Alex’s Best of 2011

It’s still 2011, so this totally counts, even if it is later than everyone else’s…

This year I did not do as well as I had hoped, in the reading stakes. I only managed 134, even though I said I was going to concentrate on anthologies rather than magazines (which you’ll see from my list I didn’t entirely manage to do). Partly because of this, and partly from wanting to go easy on myself, I’ve decided to pull out of LSS for next year. Which I’m sure will make everyone very sad.

Anyway: herewith, my absolute favourite stories for the year:

Christopher Barzak, “Smoke City,” Asimov’s April/May

Kristine Kathryn Rusch, “Watching the Music Dance,” Engineering Infinity

Hannu Rajaniemi, “The Server and the Dragon,” Engineering Infinity

Ken Liu, “The Paper Menagerie,” F&SF March/April

Cory Doctorow, “The Martian Chronicles,” Life on Mars

Libba Bray, “The Last Ride of the Glory Girls,” Steampunk!

Kelly Link, “The Summer People,” Steampunk!

Dylan Horrocks, “Steam Girl,” Steampunk!

Karen Joy Fowler, “Younger Women,” Subterranean (Summer)

Ben Peek and Stephanie Campisi, Below/Above (novella double)

Sue Isle, “Nation of the Night,” Nightsiders

Tansy Rayner Roberts, “Julia Agrippina’s Secret Family Bestiary,” “The Patrician,” and “Last of the Romanpunks,” Love and Romanpunk

Terri Windling and Ellen Kushner, “Welcome to Bordertown,” Welcome to Bordertown

Catherynne M Valente, “Voice like a Hole,” Welcome to Bordertown

Jeff Carlson, “Damned when you do,” Welcome to the Greenhouse