LitPick Review
The Nebula Awards Showcase 2008 is a collection of essays, poems, and short pieces by the top names in science fiction and fantasy. One notable piece is "Echo" in which an isolated woman copes with losing her few methods of communication. In the story "Burn" a war is fought through fires and a man discovers that his society's view of the world doesn't encompass as much as he thought. Another well written piece is the essay "Quo Vadis?" by Orson Scott Card. It explores the revolutions that spawned science fiction and, as that revolution began to decline, how fantasy brought new life to the genre. There as also other numerous short stories, essays, and poems.
Opinion:
When I first selected this book, I had some experience with reading the genres of fantasy and science fiction. I thought it would be something I could enjoy. I was very wrong. Reading this book (and I wasn't even able to finish it) was punishing. It is only for people that have very honed interests in these genres, not only as things that should be enjoyed, but as things that should be analyzed. There were a few sections I enjoyed reading, but these were vastly outnumbered by pieces that were overlong and tedious. I am giving it a five out of ten on the scale only because I think that someone older than me with a more academic interest in these genres would enjoy it. For me personally, it deserved a two and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone my age.
