The Science Fiction Book Club is publishing The Best Short Novels: 2007, edited by Jonathan Strahan, in May. This fourth volume in their annual series includes eight novellas.
“Where the Golden Apples Grow” by Kage Baker. The grass is always greener “Where the Golden Apples Grow,” and nothing could be truer for two Martian kids—a farmer’s son and an ice-hauler’s boy—who dream of living each other’s lives.
“After the Siege” by Cory Doctorow. “After the Siege” of a near-future Eastern European city—a city infested with bio-engineered “zombies”—a young woman sees a way to use an act of charity to win the infowar for her side.
“Botch Town” by Jeffrey Ford. Three kids growing up in “Botch Town” are haunted by strange events and a mystery man they think may be the devil.
“A Billion Eves” by Robert Reed. A device called the ripper has opened up a vast number of parallel worlds to polygamous pioneers, but ecologically-minded Kala refuses to be one of “A Billion Eves.”
“The Voyage of Night Shining White” by Chris Roberson. “The Voyage of Night Shining White” is a harrowing one for Celestial Empire Captain Zheng Yi and his crew, as they attempt to repair—and survive—a reactor failure on their way to Mars.
“Lord Weary’s Empire” by Michael Swanwick. Caught in a High Elf’s plan to overthrow the nobility of “Lord Weary’s Empire,” an outcast struggles against a set of circumstances that are not what they seem.
“Julian: A Christmas Story” by Robert Charles Wilson. Taking place in an IndustriaI Age future, “Julian: A Christmas Story” recounts the tale of two boys whose friendship is threatened by the plans of Julian’s uncle—the tyrannical President of America’s ruling Dominion.
“The Lineaments of Gratified Desire” by Ysabeau Wilce. Set in a fun-house alternate California, “The Lineaments of Gratified Desire” finds big-hair rocker Hardhands taking ever greater magickal risks to get back Tiny Doom, his four-year-old wife, whom he’s managed to lose on the most riotous night of the year.
The Reed, Swanwick, and Wilson stories are currently on the Hugo ballot for Best Novella.