Which Edition of "Strange New Worlds" Was The Best?

[Knight Templar]

I bought the first issue of the "Strange New Worlds" Star Trek anthology written by fans and was not impressed by it.

For various reasons, I did not purchase the remainding 9 editions. But lately I have some spare time on my hands and have an interest in purchasing a couple of editions.

Can anyone recommend any of the editions that are especially good and explain why?

I realize this is entirely subjective.

 

[Therin of Andor]

I bought the first issue of the "Strange New Worlds" Star Trek anthology written by fans and was not impressed by it.

I bought them all and have read the first five or six. The standard is probably as varied as the topics and characters explored by the winners and runners up. Knowing that these particular stories, out of hundreds, had grabbed the attention of the judges is sufficient for me. Several multiple place-getters went on to write for the main ST lines.

If you were unimpressed by such an eclectic group of short stories as to be found in Volume One, I'm not sure you'll be that easy to win over with the other volumes.

Why not read about all of the stories in "Voyages of Imagination" and see which volumes seem to have more topics to your tastes?

 

[Greg Cox]

If you'll allow me a shameless plug, I can't resist pointing out that R.S. Belcher, whose story "Orphans" took the grand prize in Strange New World IX, has his first novel coming out from Tor next year: The Six-Gun Tarot.

(Full disclosure: I edited the book.)

 

[Admiral James Kirk]

I have a preference for SNW 9. Yeah, I have a story in it! Wanna make something of it?

 

[toughlittleship]

I don't remember any of the editions being any better or worse than the others, but SNW III had some excellent DS9 stories, including "An Errant Breeze".

 

[Knight Templar]

Any of them feature space battles?

 

[Therin of Andor]

Any of them feature space battles?

Short stories = very brief space battles.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Whichever one had "The Immortality Blues" in it.

 

[Admiral James Kirk]

Whichever one had "The Immortality Blues" in it.

Why... that would be... SNW 9!

 

[milo bloom]

There was a Pike one that just blew me away, it was the first story of the book, and it was one of those stories that made me consider not only *not* reading the rest of the book, but never again reading, watching, listening to anything Trek related again as to not sully the memory of that Pike story.

Alas, I'm not sure which volume it was, I'll have to check when I get home.

 

[Ood Sigma]

^ Pretty sure that was the very first SNW.

 

[Admiral James Kirk]

If I recall it was the first story in SNW 1 and was also the grand prize winner of the book.

Edit:

I was correct! The story was published in Strange New Worlds I and was indeed the grand prize winner. The name of the story was A Private Anecdote, written by Landon Cary Dalton.

 

[milo bloom]

If I recall it was the first story in SNW 1 and was also the grand prize winner of the book.

Edit:

I was correct! The story was published in Strange New Worlds I and was indeed the grand prize winner. The name of the story was A Private Anecdote, written by Landon Cary Dalton.

That would be it, thanks for the assist.

 

[Stevil2001]

I remember enjoying the first volume the most, before I began to feel like some ideas had been overdone. The second volume wasn't bad either, though maybe it had too many time travel stories. I also liked volume 7.

"Our Million Year Mission" is pretty good; that was in volume 6.

 

[Admiral James Kirk]

I still haven't read volume 6. Our Million Year Mission is a story I've been wanting to read for a few years now.

 

[E-DUB]

Every one had at least one great story in it. Every one had its share of stinkers, too. But what I found to be a great story, you might think a stinker, and vice versa.

 

[Therin of Andor]

But what I found to be a great story, you might think a stinker, and vice versa.

Exactly. Knowing that these were a mere handful of hundreds of good entries, and thousands of others, made me try to work out what element in each story helped it to get over the line with the three judges.

 

[Admiral James Kirk]

Dean told me why he selected my story. It seems the idea of Kirk playing chicken with a BoP was what drew him in... I am so kewl.

 

[Knight Templar]

Dean told me why he selected my story. It seems the idea of Kirk playing chicken with a BoP was what drew him in... I am so kewl.

Was there a battle in that one?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Whichever one had "The Immortality Blues" in it.

Why... that would be... SNW 9!

Damn right.

It also had "Gone Native" which is pretty cool (and hilarious) as well.