In the new millennium, what secrets lay beyond the far reaches of the universe? What mysteries belie the truths we once held to be self evident? The world of science fiction has long been a porthole into the realities of tomorrow, blurring the line between life and art. Now, in The Year's Best Science Fiction: Thirty-Second Annual Collection the very best SF authors explore ideas of a new world. This venerable collection brings together award winning authors and masters of the field such as Robert Reed, Alastair Reynolds, Damien Broderick, Elizabeth Bear, Paul McAuley and John Barnes. And with an extensive recommended reading guide and a summation of the year in science fiction, this annual compilation has become the definitive must-read anthology for all science fiction fans and readers interested in breaking into the genre. “All stories gathered here, by such quality writers as Alastair Reynolds, Karl Schroeder, and Nancy Kress, keep the light of superiority shining brightly through all 700 pages.... A highly valuable addition to all public library collections.” ― Booklist starred review Gardner Dozois (1947-2018), one of the most acclaimed editors in science-fiction, won the Hugo Award for Best Editor 15 times. He was the editor of Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine for 20 years. He also served as the editor of The Year’s Best Science Fiction anthologies and co-editor of the Warrior anthologies, Songs of the Dying Earth , and many others. As a writer, Dozois twice won the Nebula Award for best short story. He was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2011 and received the Skylark Award for Lifetime Achievement. He lived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Year's Best Science Fiction Thirty-Second Annual Collection By Gardner Dozois St. Martin's Press Copyright © 2015 Gardner Dozois All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-250-06442-4 Contents TITLE PAGE, COPYRIGHT NOTICE, PERMISSIONS, ACKNOWLEDGMENTS, SUMMATION: 2014, THE FIFTH DRAGON • Ian McDonald, THE RIDER • Jérôme Cigut, THE DAYS OF THE WAR, AS RED AS BLOOD, AS DARK AS BILE • Aliette de Bodard, THE BURIAL OF SIR JOHN MAWE AT CASSINI • Chaz Brenchley, THE REGULAR • Ken Liu, THE WOMAN FROM THE OCEAN • Karl Bunker, SHOOTING THE APOCALYPSE • Paolo Bacigalupi, WEATHER • Susan Palwick, THE HAND IS QUICKER • Elizabeth Bear, THE MAN WHO SOLD THE MOON • Cory Doctorow, VLADIMIR CHONG CHOOSES TO DIE • Lavie Tidhar, BESIDE THE DAMNED RIVER • D. J. Cockburn, THE COLONEL • Peter Watts, ENTANGLEMENT • Vandana Singh, WHITE CURTAIN • Pavel Amnuel, translated by Anatoly Belilovsky, SLIPPING • Lauren Beukes, PASSAGE OF EARTH • Michael Swanwick, AMICAE AETERNUM • Ellen Klages, IN BABELSBERG • Alastair Reynolds, SADNESS • Timons Esaias, WEST TO EAST • Jay Lake, GRAND JETÉ (THE GREAT LEAP) • Rachel Swirsky, COVENANT • Elizabeth Bear, JUBILEE • Karl Schroeder, LOS PIRATAS DEL MAR DE PLASTICO (PIRATES OF THE PLASTIC OCEAN) • Paul Graham Raven, RED LIGHTS, AND RAIN • Gareth L. Powell, COMA KINGS • Jessica Barber, THE PRODIGAL SON • Allen M. Steele, GOD DECAY • Rich Larson, BLOOD WEDDING • Robert Reed, THE LONG HAUL, FROM THE ANNALS OF TRANSPORTATION, THE PACIFIC MONTHLY, MAY 2009 • Ken Liu, SHADOW FLOCK • Greg Egan, THING AND SICK • Adam Roberts, COMMUNION • Mary Anne Mohanraj, SOMEDAY • James Patrick Kelly, YESTERDAY'S KIN • Nancy Kress, HONORABLE MENTIONS: 2014, ABOUT THE EDITOR, ALSO BY GARDNER DOZOIS, COPYRIGHT, CHAPTER 1 The Fifth Dragon IAN MCDONALD British author Ian McDonald is an ambitious and daring writer with a wide range and an impressive amount of talent. His first story was published in 1982, and since then he has appeared with some frequency in Interzone, Asimov's Science Fiction, and elsewhere. In 1989 he won the Locus Award for Best First Novel for his novel Desolation Road. He won the Philip K. Dick Award in 1992 for his novel King of Morning, Queen of Day. His other books include the novels Out on Blue Six, Hearts, Hands and Voices , Terminal Café, Sacrifice of Fools, Evolution's Shore, Kirinya, Ares Express, Brasyl, and The Dervish House, as well as three collections of his short fiction, Empire Dreams, Speaking In Tongues, and Cyberabad Days. His novel River of Gods was a finalist for both the Hugo Award and the Arthur C. Clarke award in 2005, and a novella drawn from it, "The Little Goddess," was a finalist for the Hugo and the Nebula. He won a Hugo Award in 2007 for his novelette "The Djinn's Wife," won the Theodore Sturgeon Award for his story "Tendeleo's Story," and in 2011 won the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for his novel The Dervish House. His most recent books, Planesrunner, Be My Enemy, and Empress of the Sun, are part of a YA series. Coming up is a new novel, Luna, and two collections, Only the Best of Ian McDonald and Mars Stories. Born in Manchester, England, in 1960, McDonald has spent most of his life in Northern Ireland