Undreamed-of wonders from the farthest reaches of imagination. In this second volume of the previous year's finest short fantastic fiction, acclaimed editor and anthologist David G. Hartwell showcases new works by stellar literary artists -- acknowledged masters of the genre and exceptionally talented newcomers alike. Astonishing worlds come alive in these pages -- realms of strange creatures and remarkable sorceries, as well as twisted shadow versions of our inhabited earthly plain.

Edited by David G. Hartwell & Kathryn Cramer

Contents:

• The Finder by Ursula K. Le Guin
• Senator Bilbo by Andy Duncan
• Big City Littles by Charles de Lint
• What the Tyger Told Her by Kage Baker
• In the Shadow of Her Wings by Ashok K. Banker
• The Heart of the Hill by Marion Zimmer Bradley and Diana L. Paxson
• Queen by Gene Wolfe
• The Black Heart by Patrick O'Leary
• On the Wall by Jo Walton
• Hell Is the Absence of God by Ted Chiang
• The Man Who Stole the Moon by Tanith Lee
• Firebird by R. Garcia y Robertson
• My Case for Retributive Action by Thomas Ligotti
• The Shadow by Thomas M. Disch
• Stitchery by Devon Monk
• To Others We Know Not Of by Kate Riedel
• The Lady of the Winds by Poul Anderson
• His Own Back Yard by James P. Blaylock
• A Place to Begin by Richard Parks
• Nucleon by David D. Levine
• My Stolen Sabre by Uncle River
• Apologue by James Morrow