“The second edition to the Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy, edited by Karen Joy Fowler (Mariner), is just as strong as the first, if not stronger. […] Showcases the nuanced, playful, ever-expanding definitions of the genre and celebrates its current renaissance.” —The Washington Post, on BASFF 2016 [review]
“Whether conjuring a little magic or exploring technology’s impact, these impressive selections demonstrate that these works may be brief in length but long on complexity and voice. Sophisticated sf/fantasy readers will find here everything they enjoy about the genre, plus a few other surprising delights.” —Library Journal, on BASFF 2016 [review]
“If you’re looking for a read (or lots of reads, as the case may be) that’s equally fun, scary, and thoughtprovoking, then What the #@&% Is That? will be up your alley. With editors as experienced as John Joseph Adams and Douglas Cohen, I’d be surprised if most horror/sci-fi fans don’t enjoy it. The only rating I could possibly give the book is five [out of five] stars.” —Dread Central, on What the #@&% Is That? [review]
“You’d think all the stories in this volume would be more or less the same; given the topic, you’re probably expecting dreary cautionary tales filled with angst and bitterness. And you’d be completely wrong. As with most theme anthologies, half the fun is seeing how each author went off in a totally different direction. […] This may well become your environmentalist friend’s favorite book.” —Analog Science Fiction & Fact [review]
“These stories represent both the importance of games and the people that play and create them. They are all labyrinths, the stories and the games, and they act as mazes that we never intend to escape from. Collections are fickle beasts to tame, there is an overwhelming fear that one story will outweigh the rest and spoil the reader, and a greater fear of that one story that may leave a sour taste in your mouth. Press Play to Start is one of the rare collections that keeps the reader hungrier with every passing story. One might question why we even need a collection like this, or if Cline’s like revolution of videogame stories is simply a fad waiting to pass like the Dreamcast. And another would counter that, this collection should not and will not be sectioned off as a mere collection of nerdy stories; it is an utter and visceral look at our humanity, a reflection of us as both Bowser and Mario.” —Stymie [review]