I remember really enjoying this first anthology when I first read it in 1995. Part of what I liked was the strength of the women and the diversity of stories, which is why I both continued to buy the subsequent collections and why I recommended in to Lynn in the first place. I was eager to re-read the anthology when Lynn returned it to me recently.
There are some gems here, and I remembered another thing I liked about this kind of short story collection - the discovery of writers I like whose work I wouldn't have otherwise discovered. The contributors range from SF notables like Harry Turtledove, Roger Zelazny and Elizabeth Moon, through fantasy stars like Elizabeth Ann Scarborough and Jody Lynn Nye (not to mention the editor, the redoubtable Esther Friesner), to writers whose work I was unfamiliar with until now - like Janni Lee Simner.
What surprised me most about this re-read is how many more stories I skipped over than I recall. This could be becaue I am more time poor , more discriminating, or less adventurous than I once was - you decide. I did still thoroughly enjoy the stories I remember all this time later, particularly Margaret Ball's "Career Day", which Lynn has referenced in her review (above). In fact, so popular was this story that there are sequelae in the following volumes. All in all a novel premise with vary degrees of execution, but undoubtably something for everyone - well, the everyone's who like FSF, anyway. - Alex
To read Lynn's review of this book, click here
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