3) Science Fiction: The Best of 2004, ed. Karen Haber and Jonathan Strahan

13 short stories here, just in time for the Hugo nominations deadline (which is Friday). The only one I’d already read was “The Voluntary State” by Chris Rowe. Others that I particularly enjoyed were “The Lost Pilgrim” by Gene Wolfe, “PeriAndry’s Quest” by Stephen Baxter, “Elector” by Charles Stross, “All of Us Can Almost . . . ” by Carol Emshwiller and “The Tang Dynasty Underwater Pyramid” by Walter Jon Willams. Particularly intrigued by ‘s injection of “a last-century EU politician” into his story; presumably Peter Mandelson? Anyway, all the above, and maybe one or two of the others, will go onto my nomination form.