▁if ▁only ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁unlikely ▁ju xt ap os itions ," ▁and ▁con cluding ▁that ▁"[ i ] n ▁short , ▁the ▁variety ▁of ▁taste ▁shown ▁by ▁the ▁S FF WA ▁continues ▁to ▁be ▁striking ▁and ▁heart ening ." ▁The ▁critic ▁feels , ▁however , ▁that ▁"[ t ] his ▁anth ology ▁series ▁is ▁finding ▁a ▁n iche ▁for ▁itself ▁by ▁not ▁compet ing ▁with ▁the ▁two ▁major ▁best - of - the - year ▁collections -- G ard ner ▁Do zo is ' s ▁m amm oth ▁assembly ▁that ▁fav ors ▁literary ▁experiment ation ▁and ▁David ▁Hart well ' s ▁relatively ▁compact ▁selection ▁of ▁more ▁traditional ▁SF . ▁Still , ▁the ▁two ▁big ▁anth ologies ▁are ▁better ▁b arg ains ." ▁ ▁Roland ▁Green , ▁writing ▁in ▁Book list , ▁rates ▁the ▁book ▁"[ a ] s ▁always , ▁an ▁honor able ▁entry ▁among ▁the ▁year ’ s ▁anth ologies . ▁He ▁notes ▁that ▁"[ i ] n ▁this ▁year ’ s ▁selection , ▁the ▁short ▁fiction ▁often ▁uses ▁bi ology ▁for ▁scientific ▁ground ing ," ▁but ▁singles ▁out ▁the ▁non - f iction ▁offer ings ▁for ▁pra ise : ▁" T er ry ▁B isson ’ s ▁ess ay ▁on ▁making ▁a ▁living ▁with ▁hum orous ▁fant asy ▁is ▁itself ▁a ▁hum orous ▁fant asy , ▁and ▁the ▁other ▁ess ay ists ▁on ▁fant asy ▁assim il ate ▁the ▁bo om ▁in ▁fant asy ▁in ▁both ▁print ▁and ▁visual ▁media ." ▁As ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁his ▁assess ment , ▁the