"David G. Hartwell - Year's Best SF 3" - читать интересную книгу автора (Hartwell David G)

one or two good stories, but most a bit below the acceptable level for the
professional magazines. The same level maintained for the semiprofessional
magazines in 1997, though the good story balance there was a higher percentage than
in the anthologies.
On the whole, it was another year in which there were in the end more than fifty,
perhaps a hundred, really good SF stories published, certainly enough to fill several
YearтАЩs Best volumes, providing me with a rich diversity of selection for this one.
Comments on thematic trends in the literature I have saved for the notes to the
stories, that follow immediately. LetтАЩs get to them now.
тАФDavid G. Hartwell


Chapter 1 - Petting Zoo by Gene Wolfe
Contents - Prev / Next
Gene WolfeтАЩs body of work over the years is a challenge and a delight to serious
readers of science fiction. This year, as in the past, there were several fine Wolfe
stories to choose from for this volume, but this one, published in a paperback
original anthology of lightweight pieces on the theme, Return of the Dinosaurs,
seemed to me just the thing to lead off a YearтАЩs Best volume, in a year when
dinosaurs on film and TV are in vogue. There has been a fair amount of
disagreement in recent years as to what makes a good SF story and in what way
such characteristics as plot and action, character or idea ought or ought not to be
central to the enterprise of science fiction storytelling. In my opinion, each good
story implicitly makes its own statement and influences the argument it its own favor.
And so the literature evolves. This is a cracking good story with subtle, and some
quite clear, implications. But never mind that for now; read this slick, fast piece for
fun and surprises and then stop and think afterward: what might it mean if the
dinosaurs came back as Barney?
***
Roderick looked up at the sky. It was indeed blue, but almost cloudless. The air
was hot and smelled of dust.
тАЬHere, childrenтАжтАЭ The teaching cyborg was pointedly not addressing him.
тАЬтАФTyranosaurus Rex. Rex was created by an inadequately socialized boy who
employed six Build-a-CritterkitsтАжтАЭ
Sixteen.
тАЬтАФwhich he duped on his fatherтАЩs Copystuff. With that quantity of GroQikтАжтАЭ
It had taken a day over two weeks, two truckloads of pigs that he had charged to
MotherтАЩs account, and various other things that had become vague. For. the last
week, he had let Rex go out at night to see what he could find, and people
wouldтАФpeople were bound toтАФnotice the missing cattle soon. Had probably
noticed them already.
Rex had looked out through the barn window while he was mooring his airbike
and said, тАЬIтАЩm tired of hiding all day.тАЭ
And he himself had saidтАж
тАЬLetтАЩs go for a ride.тАЭ One of the little girls had raised her hand.
From the other side of the token barrier that confined him, Rex himself spoke for
the first time, saying, тАЬYou will, kid. SheтАЩs not quite through yet.тАЭ His voice was a
sort of growling tenor now, clearly forced upward as high as he could make it so as
to seem less threatening. Roderick pushed on his suitтАЩs A-C and shivered a little.
It had been cool, that day. Cool, with a little breeze he had fought the whole way