. Martin’s Griffin. Rated 4/5, or “Great”.

“Trojan Horse“, a novelette, Omni December 1984. A great story of a woman who died in a metallurgy accident on the Moon. Her personality had not been recorded. She was recreated as a new person. She has a month long period for her new personality to set; she takes a job out of boredom. Her job involves an experiment to recreate God within human mental programming. She has an opportunity to become God, but she decided to stay human. Nebula finalist, and reprints including “The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Second Annual Collection“, Gardner Dozois editor, 1985 Bluejay Books, “Terry Carr’s Best Science Fiction of the Year” 14, 1985 Tor, “The Seventh Omni Book of Science Fiction“, Ellen Datlow editor, 1989 Zebra Books/Kensington Publishing Corp., the Swanwick collection “Gravity’s Angels“, 1991 Arkham House, and “A.I.s“, Jack Dann & Gardner Dozois editors, 2013 Baen. Rated 4/5, or “Great”.

“A Midwinter’s Tale“, a short story, Asimov’s December 1988. It’s great to rediscover a Swanwick SF tale, as he has produced much more fantasy than SF recently. A very memory damaged soldier in the far future tells a Christmas story of his childhood, with an embedded story of how the larl and the new humans connected. Great characters and plot. Locus Award finalist, with reprints including “Spirits of Christmas: Twenty Other-Worldly Tales“, Kathryn Cramer & David G. Hartwell editors, 1989 Wynwood Press, “Christmas on Ganymede and Other Stories“, Martin H. Greenberg editor, 1990 Avon, the Swanwick collection “Gravity’s Angels“, 1991 Arkham House, “The Norton Book of Science Fiction: North American Science Fiction, 1960-1990“, Brian Attebery & Ursula K. Le Guin editors & Karen Joy Fowler consultant, 1993 W. W. Norton & Company (see my review), and “Alien Contact“, Marty Halpern editor, 2011 Night Shade Books. Rated 4/5, or “Great”.

“The Edge of the World“, a short story, from “Full Spectrum 2“, Lou Aronica, Pat LoBrutto, Shawna McCarthy, & Amy Stout editors, 1989 Doubleday Foundation. I’ve definitely read this before, probably multiple times. A great, great story of 3 unhappy American teens (probably with parents posted there) at a military base in what would be the Middle East in our world. Right across the train tracks is the Edge of the World. They decide to walk down a stairway down the cliff of the edge of the world. A place of chaos, where strong wishes may come true. One of them decides to never exist, and is gone. One of the two vaguely remembers that person existed. Wow. A superlative story on reread, just as amazing, with some aspects that remind of Ted Chiang’s fiction. I think this is my favorite Swanwick story, but that’s a difficult choice. Sturgeon winner, Locus, Nebula and Hugo finalist. More than a few reprints, including “The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Seventh Annual Collection“, Gardner Dozois editor, 1990 St. Martin’s Press, “The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror: Third Annual Collection“, Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling editors, 1990 St. Martin’s Press, the Swanwick collection “Gravity’s Angels“, 1991 Arkham House, “A Century of Fantasy 1980-1989: The Greatest Stories of the Decade“, Robert Silverberg editor, 1997 MJF Books, “The Mammoth Book of Fantasy“, Mike Ashley editor, 2001 Robinson, “The Secret History of Fantasy“, Peter S. Beagle editor, 2010 Tachyon Publications, and “Sense of Wonder: A Century of Science Fiction“, Leigh Ronald Grossman editor, 2011 Wildside Press. Rated 4.3/5, or “Superlative”.

“Griffin’s Egg“, a novella, 1991 Legend/Century. A great story about conflict on Earth and the Moon, and bioweapons and insanity, and whether changes in cognition will leave us human. On reread, this is a phenomenal story. I’m upping my rating to “Superlative”. Hugo, Nebula & Locus finalist, reprints include Asimov’s May 1992, “The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Tenth Annual Collection“, Gardner Dozois editor, 1993 St. Martin’s Press, the Swanwick collection “Moon Dogs“, 2000 NESFA Press, “The Hard SF Renaissance“, Kathryn Cramer & David G. Hartwell editors, 2002 Tor, “The Best of the Best Volume 2: 20 Years of the Best Short Science Fiction Novels“, Gardner Dozois editor, 2007 St. Martin’s Press, and “The Eagle Has Landed: 50 Years of Lunar Science Fiction“, Neil Clarke editor, 2019 Night Shade Books. Rated 4.1/5, or “Superlative”.

“The Changeling’s Tale“, a short story, Asimov’s January 1994. I would not call this tale of a young boy who leaves with the elves and returns home 20 years later innovative, but it’s told so well. A Locus and World Fantasy Award (WFA) finalist, and reprints in “Modern Classics of Fantasy“, Gardner Dozois editor, 1997 St. Martin’s Press, and the Swanwick collection “Tales of Old Earth“, 2000 North Atlantic Books/Tachyon Publications/Frog, Ltd. Rated 3.8/5, or “Great”.

“North of Diddy-Wah-Diddy“, a novelette, from “Killing Me Softly: Erotic Tales of Unearthly Love“, Gardner Dozois editor, 1995 HarperPrism. An amazing story of a gay man beaten to death and sent to a kind of limbo, not allowed to go to Heaven at the time but too good to send to Hell. He is serving on the train taking sinners to Hell, where things go badly wrong. At the end of the story, however, there is hope. It’s great to reread this again, perhaps for the first time since 2009 when I read TBOMS the first time. The use of the train going to Hell reminds me of Robert Bloch’s story “That Hell-Bound Train“. I am surprised this one got no award nominations or “Best of” reprints. Reprints include the Swanwick collections “A Geography of Unknown Lands“, 1997 Tigereyes Press, and “Tales of Old Earth“, 2000 North Atlantic Books/Tachyon Publications/Frog, Ltd. Rated 4/5, or “Great”.

“Radio Waves“, a novelette, Omni Winter 1995. After dying, a man and others like him linger as ghosts, kept from floating up into eternity by steel barriers (wires, etc.). At the end, he finds he is part of a horrible thing called the Corpsegrinder, and that he is a fairly terrible person. The other main character ends up being his dead wife, who he abused. She forgives him, and they both let go of being ghosts. On reread, I have to upgrade the rating to “Great”. While I still think are some problems with this story, it is so memorable for me that I have to upgrade my rating. WFA winner, Sturgeon finalist, and reprints including “The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Thirteenth Annual Collection“, Gardner Dozois editor, 1996 St. Martin’s Press, “The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror: Tenth Annual Collection“, Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling editors, 1977 St. Martin’s Griffin, “Tales of Old Earth“, 2000 North Atlantic Books/Tachyon Publications/Frog, Ltd., “Infinity Plus One“, Keith Brooke & Nick Gevers editors, 2991 PS Publishing, and “The Mammoth Book of Extreme Fantasy“, Mike Ashley editor, 2008 Robinson. Rated 3.8/5, or “Great”.

“The Dead“, a short story, from “Starlight 1“, Patrick Nielsen Hayden editor, 1996 Tor. A superlative, horrifying story of naked capitalism, zombies and no morals. Hugo, Locus & Nebula finalist, and reprints include “The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Fourteenth Annual Collection“, Gardner Dozois editor, 1997, “Nebula Awards 33“, Connie Willis editor, 1999 Harvest /Harcourt Brace, “Future Sports“, Jack Dann & Gardner Dozois editors, 2002 Ace Books, “The Best of the Best: 20 Years of the Year’s Best Science Fiction“, Gardner Dozois editor, 2005 St. Martin’s Griffin, “The Living Dead“, John Joseph Adams editor, 2008 Night Shade Books, and “Zombies! Zombies! Zombies!“, Otto Penzler editor, 2011 Vintage Crime/Black Lizard/Vintage Books. Rated 4.1/5, or “Superlative”.

“Mother Grasshopper“, a short story, first published in the Swanwick collection “A Geography of Unknown Lands“, 1997 Tigereyes Press. I view “Mother Grasshopper” as a science fantasy, mostly for the presence of the truly enormous grasshopper that one million spacecraft of settlers land on and colonize. The people in it are functionally immortal. The protagonist is a “magician” who brings mortality or disease, depending upon how dense the population is locally. If not for the cosmically giant grasshopper, I would call this SF. Locus Award #7. Reprints include F&SF April 1998, “The Mammoth Book of Mindblowing SF“, Mike Ashley editor, 2009 Running Press, “The Very Best of Fantasy & Science Fiction: 60th Anniversary Anthology“, Gordon Van Gelder editor, 2009 Tachyon Publications, and several Swanwick collections. Rated 3.9/5, or “Great”.

“Radiant Doors“, a short story, Asimov’s September 1998. A superlative and horrifying story of radiant time doors and refugees from an inhuman future, set in a monstrous refugee camp. A remote control device for people comes through with a refugee, and one of the staff realize this device is a plant by an Owner’s agent to help make that future come true. This is an amazing and sickening story of time travel, of victims (almost all of us) and Owners. Locus, Hugo, Nebula and Sturgeon finalist. Reprints include “Year’s Best SF 4“, David G. Hartwell editor, 1999 HarperPrism, “Futures Past“, Jack Dann & Gardner Dozois editors, 2006 Ace Books, and several Swanwick collections. I have read several other SF stories involving time refugees, including the 1965 Clifford D. Simak short story “Over the River and Through the Woods” and the 2012 short story “The Mouse Ran Down” by Adrian Tchaikovsky, but this is my favorite. Rated 4.1/5, or “Superlative”.

“The Very Pulse of the Machine“, a short story, Asimov’s February 1998. I know I’ve read this before, here and perhaps in “Tales of Old Earth“, but not remembered. For all that, this is one hell of a story not to remember. Martha Kevelsen is an astronaut and a grind, not brilliant but very determined. She and the other member of the landing party are on Io. Perhaps in an Io quake, the rover is damaged beyond use and her coworker Julie is killed because she was too arrogant to strap in. Martha begins to hike across Io the 45 kilometers to the lander, hauling Julie’s body. As her hike continues, she thinks she is hearing a geologic intelligence speaking to her. Another quake wrecks the lander. The Io intelligence tells her it can absorb her and Julie and she can live on. She agrees, if it will send a message to the solar system using static and Morse code to announce the discovery of intelligence. She hopes it works. Hugo winner, with reprints in “The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Sixteenth Annual Collection“, Gardner Dozois editor, 1999 St. Martin’s Griffin, “The Mammoth Book of Science Fiction“, Mike Ashley editor, 2002 Carroll & Graf, and the Swanwick Collection “Tales of Old Earth“, 2000 North Atlantic Books/Tachyon Publications/Frog, Ltd. Rated 4/5, or “Great”.

“Wild Minds“, a short story, Asimov’s May 1998. Another story of changing or improving people, albeit at their own volition. Some people are “optimized”, which changes their cognition and thinking substantially. Some are not, or at least not to the full extent. A non-optimized man meets a woman who is optimized but is needing a “reboot” on part of her mental system. She tries to convince him to change, but he explains why he will not. It turns out he killed his newly optimized wife who no longer loved him or wanted to have children with him. He was judged “not guilty” due to a malfunctioning brain component, but he does not want to lose the guilt he carries to optimization. A Hugo winner and Sturgeon finalist, and reprinted in the Swanwick Collection “Tales of Old Earth“, 2000 North Atlantic Books/Tachyon Publications/Frog, Ltd. Rated 3.9/5, or “Great”.

“Scherzo with Tyrannosaur“, a short story, Asimov’s July 1999. A great time travel story of a man who can change his future by a choice. Great characters and dinosaur tourism. This is not one of those “you cannot change the future” stories. Hugo winner, Locus & Nebula finalist, and reprints of “The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Seventeenth Annual Collection“, Gardner Dozois editor, 2000 St. Martin’s Press, “Timeless Time Travel Tales“, Allan Kaster editor, 2012 Audiotext, and the Swanwick Collection “Tales of Old Earth“, 2000 North Atlantic Books/Tachyon Publications/Frog, Ltd. Rated 4.2/5, or “Superlative”.

“The Raggle Taggle Gypsy-O“, a short story, original to the Swanwick Collection “Tales of Old Earth“, 2000 North Atlantic Books/ Tachyon Publications/Frog, Ltd. Crow, an archetype of the Trickster, steals the wife of one of the Lords of Time. She is executed when they catch up with them. They are both reborn, in a way, and back on the Road. Some aspects of this remind me of Roger Zelazny’s “Roadmarks” and his Amber series. Locus and WFA finalist, and reprints include “The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Eighteenth Annual Collection“, Gardner Dozois editor, 2001 St. Martin’s Griffin/SFBC, and “Year’s Best Fantasy“, Cramer & David G. Hartwell editors, 2001 Eos/HarperCollins. Rated 3.9/5, or “Great”.

“The Dog Said Bow-Wow“, a Darger and Surplus short story, Asimov’s October-November 2001. Great to reread this (read before in both Swanwick collections “The Dog Said Bow-Wow” and here in “The Best of Michael Swanwick“) wonderful and rather zany story of two future conmen in England, with a very interesting visit to Buckingham Labyrinth and meeting Her Majesty Gloriana. Hugo winner, Locus, Nebula and Sturgeon finalist, and many reprints including “Science Fiction: The Best of 2001“, Karen Haber & Robert Silverberg editors, 2002 ibooks, “Year’s Best SF 7“, Kathryn Cramer & David G. Hartwell editors, 2002 Eos/HarperCollins, “The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Nineteenth Annual Collection“, Gardner Dozois editor, 2002 St. Martin’s Press/SFBC, and others. Rated 3.9/5, or “Great”.

“Slow Life“, a novelette, Analog December 2002. Upon reread, I love this story and the characters. A wonderfully human story of First Contact on Titan, between an explorer who might die and a unitary intelligence that did not know there was “other”. Hugo winner and Locus finalist, and reprints in “The Best of Analog“, Stanley Schmidt editor, 2003 Dell Magazines, “Year’s Best SF 8“, Kathryn Cramer & David G. Hartwell editors, 2003 Eos/ HarperCollins, “The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Twentieth Annual Collection“, and several Swanwick collections. Rated 3.9/5, or “Great”.

“Legions in Time“, a novelette, Asimov’s April 2003. A great time travel story, of a woman recruited to fight the Aftermen in time. Something very different happens at the end. I have vague memories of reading this before, and I’ve loved it each of the at least 3 times I’ve read it. Hugo winner, Locus #10, and reprinted in “Science Fiction: The Best of 2003“, Karen Haber & Jonathan Strahan editors, 2004 iBooks, “The Mammoth Book of Time Travel SF“, Mike Ashley editor, 2013 Robinson, and the Swanwick collection “The Dog Said Bow-Wow“, 2007 Tachyon Publications. Rated 4/5, or “Great”.

“Triceratops Summer“, a short story, first published on the Amazon.com website, August 19, 2005. A time experiment goes wrong, creating a timelike loop and brings triceratops into the area. The Institute will close/eliminate the time loop at the end of summer. Different people have different reactions to knowing they and their loop will disappear. Great characters and plot. On reread, I just love this story, especially the protagonist’s decision not to tell people of the timelike loop, and the happy triceratops in the back yard. Locus finalist, and reprints in “Science Fiction: The Very Best of 2005“, Jonathan Strahan editor, 2006 Locus Press, “Science Fiction: The Best of the Year, 2006 Edition“, Rich Horton editor, 2006 Prime Books, “The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Twenty-Third Annual Collection“, Gardner Dozois editor, 2006 St. Martin’s Griffin, and “The Time Traveller’s Almanac“, Ann & Jeff VanderMeer, 2013 Head of Zeus. Rated 4/5, or “Great”.

“From Babel’s Fall’n Glory We Fled“, a short story, Asimov’s February 2008. A great story of the fall of a modern day, alien Babel and the resulting conversation of humans and aliens and of the values of trust versus information. Hugo, Locus and Sturgeon finalist, and reprints including “The Best Science Fiction and Fantasy of the Year: Volume Three“, Jonathan Strahan editor, 2009 Night Shade Books, and “The Year’s Best Science Fiction: Twenty-Sixth Annual Collection“, Gardner Dozois editor, 2009 St. Martin’s Griffin. Rated 3.8/5, or “Great”.