The Best of Science Fiction 12

I am not going to attempt to list the many outstanding short stories which were not, for all the familiar reasons, reprinted here; but let me say quickly that readers who feel strongly about some of the obvious omissions, or who know of titles I may have missed seeing entirely, are more than welcome to write in and tell me what to use next time. And I cannot quite stop name-dropping without a word about the delight of seeing a Nobel prize go to Asturias' Mulata (Delacorte).

Less happily , it is also necessary to record here, with no space to do more than record, the deaths of two writers of major importance to speculative fiction: Paul Linebarger ('Cordwainer Smith') and Charles Beaumont.

And, finally, although it is quite impossible to thank individually each of the many people whose suggestions, criticism, advice, clerical help, or just cups-of-coffee assistance, went into the making of this book, I must express particular appreciation, for assistance entirely beyond the limits of probability, to Sharon Robinson and Bernard K.Kay.