SCIENCE FICTION The Best of 2001

Good science fiction is at the very least intriguing, often prophetic, cautionary. This collection meets all of these marks, sometimes excelling, sometimes lulling the listener into a light doze. We travel to miniature but conscious worlds of nature and hear tales of man versus machine, machine versus machine, man versus nature, and various other permutations. Many authors here are risk-takers and deserve kudos for that. But much of the collection suffers when read aloud--it translates poorly to the ear, being so conceptual. Some poor choices in readers accentuate the problem. But the set features good packaging and is perfect for sci-fi addicts. D.J.B. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 03]