The Collected Stories of Greg Bear

Greg Bear's collected short fiction is a record of one of hard science fiction's most decorated careers, and the highlights here are genuine classics of the form. 'Blood Music' and 'Tangents' both won Hugo and Nebula Awards, and 'Hardfought' added a Nebula of its own — a concentration of award-winning work that few single-author collections can match. Bear's author introductions for each story add real insight into the creative and scientific thinking behind the work. Publishers Weekly gave the collection a starred notice. The honest caveats: 'Blood Music' in particular involves disturbing biological transformation that qualifies as body horror, the hard-science approach prioritizes ideas over character warmth, and the earliest stories in the collection show Bear still finding his voice. Adult science fiction readers looking for the best of late-twentieth-century short SF will find this a deeply rewarding volume.