"From Paul McAuley's tale of runaway technology ("Gene Wars") to Gregory Benford's story of evolution and murder ("Immersion"), the 41 stories in this annotated anthology provide a strong argument for the revival of hard sf as a major force in the genre in the 1990s. Showcasing short fiction by veteran sf authors like Kim Stanley Robinson, Joe Haldeman, Bruce Sterling, Nancy Kress, Ben Bova, and Arthur C. Clarke, the collection charts the emergence of trends in the genre. Primary among them are the movement away from a conservative, pro-military route and toward a more liberal-minded science, as well as the rising prominence of British and Australian authors. Each story is prefaced by brief commentaries that continue the arguments posited in the general introduction. For libraries wanting a definitive collection of hard sf written since 1990, this is a priority purchase. Highly recommended."—Library Journal
"This colossal anthology covers the return of sf to themes based in the hard sciences. The contents demonstrate that biology now rivals physics as an inspiration, and that the farther shores of inspirational physics extend farther out than ever before. Of course, some writers draw on a complex compound of the sciences to realize the worlds they conjure; for instance, Kim Stanley Robinson, whose two stories here share the setting of his Mars trilogy. Among the venerable titans who have contributed to the new hard sf and whose work is represented are the late Poul Anderson, Arthur C. Clarke, Gregory Benford, Hal Clement, and Frederick Pohl. One very fruitful entry is "Beggars in Spain," the seed of Nancy Kress' award-winning Beggars trilogy. Other diverse offerings come from Stephen Baxter; David Brin; Joan Slonczewski, showing her usual dab hand with biology; and Robert J. Sawyer, quietly intelligent as ever. A very satisfactory overview of a major portion of contemporary sf and a sterling achievement by Tor and the Hartwell-Cramer team."—Roland Green, Booklist
"A hefty story anthology edited by . . . talents . . . who have returned to SF's roots in emphasizing science and technology.—Publishers Weekly
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