The twenty-first century has so far proven to be exciting and wondrous and filled with challenges we had never dreamed. New possibilities previously unimagined appear almost daily . . . and science fiction stories continue to explore those possibilities with delightful results:Collected in this anthology are such compelling stories as:"On K2 with Kanakaredes" by Dan Simmons. A relentlessly paced and absorbing tale set in the near future about three mountain climbers who must scale the face of K2 with some very odd company. "The Human Front" by Ken MacLeod. In this compassionate coming-of-age tale the details of life are just a bit off from things as we know them-and nothing is as it appears to be."Glacial" by Alastair Reynolds. A fascinating discovery on a distant planet leads to mass death and a wrenching mystery as spellbinding as anything in recent short fiction. The twenty-six stories in this collection imaginatively takes us far across the universe, into the very core of our beings, to the realm of the gods, and the moment just after now. Included here are the works of masters of the form and of bright new talents, including:Eleanor ArnasonChris BeckettMichael BlumleinMichael CassuttBrenda W. CloughPaul Di FilippoAndy DuncanCarolyn Ives GilmanJim GrimsleySimon IngsJames Patrick KellyLeigh KennedyNancy KressIan R. MacLeodKen MacLeodPaul J. McAuleyMaureen F. McHughRobert ReedAlastair ReynoldsGeoff RymanWilliam SandersDan SimmonsAllen M. SteeleCharles StrossMichael SwanwickHoward WaldropSupplementing the stories are the editor's insightful summation of the year's events and a lengthy list of honorable mentions, making this book a valuable resource in addition to serving as the single best place in the universe to find stories that stir the imagination and the heart.

Summation: 2001 . Gardner DozoisNew Light on the Drake Equation . Ian R. MacLeodMore Adventures on Other Planets . Michael CassuttOn K2 with Kanakaredes . Dan SimmonsWhen This World Is All on Fire . William SandersComputer Virus . Nancy KressHave Not Have . Geoff RymanLobsters . Charles StrossThe Dog Said Bow-Wow . Michael SwanwickThe Chief Designer . Andy DuncanNeutrino Drag . Paul Di FilippoGlacial . Revelation Space . Alastair ReynoldsThe Days Between . Allen SteeleOne-Horse Town . Howard Waldrop and Leigh KennedyMoby Quilt . Eleanor ArnasonRaven Dream . Robert ReedUndone . James Patrick KellyThe Real Thing . Carolyn Ives GilmanInterview: On Any Given Day . Maureen F. McHughIsabel of the Fall . Ian R. MacLeodInto Greenwood . Jim GrimsleyKnow How, Can Do . Michael BlumleinRussian Vine . Simon IngsThe Two Dicks . Paul J. McAuleyMay Be Some Time . Brenda W. CloughMarcher . Chris BeckettThe Human Front . Ken MacLeodHonorable Mentions: 2001