As spring emerges, John E. O. Stevens, Fred Kiesche and Jeff Patterson shed their well-worn thermals and discuss the vast and treacherous landscape of anthologies.

It is a subject that encompasses themed volumes, shared worlds, and literary approaches, from the experimental volumes of the 1970s, through the subject-specific collections of Ace and Daw, to the copious riches that have become available readers in the past decade. What makes an anthology work? Which ones hold special places? And have they stood the test of time?

The discussion then turns, as always, to culture consumed.

Fred Kiesche, John E.O. Stevens and Jeff Patterson

Not Quite All the Anthologies, But We Tried:

Thieves’ World: First Blood, edited by Lynn Abbey & Robert Lynn Asprin

Extreme Fiction: Faculists and Formalists, edited by Robin Hemley & Michael Martone

Carbide Tippd Pens, edited by Ben Bova & Eric Choi

Wild Cards Volume 1, edited by George R.R. Martin

So Long Benn Dreaming, edited by Nalo Hopkinson & Uppinder Mehan

Vanishing Acts, edited by Ellen Datlow

Brave New Worlds, edited by John Joseph Adams

Is Anybody Out There?, edited by Nick Gevers & Marty Halpern

Reach for Infinity, edited by Jonathan Strahan

Additional Show Notes:

2015: The Year in Books

2015: The Year in Shorts

Edges: 13 New Tales from the Borderlands of Imagination, edited by Ursula K. Le Guin & Virginia Kidd

Epoch, edited by Roger Elwood & Robert Silverberg

Space Opera, edited by Anne McCaffrey & Elizabeth Anne Scarborough

Millennial Women, edited by Virginia Kidd

Weird Heroes: New American Pulp, edited by Byron Preiss

Flashing Swords!, edited by Lin Carter

Medea: Harlan’s World, edited by Harlan Ellison

Murasaki, edited by Robert Silverberg

The Thackery T. Lambshead Cabinet of Curiosities, edited by Ann VanderMeer & Jeff VanderMeer

John’s reivew of “Lambshead”

John’s discussion of Brave New Worlds

Star Wars, by Keiron Gillen & Salvador Larroca

Darth Vader:

Princess Leia, by Mark Waid & Terry Dodson

Namless, by Grant Morrison & Chris Burnham

Memetic, by James Tynion IV & Ery, Donovan-)

Universe!, by Albert Monteys

Invisible Republic, by Gabriel Hardman & Corinn Beckho

Red One, by Xavier Dorison & Terry Dodscon