From School Library Journal
YA. Once again, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America have come up with an excellent grouping of short stories, essays, and poems for their annual awards. Contributors include Harlan Ellison, Ursula Leguin, Robert S. Silverbert, and Lisa Goldstein. The selections range from the bizarre as in "Alien Jane" or "Think Like a Dinosaur" to the seemingly mundane with a slight twist as in "Death and the Librarian." Poems and essays on such topics as science fiction and fantasy films of the year are also included. A feast for fans of the genre.Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
Members of the Science Fiction Writers Association (SFWA) annually read and vote on the best fiction from their peers. This 1995 compilation includes not only a Nebula Award-winning novella by Elizabeth Hand and a novelette by Ursula K. LeGuin but short stories, poetry, and essays from the annual symposium assessing the state of science fiction, among other riches. Essential for science fiction collections not only for the winning entries but for the evaluative essays by some of the genre's top writers.Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Booklist
The most recent Nebula Awards honored Elizabeth Hand's "Last Summer at Mars Hill" as the best novella, Ursula Le Guin's "Solitude" as the best novelette, and Esther M. Friesner's "Death and the Librarian" as the best short story of sf or fantasy published during late 1994 and most of 1995. Those three appear here, accompanied by some of the other works nominated in their categories, appreciations of new Nebula grand master honoree A. E. Van Vogt, a symposium on 1995's sf and fantasy, the two winners of the Rhysling Award for sf poetry, memorials of lately departed masters Roger Zelazny and John Brunner, an evaluation of 1995 sf and fantasy films, and a Sherlock Holmes story by 1995 best novel laureate Robert J. Sawyer. Ray Olson


From Kirkus Reviews
The Nebula Awards of 1995, as voted by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. The winners, Esther M. Friesner's ``Death and the Librarian'' (Best Short Story), Ursula K. Le Guin's ``Solitude'' (Best Novelette), and Elizabeth Hand's ``Last Summer at Mars Hill'' (Best Novella), appear, along with a selection of ballot finalists (from Kelley Eskridge, James Patrick Kelly, Maureen F. McHugh, Dale Bailey, Robert J. Sawyer--his The Terminal Experiment captured the Best Novel award--and Lisa Goldstein). Also included are Rhysling Award (poetry) winners David Lunde and Dan Raphael. Harlan Ellison and Charles L. Harness enthuse over Grandmaster Award winner A.E. van Vogt, who contributes the excellent ``The Enchanted Village.'' Paul Di Filippo, Nancy Springer, Judith Moffett, Ian Watson, Robert Silverberg, and Michaela Roessner provide overviews; Ian Watson, Jack Dann, and Jack C. Haldeman III memorialize the late John Brunner and Roger Zelazny; Kathi Maio examines 1995's movies; and Gregory Benford furnishes a splendid autobiographical essay. Fine fiction along with valuable insights: another excellent compendium. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.


Book Description
The prestigious Nebula Awards are the Oscars of science fiction and fantasy, the only SF awards bestowed annually by the writers' own demanding peers, the Science-fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Just as the Nebula Awards honor only the finest science ficiton and fantasy, the Nebula Awards series showcases only the best of the ballot, offering as well fiction and nonfiction not collected elsewhere and a dazzling selection of essays written expressley for each volume. No other best-of-year anthology represents the achievement of the Nebula Awards so well. Nebula Awards 31 is, as Publishers Weekly said of a previous volume, "essential reading for anyone who enjoys science fiction."

ANNOTATION

This anthology showcases only the "best of the ballot" for the Nebula Awards, offering as well fiction and nonfiction not collected elsewhere and a dazzling selection of essays written expressly for this volume. "An indispensable representation of the genre's best recent writing and a reliable indication of its leading edge."--Booklist. 320 pp. Targeted ads.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Nebula Awards 29 continues the series tradition of featuring fiction, poetry, and essays not found in any other best-of-the-year anthologies. Includes "The Man Who Rowed Christopher Columbus Ashore" by Harlan Ellison, "Red Mars" by Kim Stanley Robinson, "Alfred" by Lisa Goldstein, plus works by the winners in all four Nebula categories.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

As in previous years, this excellent 1993 collection of Nebula Award winners covers a broad range of styles, treatments and subjects. Selected SF authors, in short essays, bemoan the state of the genre, yet these stories and novellas (and even a poem or two) give the lie to any pessimism. Connie Willis's ``Death on the Nile'' describes a bizarre vacation to Egypt in which a group of tourists gains firsthand knowledge of the Pyramids' original purpose. ``Georgia on My Mind'' shines with the excitement of scientific discovery as Charles Sheffield rewrites computer history to introduce another inventor of Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine. And for those who love their cars more than they do people, Jack Cady's novella ``The Night We Buried Road Dog'' offers a psychological and supernatural mystery celebrating the freedom of the road. Sargent also includes memorial tributes to SF greats Avram Davidson, Lester del Rey and Chad Oliver. Essential reading for anyone who enjoys science fiction, this collection goes a long way toward demonstrating that, now and then, those who engage in the sometimes thankless task of bestowing writing awards really do know how to pick winners. (Apr.)

Library Journal

Members of the Science Fiction Writers Association (SFWA) annually read and vote on the best fiction from their peers. This 1995 compilation includes not only a Nebula Award-winning novella by Elizabeth Hand and a novelette by Ursula K. LeGuin but short stories, poetry, and essays from the annual symposium assessing the state of science fiction, among other riches. Essential for science fiction collections not only for the winning entries but for the evaluative essays by some of the genre's top writers.

Booknews