If this book only contained Finlay’s brilliant Nebula and Hugo Award-nominated reinvention of space opera, “The Political Officer,” it would be worth buying for that story alone. But fortunately, the book’s also got thirteen other compelling and finely-crafted tales, which run the gamut from humor to alternate history to swords-and-sorcery. This variety makes for an interesting reading experience, as if Finlay wanted to take the reader on a tour through all of what science fiction and fantasy has to offer. And Finlay seems equally adept at each of the subgenres he explores, so it’s not a matter of him trying new things until he finds something that works; it’s more like having written a great story in one subgenre, he goes looking for new kingdoms to conquer.