Weekly Short Stories: 1997 Science Fiction, Part 1

Today I begin a new anthology of short stories and novellas in Gardner Dozois' series The Year's Best Science...this one being the Fifteen Annual Collection and covering his selections from material published in 1997.  In that year...right after I turned 40...the expansion National League baseball team Florida Marlins improbably won the World Series in an exciting seven-game series against Cleveland.  Immediately afterwards, Marlins owner Wayne Huizenga chastised the south Florida fans for not supporting his team with their attendance and sold off his star players.  But even with that, they won the World Series again with a different owner, only six years later! In the 31 years of their existence so far, the Marlins never won their division and have the worst cumulative regular season winning percentage in the major leagues...yet they have two Series titles: two more, by the way, than Cleveland.  But on to the first stories I'm discussing...

BEAUTY IN THE NIGHT by Robert Silverberg

In our planet's near future, a very advanced and completely different alien race quickly conquers and subjugates Earth. In England, a boy who detests his negligent, deadbeat and abusive father has a differing view of the occupying creatures, who seem to have a fascination with the Stonehenge stone structures at Salisbury.  Thinking the aliens as being beautiful, he concocts a plan to rid himself and his family of the traitor father who is collaborating with them.  This story poses the question, "Who is the real enemy?".  Our protagonist finds his answer and I frankly thought his solution was brilliant.  But then again, Silverberg (still around at age 89) is a brilliant writer...

SECOND SKIN by Paul J. McAuley

A cloak and dagger spy story set in the outer reaches of our solar system, namely on Neptune's moon Proteus, a spy with special genetic modifications to alter his appearance as well as to gain longevity is assigned there from Earth to facilitate the defection of a famous scientist there: a woman he had once been married to.  Along the way, the nature of identity is examined, along with the sad supposition that as long as there is humanity, then there will also be war and intrigues.  But I didn't need this story to tell me that...

Next week: more from 1997...