[The Year's Best Science Fiction 20] • The Year’s Best Science Fiction · 20 # 2003

Widely regarded as the one essential book for every science fiction fan, *The Year's Best Science Fiction *(Winner of the 2002 Locus Award for Best Anthology) continues to uphold its standard of excellence with more than two dozen stories representing the previous year's best SF writing. This year's volume includes Ian R. MacLeod, Nancy Kress, Greg Egan, Maureen F. McHugh, Robert Reed, Paul McAuley, Michael Swanwick, Robert Silverberg, Charles Stross, John Kessel, Gregory Benford and many other talented authors of SF, as well as thorough summations of the year and a recommended reading list.

Contents

xi • Summation: 2002 • essay by Gardner Dozois

1 • Breathmoss • (2002) • novella by Ian R. MacLeod

52 • The Most Famous Little Girl in the World • (2002) • novelette by Nancy Kress

71 • The Passenger • (2002) • novelette by Paul J. McAuley [as by Paul McAuley ]

95 • The Political Officer • (2002) • novella by Charles Coleman Finlay

135 • Lambing Season • (2002) • shortstory by Molly Gloss

145 • Coelacanths • (2002) • novelette by Robert Reed

164 • Presence • (2002) • novelette by Maureen F. McHugh

184 • Halo • [Macx Family] • (2002) • novelette by Charles Stross

212 • In Paradise • (2002) • shortstory by Bruce Sterling

221 • The Old Cosmonaut and the Construction Worker Dream of Mars • (2002) • novelette by Ian McDonald

243 • Stories for Men • (2002) • novella by John Kessel

302 • To Become a Warrior • (2002) • shortstory by Chris Beckett

313 • The Clear Blue Seas of Luna • (2002) • novelette by Gregory Benford

339 • V.A.O. • (2002) • novella by Geoff Ryman

367 • Winters Are Hard • (2002) • novelette by Steven Popkes

390 • At the Money • (2002) • novelette by Richard Wadholm

417 • Agent Provocateur • (2002) • shortstory by Alexander C. Irvine [as by Alexander Irvine ]

427 • Singleton • (2002) • novella by Greg Egan

467 • Slow Life • (2002) • novelette by Michael Swanwick

486 • A Flock of Birds • (2002) • shortstory by James Van Pelt

501 • The Potter of Bones • (2002) • novella by Eleanor Arnason

538 • The Whisper of Disks • (2002) • novelette by John Meaney (aka The Whisper of Discs)

567 • The Hotel at Harlan's Landing • [Company] • (2002) • shortstory by Kage Baker

578 • The Millennium Party • (2002) • shortfiction by Walter Jon Williams

581 • Turquoise Days • [Revelation Space] • (2002) • novella by Alastair Reynolds

641 • Honorable Mentions: 2002 • essay by Gardner Dozois