Bewildering Stories’
Second Quarterly Review, 2016
Year 14 of Bewildering Stories
The Editors’ Choices: issues 660-671
The Quarterly and Annual Reviews are like lighthouses on the chaotic sea of the Internet.
They signal not danger but “Good landfall” and “Safe harbor.” Welcome ashore!
Everything in green is a link. A few links are standard (blue, underlined). The genres in the “Titles selected” table are anchor or alert links. Links to pages other than the QR open in a new window; you won‘t lose your place.
Bewildering Stories ends the season — winter or summer, depending on your hemisphere — with the Review Editors’ selection of favorites from the second quarter of 2016. New readers will have easy access to the recent best of Bewildering Stories, and veteran readers will have a chance to catch up on anything they may have missed.
The Quarterly Reviews are not a contest, competition or poll. And there are no quotas: anything — from everything to nothing — may qualify in any genre. Rather, they answer a practical question: “If a friend asked you to recommend something outstanding from the past quarter of Bewildering Stories, what would you choose?”
As always, the Review Board’s discussions have been extensive and lively. A big Thank You to Edward Ahern, Bill Bowler, Gary Clifton, Charles C. Cole, Ada Fetters, Gary Inbinder, Bill Kowaleski, Marina J. Neary, John Stocks and Lewayne L. White.
At Bewildering Stories, no one is the proverbial tree falling unheard in a forest. All contributors know that real people have given their works a thoughtful reading, regardless whether we send regrets or they qualify for the Mariner Awards.
The Review Editors and Associate Editors — our review readers — have functions that are entirely different but equally important. The Review Editors determine how Bewildering Stories shall carry its flag. The Associate Editors enable us to converse with our contributors and determine what Bewildering Stories shall be. Their insightful and detailed critiques of submissions help us set what we like to think is an Internet standard for editorial practice and for service to our contributors and readers.
Our special editors also deserve a vote of thanks: Coordinating Editors Bill Bowler, Edward Ahern and Bill Kowaleski; Flash Fiction Editor Charles C. Cole; and Poetry Editor John Stocks. They provide the kind of personal touch Bewildering Stories takes pride in, and they make the administrative work not only easier but possible.
The Quarterly News
In the past 12 weeks, the Review Editors cast 739 votes on 78 titles, 35 of which have qualified as Editors’ Choices. We congratulate the authors represented here. We hope they will inspire all our contributors.
We think our Review Editors reflect the range of opinion to be found among our readers.The Order of Merit is a special acknowledgment to our contributors. It’s a kind of “surprise package” that links to the most highly rated works in this Quarterly Review.
We resume regular publication with issue 672 on June 27, 2016.
| Titles selected of titles eligible | |||||
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Novels Novellas Serials |
1 of 1 1 of 2 2 of 3 |
Short Stories Flash Fiction Drama |
10 of 26 6 of 7 3 of 3 |
Poetry Short Poetry Essays & Memoirs |
3 of 13 9 of 23 |
- All selections are listed in alphabetical order by author unless noted otherwise.
- Serialized works are eligible only in the quarter in which they conclude.
- Multiple titles are listed in chronological order.
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Novels Bertrand Cayzac, Floozman in SpaceNovellas Terry L. Mirll, Karat CakeSerials Philip Ivory, The Yellow ManBill Kowaleski, Down Under, Over There Short Stories Cheyenne Brown, Inverness DogsGary Clifton, Another New Guy Charles C. Cole, Brother Jacinto’s Mission Jill Hand, Louie and Nick Simon Hole, Hot Hand Paul Lees-Haley, The Old Man and the Pond Harry Lang, Mr. Hedayat’s Friend Morris Marshall, That Unstable Summer James Ogunjimi, A Promise Kept Gary L. Robbe, Reflections Turn Away Drama Charles C. Cole Boris Kokotov, Hooks and LoopsFlash Fiction Edward Ahern, The Water’s EdgeGary Clifton Dan Korgan, Earlier Snows Alison McBain, Supply and Demand Poetry Edward Ahern, DefectusLana Bella Short Poetry Lana Bella Gregg Dotoli, Spring Ivy PartyStephen Ellams Gary Inbinder, A Ripe Red Apple Oonah V. Joslin, Behind Lines Hongping Liu, Winter Scene Joan McNerney, I Planted My Garden |
Departments Selections are listed in chronological order. Challenges Bang, You’re SaneYour Cull Is Important to Us All Hail the Purpose Bottled Up Locked and Loaded Triple Boxcars Take the Money and Run Discussions Creepy Brother JacintoFloozman Down to Earth Karat Cake The Ending of “Karat Cake” The Number of the Bea... er, Issue Literary Favorites The Sacrificial Camera The Reality Behind the Lines The Order of the Hot Potato Here are the most controversial works of the quarter, the ones on which the Review Editors’ opinions diverged significantly for one reason or another. The titles are listed in descending order with the most controversial first. Seven of the titles appear among the Editors’ Choices. Challenge to the readers: why might any of these titles be on the list? Discussions are welcome and may appear in a future regular issue.
The Order of Merit Here are links to the top winners, the most highly rated works in each genre represented by more than one title in this Quarterly Review. The categories are listed according to their normal order in the Readers’ Guide. In keeping with Bewildering Stories’ astronomical motif, the winners are indicated by the names of space telescopes. The most highly rated title in the quarter is indicated by the name of an arm of the Galaxy.
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