Christmas has always been a time of wonder, but in the hands of talented sf and fantasy writers such as Charles de Lint, Roger Zelazny, and Patricia A. McKillip, it becomes even more magical. Yet whether in a traditional celebration among the ruins of a lost civilization on a distant planet (Jack McDevitt's "Midnight Clear") or a frantic holiday battle against monsters taking over futuristic London (Joan Aiken's "Cockatrice Boys"), the spirit remains. Especially effective are de Lint's "Pal o' Mine," a haunting tale of friendship; Catherine Asaro's "Dance in Blue," the story of a ballerina and her future stepson's trials in a virtual reality mansion; and Dave Wolverton's "My Favorite Christmas," a time-travel fantasy. In all, a well-balanced collection with contents ranging from hard science stories to fantastic fables--one that is sure to herald the season for thoughtful sf readers.

Contents:

• Midnight Clear by Jack McDevitt
• Not a Creature by Damon Knight
• My Favorite Christmas by Dave Wolverton
• Prince of the Powers of the World by Roger Zelazny
• The Cockatrice Boys by Joan Aiken
• And When They Appear by Gene Wolfe
• We Traverse Afar by James Blaylock and Tim Powers
• Joyful All Ye Nations Rise by Margaret Ball
• Pal o' Mine by Charles de Lint
• How the Cohml Leeched Out Christmas by Alexis A. Gilliland
• Dance in Blue by Catherine Asaro
• Christmas Games by David Langford
• Toy Chest River by Paul C. Tumey
• A Present for Santa by Hilbert Schenck
• Easy as Pie by Rudy Rucker
• The Tamerlane Crutch by James Powell
• Chronos’s Christmas by Rhea Rose
• We Three Kings by Alan Dean Foster
• Xmas Cruise by Patricia A. McKillip
• A New Christmas Carol by Robert Sheckley
• Christmas at the Edge by Sarah Smith
• Sandy Claws by Edward Wellen
• Another Bad Day in Bedlam by Brian M. Stableford
• Not Even a Chimney by Stanley Schmidt
• Christmas Wingding by Janet Kagan
• A Present for Hanna by Maggie Flinn
• Cottage by Bruce McAllister
• Beginnings by Michael Bishop