Bewildering Stories’
Annual Review, 2020
Year 19 of Bewildering Stories
The Mariner Awards: issues 838-884
The launch of Mariner 2
to Venus, August 27, 1962 |
The Mariner Awards are named for one of the first successful interplanetary missions.
The 51 titles listed — out of 296 for the year — are the ones that the Review Editors have rated most highly in 2020. They have earned Bewildering Stories’ most signal honor.
We know that all readers can cite other titles they feel belong on these lists; fair enough. Please write and tell us what else you would include and, most importantly, why. Discussions are welcome at Bewildering Stories, and we like to publish them.
Bewildering Stories was originally founded to give new writers exposure in a field dominated by print publication. Since Bewildering Stories was a pioneer, we knew that times would change. Accordingly, Year 1 set a standard by making accessible a classic work by a historically “established author.” Contributors have risen to the challenge by sending us works of high quality, and frequency of publication has made “BwS” probably the largest literary webzine on the Internet.
Submissions often run in cycles, where one genre or another predominates for a while. In the past year, the average length of prose submissions has increased markedly. Meanwhile, flash fiction is distinguished by four authors without whom the exceedingly difficult genre might all but vanish. The trends show every sign of continuing in the coming year.
Like the Quarterly Reviews, the Annual Review lists titles alphabetically by author and multiple titles in chronological order. The year was enlivened by thoughtful discussions. However, the Departments remain in the Quarterly Reviews and are easily accessible.
We resume regular publication with issue 885 on January 4, 2021. Meanwhile, as we like to say, “There is no story so truly Bewildering as reality.” The Crew of Bewildering Stories wishes our contributors and readers a healthy and pleasantly Bewildering New Year!
Everything in green is a link. Links open in a new window, so you won’t lose your place.
Novels Natan Dubovitsky, Near ZeroBill Kowaleski, Creative Destruction |
Novellas Mickey J. Corrigan, Trigger WarningsAmber Ray, If Wishes Were Horses |
Serials Daniel Stride, A Breath Through Silver |
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Short Stories Théodore de Banville, Fire StealerGary Clifton, Patrick Creek, Master Fairchild’s Garden Jeffrey Greene, C. J. Heckman, The Stranger from Scyllamar Salim Kingo, The Widow Samuel Oladele, Two in One James Penha, James Rumpel, Addi and the Unicorn Dan Sexton-Riley, The Skein of a Life DL Shirey, Magic Nation Charles David Taylor, |
Flash Fiction Gary Clifton, Charles C. Cole,Farewell, Solitary Loon
Gary Inbinder, The SketchBluets, Ferns and Ashes Down-Home Hunting The Corner Lot Will the Real Adult... Ice Dream Polysapien Spacemen... The Lady of Lake Therese Unveiling the Authentic Sentence The Gatekeeper Jeremy N. Marks, Sturgeon Sea |
Poetry & Short Poetry | |
Edward Ahern,
Richard Fleming, Red Umbrella Emerson Gilmore, The Boxing Match Gary Inbinder, |
Boris Kokotov, Auld Acquaintance Bill Kowaleski, Dumping in the Woods... Nick Pipitone, Spirit and Flesh James Robert Rudolph, |
The Quarterly Reviews of 2020
Fourth Quarterly Review, issues 873-884 The Third Quarterly Review, 2020 issues 861-872 |
Second Quarterly Review, issues 849-860 First Quarterly Review, issues 838-848 |
Editors’ Choices, Year 1 to the present
The Annual Reviews, Quarterly Reviews, and Retrospectives
Return to top
Go to issue 837
Go to the All Issues index
Go to the Schedule “In Times to Come”
Available at Bewildering Press
Jack Alcott, Grim Legion Sam Ivey, Gilboy’s Quest Martin Kerharo, The Dohani War Harry Lang, The Mountains of the Eldritch Sea Danielle L. Parker, In a Pig’s Eye Slawomir Rapala, Aezubah, the Crimson General Bertrand Cayzac, Floozman in Space |
Michael E. Lloyd, Donna’s Men Michael E. Lloyd, Missing Emilie Michael E. Lloyd, Observation One Michael E. Lloyd, Observation Two Michael E. Lloyd, Observation Three |
Copyright © December 30, 2019 by Bewildering Stories