The Hard SF Renaissance

Description

Edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer, The Hard SF Renaissance (2002) is a thematic sequel to their 1994 anthology The Ascent of Wonder. The first anthology argued that "[t]here has been a persistent viewpoint that hard [science fiction] is somehow the core and the center of the SF field." The Hard SF Renaissance asserts that hard SF has truly become the heart of the genre and supports its assertion by assembling nearly a thousand pages of short stories, novelettes, and novellas originally published between the late 1980s and early 2000s. A different theory says hard SF stories are engineering puzzles disguised as fiction; The Hard SF Renaissance repudiates this theory in regard to modern hard SF. Most of the selections have strong prose and rounded characters, several are classics, and gadget-driven clunkers are mercifully few.Contents A Career in Sexual Chemistry (1987) novelette by Brian Stableford (aka Sexual Chemistry) A Niche (1990) novelette by Peter Watts A Walk in the Sun (1991) shortstory by Geoffrey A. Landis An Ever-Reddening Glow (1996) shortstory by David Brin Arthur Sternbach Brings the Curveball to Mars (1999) shortstory by Kim Stanley Robinson Beggars in Spain [Sleepless] (1991) novella by Nancy Kress Bicycle Repairman [Chattanooga] (1996) novelette by Bruce Sterling Built Upon the Sands of Time (2000) shortstory by Michael F. Flynn [as by Michael Flynn ] Different Kinds of Darkness [Blit] (2000) shortstory by David Langford Exchange Rate (1999) novella by Hal Clement Fast Times at Fairmont High (2001) novella by Vernor Vinge For White Hill (1995) novella by Joe Haldeman Gene Wars (1991) shortfiction by Paul J. McAuley [as by Paul McAuley ] Genesis (1995) novella by Poul Anderson Gossamer [Xeelee] (1995) shortstory by Stephen Baxter Great Wall of Mars [Revelation Space] (2000) novelette by Alastair Reynolds Griffin's Egg (1991) novella by Michael Swanwick Halo (1996) shortstory by Karl Schroeder Hatching the Phoenix [Heechee] (1999) novella by Frederik Pohl Immersion (1996) novella by Gregory Benford Into the Miranda Rift (1993) novella by G. David Nordley New People, New Places, New Politics (The Hard SF Renaissance) essay by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer Kinds of Strangers (1999) novelette by Sarah Zettel Madam Butterfly (1997) novelette by James P. Hogan Marrow [Marrow] (1997) novelette by Robert Reed Matter's End (1989) novella by Gregory Benford Microbe (1995) shortstory by Joan Slonczewski Mount Olympus (1999) novelette by Ben Bova On the Orion Line [Xeelee] (2000) novelette by Stephen Baxter Reality Check (2000) shortstory by David Brin Reasons to Be Cheerful (1997) novelette by Greg Egan Reef (2000) novelette by Paul J. McAuley [as by Paul McAuley ] Sexual Dimorphism (1999) shortstory by Kim Stanley Robinson Taklamakan [Chattanooga] (1998) novelette by Bruce Sterling The Good Rat (1995) novelette by Allen Steele The Hammer of God (1992) shortstory by Arthur C. Clarke The Lady Vanishes (1996) shortstory by Charles Sheffield The Mendelian Lamp Case [Dr Phil D'Amato] (1997) novelette by Paul Levinson The Shoulders of Giants (2000) shortstory by Robert J. Sawyer Think Like a Dinosaur (1995) novelette by James Patrick Kelly Understand (1991) novelette by Ted Chiang Wang's Carpets (1995) novelette by Greg Egan